Week 18 at Ravens

Missi Matthews and Craig Wolfley are joined by Mike Prisuta this week as the crew breaks down the Steelers win over the Ravens and the Steelers making the playoffs.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Point After on w d V Pittsburgh.
The entire Steelers radio broadcast team is here to break
down the last game. Here's your host, Missy Matthews. That
steal his ravens right there. Man. I just can't say
enough about the men in that locker room. Man, their
their collective will. Um, it was on display. It was

(00:21):
on display throughout hostile environment today obviously. UM. Dire circumstances
and so forth. UM, A lot of competition in stadium distractions,
potentially on the outside of the stadium. Many they were
able to process all of that and make the necessary
plays a secure victory. UM. I'm just appreciative of it. Everybody.

(00:43):
Welcome to the Point After, presented by Parks Casino and
Comcast Business. Your business depends on Internet. Get Internet. Your
business can depend on Comcast Business Built for Business and
Missy Matthews joined by Craig Wolfley and Mike Pursuita with
us tonight as as well. The Steelers are heading into
the postseason a sixteen to thirteen win in Baltimore and

(01:06):
ot yesterday, a wild evening watching Sunday Night football, seeing
what's happening, also keeping an eye in Jacksonville during the
Steelers game, and uh what, not much to say other
than you know, they felt like they had a chance
and everything went right. You know, one of the things
that's so interesting is the power of belief, and you
saw that kind of manifest itself throughout this weekend. You

(01:28):
saw some teams that you know, you didn't think had
a puncher's chance in the world, like Jacksonville come out
and do such a great job, and you wonder about that,
but you know, you can never overestimate nor underestimate what
that heart looks like beating under the chest of those
guys competing. And so it's always wonderful to see how
these things can come out and flesh out and and

(01:50):
be for real and see people that you thought didn't
have a chance overcome people that should have you know,
just blown away whoever they're playing, don't you know. And
you see the Steelers, yere your favorite team in Pittsburgh,
right and in Pennsylvania. Sorry Eagles fans, but you know,
you know, you see them exactly. You see them come out.
Now you hear Mike Mike pursued a Chucklin so um,

(02:13):
but you know you see this come out and play
itself out. When you have the power of belief, you've
got a guy like seven boy, good things can happen. Sure,
if the craziest thing is that I think the Jacksonville
game was the easiest part that needed to happen yesterday.
You know it just every time we kept paying attention
to the store, the score. Excuse me, during the Steelers game,
it didn't seem like, you know, the culture making it

(02:35):
much of a thing where you're you know, hanging on
an edge with that one. But in terms of the
Steelers taking business, what's your biggest takeaway from Baltimore just
staying with it? I kind of agree with the Wolves
take heart and uh the sound bike from Mike Toddland
leading into the show. I mean, what they were able

(02:55):
to do in terms of not being to tear to
spill coward, Mike say, Uh, if there was something that
was gonna rip your heart out, it probably would have
been at forty six yard touchdown run to start the
third quarter. This after you played the first half in
which you got a fumble recovery and an interception and
a fake punt that didn't go Baltimore's way, and the

(03:16):
Steelers were able to turn all of that into a
grand total of three points. Uh. There was plenty of
reason to get frustrated yesterday, but they did not. There
has been plenty of reason to get frustrated this season,
they have not. And I think that's real. It sounds
kind of hoking and and kind of cliche, but uh,
you know, maybe this is an intangible driven team. Uh.
I actually wrote about this for Steelers dot Com today

(03:38):
in my weekly after further review, kind of second look
at the game, and maybe that's the identity that we've
all been wondered, who are these guys? What what's their signature?
Maybe their signature is they're gonna keep coming and they're
not gonna stop. I think that's definitely the tune that
we've heard from Cam Heyward, especially throughout the season. Well,
if not that he's not always you know, still believe

(04:00):
having that uppet positive attitude, but it feels like he
could almost say I told you guys, they trust me.
He would if he was here right now. Look, I
told you guys exactly. So you know the thing that's
so joyful about all of this is that when you're
coming down the line towards the end of this this
great career, of course celebrated by Ben. When you have

(04:21):
leaders like Cam Heyward, you have all this coming together,
and there's a lot of well, I don't know, Well,
there's guys in there that do believe, they know. There's
guys like Cam Heyward that set the pace weekend week
out with excellent play, with the true professionalism that exists
day in day out, in preparation, getting ready to go
do the job on the weekends, what have you, And
then to see it come out again, like Mike was

(04:44):
just talking about, you got you got three turnovers in
the first half and you come away with three points.
Kad zooks, it's nothing but what you got This guy
Ben Roethlisberger, who has fifty two times now fifty three,
brought his team from behind, who at the end of
the first f had what sixty six yards something like
that after three quarters and nine yards. But when you

(05:06):
need him most, and and I've had this discussion with
Mike before, you stand in the huddle with the Terry Bradshaw's,
with the Ben Roethlisberg's, no matter how bad it seems,
you believe this guy can pull it together. And what's
he doing? Nineteen for a buck, fifteen a touchdown. That's
what a Hall of Famer looks like. Not too shabby
and trip, you know, especially after the game, coach Tomlin

(05:27):
gave credit to the young guys Pat Fryar, muth Nagi
Harris who really did help, you know, set up that
field goal in overtime, just their performance. Naji did not
play a lot in the first half or really the
second half due to that injury to his elbow um,
but able to come in when it mattered. And we
have seen, you know, different guys step up throughout the
year who have not been in this type of situation. Yeah,

(05:50):
they messed up and then they stepped up right now.
Not so much in the case to Harris because he
was injured, but everybody screweds, everybody else screws something up
and then came back and made up for it. And
maybe the uh, you know, the guy who personified that
maybe more than anyone else was Pat Friar, with somehow
did not get that first down at the end of regulation,

(06:11):
catches the pass and the sticks right in front of
him and I still don't know what happened. I know
he was angling towards the sideline, but stick the ball out,
dive just have you know it's Mike Thomlins said, have
some awareness there, and uh, I mean I think Pat
Frin was a great player, but he just did not
did not make that play, but then he made a
huge one in overtime, Ray Ray McLeod dropping a ball

(06:32):
and then making that play on fourth down. And Deante
Johnson the same thing. Uh again, going back to the
you know, stay with it, stay with it played at
the end of the game and see what happens. Uh. Boy,
This this season in the NFL has driven that point
home across the league globally, as Mike Tomlin might say.
And the people that really grasped that and really commit

(06:55):
to it, they have a chance. No, You're absolutely right,
And we're gonna go a little bit later in the
show over you know, the differences of the a f C,
the seven teams that made including the Steelers, what the
schedule is going to look like for Super wild Card
weekend as they like to say. Um, but well, if
sticking with Ben Roethlisberger just a little bit, Terrell Suggs
made an appearance, made a grand entrance also, um, and

(07:16):
I thought it was very interesting how much the Ravens
we're talking about how much they appreciate Ben, how much
the rivalry has meant to them, and how he played
one of those main characters. Um, how do you think
that maybe played into the game and knowing that Ben
was no matter what, going out with a win over
Cleveland and hopefully it went over Baltimore. If if this
is it and they didn't make the postseason. You know,

(07:38):
it's so interesting to see how the whole electrical type
of uh, I should say the electricity uh circulating through
that stadium because it was for an entirely different reason
than such as we had at Monday night football at Hines.
You know, Uh, everybody was excited, but I think it
was all the Baltimore fans so excited. We get rid
of this guy, Let's send them off, Let's go no more.

(07:59):
I'm he's beating him so many times there in in
ravens Land, who's done so many things. What did they do?
They bring out Terrell's Suggs with his bane mask on,
you know, which I found very interesting. He comes out
through the Edgar Allen post cemetery gates and everything else
for the Flames and he does his little you know,
muscle shots and crab and everything. Else and then you

(08:21):
know what, Ben's been looking at that for just about
as long as he's been playing against the Ravens. I
don't think obviously had no effect other than to just
laugh about it and probably hugged it out with with
Terrell afterwards. But certainly, you know, this crowd was just
dying to get rid of Ben and send him off,
you know, with a loss and the fact that they couldn't.

(08:42):
And I think there was also an undercurrent of appreciation
for true greatness and that that came to to play
out in front of him, no question. You know, uh, Mr,
you made the point on your pregame show hit that
the security guards underneath the stands were seeing Ben Roethlisberger
in the bottles of the stadium and say, hey, I

(09:04):
appreciate you, big guy, you know, thanks for the memories
and stuff like that. That was that that blew me
away when you reported that on Sunday, because I don't
imagine that happens a lot. But this has been a
special rivalry over the years and it will continue to be.
It's hey, it's bigger than Terrell Suggs and Ben Roethlisberger
as much of a part of it as they've been.

(09:24):
It's bigger than Troy, Paul Mallo and Ed Reid. But uh,
it was uh, you know, full frontal Steelers Ravens yesterday
and in the muck and the rain and the cold,
and uh, you know, somebody was potentially gonna get eliminated
and somebody was going to advance a great theater just
a really uh continuation of a story that never gets old.

(09:46):
Trev I was gonna say, you know, Ben wanted to
win for obvious reasons. It helped. It was one of
the key parts of the Steelers making it to the
postseason and playing on wild Card weekend coming up um,
but also now he's seventeen in ten as a starter
verse the Rave beat them twice in the playoffs, lost
to them as well in the playoffs, but this was
his eleventh game winning drive in the regular season against them.

(10:08):
It also continued that losing streak for the Ravens. I
mean that had to come into play. It was just
like a gotcha one last time? Right, Oh, it's beautiful.
They started that losing streak and they ended that losing streak,
and there were four losses in between. For well, what
is uh, what does Max starts refer to the Raves
as the rat birds. Yeah, pretty much. Yea, that would

(10:30):
be it, and you think about it next year. Guys.
It's been fun, you know. You know. The beautiful thing
about it is he made the point to this is
where it started for Ben. This is where the regular
season finished for Ben. I thought there was just I
don't know what they call it in movie terms, a
jet of position or something like that, where you know it.

(10:50):
I don't even know how to describe it because I
took a movie class once in night school, one that
I didn't flunk, by the way, which was really good.
But you know, it's talked about how he had these
opposite ends, you know, being played out, and that that
really to me spoke a lot. I mean, then literally
got his first NFL action there in regular season in

(11:11):
in replacing Tommy Max. Was pretty cool. I know they
go through a ba jillion different schedules before they come
out with the one that is released. It's always a
big deal. Mike. I know you're always part of that
with me on Steelers dot Com unveiling that. But the
league had to say themselves, all right, Browns passed him over.
He doesn't like them. Ravens. This is always good. Um.

(11:32):
It almost just feels like they did this on purpose
to kind of get what we saw on Monday night
and yesterday, Oh no question, they did it all over
the place that Philadelphia playing Dallas and Denver playing Kansas City. Uh,
great day for people who embrace hate. I am certainly
one of those people. Uh even charges Raiders a classic.

(11:53):
Uh good stuff, great great theater. I just uh, you
guys are still traveling. I am not. I watched the
Steeler game, and uh, then I was watching the Rams,
forty Niners and other uh two teams that don't like
each other very much while I was doing some work,
and then uh took in the evening game, and uh
that just became almost surreal. Uh one time in the

(12:16):
NFL this season, Pittsburgh in Detroit, and all they need
at that point is there not to be a second tie.
And I think when there was a twelve point lead established,
Adam Schefter tweeted, Okay, the Steelers are in because this
game won't be a tie. And then it goes to fifteen,
and then it goes to touchdown two point conversion. Now
it's only seven. Okay, here we go, and that that

(12:39):
last Chargers drive what they make about nine fourth and thirties. Uh,
they wouldn't nine, They wouldn't go away. It gets down
to the last minute the clock's taking up. Uh. Well,
if I don't know about you, I don't know why
the Raiders kicked that thing unless they really didn't want
to play the Kansas City Chiefs. But to me, stand
there and do a thing and you're in versus kick

(13:02):
a field goal that might get blocked and run back
to your end zone and then you're out, I don't
I don't know why they kicked it. Well, first of all,
I want to know why Brendan Stanley called the time out,
because if you're if you're telling me that you want
to get your best defensive personel out there, because you
know the Raiders a gonna run and then Josh Jacob
drips off another fifteen or twenty yard run. Anyhow, you
didn't do a good job of getting your best run

(13:23):
stoppers out there. So to me, in my mind, I
I really don't know what to say because if they
just let the clock run, and and people said afterwards,
if if if he had just let the clock run,
they had to let it run out basically, but because
he stopped that, it changed their plans. Must be some
analytics thing, yeah, must be these a real big analytics guy,

(13:45):
you know. So the same thing that told him go
for it from his own eighteen yard line told him
to call the time out. I guess I was pursued
a telling Wolf earlier on a different show. You know,
if you replace those two teams with the Steelers and Ravens,
do you think they let it end in a tie
knowing they're both going to get in instead of sending
the other one home packing? You know. Bob Labriol asked

(14:09):
Mike Tomlin about that very thing on the Mike Tomlin
Show on our Steelers Radio Network pregame show, and Tomlin
was almost offended that it was even brought up. At
least that's what it sounded like. And Mike Tomlin's take was,
if it's your rival, you don't just want to win,
you want to inflict pain on your rival. And again,
I really appreciate where he's coming from on that. I

(14:30):
get it. But if it's me and I'm a head coach,
I'm thinking my first responsibility is to get my team
into the postseason, and that is motivating me in terms
of my decision making. Until you're the head coach and
you're looking at somebody like John Hardball. Then all of
a sudden, like I think, you get a little snort
in your nose and you kind of like out, no,

(14:51):
we're gonna put them away. You might be right. You
did say it was the Sunday of hate. I yeah, no,
hey you, but I have I haven't been in those headsets.
But looking across the field, you know, hey, I want
to get my teammate. But if I can get my
teammate and his team out, that's like a little surf

(15:12):
and turf thing going. That was really cool. There you go,
that's the mic. I know, TRM. Did you watch the
whole game or did you kind of really pay attention
towards the end when it was getting close. Oh? No,
I watched the whole thing. Um I I was fascinated
by it. Just as it unfolded, it kept getting better
and better. Um I'll say this. You know, there's some

(15:35):
things that I disagree with in terms of how the
NFL runs its show, but there is no better theater going.
It is. It's compelling, it's almost mesmerizing, it's it's just fascinating.
I've running out of adjectives here. I gotta go down
to the adjective store. Uh. Really exciting, really exciting stuff.

(15:58):
And you could you could almost uh say it was scripted.
You know, you know it's not. But uh, I think
I think Chris collins was made the point last night.
He said, you know, if this was a movie, I'd
walk out because it's unbelievable. Ye, there's no way this
could happen if you're watching a movie. But it wasn't
a movie. It was real life and it happened great stuff.

(16:20):
By the way, the two Steelers fans that were at
that game in Vegas, that they kept showing they were
going through the range of emotions that we all were
at home, everybody in Pittsburgh. As collins Worth kept pointing
out a million times, it was driving me crazy. Um,
I want to find out who they are. I want
to know who those guys are. I want to know.
Were you just in Vegas and you saw what happens,
You're like, hey, let's go this could be cool. Or

(16:41):
did you come to town to specifically go to that game.
It just I have so many questions how two Steelers
fans ended up at that game and then you know,
we're the Lower Bowl and just became a point of
the cameras that just would not stop showing them. Well,
it's fascinating. And the fact that you have Steelers Nation
showing up there watching it may be putting a little
antimo emodination out there for the two teams that charges

(17:05):
and the Raiders there, but certainly it was wonderful to
see and it just kind of makes you feel like
it makes you feel good. You know, you got a
lot of representation of a great franchise throughout the league,
and they show up and go put a little wammy,
a little double wammy on on what's going on down
on there? Boy, those guys did I mean, their emotions
came through the TV screen pretty clear. Just exasperated, dumbfounded,

(17:30):
a gas you know, this can't be happening. It was
like watching a train wreck that takes an hour and
a half, I guess. But all's well, that ends well.
Michael is one who studies numerology. You've been so well
versed in the in the sport of numbers. Have you
ever recalled or thought or heard of a thirty two
thirty two tie? I had never I have not. I

(17:50):
don't think there's ever been one. Wow. I think I
think somebody tweeted that last night. Don't worry, don't worry,
Pittsburgh fans. A game has never ended with this core.
And that's when, yes, exactly so, all right. For the
most complete selection of Steelers merchandise, from official sideline gear
and authentic memorabilia to our extensive selection of jerseys and

(18:14):
Terrible towels, just visit one of the official Steelers Pro
Shop stores located at hines Field, Grove City Premium Outlets
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The Point After presented by Parks Casino and Comcast Business
on d V. We'll be right back back to the

(18:36):
Point After on DV fakes to hand offf big rush, Hey, hey,
back at the five yard line and that breaks the record. Everybody.
Welcome back to the Point After, presented by Parks Casino
and Comcast Business. Ms Matthews, Craig Wolfley, and Mike Pursudo

(18:56):
with you on this victory Monday, heading into the playoff Monday,
whatever you would like to call it, but t J
Watt etching his name in the record books. He finishes
the season with twenty two and a half sacks, tying
Michael Strahan for the NFL single season record. Uh, well,
we knew how bad he wanted to break it. I

(19:18):
think he thought he broke it at one point, that
first one that they called the aborted play. Um. But regardless,
for a guy who missed some time, who's dealt with injuries,
twenty two and a half is ridiculous. It is ridiculous.
And when you consider even more so, um, I know
Strayhand saying well he didn't set seventy, well he's done it,
and what three less games because he missed two games

(19:40):
and then parts of three others or something that it's ridiculous.
What he's done is set a new standard to really
pass rushing. He is a veritable encyclopedia of modern day
pass rushing techniques. And you watch him, and I hope
Alex Smith I believe he is. That's a guy that
you whatever he does, you just go do what he does,
all right? Just if you see t J standing on

(20:01):
the sidelines all by himself in practice, practicing some hand maneuvers,
walk over by him and do whatever you see him do,
do that a thousand times. I mean, that's that's what
Mr Miyagi would tell, you know, the young Ralf and uh,
you know in the karate kid, right, I mean, it's
just about you just do as you see. And I
think you know what what he's done is set the standard.

(20:21):
That is just ridiculous. Uh. And I do not believe.
I cannot believe that the NFL took away that one sect.
They call it an aborted play. If you look at
that that second and eight, that is an empty backfield.
All the receivers are running routes downfield. That is no draw.
And if you look at the Steelers defense when they
passed rush, except for t J coming around the corner

(20:43):
on McCary, everybody else is planning to make sure that
the rush lanes are are are taken care of and
they're straightforward. That was a pass. That was a fumble.
I mean, Huntley looked like he was looking for quarters
at the end of a bar fight, trying to find
out what he had left, you know, I mean, and
and and and here comes wide around. And I'm always
always speaking from experience there. You know what, you never know.

(21:07):
He's talking about things he saw. The statue of limitations
may not be up, so we'll just leave things there.
But the point is, I believe that was a pass
and I believe that was a sack. The record should
be t J and t J's alone. Trevi, I'm sure
you watched it a million times. What did you think about?
What can what was considered tying it? And then also

(21:28):
the aborted play that wasn't even a tackle for loss
Um that Wolf was talking about. Yeah, you know, I
gotta be honest with you, I've never studied how they
do that stuff, you know what what they do to
differentiate between a past play and a run play. I
don't think it wasn't anything play because it just never
got off the ground. So you know, maybe it was
gonna be a maybe Yeah, maybe it was gonna be

(21:50):
a pass, but it wasn't. I think t J. Watt
is a tour to force. Whether he has the record
or just tied the record, his impact is profound on
these games and uh, you know the Steelers feed off him,
and Uh, to Craig's point about how it's not just
about him, he's leading and and helping the teammates. Mike

(22:13):
Tomlin talked about that with our buddy Bob Labriola last
Sunday as well. I hate to keep pimping the Steelers
Radio Network pregame show, but it's just that good something
back and wolf. Mike Tomlin's explaining to lab how it's
not warm and fuzzy leadership, but uh, t J. Watt
is telling Derrek Tuska watched the tight ends feet. Notice

(22:36):
notice if his helmet is at the waist of the
defensive tackle or if he's all the way back off
the ball, Because if he's all the way back off
the ball, that means he's going backside to get the
other outside linebacker, and just all football detail things. You know.
T J. Watt is maniacal, and the way he prepares
and the way he trains and the way he takes
care of himself, and uh, you know that's why those

(22:58):
guys are as successful as they are. Those are great points, Michael,
and I love the way you talk about the little
things that separate him from the average guy, you know
what I mean, Because there's a lot of guys who
do not have those keys, do not go through that
thought process. And certainly they don't pay attention to the
techniques such as like you know what you're talking about
in the specific things that t J does to get

(23:20):
ready and the specific things he does when he passed
rushes and you know, I love it all. It's a
complete package with that guy. I just think Dad Gumming.
You know if if you ifuntly had fly had picked
that ball up and chucked it, it it would have been
a pass play, right incomplete? What have you? All five
offensive linemen were in past protection mode. That was a
pass play and until I die, I gotta believe dog

(23:42):
gone and all that should be t J's record period. Sorry, well,
Ben Roethlisberger last night, after he answered every question at
the podium, he finished it with something along the lines
of and I think the NFL should give t J
watter half stack. And I think t J, you know,
he was pushing for it, but pursued up. Man h
Cole is definitely a word that is very appropriate for

(24:04):
number ninety. You know, the first meeting between those two
teams was week thirteen at Hinz Field. He tested positive
for COVID, did not practice all week. He's basically activated
at the eleventh hour and he told us that he
spent the week riding a stationary bike and running around
trees in his yards with cleats on. His neighbors were

(24:24):
staring at him. He finished that night with three and
a half sacks, six tackles, three tackles for last six
quarterback hits and oh yeah, by the way, he pressured
Lamar Jackson on that two point attempt to Mark Andrews.
And that was the night that he tied debos record
for the most sacs in the season in Steeler's history. So,
as coach said last year, he's from out of this world. Yeah,

(24:46):
that's not uh an atypical week for him. You know,
the COVID part was, but the rest of that preparation
and everything we talked to him. I can't remember if
you were in that interview or not. I think you are,
but didn't. We talk to him a couple of three
days before the game, and he was talking about how
much he puts into this, and I had an opportunity

(25:07):
to ask him if he ever considered what he's giving
up to to prepare the way he does, and study
tape the way he does and trained the way he does,
and he said he's very aware of it, and he's
very okay with all of it because he loves playing
so much, and he loves playing at a high level
so much, and he realizes that relatively speaking, he's gonna
be able to do that for a very short time.

(25:27):
So for right now, he is an outside linebacker and
he is all in on being that. And uh, the
the dedication, the preparation, the concentration, the motivation, uh, any
intangible you have, he's putting into that, and it's certainly
showing up. You know what I love about it. We're
talking about high level performers. And it reminds me of
the time in the off season I went over to

(25:48):
pick up the great Mike Webster. We're gonna go do something.
I can't remember what it was. As I round the
corner to go down the road, right, I come around
the corner of his trees, and I see this guy
out on the front lawn with a steeler's helmet on,
with shoulder pads, the black numberless jersey, his fingers taped,
wearing shorts with the near forty thighs at Mike Webster had.

(26:11):
He's out there on his front lawn. He's got a
one man blocking sled he's driving across the lawn. I
couldn't believe what I'm saying, you know, and I stop,
and you know he's he says, Oh, I'll just finish up.
You know, we're gonna go do something. I can't remember
what it was, but it was so funny. I said, webbing,
you gotta to catch a lawnmore to that, Thanks for
your neighbors. Don't think you're not so okay. Yeah, with

(26:34):
that one man blocking sled, pushing it across the line, unbelievable.
The whatever it takes for t J. Watt though, just
his impact for the entire team. The Steelers were eight
two and one in games where he had one or
more sacks, one in five in games where he did
not record a sack. And well, if I was kind
of just thinking about training camp and how we would

(26:55):
just watch him practicing by himself, doing the conditioning sometimes
with you know, one of the strength and conditioning guys.
But didn't do anything in training camp team wise, didn't
play in the preseason um and he came in and
had an awesome game even Week one in Buffalo. So
I think that's just a testament to how great he
is and how much he prepares and what he brings,

(27:15):
and also his intuitiveness and knowing what he needs to
get done to be able to make sure that he's
at a level to be able to go out and
perform at his very best. That's very unusual. It's very
hard to have that sort of objective view about yourself
that gives you that true north. I know what I
need to do to be able to get ready to
do what I need to do. But he is one
of those gifted performers that is able to um make

(27:37):
sure that he is ready from the get go. And
it's not like he needs any schedule of events. He
knows what he needs to do, the training loads that
he needs to carry and accomplish, and also the back
off periods of time to back off and make sure
his body is rested and ready to go. I I
gotta tell you, I I really admire watching this guy
prepare and his willingness to prepare to be great is

(28:00):
really something special. You know. Well, if I don't know
the details, uh relative to Naj Harris yet the way
I do with t J. Watt, but he's apparently pretty
into it as well. And uh as he keeps getting
stronger here at the end of his rookie season, he
just keeps telling us in the media, Hey, I'm I'm

(28:20):
prepared for this, I'm built for this. I'm fine, And
you know, because he's picked up a little something on
preparation and training and uh, get yourself ready to maximize
opportunity as well. You're exactly right, Michael. And one of
the things that starts with it is the ability to
express that positivity in your mind, because if you don't

(28:40):
understand intrinsically who you are and what you're capable of
and to be able to speak that positivity to yourself,
you can get overwhelmed. This kid is not overwhelmed at all.
And and what you're what you're here to do too? Right?
I mean, do you do you just want to be
in the NFL or do you want to be the
guy that you just want to play on a team?
Or do you want to start? Do you want to dominate?

(29:00):
Do you want to make all lig do you want
to win the Super Bowl? And you know what are
you willing to do toward that end? You can see it.
I also feel Trivi. I know you've been there a
few fridays in different times where We've had to talk
to Nagy in person that he he is just like
a rookie I have never seen before in terms of
his cool, common collected. No one's going to trick him

(29:20):
into answering something. Um. Nothing really seems to phase him.
You can talk about this or that and he'll say,
I'm good. You know, I'm prepared. He basically just goes
home and watch this film. They can come out of
the facility his his position coach Eddie Fulkner told us
this that this offseason, and you know, he didn't even
have time to go get a Christmas tree. Cam Heyward
how to buy him one. Um. And it just feels

(29:42):
like he does as you said that t J. Watt mentality,
where it is just football, football, football, and nothing else
will really matter until the off season. Yeah. And and
he's remarkably um prescient and mature and understanding and respectful
when it's about atypical rookies. There's been a couple of

(30:03):
times where he has not wanted to answer a question
and he said I'm not going to answer that. One
time he said I'm not gonna answer that, and he
got up and walked off the podium because he felt
like he was done. But he's also respectful enough that
when the train goes by, he asks us, Hey, should
I wait to give my answer until the train goes by,
because I don't want it to interfere with the audience.
I mean, who thinks of that stuff as a room?

(30:24):
Who thinks that stuff is a veteran? I mean, he's
a He seems like a great person and a really
focused athlete and a guy who gets it. I'm very
impressed by him, really, Uh can't. I don't really have
the words to describe how different I think he is
and how much fun he is, not just to watch

(30:45):
him play, but to kind of be around and watch
him do his thing is. You know, we're just sort
of getting the taste of that this year. But uh man,
he's different too. Some other players, going specifically back to
Baltimore yesterday who made an impact on game. Trele Edmonds
had an interception, Cam Sutton's interception. I mean, how clutch
was that not giving them points at that um point

(31:07):
of the game, which you know, things could have started
going south very quickly there. But also I feel like
Chase Claypool that was his first touchdown since October tenth,
only his second of the year, and I thought he
did some nice things to show off that he is
continuing to take the steps forward of of being the
team guy and really helping them. There's no question I'm
I'm glad. You know. One of the things that happened

(31:29):
after the kind of fiasco that was created in Minnesota was,
you know, there was some negativity that you don't rightfully,
so you gotta stand up and you gotta take the
whapon when in fact you've done something that you realize, Okay,
I probably shouldn't have done that, But he's a young man.
Young man. Uh, young men are gonna make young man
mistakes and they need to be brought along and need

(31:50):
to be, you know, brought along in the sense of
look at um, you're gonna get reprimanded a little bit
about it, but you can't drop your dauber and you
can't go into a shell. The Steeler need this guy
to be the big play guy that he is capable
of being. When I talk about top shelf Canadian bacon,
we're talking about the superlatives that go along with being
a big time receiver. When you're a six four and

(32:12):
you're two and forty pounder and can play with the
physicality of a linebacker. Well, then, by Galli, you gotta
show it, you gotta use it, and you gotta be that.
And you don't want to lose this kid. You want
this kid to come along and mature and be the
performer he's capable of being, because there's nobody else that
can be the high point performer along the sidelines, the
go route guy, the guy running across the middle that

(32:32):
can truck it like he can. And I love the
combination route they ran with the six twelve, with the
six four because he ran underneath and drafting the six twelve,
they put the corner in the safety in conflict because
on the corner sitting there going well, I got eight, well,
I got eight one here and I got you know,
I got the eleven here? And what am I gonna
And you can see before he could come up with

(32:53):
a which way he's gonna go, it's touchdown. That's great,
great scripting of plays, And that's great job by both
Zack Gentry and by Chase Claypool and of course by
Ben Roethlisberger to just throw that into the window. Yeah,
I agree with both you guys. I think he's had
a disappointing season based on what we saw last year
out of Claypool. I think he took a step back,

(33:14):
not a step forward. But as Mike Tomlin also likes
to say, the story is continuing to be written until
you know the book is finished. And I thought he
really stepped up yesterday, particularly when they didn't have Harris
first spell and he was contributing in the running game,
and then at the end of the game he's leading
Harris on that fifteen yard run. It really set up
Chris Boswell. Uh. You know at Kansas City defense. I mean,

(33:38):
Chiefs are a great team, but I don't think that
defense is impenetrable. Uh boy, if somebody wanted to go
out and catch about nine balls for hundred sixty five
yards and a couple of touchdowns, that will kind of
change the narrative, wouldn't it. I think it would exactly.
So again, you know what, you gotta puncher's chance. You
got seven in the saddle man, you gotta ride. All right,
We're gonna go around the NFL talk about wild Card weekend.

(34:01):
When we return. You're listening to the Point After presented
by Parks Casino and Comcast Business. We'll be right back
back to the Point After on dv E for the
Magic of Buzz the young Man from Rice. The ball
is down, the kicker is on its way, that kicks
up that kickers got, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have defeated

(34:23):
the Bollomore Ravens, and the Steelers are headed for playoff land.
And I gotta say this, Big Ben strikes twelve plus one,
because we've got something more to happen here. Oh, a
very pumped up Craig Wilfley, Hi, everybody, Welcome back to
the Point After, presented by Parks Casino in Comcast Business

(34:44):
Ms Matthews with Craig Wolfley and Mike Pursuita and triv
Correct me if I'm wrong. But at some point during
his tenure with the Steelers, Cam Heyward has said that
Chris Boswell is like a serial killer because he does
not blink. He is so calm U that was correct, right? Uh?
That that's ringing a bell with me, Missy, Yeah, what

(35:07):
a trip? Does anybody call him dexter? I haven't heard
that yet, but it was not lost on me, and
it was it was good to hear Ben Roethlis Springer
really pumping up Boswell and in relation to Justin Tucker.
Justin Tucker is a great kicker, but all the stuff
that had to happen yesterday for the Steelers to get

(35:29):
to the postseason, what are the odds that you're playing
a game in which Justin Tucker is playing and it
gets decided by a field goal in overtime and it's
the other team's kicker doing the deciding. That was pretty cool. Yeah.
I also loved when bos came to the podium. You know,
he of course was getting some questions about Tucker, and
he gave the you know, he's a great kicker, probably

(35:50):
best of all time. But then he also let out
a little nugget about how, you know, coach likes to
remind him sometimes about Justin Tucker, and well, if we
always talk about the mind games knowing how to push buttons,
I'm or that, uh, you know, Coach has given him
some stats on Tucker and how far he's kicked all
season before Bos goes into a game against him. You
gotta believe it. You know. One of the things I
love about Mike tom was, you know, he knows how

(36:12):
to push buttons. Whether it's Chris Warmley, you know, you know,
pushing the buns. Oh they traded you in the same division, Chris.
What that tells you what the Ravens think of you?
And then Wormley comes out with two or three sacks
there and again played very well yesterday. Uh, you gotta
believe that Mike is pushing the buttons and that the
Wizard of Bos is just the guy is the guy

(36:35):
is is maniacal, and his preparation, you know, you just
watched him when we've had the opportunity to watch him.
I love the fact that one time I walked in
the weight room, he's got a trap bar, which is
a diamond trap bar, you know, and he's doing shrugs
with like thifteen pounds or something, going, what are you shrugging?
Three fifteen four? Look at you? Got your skinny neck, kicker?

(36:55):
You know. He just smiles and laughs. But he's able
to put in and get all that together and in
moments like yesterday, come up with the biggest kicks and
not have that pulse right take you out of out
of the play. I I had to look it up
Trip to make sure that I was not misquoting Camp,
but he did say quote Boss is a serial killer,

(37:17):
and it was earlier this season. UM, so yeah, we
were right on that. Um. Another thing that we need
to do now though, is go around the NFL. And
that is brought to you by clear View Federal Credit Union,
your financial partner for life, clear View f CU dot Org. Alright, guys,
play off football. UM, if you're a football fan, you're

(37:38):
probably just gonna be glued to your TV Saturday, Sunday
and Monday. Probably not a bad matchup and you're like,
and I really want to watch that one. But for
the Pittsburgh Steelers heading to Arrowhead once again, they were
just there two weeks ago, an eight kick there. The
seventh seed. Kansas City is the second um. Also in
the a f C, Las Vegas will visit since on Saturday,
New England is heading to buff fellow Travia. Out of

(38:01):
the a f C games other than the Steelers game,
which one intrigues you the most, Oh, it's gotta be
Raiders Bengals. Uh, that Raiders team. It's like a cocker
roacher just won't die. I mean what that what that
team has been through and to you know, come out
of it on the playoffs side of things. Uh, really

(38:23):
really enjoyed watching them play last night the Bengals, I think,
at least in my estimation, a year ahead of schedule
in terms of translating and improved program into victories on
the field and success in the standings. Who knows what
to expect in that game, because uh, really not on
one of those teams is what you'd call, you know,

(38:44):
playoff tested. Uh, Bill's Patriots. There ought to be some
good hate there to take us back to what we
were talking about earlier in the show. And uh, the
other one that's really uh got me intrigued if we
could look to the other side. Forty Niners Cowboys. Boy,
that forty Niners team is coming on like a freight train.
Well if you were probably traveling, didn't get to see

(39:07):
it in that Rams game. But what they're doing with
Deepo Samuel of late is fascinating to me. You know,
you can't get him the ball throwing it to him.
They're they're handing it off to him. They run the
ball like a sledgehammer. They attacked the passer. A lot
to like about what's going on in San Francisco these days.
I would agree with you, Mike, you picked some great

(39:28):
games there. I'm intrigued by my old hometown, Buffalo Bills.
I grew up two point four miles from that stadium
in Orchard Park, so that's always of interest to me.
And that and let's face it, who doesn't hate the
New England Patriots, you know what I mean, unless you're
in within the confines of Boston. But certainly you know
everybody else's you know, you got you know it has

(39:49):
a little bit of angst against them. And and yes,
I got before you go too far, I got one.
Here's here's the perfect context of Patriot hate. My brother.
My brother is a Steelers fan, so he hates the Patriots.
When he watches hockey, he roots against the Boston Bruins
because he figures, he figures a lot of the Bruins

(40:09):
fans are also Patriots fans and it's gonna ruin their day.
If that's now, that's beautiful. See, that's just like a
transference of like, you know, that's extrapolated out to you know,
it's degree. As a homegrown Ganser, I totally get that.
It's like Philly, you know, with the Flyers, you hate

(40:31):
the Eagles just because they hate Santa. You can go
on and on, and to me, that makes sense. No
doubt about him. A matter of fact, you know who
also talks about that is dan Quinlan, the producer, the
Philly guy. He's always talking about that stuff. So yeah,
I can see exactly what you're talking about there, Michael.
But what did the poor Bruins do? You know? They're

(40:52):
just taking around I hate you football team where you're from,
love it, you know, since and the Steelers are representing
the a f C North. And when you look at
the standings, the Bengals finished ten and seven, Steelers nine,
seven and one, the Browns and Ravens both eight and nine,

(41:14):
but the Ravens due to their division record or technically
fourth in the North. True, I feel like if you
you like that at rhymes uh, at the beginning of
the season, I don't think that's the order you were
placing these teams incorrect. I had the Browns winning it,
and um, I probably had the Steelers and Ravens fighting

(41:34):
for second. I did not think I thought the Bengals
would win five or six, but they would be very
hard to beat, if that makes any sense. I didn't
see them taking the leap that they took. But man,
I didn't see uh Hendrickson the guy they got from
New Orleans and free agency, having the impact he had
as an edge rusher, and uh, the Jamaar Chase or

(41:56):
alignment thing in the draft was really something to watch
play out, was it, not? Wolf? I mean, everybody was
saying take the tackle and protect Joe Burrow, and Joe
Burrow said, no, take the guy who used to throw
to in college because we were unstoppable. And they may
be the next Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, there's no
question about. I mean, think about it. You got you

(42:17):
had this Jamaar Chase that just seems to be able
to fly down the field at will. You've got Tee
Higgins who's a big wide receiver also, and then you
got Tyler Boyd who's also like there you know, they're
slot receiver who just does That's a great threesome that
that to mix, intermix that with Joe mixing and the
running attack. And this guy, this kid Burrow, he's I

(42:37):
tell you what, He's gonna be a pain in the
keyster for a long time in NAF North, that's for sure.
In terms of the NFC, triv already touched on one
of the games, Philly is at Tampa on Sunday than
San fran and Dallas. They are the later game prior
to Steelers and Chiefs and then Monday. That's a new
thing this year in terms of the playoffs, Airs Zona

(43:00):
is at the Los Angeles Rams. Um. I am curious, guys,
just in terms of that random Monday game during the playoffs,
if those teams are you know, don't have to play
on Saturday, if they automatically play on Sunday, what they win,
because that's just that's a bizarre schedule. Yeah, one of
them won't have to play on Saturday. Well, okay, yeah,
process of elimination. Right, that's that's a weird game. Though.

(43:22):
Arizona looks so good early and really kind of limped
to the finish. And the Rams are very good except
they keep you know, stepping into every once in a while. Um,
but they're obviously all in with the guys they've gone
out and acquired as this thing has gone on, and
Stafford seems to be like a great fit. Uh green

(43:42):
Bay Tampa and the Rams. Who's coming out of that side?
Wolf or is it Dallas or is it Dallas? I
just think green Bay right now. They're a very accomplished team.
Aaron Rodgers right now. It was just at the top
of his game as always. You know, he just seems
to be one of these guys that fixates on the
When the playoff time comes, he is able to really

(44:03):
load the team up and get her going. I think
Green Bay has got a good opportunity to come out
of there. All right. We like to talk about emogenation
on the show for Wolf's sake. You know, today we
heard from Ray Ray McLeod. He said that, you know,
the Steelers could have had today off. It's their normal,
you know, rest your body, come and get treatment if
you need to. And they decided as a team to
come in and watch film. What are you seeing just

(44:25):
from this young team that has had ups and downs
and in between this season as they are heading into
the postseason and maybe learning a little bit a little
bit about each other as that happens. You know what
I love and this is really something special when you
watch this coming together, when guys start talking about the fact,
let's forego a nice day off, let's forget about making
sure that you know, we're not able to do the

(44:47):
other nice city things, you know, lay at home, lunging Gerald,
what have you let's get together and just be together
and just it's about the coming together of a group
of guys that are dedicated to going forward from where
they are right now and and doing the very best.
You know. That's what I always loved about training camp,
the fixture of going to training camp, leaving aside all

(45:09):
the things, the niceties of home and your relationships and
everything else, for going that to be the group together
with a bunch of like minded dudes and everything starts
off at St. Vincent College. That was a great way
to kick off this season because there's a lot of blood,
sweat and tears that occur in a training camp and
it's a bonding agent that that hardens and brings guys together.

(45:30):
And playoffs run playoff runs are another similar thing. Now,
obviously it's it's a it's a micro sort of deal.
It's only a day, but it's it's really about guys
talking about what they want to accomplish, and that's that
coming together and that hardening of the relationships. Well, if
I used to approach training camp the exact same way,
except the like minded dudes I was hanging out with,

(45:52):
we're hanging out at Sharks. That's why you are the
legendary one. So we came together with a purpose and
a dedication and and a couple of hot dogs. Right,
this is a family friendly show, friendly reminder, Trev. The

(46:12):
Steelers started one in three. They tied the Windless Lions
at one point. What do you make of this team
and just what they've been able to overcome the fact
that we were sitting here talking about them playing on
wild card weekend. Well, I'll tell you what's been kicking
around in my head since yesterday. One of the most
disappointing parts of the season to me was when they
came all the way back against the Chargers and they

(46:34):
had the ball with a little over four minutes left,
and they were in position to run it, run it,
run it, make them use their time outs and then
kick a field goal right at the end of the
game and win with very little or no time left,
And they weren't able to orchestrate that, and they ended
up losing the game. But then they ran it well
against Cleveland and despite uh nag harris early problems with
the elbow thing yesterday, he was able to get that

(46:56):
big fifteen yard run at the end of overtime. You know,
sition where they probably know you're gonna run, and you
gotta run in any way, better late than ever for
that ground game, right Wolf, Your lines maybe getting a
little rearranged, and it's starting to come together a little bit,
and there's there's still time to to do what you
set out to do this year, even if you haven't

(47:17):
necessarily done it as consistently as you intended all along,
no question about it. Your spot on, my friend. Alright, Well,
we live for another Point After coming your way next Monday,
thanks to the Steelers and the Chiefs facing off in
the wild Card Round on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium for
Mike PURSUITA and Craig Willflee. I'm Missy Matthews. Thanks so

(47:38):
much for listening to us tonight on the Point After,
presented by Parks Casino and Comcast Business. Have a great night, everybody,