October 21, 2025 • 22 mins
Matt Williamson and Tom Opferman break down the Steelers upcoming matchup with the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football this week.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We got some work to do.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
This is the advanced Scout with Tom Opferman and Mac Williamson.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Steelers are going to try to bounce back from their
thirty three to thirty one loss at the hands of
the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football last week with
another primetime matchup this week. This time it's Sunday Night Football,
and the Steelers welcome the four to one and one
Green Bay Packers to town. Packers having tied the Cowboys
a few weeks back. This is a heavyweight matchup, Matt,
(00:30):
not only in the terms of these teams both have
four wins in the twenty twenty five season, but you
can't really name two franchises that personify this league that
are more marquee than the two that are going to
do battle on Sunday Night.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Yeah, that's a great way of looking at it. Obviously,
there's this Aaron Rodgers factor as well.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Oh yeah, back to bet that too.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
You know, pretty good fan bases. These teams met in
a Super Bowl, They've got a lot of success over
the years, recent success deep into the roots of the league.
So yeah, you're a hundredercent right. It is a historic
matchup on Sunday Night football, and.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
As far as where the Packers are right now, this
is a very good football team, maybe the stiffest tests
that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to face to this
point this season. As an offense, they have scored twenty
seven plus points in five games this year. Only the
Colts have done that more often. Their defense is awesome
as well, Matt. They're like tenth as far as points
(01:31):
allowed is concerned. So this is a very well rounded team.
It was a popular pick preseason for a lot of
people to go to the playoffs and make a deep
playoff run. I know I picked them to actually win
the NFC North and get to the Super Bowl this year.
So yeah, this is a huge test here for Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Yeah, after the Parsons trade, they were a hot pick
for taking it the whole taking at the distance and
maybe they've cooled down a little, you know that tie
and you know, they even blown people away, but they're
still really impressive. And we've said this like three years
in a row. They're the youngest roster in the league.
They're they're a draft and developed team, and they went
(02:11):
out of a out of character a little bit with
this huge Parsons trade, and I think they're still really
dangerous and maybe haven't played their best football yet.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, I don't think they have.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
And you mentioned the roster, it being the NFL's youngest
roster yet again, what a juxtaposition that is when you
look at this specific matchup. Steelers have the second oldest roster,
at least they did at the start of the season,
only younger than the New York Giants. Now, the New
York Giants are having a bit of a youth movement
ironically enough with their quarterback and their running back, but
(02:41):
overall roster pretty old Steelers right there with them. So
it's old versus young between these Steelers and Packers. Interested
to see how that shakes out.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Yeah, one thousand percent. And I meant I can't keep
bring I can't bring up Rogers enough. I mean, obviously
he's the oldest man on older team and knows these
guys really well. Yeah, I guess I don't have a
ton to add to that, you know. I mean, I
hadn't thought the old versus young thing, but I do
think it's interesting that these guys are year after year
(03:13):
the youngest roster in the league. And if you're a
Packers fan. You probably because it's been several years in
a row, you probably look at it like, Okay, when's
the future, you know, like let's like, oh, it's really bright.
We're young, Like we're still really young, and we're still
really young. How about we win, you know, turn in
the corner? Yeah, yeah, exactly. Well.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
One thing that this Packers team is very good at,
Matt is they do not give the ball away. The
Chiefs are the only team this year that have fewer
giveaways than the Packers' offense. But something that you noted
that I found so intriguing is despite that ability to
hold onto the football, to protect the football, to not
have any turnovers, their turnover differential is exactly zero because
(03:58):
they only have three takeaways this year. Like, the Packers
just want you to hold onto the ball, and then
they hold onto the ball. There is no change of
possession in Packers games.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Yeah, it's like they make a deal with their opponent
every time. Right, turn you guys over, don't turn me over.
We'll be all happy, you know. I mean, it's crazy.
I was shocked to see that too.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Steelers, of course, are one of the better defenses at
forcing turnovers, but it has been two weeks since they
have been able to come away with a takeaway. Hopefully
that changes before we get into this matchup. More quick
series history between these two storied franchises. They have combined
for ten Super Bowls, including the Packers' victory over the
Steelers in Super Bowl forty five.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
We don't talk about that one, No tough onun Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Including that one postseason matchup, Pittsburgh and green Bay have
played thirty seven times. Green Bay has come out on
top twenty of those occasions. The series began in nineteen
thirty three when the Steelers entered the league. Green Bay
shut out the Steelers in both of their first two matchups.
Green Bay shut out a lot of teams back then.
Green Bay won the first line of these matchups, with
the Steelers not getting their first win until nineteen forty seven.
(05:01):
But dating back to the nineteen ninety eight season, Pittsburgh
has won six of the last eight, including six of
the last eight including that Super Bowl matchup that was
one of the losses that the Packers handed the Steelers,
and the Steelers have won six home games against the
green Bay Packers six straight home games against green Bay,
so that's a trend going in the right direction. I
(05:23):
want to start with the Packers defense matts, and we
have to start with one man, Micah Parsons. He said,
once that trade happened, they really kind of became the
darlings to pick to go to the Super Bowl. I
was kind of on that train before the Parsons trade.
Then they make it and it's like, Wow, they just
went way over the top. Steelers very familiar with facing
(05:44):
a player of this caliber on the defensive side of
the ball. They see Garrett twice a year. Parsons and
Garrett are different types of players, but their impacts are undeniable.
They're great players, and Steelers did a great job against
Garrett earlier this year against Cleveland. Do you think that
maybe carries over against Parsons?
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Who knows? You hope. So I'm glad you brought up
Garrett because these two are about the stiffest two tests
you can get in terms of defensive playmakers, edge rushers, etc. Etc.
And they are different and they will move Parsons around.
Garrett moves around, but he hasn't moved around much this year,
and he didn't move around much against the Steelers. I
(06:24):
would expect Parsons to come from all over, including the
second level, maybe even dropping the coverage here and there.
Super explosive, a phenomenal change of direction, great hustle player.
I don't think he gets enough credit for how hard
he plays the game. He plays like he loves every snap.
You would hope that they have similar results that they
(06:46):
did against Garrett, but that's asking a lot. I mean,
this guy three sacks last year or last week, and
he had some injuries when they traded for him. He
seems to be fully healthy. He could be hitting his
stride at the right time. And his cohort, Rashaan Gary,
is also a really good player too. I mean, he
was a the top recruit in the country before he
went to Michigan. He's had good years on his own,
(07:08):
but now he's having really good years with a really
good year with Parsons. Those two are really racking up
the sacks here all of a sudden.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
No doubt.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
And you know you talked about Parsons kind of starting
to get back healthy after the injury that he had
earlier this season, little back problems that he was dealing with,
but he's also now a month into his new team.
Matt and you know, getting his feet wet with that
defense and really starting to be able to do some
things with that defense instead of just, you know, that
first game against the Lions, I'm imagining they just were like, hey,
(07:37):
go out there and pass rush, like we're not even
going to tell you about you know, different kind of coverages,
you know, different kind of stunts that we like to do.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Just go pass rush.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
But now you've had a chance to really start to
implement some of the things that you like to do
on the defensive side of the ball. He's he's really
rounding into form, and as you mentioned, he had three
sacks last week. When you play against the Steelers, though,
you're gonna have to play against some big bodies. The
Steelers used twelve person at a forty point four percent
clip and thirteen personnel at fifteen point nine percent. Only
three offenses used twelve personnel more. No one utilizes thirteen
(08:08):
personnel at a higher rate than the Steelers, and the
Steelers have had a sixth offensive lineman on the field
for eleven point nine percent of their offensive plays.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
That's the highest percentage in the league.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
So you know, if you're not the biggest defensive front,
you can have some problems size wise against the Steelers offense,
especially with this jumbo package. That's not really the case
with the Packers, though, is it. They got some big
boys up there. Garrett Parsons notwithstanding, Carl Brooks is in
a slouch by any measure either.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
No, and Devonte Wyatt's a good player.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
He's dealing with the injury right now.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Yeah. Yeah, I didn't see that. I'd heard something about it.
But they did trade Kenny Clark in the Parsons deal,
who was their best interior defender. That was say, a
piece that the Cowboys absolutely wanted. They have a lot
of speed. The off the ball linebackers, to me, are
really noteworthy. Kway Walker is a former first round pick.
(09:03):
The flies around the field start to come into his
own and I think edgri And Cooper is the next
great NFL linebacker. I mean, if there's anyone that's going
to succeed Fred Warner in a few years, it might
be Cooper. So in that front seven, there's a lot
of ability. This seems really good against a run though.
(09:23):
I mean, do you want to come out with the
twelve and the thirteen and the Anderson yes? To help
in protection for sure, or do you want to make
this a kind of a past centric game plan. I'm
not exactly sure. I would think balanced is how you
want to go, but I also think their corners are
(09:43):
probably their weakest position.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
The Packers give up seventy six point five rushing yards
per game, that is the lowest in the league, and
their three point five yards per carry allowed is fourth best.
The Packers' point eight percent explosive run rate allowed, as
second best in the league. Also allowed just one point
five to five yards per contact yards after contact per
attempt that is third best in football.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
All of those.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Statst Cooper and great tackling and yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Just illustrating what you just said about how this team
is a great run stuffing team and the weakness is
kind of in that secondary. Maybe that's why they went
out and got Parsons. I mean, there's a ton of
reasons why you go out and get Parsons, but maybe
that's why they went out and we're like, we need
to get a pass rusher really improved there because our
secondary can kind of be right for the picking. But
what if we get to the quarterback in like two
(10:31):
point five seconds, then that solves a lot of issues.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Sure. I definitely think that's the logic behind it is. Okay,
if you want to attack our secondary and hold the football,
best of luck. You know, we're very fast as a
defense overall, particularly in the front seven. But and we
also know Rogers is highly adept at getting the ball out, diagnosing,
you know, quick hitting passing game. I mean, I don't
know that the Steelers would plan on holding the ball
(10:57):
three seconds like they you know, a long distance, a
long time frame to attack this specific team. I would
think it'd be get it out, get it out, get
it out, and that's what they do well. You know.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Now, the Steelers tight ends had a big game against Cincinnati,
John new Smith Darnell Washington each catching a touchdown, Pat
Fryarmouth catching two and having the one hundred and eleven
yard performance. Steelers lead the league in tight end target
share at thirty six point one percent. Now, you mentioned
high on the linebacker Edrin Cooper for the Packers. You
(11:31):
mentioned Kay Walker, but last week Trey mcbridecott ten passes
and two touchdowns against Green Bay a little bit of
a struggle against a one of the better tight ends
in the league. Could there be a bit of a
mismatch as far as coverage is concerned with those inside
backers and the Steelers tight ends.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Yeah, possibly. I think that's a good angle. It's a
little late in the show to be bringing up Xavier
McKinney because he's one of the best strong safeties in
the league too, So that's so.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
He could help out that trio.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Yeah, I say that of like in the box safety,
although he does a lot of different things. And two
linebackers in the middle of the field is really really good.
McBride's a great tight end I mean, first of all,
I mean and watching that Cardinals offense with Brissett, Brissett
really had eyes for McBride. I mean they were just,
(12:19):
you know, peppering him with targets as a veteran quarterback,
and it worked. Should Steelers are the same. I don't
a problem with it. None of their guys are the
McBride level, and few are, but it's not like they're
week at tight end by any means. I wouldn't shy
away from it. I don't know that it would be
a super tight end centric game plan though, because I
(12:40):
do think the middle of the field players are pretty good.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Let's putch things over to the Packers side of the
ball or to the Packers offensive side of the ball.
Green Bay throws the ball at just a fifty one
point two percent clip. Only the Seahawks, Bills and lines
throw the ball at a lower rate. So you're going
to get a very balanced offense when it comes to
the Green Bay Packers. And they're also utilizing eleven personnel
on fifty four percent of their snaps, so you'll see
(13:04):
a lot of receivers on the field as well.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Yeah, and it's really a lafloor thing. I mean, they
were near the top of the league in run percentage
last year and they're not trying to hide Love at all.
Loves a big game hunter. I mean he'll push the
ball down the field. It's just judge. Josh Jacobs is
one of these true foundation backs behind a pretty good
offensive line that really keeps them on track. You know.
(13:28):
And the receiver situation is talented, but it's kind of
in disarray too. You know. Dobbs has stepped up. He's
the reliable one they like. Golden Watson might be finally
healthy this week, Reid is not. It looked like this
could be a team. Maybe you could pryor a receiver
away from but now they're a little short. Yeah, we'll
(13:49):
get to the US uneven.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Yeah, we'll get to the receivers in a second. Because
it's it's Josh Jacobs in this running game, Matt that
has me the most worried when I look at this matchup.
Mike Tomlin at his pre conference today. We're recording this
on Tuesday. He does his press conference on Tuesdays. He
really put it on the Steelers run defense against Cincinnati.
I'm not saying he blamed them per se, but he
made a note of how poor that effort was against
(14:12):
Chase Brown and how that kind of trickled down to
everything else on the defense. And now I think the
secondary had a bit of a share of the blame
as well, and.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Higgins and Chase they weren't great.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Yeah, but you know, I feel what he's saying as
far as the run defense is concerned. And this is
just a completely different animal this week, because I mean,
you're looking at a top ten back in this league.
If you really wanted to start debate it, you could
maybe make the case to be the top five. He
has had Josh Jacobs two or more rushing touchdowns in
three straight games and he's had six of those games
(14:43):
since twenty twenty four two or more rushing touchdowns. That's
tied for the most in the league over that span
with Jonathan Taylor, who's playing like the offensive player of
the year this year in Indianapolis. So Josh Jacobs is
in that class, you know, maybe not right there with
the tailors in the Saquans, but he's right below them.
And he has just been such a breath of fresh
(15:04):
air to that Green Bay backfield since they signed him
as a free agent in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
I mean, we could go when we did this show,
we weren't concerned with the Bengals rushing at because it
was basically.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
About it, Matt because they try to run.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
They don't try to run. We won't even try. They're
not going to any success deal stuff that, you know.
And I gotta do his deal with thease receivers. Well,
I mean, when you're as bad as against the run,
as Tomlin mentioned, as we all saw, why would you
not give it to Jacobs over and over and over?
And Emmanuel Wilson, I guess is his backup. But it's
really a one man show. I mean, he gets a
(15:39):
very high percentage of the touches. And I love his
style play. I mean he plays hurt all the time,
he has all the dirty work, he'll stick his face in,
and protection he drags tacklers, highly highly competitive. So yeah,
I think it's pretty clear what they want to do
is get their best offensive player. I would say, you know,
(16:02):
the ball a lot against a run defense that is
highly unproven.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Josh Jacobs is four hundred and fourteen rushing yards, to
your point about it, kind of being a one man show.
Their second leading rusher is Jordan Love with one hundred
and ten. Yeah, three hundred and four yards less than Jacobs,
And that something a little sneaky about Love's game, right,
Like he's not Drake may where He's going to run
the ball more than you'd expect. But Love can get
out and get you ten yards if he has to.
You can't just ignore it. I mean, shoot, Flacco ran
(16:29):
for ten yards against this defense on Thursday Night football,
so I guess you can't ignore it with anybody.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
No, you can't ignore it with anybody in the league anymore.
But Love is a good enough runner, you know. I
mean again, like I think there's you know, well, I'm sure, well,
I'll have tons of conversations. You have tons of conversations,
like when the Steelers look for their next quarterback and
probably through the draft. There's a bar that I want
a line of athleticism and running. The ability that I
(16:56):
think you have to be over in order to ride
the ride is a little over that. You know that line.
I mean, he's not the elite run like crazy, but
he'll take what you give him and more.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
You know, now when it comes to working off of
this strong running game in Josh Jacobs dominating, green Bay
utilizes play action on twenty nine percent of their dropbacks.
Only four offenses do that at a higher rate. And
you mentioned that Love is no slouch as far as
(17:29):
pushing the ball down the field. He's kind of a killer.
He will attack down field. Yeah, so you know.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
It's very clear what Green Bay likes to do.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
They like to kind of hit you with Josh Jacobs
a lot, then give you that big play action pass
to one of these speedy receivers down the field, whether
that's the rookie, Matthew Golden, Romeo Dobbs when he gets healthy.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Christian Watson will eat in that aspect, but he's not
healthy yet.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. And Love's a very easy player to
root for. I mean he has kind of some of
that Matthew Stafford. I don't care. I got a big arm.
I'm gonna drive it down the field no matter what.
As you mentioned, off and off play action with a
foundational running game. I think Lafloor is one of the
best offensive minds play callers in the league. He's done
(18:14):
really really good jobs since he's been there, and their
receivers are dangerous. The best guy, though, I think, is
Tucker Craft. I'm a big Tucker Craft believer.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
He led the Packers with ten targets last week. He
has eleven touchdowns since twenty fourteen. Only Mark Andrews has more.
Last year, Craft only ranked behind George Kittle in yards
per target. The Craft had a season high thirty five
point seven target share against Arizona. The eleven touchdowns since
twenty twenty four excuse me, so, I mean he is
really a low key, kind of dominant tight end that
(18:45):
Jordan Love has a really strong connection with. And you know,
the Steelers have not been good against elite receivers this year.
Chase most recently Jackson Smith and Jigwa gave him problems.
You don't really have that in this game against the Packers,
not that truly elite guy. But maybe it is Tucker
Kraft that fits into that mold as a tight end.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yeah, I mean he's another one that I think might
be the next great at his position. I look at
Tyler Warren in Indianapolis and craft he.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Might already be great at his position.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Tyler Warren, it's pretty amazing.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
He can't forget about the hours too. I mean there's
a lot of really good young tight ends.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Good point, you know, but like who's the next Kittle
Kelsey combination? It's probably those three. I mean, Kraft is
really rugged. He's fun to root four too.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Now, the Packers have five pass catchers with at least
thirteen receptions, but no one with over twenty four, as
well as having five receivers with at least twenty targets
but no one over thirty six. They're really still trying
to find out who that number one is. Do you
think it is Christian Watson and he's just been unhealthy,
still working back from a bad injury last year.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
No, I mean I don't think that's how they've drawn it. Up.
I mean he's been really hard to count on. I
mean he has I don't know if you know his
injury history, but one of his legs is like a
different in the other. They realized that that caused a
lot of his hamsterring issues, and they worked all offseason
get that better, and then he got hurt again with
something unrelated. Lately. It's Ben Dobbs, who is maybe my
(20:15):
least favorite talent of the group, but he's reliable and
he's a quality player. I think in a perfect world
they would love it to be Read and the first
round pick Golden, but Reads on injury reserve. You know,
if Watson as those stew and Watson would be your threesome.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Let's get to some key matchups in this game before
we get out of here. Running back Josh Jacobs, who
we just talked about a lot, versus the Steelers inside linebackers,
Patrick Queen, Peyton Wilson. The defensive line has to have
a big say in this as well. But I mean,
Josh Jacobs and the Packers saw what Chase Brown and
the Bengals did to that Steelers rush defense. They have
to be licking their chops.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
I have to be I mean, Steeler's time and possession
has been really poor. That worries me quite a bit.
And if Jacobs is having a lot of success, you're
going to see a defense that's on the field quite
a bit along those lines though a positive and I've
meant to bring this up earlier in the show. I
do think having a substantial rest advantage is very advantageous
(21:20):
for this matchup.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
And then the other matchup that we want to highlight
is the Steelers offensive tackles versus Packers superstar defensive end
Micah Parsons. Parsons will give it to the interior of
that offensive line as well. He moves around, but yeah,
Roger Jones and Fetano are gonna have a big, big
test for them for sixty minutes of a football game.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Yeah, and I threw Gary in there as well. If
you single him, could be in for a long day
with that regard. And the big thing like you, I
think you mentioned it earlier in the show, Jos Parsons
do a lot of looping and stunting. His lateral agility
always stands out to me, where he'll rush up field
on like the tackles outside shoulder and dip all around
(22:01):
all the way around and end up going up against
like Frasier, you know what I mean. So he's really
active and just covers so much space. It's a group
effort against him.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Steelers and Packers a twenty kickoff at Akroscher Stadium for
Sunday night football. Matt and myself will get coverage started
on DVE at four thirty Sunday afternoon format. Williamson, I'm
Tom Afreman. Thanks for giving us a listen. We will
be back next week to preview these Steelers and Colts
matchup on our next edition of The Advanced Scout.
We got some work to do.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
This is the advanced Scout with Tom Opferman and Mac Williamson.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Steelers are going to try to bounce back from their
thirty three to thirty one loss at the hands of
the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football last week with
another primetime matchup this week. This time it's Sunday Night Football,
and the Steelers welcome the four to one and one
Green Bay Packers to town. Packers having tied the Cowboys
a few weeks back. This is a heavyweight matchup, Matt,
(00:30):
not only in the terms of these teams both have
four wins in the twenty twenty five season, but you
can't really name two franchises that personify this league that
are more marquee than the two that are going to
do battle on Sunday Night.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Yeah, that's a great way of looking at it. Obviously,
there's this Aaron Rodgers factor as well.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Oh yeah, back to bet that too.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
You know, pretty good fan bases. These teams met in
a Super Bowl, They've got a lot of success over
the years, recent success deep into the roots of the league.
So yeah, you're a hundredercent right. It is a historic
matchup on Sunday Night football, and.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
As far as where the Packers are right now, this
is a very good football team, maybe the stiffest tests
that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to face to this
point this season. As an offense, they have scored twenty
seven plus points in five games this year. Only the
Colts have done that more often. Their defense is awesome
as well, Matt. They're like tenth as far as points
(01:31):
allowed is concerned. So this is a very well rounded team.
It was a popular pick preseason for a lot of
people to go to the playoffs and make a deep
playoff run. I know I picked them to actually win
the NFC North and get to the Super Bowl this year.
So yeah, this is a huge test here for Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Yeah, after the Parsons trade, they were a hot pick
for taking it the whole taking at the distance and
maybe they've cooled down a little, you know that tie
and you know, they even blown people away, but they're
still really impressive. And we've said this like three years
in a row. They're the youngest roster in the league.
They're they're a draft and developed team, and they went
(02:11):
out of a out of character a little bit with
this huge Parsons trade, and I think they're still really
dangerous and maybe haven't played their best football yet.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Yeah, I don't think they have.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
And you mentioned the roster, it being the NFL's youngest
roster yet again, what a juxtaposition that is when you
look at this specific matchup. Steelers have the second oldest roster,
at least they did at the start of the season,
only younger than the New York Giants. Now, the New
York Giants are having a bit of a youth movement
ironically enough with their quarterback and their running back, but
(02:41):
overall roster pretty old Steelers right there with them. So
it's old versus young between these Steelers and Packers. Interested
to see how that shakes out.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Yeah, one thousand percent. And I meant I can't keep
bring I can't bring up Rogers enough. I mean, obviously
he's the oldest man on older team and knows these
guys really well. Yeah, I guess I don't have a
ton to add to that, you know. I mean, I
hadn't thought the old versus young thing, but I do
think it's interesting that these guys are year after year
(03:13):
the youngest roster in the league. And if you're a
Packers fan. You probably because it's been several years in
a row, you probably look at it like, Okay, when's
the future, you know, like let's like, oh, it's really bright.
We're young, Like we're still really young, and we're still
really young. How about we win, you know, turn in
the corner? Yeah, yeah, exactly. Well.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
One thing that this Packers team is very good at,
Matt is they do not give the ball away. The
Chiefs are the only team this year that have fewer
giveaways than the Packers' offense. But something that you noted
that I found so intriguing is despite that ability to
hold onto the football, to protect the football, to not
have any turnovers, their turnover differential is exactly zero because
(03:58):
they only have three takeaways this year. Like, the Packers
just want you to hold onto the ball, and then
they hold onto the ball. There is no change of
possession in Packers games.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Yeah, it's like they make a deal with their opponent
every time. Right, turn you guys over, don't turn me over.
We'll be all happy, you know. I mean, it's crazy.
I was shocked to see that too.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Steelers, of course, are one of the better defenses at
forcing turnovers, but it has been two weeks since they
have been able to come away with a takeaway. Hopefully
that changes before we get into this matchup. More quick
series history between these two storied franchises. They have combined
for ten Super Bowls, including the Packers' victory over the
Steelers in Super Bowl forty five.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
We don't talk about that one, No tough onun Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Including that one postseason matchup, Pittsburgh and green Bay have
played thirty seven times. Green Bay has come out on
top twenty of those occasions. The series began in nineteen
thirty three when the Steelers entered the league. Green Bay
shut out the Steelers in both of their first two matchups.
Green Bay shut out a lot of teams back then.
Green Bay won the first line of these matchups, with
the Steelers not getting their first win until nineteen forty seven.
(05:01):
But dating back to the nineteen ninety eight season, Pittsburgh
has won six of the last eight, including six of
the last eight including that Super Bowl matchup that was
one of the losses that the Packers handed the Steelers,
and the Steelers have won six home games against the
green Bay Packers six straight home games against green Bay,
so that's a trend going in the right direction. I
(05:23):
want to start with the Packers defense matts, and we
have to start with one man, Micah Parsons. He said,
once that trade happened, they really kind of became the
darlings to pick to go to the Super Bowl. I
was kind of on that train before the Parsons trade.
Then they make it and it's like, Wow, they just
went way over the top. Steelers very familiar with facing
(05:44):
a player of this caliber on the defensive side of
the ball. They see Garrett twice a year. Parsons and
Garrett are different types of players, but their impacts are undeniable.
They're great players, and Steelers did a great job against
Garrett earlier this year against Cleveland. Do you think that
maybe carries over against Parsons?
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Who knows? You hope. So I'm glad you brought up
Garrett because these two are about the stiffest two tests
you can get in terms of defensive playmakers, edge rushers, etc. Etc.
And they are different and they will move Parsons around.
Garrett moves around, but he hasn't moved around much this year,
and he didn't move around much against the Steelers. I
(06:24):
would expect Parsons to come from all over, including the
second level, maybe even dropping the coverage here and there.
Super explosive, a phenomenal change of direction, great hustle player.
I don't think he gets enough credit for how hard
he plays the game. He plays like he loves every snap.
You would hope that they have similar results that they
(06:46):
did against Garrett, but that's asking a lot. I mean,
this guy three sacks last year or last week, and
he had some injuries when they traded for him. He
seems to be fully healthy. He could be hitting his
stride at the right time. And his cohort, Rashaan Gary,
is also a really good player too. I mean, he
was a the top recruit in the country before he
went to Michigan. He's had good years on his own,
(07:08):
but now he's having really good years with a really
good year with Parsons. Those two are really racking up
the sacks here all of a sudden.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
No doubt.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
And you know you talked about Parsons kind of starting
to get back healthy after the injury that he had
earlier this season, little back problems that he was dealing with,
but he's also now a month into his new team.
Matt and you know, getting his feet wet with that
defense and really starting to be able to do some
things with that defense instead of just, you know, that
first game against the Lions, I'm imagining they just were like, hey,
(07:37):
go out there and pass rush, like we're not even
going to tell you about you know, different kind of coverages,
you know, different kind of stunts that we like to do.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Just go pass rush.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
But now you've had a chance to really start to
implement some of the things that you like to do
on the defensive side of the ball. He's he's really
rounding into form, and as you mentioned, he had three
sacks last week. When you play against the Steelers, though,
you're gonna have to play against some big bodies. The
Steelers used twelve person at a forty point four percent
clip and thirteen personnel at fifteen point nine percent. Only
three offenses used twelve personnel more. No one utilizes thirteen
(08:08):
personnel at a higher rate than the Steelers, and the
Steelers have had a sixth offensive lineman on the field
for eleven point nine percent of their offensive plays.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
That's the highest percentage in the league.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
So you know, if you're not the biggest defensive front,
you can have some problems size wise against the Steelers offense,
especially with this jumbo package. That's not really the case
with the Packers, though, is it. They got some big
boys up there. Garrett Parsons notwithstanding, Carl Brooks is in
a slouch by any measure either.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
No, and Devonte Wyatt's a good player.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
He's dealing with the injury right now.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Yeah. Yeah, I didn't see that. I'd heard something about it.
But they did trade Kenny Clark in the Parsons deal,
who was their best interior defender. That was say, a
piece that the Cowboys absolutely wanted. They have a lot
of speed. The off the ball linebackers, to me, are
really noteworthy. Kway Walker is a former first round pick.
(09:03):
The flies around the field start to come into his
own and I think edgri And Cooper is the next
great NFL linebacker. I mean, if there's anyone that's going
to succeed Fred Warner in a few years, it might
be Cooper. So in that front seven, there's a lot
of ability. This seems really good against a run though.
(09:23):
I mean, do you want to come out with the
twelve and the thirteen and the Anderson yes? To help
in protection for sure, or do you want to make
this a kind of a past centric game plan. I'm
not exactly sure. I would think balanced is how you
want to go, but I also think their corners are
(09:43):
probably their weakest position.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
The Packers give up seventy six point five rushing yards
per game, that is the lowest in the league, and
their three point five yards per carry allowed is fourth best.
The Packers' point eight percent explosive run rate allowed, as
second best in the league. Also allowed just one point
five to five yards per contact yards after contact per
attempt that is third best in football.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
All of those.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Statst Cooper and great tackling and yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Just illustrating what you just said about how this team
is a great run stuffing team and the weakness is
kind of in that secondary. Maybe that's why they went
out and got Parsons. I mean, there's a ton of
reasons why you go out and get Parsons, but maybe
that's why they went out and we're like, we need
to get a pass rusher really improved there because our
secondary can kind of be right for the picking. But
what if we get to the quarterback in like two
(10:31):
point five seconds, then that solves a lot of issues.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Sure. I definitely think that's the logic behind it is. Okay,
if you want to attack our secondary and hold the football,
best of luck. You know, we're very fast as a
defense overall, particularly in the front seven. But and we
also know Rogers is highly adept at getting the ball out, diagnosing,
you know, quick hitting passing game. I mean, I don't
know that the Steelers would plan on holding the ball
(10:57):
three seconds like they you know, a long distance, a
long time frame to attack this specific team. I would
think it'd be get it out, get it out, get
it out, and that's what they do well. You know.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Now, the Steelers tight ends had a big game against Cincinnati,
John new Smith Darnell Washington each catching a touchdown, Pat
Fryarmouth catching two and having the one hundred and eleven
yard performance. Steelers lead the league in tight end target
share at thirty six point one percent. Now, you mentioned
high on the linebacker Edrin Cooper for the Packers. You
(11:31):
mentioned Kay Walker, but last week Trey mcbridecott ten passes
and two touchdowns against Green Bay a little bit of
a struggle against a one of the better tight ends
in the league. Could there be a bit of a
mismatch as far as coverage is concerned with those inside
backers and the Steelers tight ends.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Yeah, possibly. I think that's a good angle. It's a
little late in the show to be bringing up Xavier
McKinney because he's one of the best strong safeties in
the league too, So that's so.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
He could help out that trio.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
Yeah, I say that of like in the box safety,
although he does a lot of different things. And two
linebackers in the middle of the field is really really good.
McBride's a great tight end I mean, first of all,
I mean and watching that Cardinals offense with Brissett, Brissett
really had eyes for McBride. I mean they were just,
(12:19):
you know, peppering him with targets as a veteran quarterback,
and it worked. Should Steelers are the same. I don't
a problem with it. None of their guys are the
McBride level, and few are, but it's not like they're
week at tight end by any means. I wouldn't shy
away from it. I don't know that it would be
a super tight end centric game plan though, because I
(12:40):
do think the middle of the field players are pretty good.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Let's putch things over to the Packers side of the
ball or to the Packers offensive side of the ball.
Green Bay throws the ball at just a fifty one
point two percent clip. Only the Seahawks, Bills and lines
throw the ball at a lower rate. So you're going
to get a very balanced offense when it comes to
the Green Bay Packers. And they're also utilizing eleven personnel
on fifty four percent of their snaps, so you'll see
(13:04):
a lot of receivers on the field as well.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
Yeah, and it's really a lafloor thing. I mean, they
were near the top of the league in run percentage
last year and they're not trying to hide Love at all.
Loves a big game hunter. I mean he'll push the
ball down the field. It's just judge. Josh Jacobs is
one of these true foundation backs behind a pretty good
offensive line that really keeps them on track. You know.
(13:28):
And the receiver situation is talented, but it's kind of
in disarray too. You know. Dobbs has stepped up. He's
the reliable one they like. Golden Watson might be finally
healthy this week, Reid is not. It looked like this
could be a team. Maybe you could pryor a receiver
away from but now they're a little short. Yeah, we'll
(13:49):
get to the US uneven.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Yeah, we'll get to the receivers in a second. Because
it's it's Josh Jacobs in this running game, Matt that
has me the most worried when I look at this matchup.
Mike Tomlin at his pre conference today. We're recording this
on Tuesday. He does his press conference on Tuesdays. He
really put it on the Steelers run defense against Cincinnati.
I'm not saying he blamed them per se, but he
made a note of how poor that effort was against
(14:12):
Chase Brown and how that kind of trickled down to
everything else on the defense. And now I think the
secondary had a bit of a share of the blame
as well, and.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
Higgins and Chase they weren't great.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Yeah, but you know, I feel what he's saying as
far as the run defense is concerned. And this is
just a completely different animal this week, because I mean,
you're looking at a top ten back in this league.
If you really wanted to start debate it, you could
maybe make the case to be the top five. He
has had Josh Jacobs two or more rushing touchdowns in
three straight games and he's had six of those games
(14:43):
since twenty twenty four two or more rushing touchdowns. That's
tied for the most in the league over that span
with Jonathan Taylor, who's playing like the offensive player of
the year this year in Indianapolis. So Josh Jacobs is
in that class, you know, maybe not right there with
the tailors in the Saquans, but he's right below them.
And he has just been such a breath of fresh
(15:04):
air to that Green Bay backfield since they signed him
as a free agent in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
I mean, we could go when we did this show,
we weren't concerned with the Bengals rushing at because it
was basically.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
About it, Matt because they try to run.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
They don't try to run. We won't even try. They're
not going to any success deal stuff that, you know.
And I gotta do his deal with thease receivers. Well,
I mean, when you're as bad as against the run,
as Tomlin mentioned, as we all saw, why would you
not give it to Jacobs over and over and over?
And Emmanuel Wilson, I guess is his backup. But it's
really a one man show. I mean, he gets a
(15:39):
very high percentage of the touches. And I love his
style play. I mean he plays hurt all the time,
he has all the dirty work, he'll stick his face in,
and protection he drags tacklers, highly highly competitive. So yeah,
I think it's pretty clear what they want to do
is get their best offensive player. I would say, you know,
(16:02):
the ball a lot against a run defense that is
highly unproven.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Josh Jacobs is four hundred and fourteen rushing yards, to
your point about it, kind of being a one man show.
Their second leading rusher is Jordan Love with one hundred
and ten. Yeah, three hundred and four yards less than Jacobs,
And that something a little sneaky about Love's game, right,
Like he's not Drake may where He's going to run
the ball more than you'd expect. But Love can get
out and get you ten yards if he has to.
You can't just ignore it. I mean, shoot, Flacco ran
(16:29):
for ten yards against this defense on Thursday Night football,
so I guess you can't ignore it with anybody.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
No, you can't ignore it with anybody in the league anymore.
But Love is a good enough runner, you know. I
mean again, like I think there's you know, well, I'm sure, well,
I'll have tons of conversations. You have tons of conversations,
like when the Steelers look for their next quarterback and
probably through the draft. There's a bar that I want
a line of athleticism and running. The ability that I
(16:56):
think you have to be over in order to ride
the ride is a little over that. You know that line.
I mean, he's not the elite run like crazy, but
he'll take what you give him and more.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
You know, now when it comes to working off of
this strong running game in Josh Jacobs dominating, green Bay
utilizes play action on twenty nine percent of their dropbacks.
Only four offenses do that at a higher rate. And
you mentioned that Love is no slouch as far as
(17:29):
pushing the ball down the field. He's kind of a killer.
He will attack down field. Yeah, so you know.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
It's very clear what Green Bay likes to do.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
They like to kind of hit you with Josh Jacobs
a lot, then give you that big play action pass
to one of these speedy receivers down the field, whether
that's the rookie, Matthew Golden, Romeo Dobbs when he gets healthy.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Christian Watson will eat in that aspect, but he's not
healthy yet.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Yeah, yeah, exactly. And Love's a very easy player to
root for. I mean he has kind of some of
that Matthew Stafford. I don't care. I got a big arm.
I'm gonna drive it down the field no matter what.
As you mentioned, off and off play action with a
foundational running game. I think Lafloor is one of the
best offensive minds play callers in the league. He's done
(18:14):
really really good jobs since he's been there, and their
receivers are dangerous. The best guy, though, I think, is
Tucker Craft. I'm a big Tucker Craft believer.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:24):
He led the Packers with ten targets last week. He
has eleven touchdowns since twenty fourteen. Only Mark Andrews has more.
Last year, Craft only ranked behind George Kittle in yards
per target. The Craft had a season high thirty five
point seven target share against Arizona. The eleven touchdowns since
twenty twenty four excuse me, so, I mean he is
really a low key, kind of dominant tight end that
(18:45):
Jordan Love has a really strong connection with. And you know,
the Steelers have not been good against elite receivers this year.
Chase most recently Jackson Smith and Jigwa gave him problems.
You don't really have that in this game against the Packers,
not that truly elite guy. But maybe it is Tucker
Kraft that fits into that mold as a tight end.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yeah, I mean he's another one that I think might
be the next great at his position. I look at
Tyler Warren in Indianapolis and craft he.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Might already be great at his position.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Tyler Warren, it's pretty amazing.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
He can't forget about the hours too. I mean there's
a lot of really good young tight ends.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Good point, you know, but like who's the next Kittle
Kelsey combination? It's probably those three. I mean, Kraft is
really rugged. He's fun to root four too.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
Now, the Packers have five pass catchers with at least
thirteen receptions, but no one with over twenty four, as
well as having five receivers with at least twenty targets
but no one over thirty six. They're really still trying
to find out who that number one is. Do you
think it is Christian Watson and he's just been unhealthy,
still working back from a bad injury last year.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
No, I mean I don't think that's how they've drawn it. Up.
I mean he's been really hard to count on. I
mean he has I don't know if you know his
injury history, but one of his legs is like a
different in the other. They realized that that caused a
lot of his hamsterring issues, and they worked all offseason
get that better, and then he got hurt again with
something unrelated. Lately. It's Ben Dobbs, who is maybe my
(20:15):
least favorite talent of the group, but he's reliable and
he's a quality player. I think in a perfect world
they would love it to be Read and the first
round pick Golden, but Reads on injury reserve. You know,
if Watson as those stew and Watson would be your threesome.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Let's get to some key matchups in this game before
we get out of here. Running back Josh Jacobs, who
we just talked about a lot, versus the Steelers inside linebackers,
Patrick Queen, Peyton Wilson. The defensive line has to have
a big say in this as well. But I mean,
Josh Jacobs and the Packers saw what Chase Brown and
the Bengals did to that Steelers rush defense. They have
to be licking their chops.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
I have to be I mean, Steeler's time and possession
has been really poor. That worries me quite a bit.
And if Jacobs is having a lot of success, you're
going to see a defense that's on the field quite
a bit along those lines though a positive and I've
meant to bring this up earlier in the show. I
do think having a substantial rest advantage is very advantageous
(21:20):
for this matchup.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
And then the other matchup that we want to highlight
is the Steelers offensive tackles versus Packers superstar defensive end
Micah Parsons. Parsons will give it to the interior of
that offensive line as well. He moves around, but yeah,
Roger Jones and Fetano are gonna have a big, big
test for them for sixty minutes of a football game.
Speaker 1 (21:39):
Yeah, and I threw Gary in there as well. If
you single him, could be in for a long day
with that regard. And the big thing like you, I
think you mentioned it earlier in the show, Jos Parsons
do a lot of looping and stunting. His lateral agility
always stands out to me, where he'll rush up field
on like the tackles outside shoulder and dip all around
(22:01):
all the way around and end up going up against
like Frasier, you know what I mean. So he's really
active and just covers so much space. It's a group
effort against him.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Steelers and Packers a twenty kickoff at Akroscher Stadium for
Sunday night football. Matt and myself will get coverage started
on DVE at four thirty Sunday afternoon format. Williamson, I'm
Tom Afreman. Thanks for giving us a listen. We will
be back next week to preview these Steelers and Colts
matchup on our next edition of The Advanced Scout.
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