October 8, 2024 • 22 mins
Matt Williamson and Tom Opferman break down the Steelers upcoming matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We got some work to do.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
This is the Advanced Scout with Tom Upferman and Mac Williamson.
Steelers dropped their second straight to the Cowboys on Sunday
Night Football. So they're three and two and hit the
road to Vegas to meet the two and three Raiders.
Matt Steelers had that game pretty much all game long,
(00:22):
even though they were trailing at some points, I thought
they were in pretty decent control. Then they're in the
lead with the defense and five minutes to go on
the clock to win it, and Dak Prescott just veteran
quarterbacked his way down the field and put it in
the end zone on that winner take all fourth and goalplay.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
It certainly was a key component, and part of that
made me think not there at the same level, But like,
what would Russell Wilson?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Look here, you know, I love where you've gone with this.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Yeah, I mean, I'm not trying to stir things up.
I mean, it's just there's value to these dudes that
have been around the block and one in stadiums and
understand when a defense is spent in time, hired and
out of tricks that you know you can go back
and know how to put teams away and Dak absolutely did.
So we were kind of joking off the air that
(01:12):
these past two weeks we've had this podcast, which I
really enjoy, and we kind of ended them going I'm
not really sure how the path the Steelers losing goes.
You know, I can't really see them going right and
losing these games. And they lost them both, you know,
and of course we could have been like they could
have blocked ten kicks and you know, I had a
bunch of interceptions, and of course anybody can lose to anybody,
(01:32):
but I'm trying to avoid that this week because this
Raider team isn't very potent.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
No, I mean, you should bounce back. You should should
not fall to five hundred.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
If you go a three game losing streak against these
three teams. I'm concerned, concerned.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Very concerned, and I think that you know something that
will avoid them falling in this trap is Yeah, we
talked about the Colts, and we were like, yeah, you're
better than the Colts. You'll meet the Colts.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
They didn't.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Cowboys. It's the Cowboys. But still it's just Dak and CD.
That's all you have to worry about. Actually, ended up,
you only had to worry about Dak at the end,
and he was the one that really beat you. And
now it's the same thing with the Raiders. Were like
Max Crosby is one dude, Like did they really scary
at all? And they don't. But this time the Steelers
should be playing with a desperation like their seasons on
(02:19):
the line. That should be in their corner now.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Which I think that's where the Colts were. I think
the cults were in.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
That cults were. I think cowboys in a low way
kind of were not as desperately as the Colts, but
they were and they wanted to get right on national
TV too. You can be like Steelers have that going
now this week.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yeah, and I'm sure there's listeners. Well why aren't you
like that every week? Because they're human being, you know
what I mean, Like you can forget like, well they
should give every one hundred percent every play and every
Tuesday afternoon, and well, yes, but there is a desperation
and that's real, and any athlete will tell you that.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I'm sure you don't give one hundred and ten percent
at your nine to five at your desk every day.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Some days I bet out there they are fellas you know, right.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
I got two stats that aren't good for the Steelers though,
that I want to leave off with. Pittsburgh is averaging
eighteen point four points per game. That is the lowest
amongst the fifteen teams that currently have a winning record.
It's still only five games into Arthur Smith's eras the
offensive coordinator, but that is more of the same and
the really only thing that matters, the only statistic that matters.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Yeah, and there's another one in there that they're the
bottom of the league at scoring touchdowns, and you know
those things go hand in hand. Touchdowns resulten points and
that needs you get better. There's just no way around that.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
And then last week the Steelers were outgained by two
hundred and nineteen yards. That's the worst yardage differential at
home since Week sixteen of nineteen ninety eight.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Isn't that something that is crazy?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Yeah, two hundred and nineteen yards is a lot twenty
six years ago, I know. And again it just goes
in the opposite of what we said on this very
podcast before that Cowboys game. What would happen like they
want out game the Steelers right, would to run the
ball in the Steelers defense. Sacracher stadium night years. Oh
my god, the crowd's going to be behind them.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
No control the clock, right.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
And the crowd was Honestly, Labs and I were talking
today of the crowd. You got to give them credit
for that race to stuck it out right, I've sold
out State one am.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Yeah, there wasn't many empty seats at midnight.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
No, I did not expect that serious history before we
get into this, I don't really need to update you
on the series history here. Uh.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
It's a story like the Cowboys though, like these isn't
that great time?
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Like you know, the old heads are loving this stretch
of the Steelers schedule.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah, I mean so, I've said this all last week.
When I was a kid, you were taught to hate
the Raiders first and then hate the Cowboys, you know.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
For me, it was the Patriots.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
I bet I was one seventy three, and.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
The Ravens are just too easy to hate. You don't
need to get taught that. Yeah, they didn't exist the
womb hating them right.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
This is an incredible rivalry in the seventies particularly. It
began in nineteen seventy and during that decade, the Steelers
and Raiders met eleven times, including five playoff battles, three
of which were AFC Championship games, and the seventies. The
Raiders won six of those eleven. Overall, Oakland, La, Las
Vegas the Raiders they led the series. They lead this
(05:06):
series seventeen to fifteen, but these teams have split three
to three in the postseason. Steelers have won eight of
the last eleven, but the Raiders did have a six
game winning streak spanning between nineteen seventy six and nineteen
eighty four. Mike tomin is four and five against the Raiders.
After winning last year twenty three to eighteen in Las Vegas,
Steelers won eight of the last eleven. Is surprising to
(05:29):
me because you always think of the Raiders as a
bit of that bogie team, that team that you don't
want to see on the schedule. But I guess they've
handled them.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Especially in Oakland, not Vegas necessarily, but in Oakland was
always a pitfall for this team.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
They're one to zero in Vegas. They own them.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Now.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Steelers are great.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I bet they'll be a Steeler fan or two there.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
It's a home Vegas is gonna be on the Silent
count all game. It's a home game for them. Steelers
are two and one on the road this year. Vegas
is won and one at home. Pittsburgh is eleven and
four in their last fifteen regular season road games, and
the Steelers have won their past fourteen road games when
they lead going into the fourth quarter. That is the
longest current streak in the NFL. So they don't have
(06:05):
any trouble going on the road.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Hostile lost their last last one.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
They did lose their last one. He lost their last
two in that building. Maybe it's just something about Lucas
oilste that Las Vegas is minus three in turnover differential
are they were in Week five? They're now minus seven
for the season. That's worse than the league. The Raiders
have just two takeaways in our worst in the NFL
with nine giveaways. I think that can be the story
(06:30):
of this game. Matt.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
That's a good point. I mean, maybe you end up
plus three in turnovers in this one. Yeah, it sounds,
and back to back weeks that sounds.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Technically they were plus two because of that hooking ladder
schoolyard bs play that they lost the ball on, but
it was a really plus three in the turnover battle
last week and they lost. That ain't happened in two
weeks in a row.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
And I count the block kicks make a plus four.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Okay, there such a rarity to lose a game like that,
it is, but the Steelers somehow found away.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Looking I never win the turnover battle this week is
the key though, I meanes it sets up very well for.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
You, well, your conservative team to begin with, whether that's
Russ or Field starting at quarterback. They've kind of worked
that into fields as game and yeah, Russ brings that
to the table already.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Interceptions are no, no, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
And they don't take the ball away anyway. The Raiders,
so it's cool, like they're cool.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
And who knows their quarter I mean there's four potential
quarterback those games.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
I wouldn't recording the Raiders defense. We'll look at that
side of the ball first. They give up five point
five yards per play. How about the Steelers have thrown
the ball on forty seven percent of their snaps. Only
four offenses thrown at a lower percent of the time,
but they have thrown at fifty four point two percent
of the time in the past three games. So a
little bit more usage of the passing game for the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I'm sure some of its fourth quarter coming from behind
here and there too.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
But that leads me to ask you, how's that Dalla
or Dallas? How's that Raider? Secondary? Because I'm looking at
them on as right now, and I don't even know
many of these people.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
I know the very defense, it's a very name defense.
It's Wilkins, who may or may not play in this game.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Crosby, well, you know Splaine, because.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Most people don't, you know. I mean, there's not a
lot of brand names, there's not a lot of high
end players. I will say they play better as a
group than you would think just looking at their depth chart.
So I think that you know, defensive minded head coach
that they're pretty well coached on side of the ball.
But they're not a high end defense.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
No, they don't seem like a high end defense. They
allow four point nine yards per carry against the run.
Only five defenses are worse. They also allow one point
eight two yards per carry before first contact. That is
the seventh highest in the league. They held Denver two
three of twelve on third downs last week, so that
isn't terrible. If Wilkins doesn't play. Crosby's really their only
(08:48):
big threat, huge threat, and he can wreck a game
for sure. He's got TJ. Watt aspects to him very much.
I'm also just not worried about it. If he's the
only thing going for them. I think whoever the quarterback
is will be able to avoid Max Crosby and kind
of make the game plan oriented around and.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
They'll probably get a sack and okay, but that doesn't
mean the game for you, you know. I mean, he's
gonna make a play here and there. He does every game.
He's very Watt esque. I think he's one of the
top five edge guys in the league. And then there's
a drop off after that. But you know, the this
is a second week in a row where it's like
they don't stop the run well, they don't run well.
You would think the Steelers can exploit that, but I'm
(09:28):
not sure the Steelers run well. Right.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
In the past couple of weeks, they haven't been able
to stop the run very well.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Las Vegas is allowing a third down conversion rate of
thirty percent. That's fourth best in the league. When combining
third and fourth down conversion rate. The Raiders defense is
eighth thirty percent in the NFL. Las Vegas faces an
average third down of seven point eight yards to go,
which is ninth best. Steelers offense. They're converting third downs
to a forty point six percent clip and their average
yards to go is seven point five on third down.
(09:57):
That's twenty second amongst offenses. So I guess there's some
success there with the Raiders on third down, and.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
That Bet Crosby has a lot to do with that too.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Get into it pass rush. But how many times are
teams facing a third down against the Raiders. Maybe they're
moving the sticks on second down. There's not that much
resistance from this defense at all.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
The biggest thing that took away from what you said
is Steelers are in third long way too much. I mean,
they're bad on first downs.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
And he's seven point five to go.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Yeah, good enough. It's not good enough, right, I Mean
they're two often in third and lungs. It's one of
the biggest problems with the offense, and.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
A lot of times you'll see them be very conservative
in those third and lungs. Yeah, throw short of the
sticks or draw the ball right right right, Like when
it was third and eight and they decided to take
the field goal early in the Dallas game and they
just kind of pitched to Shamplen, try to see how
many yards he can get. Hey, maybe he breaks one
and we get lucky, but we don't really care. We
want three.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Yeah, I think that needs to be if you're ramped
up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Or if you're going to be that conservative, you got
to make it third and four. You got to make
it third and three. Then you can do all those.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Third and seven, third and eight, it's not gonna cut it.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
You can do all the conservative plays then and they'll work,
but not at that down.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Have better success on first down.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Yeah, I mean inside linebackers, Spelane familiar face.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
They love him, and he makes plays. I know he's
high on like the tackle list, but he's.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
But we saw how you can really scheme him into
terrible matchups in coverage. Yes, he can get just torched
in coverage. In the passing game. I haven't really seen
that much. I mean I have from Arthur Smith's track
record so far you're in Pittsburgh, haven't really seen that
much evidence to see him scheming those matchups up. But
maybe he can cook up some favorable things to see
(11:36):
Calvin Austin running up the seam on spolane.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Or something like that, or even friar mooth or an
advantage against them. I mean, they are they all do.
They're so familiar with them. I would one of the
keys to the game to me is a tax splane.
Yeah yes, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Well that's a lot of middle of the field stuff.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Which hasn't been great.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Now, let's look at the Raiders offense. It's an offense
that's producing five yards per snap this season. Pittsburgh's defense
is surrounding five point one yards per play after giving
up five point nine versus Dallas. Yeah, the points per
game allowed for the Steelers didn't take that much of
a hit. They're still only allowing fourteen point six points
per game. Only the Chargers now have a better scoring defense.
But yardage took a hit against them. Big double down
(12:22):
the board as far as that's concerned.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
And it's hard the card to count on red zone
takeaways to bail you out, you know.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Yeah, you know, I was talking about that earlier today too.
Dallas had no issue driving down the field, Like even
if they just didn't turn it over, they'd hit thirty
points on on Auburn's leg. They should be kicking, just
kicking the fields, taking three points after three points after
three points like, thank you Steelers?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Like and how often do Lamb and Prescott have a
miscommunication that ends up in a pick or you know,
like Dallas left some.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Stuff right, Yeah, Dallas left a lot out there. Las
Vegas surprisingly is throwing the ball at sixty three point
four percent. That is the sixth highest percentage in the league.
If you remember, Dallas was the ball at the highest
percentage in the NFL, the team that the Steelers just saw.
So they like to pass the football.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
I think it's because they're so bad at running it, Okay,
I don't know if that's by design. I mean for
much of the year, I would say they've had the
worst running attack in the league.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Okay, and Dallas kind of did too.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Yeah, so what.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Is that going to get you? Because Dallas, right, there's
a lot of that in the second half while they
were coming back.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Or exactly, Daldell played well and had a good game.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
You know, it was crazy in that game. Again not
to just keep harping on that Dallas game, but it
was crazy to see them able to use that running
game in that last drive. Still, like have Dak hand
the ball off and get four yards here, five yards here. Yeah,
every once in a while, you know what I mean,
just just once or twice, like you didn't have to
always throw it, And that can really help a quarterback
so much.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Absolutely, And again we don't know who the Raiders quarterback
is going to be, but some semblance of a running
game would go a real long way for them, and
the Steelers need to eliminate that quick.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Well, who do you think it's going to be? What's
your best guest right now on Tuesday while we record
this O'Connell because it's the second time Minshew's been bent.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
And say, you've been benched twice, you're gonna bench him,
keep benching them every other week, you know, like more
than any team in the league. I don't think they
have an answer.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Minshew completed his first nine passes for one hundred and
fifteen yards and a touchdown in Denver, but then he
finished the day twelve for seventeen for one hundred and
thirty seven yards with a touchdown in two interceptions, one
of which Patzertain took to the house for a one
hundred yard touchdown. Pass ten had two interceptions in that
game against the Raiders one.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
He was one hundred yard jaunt.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Yeah, so he had a hell of a time O'Connell.
Like we said, replace Minshew at half just like he did,
or not at halftime. He just replaced him last week,
just like he did against the Carolina Panthers and the
Raiders blowout lost to them. He threw the ball twenty times,
he completed ten of those for just ninety two yards
without a touchdown pass and ate An O'Connell through an
(14:51):
interception as well. I think you're right. I think they're
gonna go with him. This team should and they will,
but they should dump Devonte Adam and try to get
into the top five and see if they can find
a quarterback in this class. M and their solution.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Now I know that people are listening to this well
after and going backwards, my phone just lit up that
Christian Wilkins is out and.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Definitely so that's he's not playing.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Definitely not playing. That was their big off season investment.
Their best player on offense. Adams is not going to
play in this game. Haven't we been down this road
before with Lawrence and Parsons And you know.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
And I feel better this week then I know me
to still have that desperation. Like we said, a lot of.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Steeler injuries though, too, Like you and I are playing
outside linebacker this week, and you know there's some things
in problematic too.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
There is uh you trading or at least kicking the
tires on Max Crosby for the Raiders if this season
gets really crazy, what do you need him for? Right
You could get a lot, get a lot and help
the rebuild. And yeah, to be quite honest with you,
I mean you don't need him right now. You you
won't need that kind of player in his prime to
like three or four years from now.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
I mean leads are going to be playing with him. Yeah, yeah,
I mean I know that's been breached to him. And
I don't want to leave and I'm happy here and
that's fine.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
And NFL is so different from other sports. You keep
cornerstone players. You don't just like burn a franchise face
like that. I get that, But I'm just saying it
could help out for sure, because this team is going.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
They need everything. Their off season needs are going to
be everything.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
So put the nail on that coffin. If you're the Steelers,
you know, really set their season on the path of
They know it's not going anywhere. Get them to two
and four. Don't let them get me.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Get to this game at halftime and you already know
it's over.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Yeah, you know, thinking vacation, They're thinking what am I
going to do in January? I can't wait till the
season's over. Crabit's on the October. We got a long
road ahead of us, So get this one over with.
Don't give them any hope in the first half. As
far as past catching weapons, Matt Jacoby Myers, no Adams,
so we don't have to worry about that. Jacoby Myers
had five plus catches in three straight games after catching
(16:47):
seven passes over the first two weeks of the season.
He's been targeted twenty eight times over the past three weeks.
It's been Myers and Bowers in the absence of Adams. Yes,
that's what they've gone with.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
And the other thing is too Michael Mayer. They want
to play a lot of twelve with the mayor. Mayor
was out last week. Alan Turi's gonna play this week.
So yeah, Meyers and especially Bowers are pretty darn impressive
and they get a lot of targets.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Yeah, Bowers left the team in targets with twelve and
receptions last week with eight. He finished the day with
eight catches, ninety seven yards and a touchdown. Did you
see that touchdown? I'm sure yeah. Yeah, Cat scrabbed it
over the guy. Yeah, right to the house. He's a start.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
He looked like at Georgia.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
He's a great talent for he really is. He hit
a career high thirty three point three percent target chare
and number of targets against Denver, but in that game,
Bowers only had an average depth of target of five
point eight yards downfield. They're starting to use him more
and more because he's starting to get comfortable in the
NFL more and more. And steels inside linebackers have been
disappointing this year.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Yeah, they have.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
We'll get to Bowers match up a little bit later
because I think you think there's gonna be some safety
help involved.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Yeah, but he's a problem. I mean, I think his
target numbers are gonna keep going up and up and up.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Biggest problem on the offense that the Steelers their face.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Yeah, I think so that's safe to say, Well, he's
a rookie's rookie.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Yeah, you can get him on some stuff. Because he's
a little ignorant to the NFL. Still, Raiders' quarterbacks are
getting sacked on nine percent of their dropbacks. Only seven
offenses are worse. But the Steelers' defense is only blitzing
on twenty point six percent of opposing dropbacks. Only five
defenses have a lower blitz rate. I'm glad that that's
that was in here, Matt, because I get that you
(18:20):
don't want to blitz. I get that you get home
with four guys a lot because you got TJ, you
got Alex high Smith. You don't have them anymore, and
you might not have her big in this game, and
it might be TJ and Jeremiah.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Smith and her big are both.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Rolled out, So like you gotta start dialing up some blitzeres.
I think she gotta adjust. I would have liked to
see it against Dallas. You know, Dak had a little
bit too much time, especially on that last drive. But
I think you gotta adjust a little bit here.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
I tend to agree. And your inside linebackers are very
good blitzers too. We haven't seen a taste of that
much this year, but.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Maybe that's something that can get Queen jump started. He
hasn't really had much going on. Give him a sack,
a big impact play on third, make.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
A big play, yeah, a long way.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Raiders are averaging eighty four rush yards per game. That
ranks only ahead of the Jets and the Cowboys, and
their rushing success rate is by far last than the
league at twenty seven point seven percent. For perspective, Houston
is thirty first and rushing success rate at thirty one
point four percent, So it's like four percentage points worse
for the Raiders. But we're singing that same song as like.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I know, this sounds really redundant.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Right, sounds really redundant. And we even listed the Cowboys
there in your statu back. Yeah, they just beat them
one hundred and nine yards on the ground for the
Cowboys against the Steelers, Madison carried the ball fifteen times.
No one else had more than five carries last week.
You can only get thirty eight yards on those fifteen carries.
Zamir White leads the team with one hundred and fifty
two rushing yards, but only a three point one yards
per carry average in samere Whit's hurt. So know if
(19:41):
he's gonna play. Madison is second with one hundred and
twenty five rushing yards an average of three point nine.
Vegas has twelve rushes of ten plus yards. Only seven
offenses have fewer, and one of those offenses have already
had their bye week. It's the same thing. You just
got to be better at stopping the run. You got
to adjust there, and you got to bounce back back
in that aspect.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Just play your game. Well, the Steelers are a better team, I.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Know, and I think that's been the case for the
past two weeks though, So you got to follow through
now and get the result at least Dallas a DAC
and you know I agreed. Yeah, Well the cold said
Flo too, I mean, and.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Yeah right, and now I hear what you're saying.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Flaco could think the game at least better than Mins. Absolutely,
Aidan O'Connell. All right, key matchups before we leave, Raiders
tight end brock Bauers versus Steelers safety Deshaun Ellie. You
think that's going to be the guy who gets tasked
a lot with a group project.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
It's a group project, but they move bowers around a lot.
Make make a catch on to that a little bit maybe,
but doesn't sound like Casey is going to play in
this game.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Either it's going to have to be into like total
mop up duty.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Yeah, maybe, but boy, it would be nice to see
manco on Bowers a lot because that could eliminate could
cut the right arm off, you.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Know, any hope in the linebackers covering him or is
he just too much of them?
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Not man, But I mean it's going to be a
group project safeties and pass.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Him off to Yeah, he could run with him for
a nice five steps if he had to.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
I think Ellie, it's your best tight end e racer.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Though I liked Sewn Elliot. He's been playing well this year.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
He's been nice addition.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
And then Steelers offensive tackles versus Raiders defensive end Max Crosby.
And I'm assuming you wrote that way because he'll move.
You're both Jones and Moore are both going to have
a taste of Crosby.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
But it seems like more Jones.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Oh good, you know, I would rather have more It's
crazy that we've come around that point, but I'd rather
have more hands than Crosby. But if I was the
Raider last year, if I was the Raiders, I'd put
him over Jones. Yeah, that's where I want him to hunt.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
I looked it up and I don't remember, but I
think most of his most of his snaps are coming
to the quarterbacks, right, But he does move like all good.
I mean, like all pass rushers.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Besides what right, besides Crosby had two sacks last week.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Yeah, he's all right. He's still beast like, he's phenomenal,
and he like never takes a snap off.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
So insummation, We've got Crosby on the defensive side of
the ball, and you've got Bowers on the offensive side
of the ball. Those are your scary dudes, Those are rats.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Those are your difference makers. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Other than that, there's nothing that really puts fear in
your heart when you see the Raiders.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Not really, unless the Steelers play poorly, you know, and
don't you know, self inflicted wounds things like that.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
We both can't see that being the case with the
Steelers this week either.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
But it's shocking to see that because this team doesn't
have a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Amen to that. Steelers Raiders four oh five kickoff against Vegas.
Matt will be on the air I think around like
noon ish something like that for you and Tim Benz
that hour and then two o five for Steelers Audio
Network pregame with Labs Perzuda and Jerry Dulac. Thanks for
giving myself a matt A listen. We'll be back again
(22:48):
next week to preview another Sunday night football matchup between
the Steelers and the Jets, but until then this has
been the Advanced Scout
We got some work to do.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
This is the Advanced Scout with Tom Upferman and Mac Williamson.
Steelers dropped their second straight to the Cowboys on Sunday
Night Football. So they're three and two and hit the
road to Vegas to meet the two and three Raiders.
Matt Steelers had that game pretty much all game long,
(00:22):
even though they were trailing at some points, I thought
they were in pretty decent control. Then they're in the
lead with the defense and five minutes to go on
the clock to win it, and Dak Prescott just veteran
quarterbacked his way down the field and put it in
the end zone on that winner take all fourth and goalplay.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
It certainly was a key component, and part of that
made me think not there at the same level, But like,
what would Russell Wilson?
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Look here, you know, I love where you've gone with this.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Yeah, I mean, I'm not trying to stir things up.
I mean, it's just there's value to these dudes that
have been around the block and one in stadiums and
understand when a defense is spent in time, hired and
out of tricks that you know you can go back
and know how to put teams away and Dak absolutely did.
So we were kind of joking off the air that
(01:12):
these past two weeks we've had this podcast, which I
really enjoy, and we kind of ended them going I'm
not really sure how the path the Steelers losing goes.
You know, I can't really see them going right and
losing these games. And they lost them both, you know,
and of course we could have been like they could
have blocked ten kicks and you know, I had a
bunch of interceptions, and of course anybody can lose to anybody,
(01:32):
but I'm trying to avoid that this week because this
Raider team isn't very potent.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
No, I mean, you should bounce back. You should should
not fall to five hundred.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
If you go a three game losing streak against these
three teams. I'm concerned, concerned.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Very concerned, and I think that you know something that
will avoid them falling in this trap is Yeah, we
talked about the Colts, and we were like, yeah, you're
better than the Colts. You'll meet the Colts.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
They didn't.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Cowboys. It's the Cowboys. But still it's just Dak and CD.
That's all you have to worry about. Actually, ended up,
you only had to worry about Dak at the end,
and he was the one that really beat you. And
now it's the same thing with the Raiders. Were like
Max Crosby is one dude, Like did they really scary
at all? And they don't. But this time the Steelers
should be playing with a desperation like their seasons on
(02:19):
the line. That should be in their corner now.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Which I think that's where the Colts were. I think
the cults were in.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
That cults were. I think cowboys in a low way
kind of were not as desperately as the Colts, but
they were and they wanted to get right on national
TV too. You can be like Steelers have that going
now this week.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yeah, and I'm sure there's listeners. Well why aren't you
like that every week? Because they're human being, you know
what I mean, Like you can forget like, well they
should give every one hundred percent every play and every
Tuesday afternoon, and well, yes, but there is a desperation
and that's real, and any athlete will tell you that.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
I'm sure you don't give one hundred and ten percent
at your nine to five at your desk every day.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Some days I bet out there they are fellas you know, right.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
I got two stats that aren't good for the Steelers though,
that I want to leave off with. Pittsburgh is averaging
eighteen point four points per game. That is the lowest
amongst the fifteen teams that currently have a winning record.
It's still only five games into Arthur Smith's eras the
offensive coordinator, but that is more of the same and
the really only thing that matters, the only statistic that matters.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Yeah, and there's another one in there that they're the
bottom of the league at scoring touchdowns, and you know
those things go hand in hand. Touchdowns resulten points and
that needs you get better. There's just no way around that.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
And then last week the Steelers were outgained by two
hundred and nineteen yards. That's the worst yardage differential at
home since Week sixteen of nineteen ninety eight.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Isn't that something that is crazy?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Yeah, two hundred and nineteen yards is a lot twenty
six years ago, I know. And again it just goes
in the opposite of what we said on this very
podcast before that Cowboys game. What would happen like they
want out game the Steelers right, would to run the
ball in the Steelers defense. Sacracher stadium night years. Oh
my god, the crowd's going to be behind them.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
No control the clock, right.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
And the crowd was Honestly, Labs and I were talking
today of the crowd. You got to give them credit
for that race to stuck it out right, I've sold
out State one am.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
Yeah, there wasn't many empty seats at midnight.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
No, I did not expect that serious history before we
get into this, I don't really need to update you
on the series history here. Uh.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
It's a story like the Cowboys though, like these isn't
that great time?
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Like you know, the old heads are loving this stretch
of the Steelers schedule.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Yeah, I mean so, I've said this all last week.
When I was a kid, you were taught to hate
the Raiders first and then hate the Cowboys, you know.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
For me, it was the Patriots.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
I bet I was one seventy three, and.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
The Ravens are just too easy to hate. You don't
need to get taught that. Yeah, they didn't exist the
womb hating them right.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
This is an incredible rivalry in the seventies particularly. It
began in nineteen seventy and during that decade, the Steelers
and Raiders met eleven times, including five playoff battles, three
of which were AFC Championship games, and the seventies. The
Raiders won six of those eleven. Overall, Oakland, La, Las
Vegas the Raiders they led the series. They lead this
(05:06):
series seventeen to fifteen, but these teams have split three
to three in the postseason. Steelers have won eight of
the last eleven, but the Raiders did have a six
game winning streak spanning between nineteen seventy six and nineteen
eighty four. Mike tomin is four and five against the Raiders.
After winning last year twenty three to eighteen in Las Vegas,
Steelers won eight of the last eleven. Is surprising to
(05:29):
me because you always think of the Raiders as a
bit of that bogie team, that team that you don't
want to see on the schedule. But I guess they've
handled them.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Especially in Oakland, not Vegas necessarily, but in Oakland was
always a pitfall for this team.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
They're one to zero in Vegas. They own them.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Now.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Steelers are great.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
I bet they'll be a Steeler fan or two there.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
It's a home Vegas is gonna be on the Silent
count all game. It's a home game for them. Steelers
are two and one on the road this year. Vegas
is won and one at home. Pittsburgh is eleven and
four in their last fifteen regular season road games, and
the Steelers have won their past fourteen road games when
they lead going into the fourth quarter. That is the
longest current streak in the NFL. So they don't have
(06:05):
any trouble going on the road.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Hostile lost their last last one.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
They did lose their last one. He lost their last
two in that building. Maybe it's just something about Lucas
oilste that Las Vegas is minus three in turnover differential
are they were in Week five? They're now minus seven
for the season. That's worse than the league. The Raiders
have just two takeaways in our worst in the NFL
with nine giveaways. I think that can be the story
(06:30):
of this game. Matt.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
That's a good point. I mean, maybe you end up
plus three in turnovers in this one. Yeah, it sounds,
and back to back weeks that sounds.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Technically they were plus two because of that hooking ladder
schoolyard bs play that they lost the ball on, but
it was a really plus three in the turnover battle
last week and they lost. That ain't happened in two
weeks in a row.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
And I count the block kicks make a plus four.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Okay, there such a rarity to lose a game like that,
it is, but the Steelers somehow found away.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Looking I never win the turnover battle this week is
the key though, I meanes it sets up very well for.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
You, well, your conservative team to begin with, whether that's
Russ or Field starting at quarterback. They've kind of worked
that into fields as game and yeah, Russ brings that
to the table already.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Interceptions are no, no, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
And they don't take the ball away anyway. The Raiders,
so it's cool, like they're cool.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
And who knows their quarter I mean there's four potential
quarterback those games.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
I wouldn't recording the Raiders defense. We'll look at that
side of the ball first. They give up five point
five yards per play. How about the Steelers have thrown
the ball on forty seven percent of their snaps. Only
four offenses thrown at a lower percent of the time,
but they have thrown at fifty four point two percent
of the time in the past three games. So a
little bit more usage of the passing game for the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
I'm sure some of its fourth quarter coming from behind
here and there too.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
But that leads me to ask you, how's that Dalla
or Dallas? How's that Raider? Secondary? Because I'm looking at
them on as right now, and I don't even know
many of these people.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
I know the very defense, it's a very name defense.
It's Wilkins, who may or may not play in this game.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Crosby, well, you know Splaine, because.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Most people don't, you know. I mean, there's not a
lot of brand names, there's not a lot of high
end players. I will say they play better as a
group than you would think just looking at their depth chart.
So I think that you know, defensive minded head coach
that they're pretty well coached on side of the ball.
But they're not a high end defense.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
No, they don't seem like a high end defense. They
allow four point nine yards per carry against the run.
Only five defenses are worse. They also allow one point
eight two yards per carry before first contact. That is
the seventh highest in the league. They held Denver two
three of twelve on third downs last week, so that
isn't terrible. If Wilkins doesn't play. Crosby's really their only
(08:48):
big threat, huge threat, and he can wreck a game
for sure. He's got TJ. Watt aspects to him very much.
I'm also just not worried about it. If he's the
only thing going for them. I think whoever the quarterback
is will be able to avoid Max Crosby and kind
of make the game plan oriented around and.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
They'll probably get a sack and okay, but that doesn't
mean the game for you, you know. I mean, he's
gonna make a play here and there. He does every game.
He's very Watt esque. I think he's one of the
top five edge guys in the league. And then there's
a drop off after that. But you know, the this
is a second week in a row where it's like
they don't stop the run well, they don't run well.
You would think the Steelers can exploit that, but I'm
(09:28):
not sure the Steelers run well. Right.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
In the past couple of weeks, they haven't been able
to stop the run very well.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Las Vegas is allowing a third down conversion rate of
thirty percent. That's fourth best in the league. When combining
third and fourth down conversion rate. The Raiders defense is
eighth thirty percent in the NFL. Las Vegas faces an
average third down of seven point eight yards to go,
which is ninth best. Steelers offense. They're converting third downs
to a forty point six percent clip and their average
yards to go is seven point five on third down.
(09:57):
That's twenty second amongst offenses. So I guess there's some
success there with the Raiders on third down, and.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
That Bet Crosby has a lot to do with that too.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Get into it pass rush. But how many times are
teams facing a third down against the Raiders. Maybe they're
moving the sticks on second down. There's not that much
resistance from this defense at all.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
The biggest thing that took away from what you said
is Steelers are in third long way too much. I mean,
they're bad on first downs.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
And he's seven point five to go.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Yeah, good enough. It's not good enough, right, I Mean
they're two often in third and lungs. It's one of
the biggest problems with the offense, and.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
A lot of times you'll see them be very conservative
in those third and lungs. Yeah, throw short of the
sticks or draw the ball right right right, Like when
it was third and eight and they decided to take
the field goal early in the Dallas game and they
just kind of pitched to Shamplen, try to see how
many yards he can get. Hey, maybe he breaks one
and we get lucky, but we don't really care. We
want three.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Yeah, I think that needs to be if you're ramped
up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Or if you're going to be that conservative, you got
to make it third and four. You got to make
it third and three. Then you can do all those.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Third and seven, third and eight, it's not gonna cut it.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
You can do all the conservative plays then and they'll work,
but not at that down.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Have better success on first down.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Yeah, I mean inside linebackers, Spelane familiar face.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
They love him, and he makes plays. I know he's
high on like the tackle list, but he's.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
But we saw how you can really scheme him into
terrible matchups in coverage. Yes, he can get just torched
in coverage. In the passing game. I haven't really seen
that much. I mean I have from Arthur Smith's track
record so far you're in Pittsburgh, haven't really seen that
much evidence to see him scheming those matchups up. But
maybe he can cook up some favorable things to see
(11:36):
Calvin Austin running up the seam on spolane.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Or something like that, or even friar mooth or an
advantage against them. I mean, they are they all do.
They're so familiar with them. I would one of the
keys to the game to me is a tax splane.
Yeah yes, yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Well that's a lot of middle of the field stuff.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Which hasn't been great.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Now, let's look at the Raiders offense. It's an offense
that's producing five yards per snap this season. Pittsburgh's defense
is surrounding five point one yards per play after giving
up five point nine versus Dallas. Yeah, the points per
game allowed for the Steelers didn't take that much of
a hit. They're still only allowing fourteen point six points
per game. Only the Chargers now have a better scoring defense.
But yardage took a hit against them. Big double down
(12:22):
the board as far as that's concerned.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
And it's hard the card to count on red zone
takeaways to bail you out, you know.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Yeah, you know, I was talking about that earlier today too.
Dallas had no issue driving down the field, Like even
if they just didn't turn it over, they'd hit thirty
points on on Auburn's leg. They should be kicking, just
kicking the fields, taking three points after three points after
three points like, thank you Steelers?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Like and how often do Lamb and Prescott have a
miscommunication that ends up in a pick or you know,
like Dallas left some.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Stuff right, Yeah, Dallas left a lot out there. Las
Vegas surprisingly is throwing the ball at sixty three point
four percent. That is the sixth highest percentage in the league.
If you remember, Dallas was the ball at the highest
percentage in the NFL, the team that the Steelers just saw.
So they like to pass the football.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
I think it's because they're so bad at running it, Okay,
I don't know if that's by design. I mean for
much of the year, I would say they've had the
worst running attack in the league.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Okay, and Dallas kind of did too.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Yeah, so what.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Is that going to get you? Because Dallas, right, there's
a lot of that in the second half while they
were coming back.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Or exactly, Daldell played well and had a good game.
Speaker 2 (13:27):
You know, it was crazy in that game. Again not
to just keep harping on that Dallas game, but it
was crazy to see them able to use that running
game in that last drive. Still, like have Dak hand
the ball off and get four yards here, five yards here. Yeah,
every once in a while, you know what I mean,
just just once or twice, like you didn't have to
always throw it, And that can really help a quarterback
so much.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Absolutely, And again we don't know who the Raiders quarterback
is going to be, but some semblance of a running
game would go a real long way for them, and
the Steelers need to eliminate that quick.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Well, who do you think it's going to be? What's
your best guest right now on Tuesday while we record
this O'Connell because it's the second time Minshew's been bent.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
And say, you've been benched twice, you're gonna bench him,
keep benching them every other week, you know, like more
than any team in the league. I don't think they
have an answer.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Minshew completed his first nine passes for one hundred and
fifteen yards and a touchdown in Denver, but then he
finished the day twelve for seventeen for one hundred and
thirty seven yards with a touchdown in two interceptions, one
of which Patzertain took to the house for a one
hundred yard touchdown. Pass ten had two interceptions in that
game against the Raiders one.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
He was one hundred yard jaunt.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Yeah, so he had a hell of a time O'Connell.
Like we said, replace Minshew at half just like he did,
or not at halftime. He just replaced him last week,
just like he did against the Carolina Panthers and the
Raiders blowout lost to them. He threw the ball twenty times,
he completed ten of those for just ninety two yards
without a touchdown pass and ate An O'Connell through an
(14:51):
interception as well. I think you're right. I think they're
gonna go with him. This team should and they will,
but they should dump Devonte Adam and try to get
into the top five and see if they can find
a quarterback in this class. M and their solution.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Now I know that people are listening to this well
after and going backwards, my phone just lit up that
Christian Wilkins is out and.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Definitely so that's he's not playing.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Definitely not playing. That was their big off season investment.
Their best player on offense. Adams is not going to
play in this game. Haven't we been down this road
before with Lawrence and Parsons And you know.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
And I feel better this week then I know me
to still have that desperation. Like we said, a lot of.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
Steeler injuries though, too, Like you and I are playing
outside linebacker this week, and you know there's some things
in problematic too.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
There is uh you trading or at least kicking the
tires on Max Crosby for the Raiders if this season
gets really crazy, what do you need him for? Right
You could get a lot, get a lot and help
the rebuild. And yeah, to be quite honest with you,
I mean you don't need him right now. You you
won't need that kind of player in his prime to
like three or four years from now.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
I mean leads are going to be playing with him. Yeah, yeah,
I mean I know that's been breached to him. And
I don't want to leave and I'm happy here and
that's fine.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
And NFL is so different from other sports. You keep
cornerstone players. You don't just like burn a franchise face
like that. I get that, But I'm just saying it
could help out for sure, because this team is going.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
They need everything. Their off season needs are going to
be everything.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
So put the nail on that coffin. If you're the Steelers,
you know, really set their season on the path of
They know it's not going anywhere. Get them to two
and four. Don't let them get me.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Get to this game at halftime and you already know
it's over.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Yeah, you know, thinking vacation, They're thinking what am I
going to do in January? I can't wait till the
season's over. Crabit's on the October. We got a long
road ahead of us, So get this one over with.
Don't give them any hope in the first half. As
far as past catching weapons, Matt Jacoby Myers, no Adams,
so we don't have to worry about that. Jacoby Myers
had five plus catches in three straight games after catching
(16:47):
seven passes over the first two weeks of the season.
He's been targeted twenty eight times over the past three weeks.
It's been Myers and Bowers in the absence of Adams. Yes,
that's what they've gone with.
Speaker 1 (16:56):
And the other thing is too Michael Mayer. They want
to play a lot of twelve with the mayor. Mayor
was out last week. Alan Turi's gonna play this week.
So yeah, Meyers and especially Bowers are pretty darn impressive
and they get a lot of targets.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Yeah, Bowers left the team in targets with twelve and
receptions last week with eight. He finished the day with
eight catches, ninety seven yards and a touchdown. Did you
see that touchdown? I'm sure yeah. Yeah, Cat scrabbed it
over the guy. Yeah, right to the house. He's a start.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
He looked like at Georgia.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
He's a great talent for he really is. He hit
a career high thirty three point three percent target chare
and number of targets against Denver, but in that game,
Bowers only had an average depth of target of five
point eight yards downfield. They're starting to use him more
and more because he's starting to get comfortable in the
NFL more and more. And steels inside linebackers have been
disappointing this year.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Yeah, they have.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
We'll get to Bowers match up a little bit later
because I think you think there's gonna be some safety
help involved.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Yeah, but he's a problem. I mean, I think his
target numbers are gonna keep going up and up and up.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Biggest problem on the offense that the Steelers their face.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
Yeah, I think so that's safe to say, Well, he's
a rookie's rookie.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
Yeah, you can get him on some stuff. Because he's
a little ignorant to the NFL. Still, Raiders' quarterbacks are
getting sacked on nine percent of their dropbacks. Only seven
offenses are worse. But the Steelers' defense is only blitzing
on twenty point six percent of opposing dropbacks. Only five
defenses have a lower blitz rate. I'm glad that that's
that was in here, Matt, because I get that you
(18:20):
don't want to blitz. I get that you get home
with four guys a lot because you got TJ, you
got Alex high Smith. You don't have them anymore, and
you might not have her big in this game, and
it might be TJ and Jeremiah.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Smith and her big are both.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Rolled out, So like you gotta start dialing up some blitzeres.
I think she gotta adjust. I would have liked to
see it against Dallas. You know, Dak had a little
bit too much time, especially on that last drive. But
I think you gotta adjust a little bit here.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
I tend to agree. And your inside linebackers are very
good blitzers too. We haven't seen a taste of that
much this year, but.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Maybe that's something that can get Queen jump started. He
hasn't really had much going on. Give him a sack,
a big impact play on third, make.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
A big play, yeah, a long way.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Raiders are averaging eighty four rush yards per game. That
ranks only ahead of the Jets and the Cowboys, and
their rushing success rate is by far last than the
league at twenty seven point seven percent. For perspective, Houston
is thirty first and rushing success rate at thirty one
point four percent, So it's like four percentage points worse
for the Raiders. But we're singing that same song as like.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I know, this sounds really redundant.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Right, sounds really redundant. And we even listed the Cowboys
there in your statu back. Yeah, they just beat them
one hundred and nine yards on the ground for the
Cowboys against the Steelers, Madison carried the ball fifteen times.
No one else had more than five carries last week.
You can only get thirty eight yards on those fifteen carries.
Zamir White leads the team with one hundred and fifty
two rushing yards, but only a three point one yards
per carry average in samere Whit's hurt. So know if
(19:41):
he's gonna play. Madison is second with one hundred and
twenty five rushing yards an average of three point nine.
Vegas has twelve rushes of ten plus yards. Only seven
offenses have fewer, and one of those offenses have already
had their bye week. It's the same thing. You just
got to be better at stopping the run. You got
to adjust there, and you got to bounce back back
in that aspect.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Just play your game. Well, the Steelers are a better team, I.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Know, and I think that's been the case for the
past two weeks though, So you got to follow through
now and get the result at least Dallas a DAC
and you know I agreed. Yeah, Well the cold said
Flo too, I mean, and.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Yeah right, and now I hear what you're saying.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Flaco could think the game at least better than Mins. Absolutely,
Aidan O'Connell. All right, key matchups before we leave, Raiders
tight end brock Bauers versus Steelers safety Deshaun Ellie. You
think that's going to be the guy who gets tasked
a lot with a group project.
Speaker 1 (20:37):
It's a group project, but they move bowers around a lot.
Make make a catch on to that a little bit maybe,
but doesn't sound like Casey is going to play in
this game.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Either it's going to have to be into like total
mop up duty.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Yeah, maybe, but boy, it would be nice to see
manco on Bowers a lot because that could eliminate could
cut the right arm off, you.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Know, any hope in the linebackers covering him or is
he just too much of them?
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Not man, But I mean it's going to be a
group project safeties and pass.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Him off to Yeah, he could run with him for
a nice five steps if he had to.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
I think Ellie, it's your best tight end e racer.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Though I liked Sewn Elliot. He's been playing well this year.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
He's been nice addition.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
And then Steelers offensive tackles versus Raiders defensive end Max Crosby.
And I'm assuming you wrote that way because he'll move.
You're both Jones and Moore are both going to have
a taste of Crosby.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
But it seems like more Jones.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Oh good, you know, I would rather have more It's
crazy that we've come around that point, but I'd rather
have more hands than Crosby. But if I was the
Raider last year, if I was the Raiders, I'd put
him over Jones. Yeah, that's where I want him to hunt.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
I looked it up and I don't remember, but I
think most of his most of his snaps are coming
to the quarterbacks, right, But he does move like all good.
I mean, like all pass rushers.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Besides what right, besides Crosby had two sacks last week.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Yeah, he's all right. He's still beast like, he's phenomenal,
and he like never takes a snap off.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
So insummation, We've got Crosby on the defensive side of
the ball, and you've got Bowers on the offensive side
of the ball. Those are your scary dudes, Those are rats.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Those are your difference makers. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
Other than that, there's nothing that really puts fear in
your heart when you see the Raiders.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Not really, unless the Steelers play poorly, you know, and
don't you know, self inflicted wounds things like that.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
We both can't see that being the case with the
Steelers this week either.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
But it's shocking to see that because this team doesn't
have a quarterback.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Amen to that. Steelers Raiders four oh five kickoff against Vegas.
Matt will be on the air I think around like
noon ish something like that for you and Tim Benz
that hour and then two o five for Steelers Audio
Network pregame with Labs Perzuda and Jerry Dulac. Thanks for
giving myself a matt A listen. We'll be back again
(22:48):
next week to preview another Sunday night football matchup between
the Steelers and the Jets, but until then this has
been the Advanced Scout
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.