October 22, 2024 • 23 mins
Matt Williamson and Tom Opferman break down the Steelers upcoming game against the New York Giants
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We got some work to do. This is the Advanced
Scout with Tom Opferman and Mac Williamson.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Steelers approved to five and two with a big one
over the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football. They
welcome the other New York team to town now this
week on Monday Night Football, the two and five New
York Giants.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Matt is a bad football team coming into town.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I gotta be honest with you, I'm a little surprised
they're two and five, Like, how did they find two wins?
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Yeah, maybe I'm not as low on them, but.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
It's the defense.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
The defense, I say, they rushed the passer, and that's
my baby. I mean, if you can rush the passer,
that's a great place to start. Neighbors and they you know,
they got the neighbors as Yeah, they dude, Like, I
wouldn't hate being the GM of this team with an
early pick in some cap space to go start from here.
But man, I mean, anyone that watched that Eagles game,
(00:53):
there was a million sacks in the game, most of
them against you know, the Giants. But the Giants are
scary rushing passer too. But one of their best dudes
not named Dexter Lawrence Andrew Thomas got hurt and now
it just crumbles everything. Yea, you know they used to
leave him alone on the best pass rushers. He's a
great left tackle, and now they can't really run the ball.
(01:15):
The quarterback's middling to be hind and the line doesn't
pass pro up at all.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I like what you're saying though, as far as the
nest might be there for something.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
A young quarterback, if you you know, show up the
line some more.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Get a good running back in there, another receiver to
pair with the neighbors.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
But yeah, defense aren't that hard to find.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
They're not good. GM is going to be able to
find them, for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
They rush the passer.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
I don't really need to do much with the defense.
We'll get to all that in a second.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Probably throw a tight end in the mix or something.
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
We also have to get your take on the Steelers
last week, and that's about as good of a debut
you could ask for for Russell Wilson.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Yeah, and it's not like pat your back on yourself
on the back thing. But I thought Wilson was the
best option pretty much from the start, and a lot
of the things we.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Saw right away, Matt, I mean, yeah, the first quarter
was bad.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
The first quarters bad.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Like you and I who were on team Russ and
saying this is the right move, We're nervous, so for
sure they're like, oh, this doesn't look great.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
I'm gonna have to eat some crow on the right.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Like Austin had that drop. And then the next two
drives were bad.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
But then it was everything we said, Mat confirmed red
zone efficiency bangs, four touchdowns on six trips, play action.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Bang like one hundred numbers. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Just just looking more professional, looking, smoother of an operation.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
No pre snap penalty, crisp, you know, like all the
thing they were like the four things I talked about
for weeks of you know, a million people ask you
who do you prefer. I'm like, I like, justin a lot.
He's done good things, but those four areas were lacking,
and now their strengths throwing the ball in the end zone.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
That's right, Yeah, Matt, you said for since summer, right
Rust Wilson throws touchdown passes.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
It'll always followed up with I know how dumb.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
That sounds, but it's true, Like it just nice rose
touchdown passes and he threw two of them in the
red zone.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
For you, the Steelers haven't had passing touchdowns in.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Three years, and the Pickens ones is a better throw, Like,
that's a big time throw. I kind of liked the
Jefferson one more, Matt, because that's all pre snap. He
knew Van was going to be open right in that
flat Yep. He looked to the left and right there
and banged.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Yeah, exactly, that's just he just right. I mean, it's
even better. But I kind of equated to people like
it reminds me of Steelers Colts. Flacco comes in.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Just picks you apart.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I know how to attack this defense. I still have
enough to do it. I might not be the guy
used to be, but I still have I haven't knuckle
curve I didn't used to have, you know, the gritty
old stuff. You know.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Well, according to your stat pack, seventy five percent of
the teams that start five and two since nineteen ninety
make the playoffs. Forty three point five percent of them
win their division. Steelers looked like a playoff team to
me now, especially with Russell Wilson and looking at the
rest of the pack in the AFC, as I.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Say they should grab a wild card.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
I think there's five teams that are is close to
being a lock, and the AFC as possible, and the
Steelers are one.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
And I know the Ravens are scary, but yeah, with
Russ you are a legitimate threat to them in that
ANFC North.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
I know you've brought up a couple of times too.
Dale brings it up a lot like you're not going
to run on the Ravens. If you want to be dudes,
you're gonna have to throw the football.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Look at Baker on Sunday night or Monday night football.
The only reason the score looked better than it actually
was because he started throwing the ball all over the
yard in yeah and half and they've had a good
first half throwing the ball.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
He lost his receivers though, that's.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Too but right, the game looked closer than it was.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Right, But you can throw the ball on the.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
You can throw on the Ravens their past defensive sport.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
But we're here to talk about the Giants. The series
history between these two teams. They haven't met since twenty twenty,
they have faced off seventy eight times, though New York
leads the series forty four thirty one to three leading
back to nineteen thirty three. With that's right, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
They lost the first six meetings against New York. In fact,
(04:53):
in the first seventeen matchups, Pittsburgh went two fourteen and one.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Against the Giants.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
The Steelers are in the midst of a three game
winning streak in the series, and in the Super Bowl era,
Pittsburgh is seven to four against the Giants, having only
played one another eleven times, never in the postseason since
nineteen seventy. So if a New York Giant fan comes
up to you and he's like, oh, we own you guys.
In the series history, forty four wins the thirty one losses,
that's fugazi, right, that's all.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Pre Super Bowl era.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
When you start to look at the Super Bowl era,
it's Pittsburgh seven, Giants four and they don't ever meet
whereas they met a ton pre Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, I mean, another thing I do for that. It's
actually my least favorite part is find a memorable game.
I didn't know any I mean, as long as these
teams have been in the league, I'm sure there's more
than what I came up with. But they're you know,
I was talking to Dale and I'm some of these
other dudes came up with some decent ones, but it's like, no,
it's not like Cowboys or Raiders or you know, you
(05:46):
got to.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Ben beatn Eli Manning matchup in there.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Yeah, that's actually one was recommended. I'm like, that's the
first time they met each other.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
The Giants have been outscored by fifty points this year.
That's very bad. The Stubers have a point differential of
plus sixty that's different from.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
The past few years.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Never they're always.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
The negative team with a winning record, right, it's so rare.
Now they're a top five in the NFL as far
as point differential is concerned, second half point differential is
plus sixth.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
That's one of the most impressive things going.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
That's the best in football. Yeah, Kansas City sixty eight.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Minnesota nope, Detroit nope. It's Pittsburgh that has the best
point differential in the second half.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
So a lot of people, and rightfully so, have been
critical of the Steelers. Why don't they start quick enough?
That's fair. I mean, there has been struggles an early
series on both sides of the ball, especially lately, no doubt,
but The other side of the coin is their halftime
adjustments must be pretty decent because they are playing their
(06:43):
best football late. And I think some of it's just
their physicality. They beat up on you and sticking with
the run, and I know that's not fun, but it
bears fruit in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
I know that they had a slow start in Russ's
first game on Sunday Night Football, but I expect that
thing or that offense to be a thing of the
past soon.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
A scripted Russell Wilson opening drive should bear some fruit.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
That's a good call. They know each other better now,
play caller. I mean a new center and new coach,
new quarterback. And frankly, he was rusty.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Oh absolutely, Honestly, I said this on the standard today.
Maybe we should have been talking about that more. Yeah,
that he's going to be rusty, like he hasn't played
since Christmas last year, Like this is not going to
be easy for him. No, Honestly, it's surprising how fast
the rust came off. Like, yeah, you maybe expected to
point his quarter and then he starts to turn a
corner and then you're ready for the next game.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
But like second quarter hit and it was.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Like okay, Yeah, I got the moon.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Ball to George and I'm right back on the horse.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
And all the quotes from like his teammates were like
his mind was there the whole time. You know, he
knew he wasn't playing his best, but I'll get it.
Don't worry, guys.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You know, let's look at that Giant defense, because that
is the best.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
He gets a little scary.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Yeah, Pittsburgh offense, they're passing the ball on forty sixty
eight percent of their snaps forty four percent of the
snaps last week, so that actually went down from their average.
The Giants opponents have thrown the ball on fifty six
point five percent of their plays. That's just seventeenth highest.
There's another stat in here for the New York Giants'
opponents are just.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Not holding onto the football against them. They're trying to
get the ball out.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Yeah. Five pass rush is very scary.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Five point nine nine yards downfield or less is the
average pass attempt that comes against the Giants, because you
don't have the time against this pass rush to get
receivers deep.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Because Dexhah Lawrence is one of the best players in
the league. I mean, he is a nose tackle that
never comes off the field. He's not Casey Hampton run
stuffer dude. He is an elite pass rusher that also
eats up doubles and does all the nose tackle stuff.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
He's like Aaron Donald.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Now that Donald has retired, he's kind of taken that
back three thirty.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
I'm not say he's better than Aaron Donald, but he's huge. Frankly,
him and Cam Hayward and Chris Jones are having the
best year of any defensive tackles in the league.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Cam rely is having a wonder It really is in that.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Level right now. But that's the thing is not only
do they get pressure, he's so close to the quarterback
coming off the nose, he gets pressure. Now you know
the boss to come out.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Rust likes to roll out a lot though. Yes, does
that help a little bit against exter Lawrence.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
But their edge guys are good too, even with Thibodeau injured.
Jelari's a good player and Burns a real good player.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Yeah, big acquisition this offseason. Brian Burns player in his prime,
getting from Carolina who was shipping a lot of pieces
off as there.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
He's a top ten edge guy.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Yeah, this is a defense that should strike some fear
into you. However, they do allow a seventy one percent
completion percentage.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
So I think it's because it's short.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Because it's all five, that makes sense. So their corners
are better than I was trying to lead into there.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Yeah, it's the youngest defense in the league. The front
is what there is the best part of it, without question.
But I don't see glaring weaknesses either.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
How's Deontay Banks doing the Steelers were around Yeah, yeh yeah,
maybe twenty three.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
He's a good outside corner. It looks like it was
a bright future.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
I'm so glad I can ask this questions with some
serious nature to it.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Now, who is Russ going to pick on?
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Because Matt that is something that really shined through as
well in his first game when Sauce went out with
the injury and you're down to your third straight corner
on George, Uh, there's my guy right there. Like good
quarterbacks just pick on those weak links. Yeah, we've seen
that happen to the Steelers a lot in the past.
Now you have that weapon for really the first time
since Ben, a guy that can just attack a weakness.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Yeah, and even like when Sauce was in there at
sure what he's still went after him. Yeah, he wasn't afraid. Yeah, right,
Like I definitely think that it's just a pickings thing.
They're going to throw two pickings no matter who's on them.
I'm kind of avoiding your question because we're recording this
on Tuesday, and I haven't dug into their personnel to
the level I do of Steelers' opponents. They're just kind
(10:48):
of another team on the top of my head, and
I don't know someone that I would say is a
glaring weakness. But there also isn't Sauce or Certain or
Terrell either. You know.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
You say that they are the youngest defense in the NFL.
I like having a quarterback that's elite above the.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Neck against the defense like that.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
You would think mistakes could be, you know, immaturity.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Stuff could happen, and he could take advantage of it.
We talked about the pass rush.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Their four point four sacks per game is the highest
in the NFL, and over the past three games they
averaged five point three. New York averages six point seven
sacks per game on the road.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Which is weird.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Your pass rush is usually better.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Ahl eleven different Giants have a sack this season. The
man that we've been talking about, the main man on
that defense, Dexter Lawrence, has seven sacks. He had two
sacks in Week seven on just eighteen pass rush opportunities,
so he's efficient. His eleven point eight percent sack rate
was his highest since Week one of twenty twenty. Steelers
did only give up one sack on Sunday Night football.
(11:48):
But the Giants are sacking opposing quarterbacks on eleven point
six percent of their dropbacks. That's not only the best
in football, it's one point four percent better than the
second place Denver Broncos.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
This is the best pass rush shouldn't in the NFL, I.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Think, I tend to think. So.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
We're talking about sample size, but an eight game sample
size pretty tell the story.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Yeah, And two notes is usually when you talk about
numbers like that, it's the Niners are chiefs that are
playing with a fourteen point lead and they're just pinning
their ears back, you know, and everyone's throw throw, throw, sack, sack, sack.
These guys aren't ever winning, you know, I mean like
they're not. It's they get after it on a very
efficient manner. And yes, the Steelers only allowed one sack.
(12:29):
But Wilson was under a lot of pressure, especially early on.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
He held onto the ball for two of.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
A backup center that has to deal with la.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
I know he didn't play bad, but he did okay
against well he did he did, I mean, especially as
a game went on. There's a couple of plays where
Williams looked like you know that the elephant that gets
through the look like when they get past them, and
like the speed the running back even has the ball terrifying.
There was a couple of times where Williams was just
like a busted right through but the Steelers were able
(12:56):
to get away from him.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
There's'll be a couple of on Monday Night thos.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yes, But last week, Russell Wilson held in the ball
for two point five seconds or longer on twenty one
of twenty nine pass attempts.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Uh, it's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Seventy two percent completion percentage seventy two point excuse me,
seventy two percent of his drop backs he held on
for two point five or longer. He completed eleven of
them for two hundred and four yards. You gotta hold
onto the ball to get a lot of yardage. And
it's just the name of the game. But that's always
what he's done, right.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
I would say he's a hold the ball longer guy.
But play action also takes longer, you know. They they
did a lot of play action their third.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
And Lea Smith loves Russell. Wilson loves it.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
One of the reasons he was brought here. Folks. They
planned this ahead of time, you know, and they threw
deep I mean, you're gonna throw deep balls to pickings.
It's not gonna come out in two point two.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
This is another little minutia thing, but the play action
looks so much crisper with rus He's a much better
play act.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
He sells it so much more than fields.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Sometimes with fields and I it's not trying to pick
on right, but this is a fact, like he kind
of nonchalantly does.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
The plays there.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Yeah, pull it back tight and dip the head and
like kind of jog for a half a second to
kind of sell it like.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
It is a quarterback job to sell it.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
The guy who he was playing on Sunday Night Football,
ass he has done it better than anybody in his career.
He's one of the best at selling that. But Russ
does it really to that level. Too, can really get
a defense to bite.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
So Dale has the exact numbers and I'll incorporate it
when I see him next. But the uh, they're third
in the league and the usage of play.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Action for the year, it's a massive improvement.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
It's a massive improvement. But they were averaging like four
point nine yards per play action attempt with fields in
just this game.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
It was like at twelve, Yeah, I saw Dale tweet that. Yeah,
tripled it.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Right now, the Giants have generated the highest sack rate
twenty four point four percent of dropbacks that they see
on past attempts where the quarterback holds onto the ball
for two point five seconds or longer. He's going to
get sacked in this game, yes, two three, four times probably,
I'm sure of it. But what people seem to very
underestimate when it comes to rus says he can shake
(15:01):
that off and he's a tough dude, Like he's never.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
A fragile player.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Like you never thought of Russell Wilson as a guy
that would be out with injury, like he's missed time
in his career, but like this dude gets sacked very
little time for a guy gets sacked a ton, Like
he's the biggest Big Ben kind of guy as far
as sack totals in his career, Like he's gonna be
up in the all time leader board when he's said done.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
He's not big Ben's size, Like, this is a tough dude.
He'll be able to take it. He'll handle.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
There'll be some second and thirteen's and that kind of
stuff too.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
And Matt, don't you think some of the ugly throwaways
that you saw early that's just him punting on a
play like, yeah, I don't need to and that's what
you're gonna get out of rest, Like just because he
doesn't tuck it and run for five yards like fields,
you know, he'll throw a ball away on first and
second down to hit you with a fifty yard pass
on third nown.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Yeah, he's a big that's a veteran, lived in, Live
to fight another day. Aaron Rodgers in his whole career too.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
All right now, the ugly side of the New York
Giants their offense. Dolphins are the only team averaging fewer
points per game than New York. And we all know
why the Dolphins are down there because of Toua's injury.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Two it comes back, it'll take like three.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Weeks and I think my Giants or Giants, but they
average fourteen points per game. That's point three points fewer
than the Steelers are allowing on defense fourteen point four,
which is the best in or excuse me, the second
best in football behind just the LA Chargers. So you
got the second worst offense as far as point output
versus the second best defense in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Got like that, I think we know who's going to
carry the day. Yeah, day night, which sure.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Sting lends back to have more I think about it
what you just said. Okay, Russ throws one away in
your punt, that's fine, you know. I mean, chances are
that they're not going to walk right down the field
on you.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
No, I think the Giants are going to struggle to
get to double digits, double digits in this football game.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Just like a pick six, something ripsacks or something goofy.
You know.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
The Giants are throwing the ball on fifty nine point
eight percent of their offensive snaps. That's the seventh highest
rate in the league. Pittsburgh's opponents are throwing at sixty
one percent of the time, that's the fifth high rate
in the league. That's a bit surprising, but the Steelers
rush defense is also elite, So it's kind of like.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
And what Giants run the ball poorly?
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I'm talking about more like the people in the league
still throwing on the Steelers like that's one of the
best pass rushers you're gonna have to face.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
But I guess you have to do something if you're
not going to make.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
One dimensional or whatever cliche you want, right, And Daniel
Jones runs the ball fair amount too, and they still
are a high pass team.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Yeah, Jones has carried the ball forty five times this year.
He's their third leading rusher with just one hundred and
sixty four yards. Why are they passing the ball so
much with Dan Jones?
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Because they have nobody.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Losing for one thing, you know. I mean, I'm sure
a lot of it's in the fourth quarter, but I
also think their run game's been that poor.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
I don't want to ask you this to make it
out to paint me into thinking the Giants were going
to make the playoffs if they made this move, But
they should have kept Saque right like that.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
That's a probably. But I'm pretty excited about Tyrone Tracy.
I mean, he's a rootie that he provides. Yeah, he's
a good he was a receiver in college till his
last year. But he's given them some juice and Neighbors
Neighbors as a guy. Yeah, yeah, Yeah. They have some
young players that are kind of exciting.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Just you know, they had nothing on that offense when
they let in a Barkley, And I could say that
at the time.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Because I didn't know what Neighbors was going to be.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
I guess he has kind of presented himself as a
good option movie.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
For this doesn't sound like much to him, because you know,
like instead of bringing back Barkley for twelve or whatever
whatever it was, they gave it the Runyon, who's on
a terrible guard. They gave it to the right tackle
whose name I forget from the Raiders. He's okay too.
Like their line was so full, right, Like those two
are professional starting linemen. They needed that and probably more
(18:42):
so than the back.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So they took the money away from the back and
they messed in the guy the path for the back
and then.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
And it's okay, and then Thomas gets hurt and it's
a mess because he was their star.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
And you get a guy like Tyrone Tracy in the
fifth round h and single.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Parry's not as good as they probably expected.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
He should be back there too.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yeah, yeah, he's okay. I've never been a big fan,
but he's okay.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Daniel Jones through for ninety nine yards last week, completing
fourteen of twenty one attempts. He and the Giants offense
produced just ninety four net yards in nine first downs
in the first three quarters.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Hard walk against Philadelphia.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
They couldn't walk anybody.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
I know.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
It was a hard watch. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Jones was sacked five times in the first half and
eight sacks total for the Philadelphia defense against the New
York Giants.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Do you think it's gonna be Jones starting the game?
He was, I don't know. For Locke at the end.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Locke came in and completed three passes for six yards,
which is unbelievably hard to do.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Right, So I'm not worried either way. Don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
I don't think that this is a Flacko versus Richardson situation.
I know that Jones can run some, but it ain't
like Richardson.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
It ain't like No, it ain't like that.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
So but he's a good runner.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
And then mainly there ain't a Flacco coming off the bench.
Like Drew Locke is a younger quarterback that doesn't have
that kind of savviness and experience. So whoever they play
is a advantage for the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
I would assume you're still sticking.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
I was just gonna say, I think Jones probably plays
at least one more week.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Give it a shot. Yeah, even getting beat up tough
week to sing for your supper too. It isday night football.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
And as a runner, he lowers his head and is
a really physical, take punishment type runner, and he's gonna
take punishment.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Oh it's gonna get ugly for him in this game.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Uh No, Giants ball carrier had more than six rushing
attempts last week. New York only called three handoffs in
the first half of the game, and it got but
it got out of hand early to Yah fully just
jumped out to that early lead.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
If you could do that, look out.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
You know that's stable too. He wants to be a
past the ball kind of guy. Modern offense. Sometimes these
coaches just stick with their scheme and you know, say
we'll get better personnel later, and maybe that's what's happening.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
Yeah, there's not a lot of answers on this side
of the.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Ball should be an easy day for the Steelers defense
a dominant.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
In the passing game, everything goes to Neighbors and Wondelle Robinson.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
So that leads us right into our key matchup, Molik
Neighbors versus Joey Porter Junior. Neighbors had been injured for
the past couple of weeks, came back last week.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
A million targets.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
It was very upset after the game last week.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
You already started to hear her mouth off a little bit,
I think after the game saying, you know, like, yeah,
so he's starting to get frustrated despite putting himself on
the map by his great player early in his rookie year.
Now he goes up against the premier corner who I
thought did wonderfully last week, Wilson and Adams.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
He had took on both.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
The Steelers didn't travel last week, and whoever lined up
against Porter was was stuck.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
One of his best games.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
It was awesome.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Was we said this about definitely before the Dallas game.
We said this about him, like he's just a big
stage player.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
I bet, like when you got into the receivers national television.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
All week, I'm sure Tomlins is zero all week.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
I'm sure Dad's in his ear.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Yeah, probably probably mentions it from time to time. Neighbors
is spectacular though.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
It's gonna be a fun test. Yeah, Joey, but you
got you got the answer. And that's what I love
in a lockdown corner.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
And it looks like Jackson should be okay according to
Thomas press conference, which is great.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
And then the other key matchup is Ryan McCollum versus
nose tackle Dexter Lawrence.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
They're going to lose that matchup, but just how bad
you lose.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Zack Fraser's having a great rookie season. They were gonna
lose that matchup with Zack Fraser in there too.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
He wins. Lawrence wins that matchup everything.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Every center in the league. He's Humphrey out there. You
want to get Jason Kelsey out of retirement and bring
him out. He's losing to Dexter Lawrence like.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
He's direct competition for t J. Watt for defensive Player
of the Year. I mean, that's how good of a
football player is.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Team success is probably going to keep him out of
that corization, but he's not saying it should but.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Right, right, right, but I mean the nose tackle that
ends up with sixteen sacks pretty scary, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
That's that's why I made that camp like he kind
of took the baton as far as TJ took the
baton as far as greatest defensive player on Earth, but
that specific position he rose to the top.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
One, Donald vacated it last year.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Steers In Giants eight fifteen kickoff at Akrosser Stadium on
Monday Night football pre game on the Steelers Audio Network.
Get started at six point fifteen. Thanks has always for
giving us a listen. From Matt Williamson and Tom Operman,
this has been the advanced scout. And we will talk
to you in two weeks. Oh right, because we got
a buy coming up.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
How about that?
Speaker 2 (23:22):
And when we talk to you then we will preview
the Washington Commanders. Thanks as always for giving us a listen.
We got some work to do. This is the Advanced
Scout with Tom Opferman and Mac Williamson.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Steelers approved to five and two with a big one
over the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football. They
welcome the other New York team to town now this
week on Monday Night Football, the two and five New
York Giants.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Matt is a bad football team coming into town.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I gotta be honest with you, I'm a little surprised
they're two and five, Like, how did they find two wins?
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Yeah, maybe I'm not as low on them, but.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
It's the defense.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
The defense, I say, they rushed the passer, and that's
my baby. I mean, if you can rush the passer,
that's a great place to start. Neighbors and they you know,
they got the neighbors as Yeah, they dude, Like, I
wouldn't hate being the GM of this team with an
early pick in some cap space to go start from here.
But man, I mean, anyone that watched that Eagles game,
(00:53):
there was a million sacks in the game, most of
them against you know, the Giants. But the Giants are
scary rushing passer too. But one of their best dudes
not named Dexter Lawrence Andrew Thomas got hurt and now
it just crumbles everything. Yea, you know they used to
leave him alone on the best pass rushers. He's a
great left tackle, and now they can't really run the ball.
(01:15):
The quarterback's middling to be hind and the line doesn't
pass pro up at all.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
I like what you're saying though, as far as the
nest might be there for something.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
A young quarterback, if you you know, show up the
line some more.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Get a good running back in there, another receiver to
pair with the neighbors.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
But yeah, defense aren't that hard to find.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
They're not good. GM is going to be able to
find them, for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
They rush the passer.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
I don't really need to do much with the defense.
We'll get to all that in a second.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Probably throw a tight end in the mix or something.
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
We also have to get your take on the Steelers
last week, and that's about as good of a debut
you could ask for for Russell Wilson.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Yeah, and it's not like pat your back on yourself
on the back thing. But I thought Wilson was the
best option pretty much from the start, and a lot
of the things we.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Saw right away, Matt, I mean, yeah, the first quarter
was bad.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
The first quarters bad.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Like you and I who were on team Russ and
saying this is the right move, We're nervous, so for
sure they're like, oh, this doesn't look great.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
I'm gonna have to eat some crow on the right.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Like Austin had that drop. And then the next two
drives were bad.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
But then it was everything we said, Mat confirmed red
zone efficiency bangs, four touchdowns on six trips, play action.
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Bang like one hundred numbers. It's unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Just just looking more professional, looking, smoother of an operation.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
No pre snap penalty, crisp, you know, like all the
thing they were like the four things I talked about
for weeks of you know, a million people ask you
who do you prefer. I'm like, I like, justin a lot.
He's done good things, but those four areas were lacking,
and now their strengths throwing the ball in the end zone.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
That's right, Yeah, Matt, you said for since summer, right
Rust Wilson throws touchdown passes.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
It'll always followed up with I know how dumb.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
That sounds, but it's true, Like it just nice rose
touchdown passes and he threw two of them in the
red zone.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
For you, the Steelers haven't had passing touchdowns in.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
Three years, and the Pickens ones is a better throw, Like,
that's a big time throw. I kind of liked the
Jefferson one more, Matt, because that's all pre snap. He
knew Van was going to be open right in that
flat Yep. He looked to the left and right there
and banged.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Yeah, exactly, that's just he just right. I mean, it's
even better. But I kind of equated to people like
it reminds me of Steelers Colts. Flacco comes in.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Just picks you apart.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I know how to attack this defense. I still have
enough to do it. I might not be the guy
used to be, but I still have I haven't knuckle
curve I didn't used to have, you know, the gritty
old stuff. You know.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Well, according to your stat pack, seventy five percent of
the teams that start five and two since nineteen ninety
make the playoffs. Forty three point five percent of them
win their division. Steelers looked like a playoff team to
me now, especially with Russell Wilson and looking at the
rest of the pack in the AFC, as I.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Say they should grab a wild card.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
I think there's five teams that are is close to
being a lock, and the AFC as possible, and the
Steelers are one.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
And I know the Ravens are scary, but yeah, with
Russ you are a legitimate threat to them in that
ANFC North.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
I know you've brought up a couple of times too.
Dale brings it up a lot like you're not going
to run on the Ravens. If you want to be dudes,
you're gonna have to throw the football.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Look at Baker on Sunday night or Monday night football.
The only reason the score looked better than it actually
was because he started throwing the ball all over the
yard in yeah and half and they've had a good
first half throwing the ball.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
He lost his receivers though, that's.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Too but right, the game looked closer than it was.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Right, But you can throw the ball on the.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
You can throw on the Ravens their past defensive sport.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
But we're here to talk about the Giants. The series
history between these two teams. They haven't met since twenty twenty,
they have faced off seventy eight times, though New York
leads the series forty four thirty one to three leading
back to nineteen thirty three. With that's right, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
They lost the first six meetings against New York. In fact,
(04:53):
in the first seventeen matchups, Pittsburgh went two fourteen and one.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Against the Giants.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
The Steelers are in the midst of a three game
winning streak in the series, and in the Super Bowl era,
Pittsburgh is seven to four against the Giants, having only
played one another eleven times, never in the postseason since
nineteen seventy. So if a New York Giant fan comes
up to you and he's like, oh, we own you guys.
In the series history, forty four wins the thirty one losses,
that's fugazi, right, that's all.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Pre Super Bowl era.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
When you start to look at the Super Bowl era,
it's Pittsburgh seven, Giants four and they don't ever meet
whereas they met a ton pre Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Yeah, I mean, another thing I do for that. It's
actually my least favorite part is find a memorable game.
I didn't know any I mean, as long as these
teams have been in the league, I'm sure there's more
than what I came up with. But they're you know,
I was talking to Dale and I'm some of these
other dudes came up with some decent ones, but it's like, no,
it's not like Cowboys or Raiders or you know, you
(05:46):
got to.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Ben beatn Eli Manning matchup in there.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Yeah, that's actually one was recommended. I'm like, that's the
first time they met each other.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
The Giants have been outscored by fifty points this year.
That's very bad. The Stubers have a point differential of
plus sixty that's different from.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
The past few years.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Never they're always.
Speaker 2 (06:02):
The negative team with a winning record, right, it's so rare.
Now they're a top five in the NFL as far
as point differential is concerned, second half point differential is
plus sixth.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
That's one of the most impressive things going.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
That's the best in football. Yeah, Kansas City sixty eight.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Minnesota nope, Detroit nope. It's Pittsburgh that has the best
point differential in the second half.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
So a lot of people, and rightfully so, have been
critical of the Steelers. Why don't they start quick enough?
That's fair. I mean, there has been struggles an early
series on both sides of the ball, especially lately, no doubt,
but The other side of the coin is their halftime
adjustments must be pretty decent because they are playing their
(06:43):
best football late. And I think some of it's just
their physicality. They beat up on you and sticking with
the run, and I know that's not fun, but it
bears fruit in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
I know that they had a slow start in Russ's
first game on Sunday Night Football, but I expect that
thing or that offense to be a thing of the
past soon.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
A scripted Russell Wilson opening drive should bear some fruit.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
That's a good call. They know each other better now,
play caller. I mean a new center and new coach,
new quarterback. And frankly, he was rusty.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Oh absolutely, Honestly, I said this on the standard today.
Maybe we should have been talking about that more. Yeah,
that he's going to be rusty, like he hasn't played
since Christmas last year, Like this is not going to
be easy for him. No, Honestly, it's surprising how fast
the rust came off. Like, yeah, you maybe expected to
point his quarter and then he starts to turn a
corner and then you're ready for the next game.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
But like second quarter hit and it was.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Like okay, Yeah, I got the moon.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Ball to George and I'm right back on the horse.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
And all the quotes from like his teammates were like
his mind was there the whole time. You know, he
knew he wasn't playing his best, but I'll get it.
Don't worry, guys.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You know, let's look at that Giant defense, because that
is the best.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
He gets a little scary.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Yeah, Pittsburgh offense, they're passing the ball on forty sixty
eight percent of their snaps forty four percent of the
snaps last week, so that actually went down from their average.
The Giants opponents have thrown the ball on fifty six
point five percent of their plays. That's just seventeenth highest.
There's another stat in here for the New York Giants'
opponents are just.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Not holding onto the football against them. They're trying to
get the ball out.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Yeah. Five pass rush is very scary.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Five point nine nine yards downfield or less is the
average pass attempt that comes against the Giants, because you
don't have the time against this pass rush to get
receivers deep.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Because Dexhah Lawrence is one of the best players in
the league. I mean, he is a nose tackle that
never comes off the field. He's not Casey Hampton run
stuffer dude. He is an elite pass rusher that also
eats up doubles and does all the nose tackle stuff.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
He's like Aaron Donald.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Now that Donald has retired, he's kind of taken that
back three thirty.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
I'm not say he's better than Aaron Donald, but he's huge. Frankly,
him and Cam Hayward and Chris Jones are having the
best year of any defensive tackles in the league.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Cam rely is having a wonder It really is in that.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Level right now. But that's the thing is not only
do they get pressure, he's so close to the quarterback
coming off the nose, he gets pressure. Now you know
the boss to come out.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Rust likes to roll out a lot though. Yes, does
that help a little bit against exter Lawrence.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
But their edge guys are good too, even with Thibodeau injured.
Jelari's a good player and Burns a real good player.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Yeah, big acquisition this offseason. Brian Burns player in his prime,
getting from Carolina who was shipping a lot of pieces
off as there.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
He's a top ten edge guy.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Yeah, this is a defense that should strike some fear
into you. However, they do allow a seventy one percent
completion percentage.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
So I think it's because it's short.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Because it's all five, that makes sense. So their corners
are better than I was trying to lead into there.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Yeah, it's the youngest defense in the league. The front
is what there is the best part of it, without question.
But I don't see glaring weaknesses either.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
How's Deontay Banks doing the Steelers were around Yeah, yeh yeah,
maybe twenty three.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
He's a good outside corner. It looks like it was
a bright future.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
I'm so glad I can ask this questions with some
serious nature to it.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Now, who is Russ going to pick on?
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Because Matt that is something that really shined through as
well in his first game when Sauce went out with
the injury and you're down to your third straight corner
on George, Uh, there's my guy right there. Like good
quarterbacks just pick on those weak links. Yeah, we've seen
that happen to the Steelers a lot in the past.
Now you have that weapon for really the first time
since Ben, a guy that can just attack a weakness.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Yeah, and even like when Sauce was in there at
sure what he's still went after him. Yeah, he wasn't afraid. Yeah, right,
Like I definitely think that it's just a pickings thing.
They're going to throw two pickings no matter who's on them.
I'm kind of avoiding your question because we're recording this
on Tuesday, and I haven't dug into their personnel to
the level I do of Steelers' opponents. They're just kind
(10:48):
of another team on the top of my head, and
I don't know someone that I would say is a
glaring weakness. But there also isn't Sauce or Certain or
Terrell either. You know.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
You say that they are the youngest defense in the NFL.
I like having a quarterback that's elite above the.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Neck against the defense like that.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
You would think mistakes could be, you know, immaturity.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Stuff could happen, and he could take advantage of it.
We talked about the pass rush.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Their four point four sacks per game is the highest
in the NFL, and over the past three games they
averaged five point three. New York averages six point seven
sacks per game on the road.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Which is weird.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Your pass rush is usually better.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Ahl eleven different Giants have a sack this season. The
man that we've been talking about, the main man on
that defense, Dexter Lawrence, has seven sacks. He had two
sacks in Week seven on just eighteen pass rush opportunities,
so he's efficient. His eleven point eight percent sack rate
was his highest since Week one of twenty twenty. Steelers
did only give up one sack on Sunday Night football.
(11:48):
But the Giants are sacking opposing quarterbacks on eleven point
six percent of their dropbacks. That's not only the best
in football, it's one point four percent better than the
second place Denver Broncos.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
This is the best pass rush shouldn't in the NFL, I.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Think, I tend to think. So.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
We're talking about sample size, but an eight game sample
size pretty tell the story.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Yeah, And two notes is usually when you talk about
numbers like that, it's the Niners are chiefs that are
playing with a fourteen point lead and they're just pinning
their ears back, you know, and everyone's throw throw, throw, sack, sack, sack.
These guys aren't ever winning, you know, I mean like
they're not. It's they get after it on a very
efficient manner. And yes, the Steelers only allowed one sack.
(12:29):
But Wilson was under a lot of pressure, especially early on.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
He held onto the ball for two of.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
A backup center that has to deal with la.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
I know he didn't play bad, but he did okay
against well he did he did, I mean, especially as
a game went on. There's a couple of plays where
Williams looked like you know that the elephant that gets
through the look like when they get past them, and
like the speed the running back even has the ball terrifying.
There was a couple of times where Williams was just
like a busted right through but the Steelers were able
(12:56):
to get away from him.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
There's'll be a couple of on Monday Night thos.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Yes, But last week, Russell Wilson held in the ball
for two point five seconds or longer on twenty one
of twenty nine pass attempts.
Speaker 3 (13:05):
Uh, it's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Seventy two percent completion percentage seventy two point excuse me,
seventy two percent of his drop backs he held on
for two point five or longer. He completed eleven of
them for two hundred and four yards. You gotta hold
onto the ball to get a lot of yardage. And
it's just the name of the game. But that's always
what he's done, right.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
I would say he's a hold the ball longer guy.
But play action also takes longer, you know. They they
did a lot of play action their third.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
And Lea Smith loves Russell. Wilson loves it.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
One of the reasons he was brought here. Folks. They
planned this ahead of time, you know, and they threw
deep I mean, you're gonna throw deep balls to pickings.
It's not gonna come out in two point two.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
This is another little minutia thing, but the play action
looks so much crisper with rus He's a much better
play act.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
He sells it so much more than fields.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Sometimes with fields and I it's not trying to pick
on right, but this is a fact, like he kind
of nonchalantly does.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
The plays there.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
Yeah, pull it back tight and dip the head and
like kind of jog for a half a second to
kind of sell it like.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
It is a quarterback job to sell it.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
The guy who he was playing on Sunday Night Football,
ass he has done it better than anybody in his career.
He's one of the best at selling that. But Russ
does it really to that level. Too, can really get
a defense to bite.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
So Dale has the exact numbers and I'll incorporate it
when I see him next. But the uh, they're third
in the league and the usage of play.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Action for the year, it's a massive improvement.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
It's a massive improvement. But they were averaging like four
point nine yards per play action attempt with fields in
just this game.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
It was like at twelve, Yeah, I saw Dale tweet that. Yeah,
tripled it.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Right now, the Giants have generated the highest sack rate
twenty four point four percent of dropbacks that they see
on past attempts where the quarterback holds onto the ball
for two point five seconds or longer. He's going to
get sacked in this game, yes, two three, four times probably,
I'm sure of it. But what people seem to very
underestimate when it comes to rus says he can shake
(15:01):
that off and he's a tough dude, Like he's never.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
A fragile player.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Like you never thought of Russell Wilson as a guy
that would be out with injury, like he's missed time
in his career, but like this dude gets sacked very
little time for a guy gets sacked a ton, Like
he's the biggest Big Ben kind of guy as far
as sack totals in his career, Like he's gonna be
up in the all time leader board when he's said done.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
He's not big Ben's size, Like, this is a tough dude.
He'll be able to take it. He'll handle.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
There'll be some second and thirteen's and that kind of
stuff too.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
And Matt, don't you think some of the ugly throwaways
that you saw early that's just him punting on a
play like, yeah, I don't need to and that's what
you're gonna get out of rest, Like just because he
doesn't tuck it and run for five yards like fields,
you know, he'll throw a ball away on first and
second down to hit you with a fifty yard pass
on third nown.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Yeah, he's a big that's a veteran, lived in, Live
to fight another day. Aaron Rodgers in his whole career too.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
All right now, the ugly side of the New York
Giants their offense. Dolphins are the only team averaging fewer
points per game than New York. And we all know
why the Dolphins are down there because of Toua's injury.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Two it comes back, it'll take like three.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
Weeks and I think my Giants or Giants, but they
average fourteen points per game. That's point three points fewer
than the Steelers are allowing on defense fourteen point four,
which is the best in or excuse me, the second
best in football behind just the LA Chargers. So you
got the second worst offense as far as point output
versus the second best defense in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
Got like that, I think we know who's going to
carry the day. Yeah, day night, which sure.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Sting lends back to have more I think about it
what you just said. Okay, Russ throws one away in
your punt, that's fine, you know. I mean, chances are
that they're not going to walk right down the field
on you.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
No, I think the Giants are going to struggle to
get to double digits, double digits in this football game.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Just like a pick six, something ripsacks or something goofy.
You know.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
The Giants are throwing the ball on fifty nine point
eight percent of their offensive snaps. That's the seventh highest
rate in the league. Pittsburgh's opponents are throwing at sixty
one percent of the time, that's the fifth high rate
in the league. That's a bit surprising, but the Steelers
rush defense is also elite, So it's kind of like.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
And what Giants run the ball poorly?
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I'm talking about more like the people in the league
still throwing on the Steelers like that's one of the
best pass rushers you're gonna have to face.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
But I guess you have to do something if you're
not going to make.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
One dimensional or whatever cliche you want, right, And Daniel
Jones runs the ball fair amount too, and they still
are a high pass team.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Yeah, Jones has carried the ball forty five times this year.
He's their third leading rusher with just one hundred and
sixty four yards. Why are they passing the ball so
much with Dan Jones?
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Because they have nobody.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Losing for one thing, you know. I mean, I'm sure
a lot of it's in the fourth quarter, but I
also think their run game's been that poor.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
I don't want to ask you this to make it
out to paint me into thinking the Giants were going
to make the playoffs if they made this move, But
they should have kept Saque right like that.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
That's a probably. But I'm pretty excited about Tyrone Tracy.
I mean, he's a rootie that he provides. Yeah, he's
a good he was a receiver in college till his
last year. But he's given them some juice and Neighbors
Neighbors as a guy. Yeah, yeah, Yeah. They have some
young players that are kind of exciting.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Just you know, they had nothing on that offense when
they let in a Barkley, And I could say that
at the time.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Because I didn't know what Neighbors was going to be.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
I guess he has kind of presented himself as a
good option movie.
Speaker 1 (18:18):
For this doesn't sound like much to him, because you know,
like instead of bringing back Barkley for twelve or whatever
whatever it was, they gave it the Runyon, who's on
a terrible guard. They gave it to the right tackle
whose name I forget from the Raiders. He's okay too.
Like their line was so full, right, Like those two
are professional starting linemen. They needed that and probably more
(18:42):
so than the back.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
So they took the money away from the back and
they messed in the guy the path for the back
and then.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
And it's okay, and then Thomas gets hurt and it's
a mess because he was their star.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
And you get a guy like Tyrone Tracy in the
fifth round h and single.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Parry's not as good as they probably expected.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
He should be back there too.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
Yeah, yeah, he's okay. I've never been a big fan,
but he's okay.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Daniel Jones through for ninety nine yards last week, completing
fourteen of twenty one attempts. He and the Giants offense
produced just ninety four net yards in nine first downs
in the first three quarters.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Hard walk against Philadelphia.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
They couldn't walk anybody.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
I know.
Speaker 1 (19:16):
It was a hard watch. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Jones was sacked five times in the first half and
eight sacks total for the Philadelphia defense against the New
York Giants.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Do you think it's gonna be Jones starting the game?
He was, I don't know. For Locke at the end.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Locke came in and completed three passes for six yards,
which is unbelievably hard to do.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Right, So I'm not worried either way. Don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
I don't think that this is a Flacko versus Richardson situation.
I know that Jones can run some, but it ain't
like Richardson.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
It ain't like No, it ain't like that.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
So but he's a good runner.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
And then mainly there ain't a Flacco coming off the bench.
Like Drew Locke is a younger quarterback that doesn't have
that kind of savviness and experience. So whoever they play
is a advantage for the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
I would assume you're still sticking.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
I was just gonna say, I think Jones probably plays
at least one more week.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Give it a shot. Yeah, even getting beat up tough
week to sing for your supper too. It isday night football.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
And as a runner, he lowers his head and is
a really physical, take punishment type runner, and he's gonna
take punishment.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Oh it's gonna get ugly for him in this game.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Uh No, Giants ball carrier had more than six rushing
attempts last week. New York only called three handoffs in
the first half of the game, and it got but
it got out of hand early to Yah fully just
jumped out to that early lead.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
If you could do that, look out.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
You know that's stable too. He wants to be a
past the ball kind of guy. Modern offense. Sometimes these
coaches just stick with their scheme and you know, say
we'll get better personnel later, and maybe that's what's happening.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
Yeah, there's not a lot of answers on this side
of the.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Ball should be an easy day for the Steelers defense
a dominant.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
In the passing game, everything goes to Neighbors and Wondelle Robinson.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
So that leads us right into our key matchup, Molik
Neighbors versus Joey Porter Junior. Neighbors had been injured for
the past couple of weeks, came back last week.
Speaker 1 (21:12):
A million targets.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
It was very upset after the game last week.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
You already started to hear her mouth off a little bit,
I think after the game saying, you know, like, yeah,
so he's starting to get frustrated despite putting himself on
the map by his great player early in his rookie year.
Now he goes up against the premier corner who I
thought did wonderfully last week, Wilson and Adams.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
He had took on both.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
The Steelers didn't travel last week, and whoever lined up
against Porter was was stuck.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
One of his best games.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
It was awesome.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Was we said this about definitely before the Dallas game.
We said this about him, like he's just a big
stage player.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
I bet, like when you got into the receivers national television.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
All week, I'm sure Tomlins is zero all week.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
I'm sure Dad's in his ear.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Yeah, probably probably mentions it from time to time. Neighbors
is spectacular though.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
It's gonna be a fun test. Yeah, Joey, but you
got you got the answer. And that's what I love
in a lockdown corner.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
And it looks like Jackson should be okay according to
Thomas press conference, which is great.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
And then the other key matchup is Ryan McCollum versus
nose tackle Dexter Lawrence.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
They're going to lose that matchup, but just how bad
you lose.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Zack Fraser's having a great rookie season. They were gonna
lose that matchup with Zack Fraser in there too.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
He wins. Lawrence wins that matchup everything.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Every center in the league. He's Humphrey out there. You
want to get Jason Kelsey out of retirement and bring
him out. He's losing to Dexter Lawrence like.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
He's direct competition for t J. Watt for defensive Player
of the Year. I mean, that's how good of a
football player is.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Team success is probably going to keep him out of
that corization, but he's not saying it should but.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Right, right, right, but I mean the nose tackle that
ends up with sixteen sacks pretty scary, you know.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
That's that's why I made that camp like he kind
of took the baton as far as TJ took the
baton as far as greatest defensive player on Earth, but
that specific position he rose to the top.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
One, Donald vacated it last year.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Steers In Giants eight fifteen kickoff at Akrosser Stadium on
Monday Night football pre game on the Steelers Audio Network.
Get started at six point fifteen. Thanks has always for
giving us a listen. From Matt Williamson and Tom Operman,
this has been the advanced scout. And we will talk
to you in two weeks. Oh right, because we got
a buy coming up.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
How about that?
Speaker 2 (23:22):
And when we talk to you then we will preview
the Washington Commanders. Thanks as always for giving us a listen.
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