Let's Talk Stil'rs - December 28, 2024

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Let's talk Stealers. He is sponsored by Italian Village Pizza
Lawrence Field Distilling. Enjoy their handcrafted spirits. Visit Canton, Ohio
Red Fox Winery and Lounge. Call Italian Village Pizza on

(00:27):
Steelers game day and say let's talk Steelers and any
size pizza is buy one, get one free, take out
a delivery, Let's talk stealers.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
You know that sucked to be blunt, not the type
of ball we want to play, and really kind of
eerily similar to our last performance in that we're not
doing the fundamental things well enough. We're turning the ball over,
we're not getting turnovers, and that hadn't been a recipe
for us, but it has been of late. Your minus

(00:59):
two or whatever we were in this game. May you
not giving yourself a chance, particularly turning the ball over
in the red zone. We had balls on the ground early.
We had a ball on the ground on a punt
team early, we didn't cover it. We had a ball
tipped up in the air. They could have provided our
offense a short field. We didn't catch it. When we're
not being opportunistic on the defense or the special team side,

(01:21):
when given an opportunity, we had balls on the ground
and turnover opportunities a week ago that we didn't capitalize on,
and then we're not securing the on offense and so
you're running on the beach when you're performing like that.
Couple with lack of situational play making, red zone defense,
making people settle for field goals as opposed to touchdowns,

(01:44):
the games were gonna look like that. Gott to score
more than ten points against an outfit like that, and so,
you know, you can look at it from a lot
of angles. The bottom line is junior varsity it's not
good enough. We gotta own that. But we also got
to look at what it is we need to do different.
We're not going to continue to do the same things

(02:05):
and hope for a different result. That doesn't seem sharp
to me. And so we're gonna take a hard look
at this. We got a couple extra days before we
get and get back into it. We're gonna take a
look at it and make whatever necessary changes we need
to make.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
Hold up Steelers Nation, it's tank clit stock Steelers. Well,
the old quarterback he's down with the flu, couldn't lace
up his cleats to be with me as we analyze
this Chief's game. Well, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year's to you, York.
Pittsburgh Steelers have lost to the three of the very
best teams in the NFL.

Speaker 4 (02:41):
We knew that the twenty twenty fourth.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
Schedule was laden with easy teams up front, and the
real litmus test for your Steelers was going to be
well when we got into the Eagles, the Ravens, now
the Chiefs at home on Christmas Day, there's a real
sense of dasia vu when you look back at all
three games, the Eagles, the Ravens and the Chiefs. I

(03:05):
know a lot of us I know I did. I
had optimism as we were heading into Philadelphia. You know,
Coach Tomlin likes to talk about a team on the rise,
a team on the rise, especially in December, meaning that
you know what you've got, you know your best assets,
you know your weapons, and you're seeing your team congeal. Well,

(03:28):
when we went into Philadelphia, there was a sense of
optimism that your Steelers could manhandle or at least get
a Boswell field goal to beat the Philadelphia Eagles. Against
the Ravens, well, we knew that was going to be
a tough matchup in Baltimore against well, last year's team MVP,
and a lot of people say that Lamar Jackson is

(03:51):
destined to be the MVP this year as well. A
few penalties, a few turnovers, and both the Eagles game
and Ravens game kind of look the same. Is your
Steelers matched up against well, what is now looking like
the AFC's very best, if not the NFL's very best

(04:11):
team in twenty twenty four the Chiefs.

Speaker 4 (04:14):
It was deja vu all over again.

Speaker 3 (04:17):
Key moments of the game, when balls were left on
the ground by firemouth interceptions penalties, Your Steelers seemed to
be in the game in the first half. Then all
of a sudden things went awry and the Chiefs did
what they do best. Patrick Mahomes, without any pressure on
him from any pressures, rushes to throw any sacks, anybody

(04:42):
even touching him, worked his rattlesnake magic, because that's what
he is. Patrick Mahomes is a rattlesnake that will bite
you when you least suspect. Then all of a sudden,
your Steelers met their decline, they met their waterloo, and
the Chiefs just kept putting up points and just kept
laughing all the way to that locker room when Andy

(05:05):
Reid dressed up like Santa Croz because they gave themselves
the very best, very best Christmas gift the Chiefs could
have given themselves was home field advantage and that number
one seed in the AFC. You know, before we get
into what went wrong against the Chiefs, I want to
talk about what went right again. This offensive line, much

(05:28):
maligned the last several years, is doing a pretty good
job with two rookies with welt Zach Frasier at center
and McCormick at right guard holding their own. Of course,
Jones had his problems at the beginning of the year
with a lot of holding, a lot of missteps playing
out there on that island of rack tackle. He's come along,

(05:50):
He's come a long way since Game one in twenty
twenty four. And of course, your left side of your line, well,
they have pretty much kept Russell Wilson's uniform clean throughout
most of wilson starts this year, with Sayamalo and Danny
Moore playing left tackle. So I do want to give
props to the offensive line. One of the reasons I

(06:11):
say that is they're opening holes for Jalen Warren.

Speaker 4 (06:16):
Jalen Warren. You know, Mike the quarterback.

Speaker 3 (06:20):
All he tells me tank quit living in a past,
Quit bringing up Randy Feikner, Quit bringing up Matt Canada.
You know, there is no doubt Arthur Smith is a
much better coordinator than both Matt Canada and Randy Feekner.
With Nagy Harris and Jalen Warren, he's got a double threat,
thunder and lightning as it were. Of course, Naugy being

(06:42):
the thunder. I don't see why Arthur Smith tries to
keep getting Naugy to the outside. It does bear fruit
on occasion, but the fumble that cost us maybe the game,
the lack of yardage, the drop balls by Naugy to
the outside, that's not his comfort zone. He is a big,

(07:03):
big running back. He's as big as most linebackers in
the NFL.

Speaker 5 (07:08):
You need to.

Speaker 3 (07:08):
Stick with Naugy up the middle. The A gap that's
the gap beside the center and guard. You need to
run Naugy in the B gap, the gap between the
center and the tackle. Quit trying to run him to
the outside. Why is that? Because you have well Jalen Warren,
who monks you.

Speaker 4 (07:28):
Doesn't think if used.

Speaker 3 (07:30):
Properly, he can be the feature back in a lot
of other offenses. Jalen Warren is a legitimate threat who
can hit the hole like lightning and pick you up ten, fifteen,
twenty yards when the offensive line and Naugy and Jalen
are working.

Speaker 4 (07:48):
The running game, the pounding round.

Speaker 3 (07:50):
Game, which mister Rooney himself said he wanted to see
back in the Pittsburgh game plan this year. That is
an incredible running offense. The other positive takeaway, well, George
Pickens is one of the top three wide receivers in
the NFL. If George can get his head on right,

(08:10):
mature grow realize there is well the old saying there
is no I in team George, it's a team effort
on every single play man means you got to block
when you don't want to block, means you got to
sell your route to fake the corner, fake the safety,
even though you know Jalen's getting the ball. But there

(08:31):
is no doubt that George Pickens is one of the
top three receivers in the NFL. And look, I understand
his frustrations last year with Matt Canada's offense. Matt Canada
did not know how to use well, he didn't know how.

Speaker 4 (08:45):
To use Washington.

Speaker 3 (08:47):
He didn't use Firemouth, he didn't use Jalen Moren, and
he certainly didn't know how to use the incredible potential
Hall of Fame talent in George Pickens. Mat Canada would
just send him down the sideline for a throwball. There's
no doubt as we look at that Chiefs game that
George Pickens, well, he's a game changer. He is a
legitimate threat. So that's the positives from the Chief's loss.

(09:12):
Here at well Acrossure Stadium on Christmas Day is what I.

Speaker 2 (09:17):
Love to do, even on days like today. I love
the game. I love working with that group in there.
We're not performing the way that we need to. We'll
stay down and keep working. Said about him that hadn't
been said in terms of his talents and his knowledge
of the office, his relationship with his eligibles, his understanding

(09:38):
of where people are, et cetera. But when I think
about today, man, I think about the short fields we
gave him. The first touchdown drive was forty yards. We
turned the ball over in the second half. I think
it was a twenty something yard driving that in that half.
And so you know, I know a guy like him
with his talent level and resume. You can't give him
short fields and things of that nature.

Speaker 6 (09:58):
And so.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
You know that's where my energies are. What we can control,
what we do respectfully, all right, You know that sucked
to be blunt, not the type of ball we want
to play, and really kind of eerily similar to our
last performance in that we're not doing the fundamental things

(10:21):
well enough. We're turning the ball over, we're not getting turnovers,
and that hadn't been a recipe for us, but it
has been of late. Your minus two or whatever we were
in this game, may you not give yourself a chance,
particularly turning the ball over in the red zone. We
had balls on the ground early. We had a ball
on the ground on a punt team early, we didn't

(10:42):
cover it. We had a ball tipped up in the
air they could have provided our offense to short field.

Speaker 6 (10:47):
We didn't catch it.

Speaker 2 (10:49):
When we're not being opportunistic on the defense or the
special team side, when given an opportunity. We had balls
on the ground and turnover opportunities a week ago that
we didn't capitalize on, and we're not securing them on offense,
and so you're running on the beach when you're performing
like that, couple with lack of situational play making red

(11:09):
zone defense, making people settle for field goals as opposed
to touchdowns.

Speaker 6 (11:14):
Uh, the games are gonna look like that.

Speaker 2 (11:17):
You gotta score more than ten points against an outfit
like that, And so, you know, you can look at
it from a lot of angles. The bottom line is
is junior varsity is not good enough. We gotta own that.
But we also got to look at what it is
we need to do different. We're not gonna continue to
do the same things and hope for a different result.

(11:38):
That doesn't seem sharp to me. And so we're gonna
take a hard look at this. We got a couple
of extra days before we get and get back into it.
We're gonna take a look at it and make whatever
necessary changes we need to make in the totality of
this thing, because again, that doesn't feel good, it doesn't
look good, and that's just the truth and reality of it.

(12:02):
Cam Heyward had an ankle injury, but he was able
to get back into the game. Don't have a lot
of an information about any other potential injuries. We'll probably
have more the next time we get together. Questions just mentioned, Uh,
what do you do to kind of get out of
this little skin that you're in?

Speaker 6 (12:20):
You know, it's fundamental things, man.

Speaker 2 (12:21):
We gotta look at ourselves and and own it. And
and obviously, you know, we gotta be committed to making
whatever change is necessary and effort to prove to improve
the the outcome. And it's as simple as that said,
this street the.

Speaker 7 (12:37):
Stretch of three games that you would learn a lot
about yourselves as a team. And this three games, what
have you learned?

Speaker 2 (12:43):
I don't remember saying that. I'm focused on what transpired today.
And as I mentioned, it was not good enough in
the past.

Speaker 3 (12:48):
Rush game and the absence of Jones, the Kansas City
compensated with anything different schematically that would have thrown your
guys off up front.

Speaker 2 (12:56):
You know, they brand some nickel three three. But you know,
we we we had dissipated that. Obviously we knew his
availability might be uh in question, And so I don't
know that there was anything uh that was a shock,
to be quite honest with you.

Speaker 6 (13:08):
We just didn't perform well enough.

Speaker 8 (13:10):
What is what is so difficult about Holmes to trying
to defend him?

Speaker 2 (13:15):
You know, you know he's a quality player. What can
be said about him that hadn't been said in terms
of his talents and his knowledge of the offense, his
relationship with his eligibles, his understanding of where people are,
et cetera. But when I think about today, man, I
think about the short fields we gave him. The first
touchdown driver was forty yards. We turned the ball over
in the second half, I think it was a twenty

(13:36):
something yard drive, and that in in that half. And
so you know, I know a guy like him, with
his talent level and resume, you can't give him short
fields and things of that nature.

Speaker 6 (13:46):
And so.

Speaker 2 (13:47):
You know, that's where my energies are. What we can
control what we do.

Speaker 6 (13:51):
Uh. Respectfully, a lot of.

Speaker 9 (13:53):
Your offensive place seemed to be taking a long time
to develop.

Speaker 5 (13:56):
Why is that? What can be done about it?

Speaker 2 (13:58):
You know, I don't know what specifically we're you're referring to.
I probably need a little bit more detail, but obviously
you know, we're not performing to the level that we'd like.
We're not executing to the level that we would like.

Speaker 10 (14:10):
Who your first half, uh?

Speaker 11 (14:12):
Naugie Harris has seven carries for twenty one yards oh
Ginger one and eight carriages for sixty one yards, just
wondering why they wouldn't stick with the hot end going
in through the second half.

Speaker 2 (14:23):
You know, we got every intentions of doing so. Whether
you're talking about those guys or anyone else, the bottom
line is, when you're not operating the way that we are,
nobody gets to do what it is they desire to do.
I'd like to get George Pickens more touches, et cetera.
But again, we need to look at all of those
things because again, we're not gonna continue to go through
the same process and hope for a different result.

Speaker 7 (14:45):
You said that there were things in this game that
were early similar to last week, because this team regressed
the last two three weeks.

Speaker 2 (14:52):
You know, you could say that, uh, if you so choose,
but I just tend to look at performances and what
we're doing and what we're not doing. We regressed in
terms of our turnover culture, in terms of maintaining possession
of the ball and getting the ball. We've been a
plus group in most instances, and that's really been a
catalyst for us in terms of the games unfolding the

(15:14):
way that we desire. The last two weeks in particular,
we haven't been plussed in that area. We've been minus
in that area, and so the results are what they are.
How do you get act to that culture fundamentals? Man,
we don't blink. But again, as I mentioned in terms
of the schematics, in terms of a division of labor,
I'm open to whatever change is necessary in an effort

(15:34):
to change the outcome. Coach, you mentioned last game that
you got a problem with the way the tight ends
were being covered with this game, Kelsey was open quite often.

Speaker 5 (15:44):
How does something like that happen?

Speaker 6 (15:46):
You know?

Speaker 2 (15:47):
In some of the instances that he were open, we
were in zone defense, and you give credit to them
in my homes in terms of diagnosed and coverages. We
were spending the dial. We're playing some man, we're playing
some zone. We're pressuring some and most of the instances
that he caught the ball, which is their norm. Uh,
he is a zone killer. When in zone he gets
the ball. And a lot of those instances wearing zone.

Speaker 3 (16:08):
Mike, you feel like you've kind of lost control the
position you were in, you know, in the division and.

Speaker 6 (16:12):
What's that you know?

Speaker 2 (16:14):
Control? You know, can you know can be talked about.
But the bottom line is, Man, we're just not performing
well or nothing. And so I'm less concerned about control
of the division and more concerned about the quality of
our performance at this juncture.

Speaker 7 (16:30):
And what gives you confidence that you get this train.

Speaker 5 (16:32):
Back on the tracks?

Speaker 2 (16:33):
Cause it's what we do. Is what I love to do,
even on days like today. I love the game. I
love working with that group in there. We're not performing
the way that we need to. We'll stay. We'll stay
down and keep working.

Speaker 6 (16:49):
When to add.

Speaker 9 (16:51):
To the disappointment when you see fans leaving early in
the fourth quarter, how does that add to what happened today?

Speaker 11 (16:57):
And does that add maybe fuel the.

Speaker 12 (16:58):
Fire for next week?

Speaker 2 (16:59):
To be honest with you, you know, my focus is
on the feel and I missed that.

Speaker 7 (17:06):
All right.

Speaker 2 (17:08):
It is what I love to do, even on days
like today. I love the game. I love working with
that group in there. We're not performing the way that
we need to. We'll stay, We'll stay down and keep working.
Said about him that hadn't been said in terms of
his talents and his knowledge of the office, his relationship
with his eligibles, his understanding of where people are, et cetera.

(17:31):
But when I think about today, man, I think about
the short fields we gave him the first touchdown. Driver
was forty yards. We turned the ball over in the
second half. I think it was a twenty something yard
drive and that in that half. And so you know,
I know a guy like him, with his talent level
and resume, you can't give him short fields and things
of that nature.

Speaker 6 (17:49):
And so.

Speaker 2 (17:51):
You know, that's where my energies are. What we can
control what we do.

Speaker 9 (17:55):
Respectfully, A lot of a lot of your offensive places
seem to be taking a long time to develop.

Speaker 6 (18:00):
Why is that?

Speaker 5 (18:00):
What can be done about it?

Speaker 2 (18:02):
You know, I don't know what specifically you're referring to.
I probably need a little bit more detail. But obviously,
you know we're not performing to the level that we'd like.
We're not exit.

Speaker 3 (18:12):
You know, we're so used to seeing high Smith and
Watt just devastate and stock quarterbacks week in week out.
They had absolutely no effect on Patrick Mahomes this past
week and no touches on him, no sacks on him,
no pressure on him. Patrick Mahomes was comfortable back there
and went about working as magic. I really want to

(18:34):
focus what I think is the Achilles heel for this
Pittsburgh Steelers team.

Speaker 4 (18:38):
Look, it's not your kicking game.

Speaker 3 (18:40):
You got one of the best kickers in the league
in Boswell. You got one of the best punters in
the league. Your offensive backfield, well, you got a Super
Bowl winning quarterback and Russell Wilson, Deshaun Elliott, and Dante Jackson,
Joey Porter, of course Mika Fitzpatrick make up that secondary
for your Pittsburgh Steelers team. Now, look, I know that

(19:04):
we've had some injuries back there. Joey Porter may have
been playing injured on Sunday against the Chiefs, the very
best passing team in the NFL. There's a couple problems.
James Pierre does not have cover speed. He just doesn't
he in my humble opinion, he should be playing strong safety.
He's not fast enough to cover at the cornerback position.

(19:28):
When you look at the Chiefs secondary, there's one thing
that stands out about the chief secondary which makes our
defense formidable.

Speaker 4 (19:35):
I think they're number four or five in the NFL
right now.

Speaker 3 (19:38):
They like to hit. Your Steelers secondary does not like
to hit. Without the exception of maybe Minka Fitzpatrick. You know,
I went back through the last couple of games, the Eagles,
the Ravens, and now the Chiefs. Dante Jackson does not
like to hit. That is very apparent to me.

Speaker 4 (19:58):
You cannot have a defense back a.

Speaker 3 (20:00):
Corner who does not like to tackle, who does not
like to hit people. Go back watch the Eagles games,
watch the Ravens game, watch the Chiefs game.

Speaker 4 (20:10):
He does not like to hit, he does not like
to tackle.

Speaker 3 (20:14):
This is unacceptable and this is one of the reasons
you're getting picked apart well by Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson
and the Rattlesnake Patrick Mahomes. It's time for Peyton Wilson
to play every single snap, whether it be run, whether
it be passed down. You know, when Patrick Queen came here,
I thought we were getting a really solid step up

(20:34):
because it's not a long dry spell linebacker at least
five or six years. Patrick Queen started the season out
as a thumper, meaning he likes to hit. As you
watch the season progress, two things. On pass coverage. If
the passes in front of him, whether it's man, whether
it's zone, Patrick Queen can make the tackle, but he

(20:57):
gets lost when he's in a zone coverage and he's
got to look for other receivers coming into his zone,
even the tight ends they get lost behind him. He
gets lost in coverage. You've seen him throughout the season
turning around and.

Speaker 4 (21:14):
Yelling at the safeties.

Speaker 3 (21:17):
It's not the safeties, Minka Fitzpatrick that's been out of position.
He looks very uncomfortable in pass production. The other thing
I've noticed too, again, he started out the season Patrick
Queen as a thumper. More and more he's doing what
you can't have an inside linebacker do, and that is

(21:38):
hold up and slow up before he makes a tackle
on a running back. We used to call it filling
the hole a linebacker. Well, think Brian Erlacker, think Jack Lambert,
think Dick Bukis. They've got to fill the hole with verocity, meanness,
and anger and be ready to devastate a running back.

Speaker 4 (22:02):
I literally saw Patrick.

Speaker 3 (22:04):
Queen stop in the hole before Kareem Hunt blasted him
and ran him over for four yards. It's time to
play Peyton Wilson and damn the torpedoes at the inside
linebacker along with Roberts. All right, when we come back,
we're gonna take a look at the Joe Moore Award

(22:26):
that went to Army this year.

Speaker 10 (22:29):
You need to work more as you look at quarterback Yep,
we need to continue to work, look ourselves in the
mirror and get back to work.

Speaker 7 (22:42):
Appstrating is it to be at this point in the
season when you do have to go back to work
after the way things started out working this year?

Speaker 10 (22:50):
I'm excited to attack the work no matter the outcome.
I love football. I love the process, and I know
there's a lot of guys in the locker room that
do also. So we should you get back to work?

Speaker 3 (23:00):
Do you do what makes them homes so difficult to
defend and try to get to a place emits?

Speaker 10 (23:05):
Yeah, I mean, I it's no secret that, uh, he's
a hell of a player. He has great weapons, they
have a good scheme. You can't afford to spot them
points and allow him to scramble around the pocket and
have time. And we didn't have any success on any
of the things I just said.

Speaker 9 (23:21):
See how strong is the belief in that room still
in that defense? I mean, obviously you guys did it
for thirteen to fourteen games.

Speaker 10 (23:28):
Yeah, we just have to go back to work and
uh and go from there.

Speaker 7 (23:32):
Makes it that you guys have regressed in terms of
turnover culture, that you're just not getting a turnover as.

Speaker 3 (23:37):
You had earlier.

Speaker 1 (23:38):
Why is that?

Speaker 5 (23:39):
What's kind of behind.

Speaker 10 (23:40):
That's well, I'm not sure. I have to watch the
film and and go from there, but uh, it's too
fresh right now that uh uh, I don't know everything
that transpired as far as the turnover culture. Obviously we
didn't get the ball today, so it's not good enough.

Speaker 1 (23:52):
Teacher.

Speaker 2 (23:53):
Is there anything in protect Lar that you see that
needs to be corrected in order to get.

Speaker 6 (23:58):
Things back on track?

Speaker 10 (23:59):
We just see to get back to work. Honestly, I
just need to continue to work. And everybody dealt with
the short week and three games in eleven days, so
that's no excuse there. We just need to We just
need to continue to find ways to get better. And
as the season goes on, the margins are smaller and
we just need to continue to work and go from there.

Speaker 13 (24:20):
All right, We questions, do you explain the concept for
you counting on George to go vertical and carry that
safety or can you explain that for us?

Speaker 6 (24:29):
Yeah?

Speaker 14 (24:30):
You know, I think you know he's gonna go vertical,
but you know, at the end of the day, it
can't happen, you know, And me, I, you know, I
trying to get pat a chance.

Speaker 6 (24:36):
You know, he's hadn't done this.

Speaker 14 (24:37):
A good job for us down the red zone and
they made a good play.

Speaker 5 (24:40):
What was his offense need to do to get going?

Speaker 14 (24:43):
You know, I think that first of all, you know,
we just have to play cleaner. You know, it's gonna
That's gonna be the first part.

Speaker 1 (24:48):
I think.

Speaker 14 (24:48):
The second part is is we have to study the
film and see where where where we're doing things really well.
There's some moments, I mean, we scored a touchdown, got
called back, you know, just those things that happen, you know,
in key situations.

Speaker 6 (24:59):
And and then and I.

Speaker 14 (25:00):
Think at the end of the day, you know, you know,
there's going to be there's gonna be adversity in every season,
and it comes in different spaces and places and in
different times. And I you know, I I'm betting on
our guys and who we are and how we're gonna respond.
You know, I I really, I really believe in who

(25:23):
we are, the character of guys, the mentality that we have.
It's been it's been a tough road obviously the past
three weeks, and we haven't been able to overcome some
of the challenges along the way, you know, and you know,
and that's that's gonna be. We got to make that
a good thing for us. You know, at the end
of the day, when you look back at it all
and uh, you know, when we get the chance to

(25:45):
play in the playoffs, it becomes zero zero, you know
what I mean. It's it's it's you know, it's it's
that's that's the truth of the playoffs and the opportunity
that we have, you know. And so I think that
before we get there, though, is that our belief can't waiver.
As a matter of fact, we if anything, that's gotta
we got to turn it up even more on our.

Speaker 1 (26:05):
Belief, you know.

Speaker 14 (26:06):
And I think that's a key part to how we
respond in the midst of the diversity and the adversity
can break you down. The adversity can can can challenge
you in such a way that you start thinking negatively,
start speaking negatively, start thinking, you know, you know, what
was me this or that or the adversity can challenge

(26:26):
you in such a way that there's growth. And the
adversity can challenge you in such a way that you
try to find the next moment. And I think that
with any any game, any any any you know, next moment.
You have to believe that this one's going to be
the best one, and how we do that is going
to be by you know, really great fundamentals, really great communication,
really great execution.

Speaker 6 (26:47):
Like I said, we did some good, really good things.

Speaker 14 (26:49):
Today, but we also did did a lot of bad,
you know in a way, and so how do we
how do we remove that and just get better? And
I think that's got to be our focus as a
as a team, you know, as a whole team. You know,
we gotta get better, and it starts with it starts
with us. You're not, in my opinion, I'm just just
trying to find a way to you know, capitalize on
moments they generated.

Speaker 15 (27:08):
Were you surprised they're able to get that much doing
without Jones?

Speaker 14 (27:11):
And did they do anything schematically that you weren't expecting.

Speaker 10 (27:14):
In the absence of him at the last.

Speaker 14 (27:16):
Minute the sort of a Jonke No, I mean, they
didn't do anything schematically necessarily that we weren't prepared for.
You know, they did a little bit more five through
three and different things that they did. But you know,
to be honest with you, I just think that they
made more plays than we did, you know, and you know,
I think that it was a battle out there for sure,
and and just you know, I try to use my
legs a little bit more in certain situations when when

(27:37):
something wasn't there or whatever, and just try to get
first downs and keep the ball moving, you know, and
you know, and you know, so I think I think
at the end of the day, you know, they, like
I said, it's a simple game, they made more plays
than we did.

Speaker 5 (27:50):
What do the teams do up front to make more
plays with?

Speaker 13 (27:53):
Were there things that you guys could come back and
you can say, hey, we had to pick this up better.
Where there's certain things they were running that to get
you guys off rhythm.

Speaker 14 (28:00):
You know, honestly, I gotta watch the film of it.
But you know, like I said, they did a good job.
They you know, they they played better than we did
as a collective effort, as a collective team, and you know,
they capitalize on moments and stuff, and so you know,
we were third long, you know, you know, too many times,
especially in that I think in the second half, we
just had too many situations where we were kind of

(28:20):
backed up, we couldn't get a rhythm in certain moments.
And so score sixteen to ten, you know, and coming
out of half, you know, and we have a great
opportunity to go down the field and try to make
something happen, and you know, nothing really happened for us
the right way. So we got to figure that out
on study of that and just see where we can
get better. And I still love how we competed at

(28:40):
the very end of it, you know, I just you know,
I think it's despite it all, you know, guys not
giving up and given in I'm start the.

Speaker 5 (28:49):
Third straight game.

Speaker 13 (28:50):
You guys haven't scored twenty points Thurst, right game, you
guys have lost wordsmith themes that you guys are able
to identify and say, hey, these are the key parts
that we have to adjust to turn things around.

Speaker 14 (29:00):
Yeah, I think it's gonna be, you know, all about
us making plays, staying on schedule. I think that's just
the name of the game, especially offensively. You know, we're
gonna have to be able to do that and moving forward. Obviously,
we got a big one at home next week, and
and that that one's gonna matter to us in a
lot of ways. And and it's gonna matter a lot
of ways because you know, we want to catch that

(29:21):
momentum going into the playoffs and how we play the
right way, and you.

Speaker 6 (29:24):
Have to be singularly focused.

Speaker 11 (29:25):
I know.

Speaker 14 (29:25):
It's you know, you look back and you know, no
matter what the circumstances are, you can look back and
you know, if we had won all three games, you know,
and everything else, it's you know, you look back and
and you go in the playoffs and you're not prepared
and you know you don't play right and it's over
or you know, you can lose these three games and
respond the right way, you know, and be ready to go.
And I think that there's highs and lows and every season,

(29:47):
like I said, you know, and so we got to
make sure that we end this last game on the
right on the right footing, you know, and and right belief.
And that's gonna be really key to how we go
about it and how we how we respond. I think
from there, just going into it understanding that it's going
to be a zero zero score, you know, come come

(30:08):
the playoff time, and that's got to be where we are.
That's got to be our perspective, and how we go
about that's gonna really matter over the next really ten days.
You know, how we prepare, how we think about it.
You know, I think that obviously. You know, there's been
a bunch of games. I don't I don't have many days,
and you know, there's been some ups and downs in it.
And so what we're gonna have to do is you know,
you know, you know, recover you know, physically from that,

(30:30):
but also to you know, mentally press in. You know,
I think it's gonna be a really important point to
overcome some of the challenges along the way, you know,
and you know, and that's that's gonna be We got
to make that a good thing for us.

Speaker 6 (30:43):
You know, at the end of the day, when.

Speaker 14 (30:44):
You look back at it all, and uh, you know,
when we get the chance to play in the playoffs,
it becomes zero zero, you.

Speaker 1 (30:52):
Know what I mean.

Speaker 14 (30:52):
It's it's it's you know, it's it's that's that's the
truth of the playoffs.

Speaker 8 (30:56):
And now, you know, if you were watching the Army
Navy game as you and I were texting back and forth,
you heard mentioned during the game that the Army offensive
line was awarded the Joe Moore Offensive Line Award.

Speaker 3 (31:09):
You know, Mike, I played under coach More at the
University of Pittsburgh. You have the Heisman Trophy, you have
the Outland Trophy. The Joe Moore Award goes to the
best offensive line in the country. The Washington Huskies have
won it the University of Michigan for the Army football
team to win that award. It's a very very prestigious

(31:30):
award annually given to again the best offensive line unit
in the country. When you were playing Pro ball, whether
it was for the Vikings or Lions or Eagles.

Speaker 5 (31:40):
How important is your own line? They get overlooked all
the time, like well yeah, well, first and foremost.

Speaker 15 (31:46):
You know, I've never played for Joe Moore, but you've
heard his name thrown about throughout all football. The coaches
have talked about it from the NFL down to the
college to the high schools. And you know, he was
a coach and noted a He actually was recruiting the
Western PA area. Now I never got a chance to
directly communicate with him, but it was at one point

(32:08):
he was recruiting me.

Speaker 6 (32:09):
By everyone. He's well respected through out the game.

Speaker 15 (32:11):
All the O line coaches. My former center in Philadelphia
with the Eagles, Hank Frailey, work with Joe Moore, well
respected and now he's the offensive line coach with the
Detroit Lions. So anyone that Joe Moore has really coached
or contact, you know, he's got got that coaching tree
underneath him and you just see all the great O

(32:34):
lines that have come from his coaching tree. But when
it comes to football, that's what it all.

Speaker 6 (32:40):
It comes down to.

Speaker 15 (32:41):
Yeah, you can be great with the x's and o's,
but if you cannot be physical upfront and control the trenches,
I mean obviously O line, D line, but that's where
it's won. I mean, yeah, you can have this great,
great scheme, but at the end of the day, football
is one up front, and typically those guys are the
kind of like the unsung heroes. You don't hear their

(33:02):
name in the media, you don't hear them names in
the highlights.

Speaker 4 (33:07):
But the most important piece, you.

Speaker 5 (33:09):
Know, Coach Moore had a saying there is no greater
pleasure than moving a man from point A to point B.

Speaker 4 (33:16):
And there's I just got chills thinking about it.

Speaker 5 (33:19):
Imposing your will. Oh, it's a beautiful feeling.

Speaker 3 (33:23):
And if you look at coach Moore's career and well,
the guys he put into the NFL were talking guys
like Russ Grimm, Jimbo Covert, some of those legendary names
that when you think of offensive line play, they were
taught by the greatest offensive line coach ever in the
college ranks, in Joe Moore.

Speaker 5 (33:42):
I go to the camp every year.

Speaker 15 (33:44):
I video.

Speaker 5 (33:45):
I get to do some coaching with the younger kids,
high school kids. I highly recommend. Mike's been there with us.

Speaker 3 (33:51):
I highly recommend if you have a high school student
in the western Pennsylvania, Ohio area and he's an offensive lineman,
look into the more offensive Line camp held every year
in June in the local Pittsburgh area, and some of
those names like Jimbo Covert, Russ Grimm are the coaches
that'll be teaching your kid. You know, this year I

(34:13):
was at camp, I caught up well, he was a
rookie at the time. We didn't know how he was
gonna play. Zach Fraser, Jimbo Covert was this there this year.
So let's take a look at this year's Joe Moore
camp held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Speaker 5 (34:33):
Take Me Home, shut up, I'm singing, take me home
Country Roads to the place.

Speaker 4 (34:42):
West Virginia.

Speaker 3 (34:43):
You know what, four times state champion wrestler what's your name, Zach?

Speaker 5 (34:49):
That's not it, that's not.

Speaker 15 (34:52):
It.

Speaker 5 (34:53):
It's Zach. You got a nickname?

Speaker 6 (34:54):
No, we gotta get you a nickname.

Speaker 5 (34:57):
You can't be an NFL center and not have an Yeah, like,
what would we call you?

Speaker 6 (35:02):
I don't know, that's i'.

Speaker 12 (35:04):
Let some other people pick the beast.

Speaker 5 (35:06):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (35:07):
Yeah, you know, when you come into the NFL, it's
an overwhelming experience.

Speaker 5 (35:13):
The pressure that is now on you to make some money,
the pressure to well become.

Speaker 3 (35:18):
Everything you can become. You may someday be like Russ
Grimm in the Hall of Fame.

Speaker 5 (35:24):
You may be a bust. Let's be honest, right, where's
your head going into camp?

Speaker 12 (35:30):
Yeah, I'm just you know, trying to take in all
the information, just really trying to get a little bit
better every day.

Speaker 5 (35:36):
That's all.

Speaker 12 (35:36):
That's all I can do is just you know, not
not look ahead to those things and just take it
one day at a time and just really improve as
much as I can and really get as as as
improve as much as I can as fascinated.

Speaker 5 (35:50):
Now, Yeah, I think that's the proven thing. Slow but steady.

Speaker 3 (35:53):
If you put too much on your shoulders, yea, you know,
there's an expectation there. You know, we were joking about
wrestling before I wrestled as well, but I was certainly
not a.

Speaker 5 (36:04):
Four time state champion in West Virginia. That has to
translate to being a good offensive lineman.

Speaker 12 (36:12):
Yeah, it helps out a lot. You know, really, every
play there's some component of wrestling involved. You're using your hands,
you're using leverage, you're using just knowing how to move
people like stuff like that. It's just every player putting
your hands on someone.

Speaker 5 (36:28):
Putting your hands on someone.

Speaker 3 (36:30):
It's it's funny Zach mentioned about putting your hands and
moving someone.

Speaker 5 (36:34):
Coach Moore's which we put on the is it on
the back of my shirt?

Speaker 2 (36:37):
You know?

Speaker 5 (36:38):
His fit.

Speaker 12 (36:38):
There's no greater saator feeling than moving a man for
point A to point B against his will.

Speaker 3 (36:43):
There is no greater feeling than to moving a man
from point A to B against his will. Wrestling is
the same way, Yeah, especially if some duds real cocky.

Speaker 5 (36:52):
Yeah you know, yes, it's you and him, you know,
you and him? All right, So you're Pittsburgh Steelers now friends, families?
What has the reaction, Ben? I mean, what's what's that like?
Were you at the draft? Would you get a call.
Oh no, I was.

Speaker 12 (37:09):
I was back home in Western Didna. I just had
a bunch of family and friends there. I mean it
was it was amazing, you know, I can if I
could have picked this is where I would be.

Speaker 5 (37:18):
So I mean really yeah, yeah, I mean it's you
don't want to be in Cleveland Brown, No, no, just
like this is this is really Yeah? Well what number
did they assign you? Fifty four? Is that the number
you wanted? Yeah?

Speaker 12 (37:34):
Yeah, that's the number of all these ones.

Speaker 5 (37:35):
That's what I thought. That's nice you get your own number.
You know. Now all the veterans are just going to
abuse you. You gotta pay for dinner one night for
the quarterbacks?

Speaker 6 (37:46):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (37:46):
Yeah, Can I borrow twenty bucks?

Speaker 3 (37:49):
I mean, what the heck that bill is gonna be
like four thousand dollars, Mike, twenty that I'm asking for
is nothing?

Speaker 5 (37:55):
Tell them, tell them. Yeah, we can go to Wendy's. Yeah,
there you go, we get Wendy. Yeah. Look, brother, I
wish you the best of luck.

Speaker 11 (38:03):
Move.

Speaker 3 (38:03):
Remember Coach Moore saying when you're out there, there's no
greater thrill than moving Cam.

Speaker 5 (38:08):
Hayward or TJ. Watt from a position ye best of
luck is what.

Speaker 2 (38:14):
I love to do, even on days like today. I
love the game. I love working with that group in there.
We're not performing the way that we need to. We'll
stay We'll stay down and keep working. Said about him
that hadn't been said in terms of his talents and
his knowledge of the office, his relationship with his eligibles,

(38:34):
his understanding of where people are, et cetera. But when
I think about today, man, I think about the short
fields we gave him. The first touchdown drive was forty yards.
We turned the ball over in the second half. I
think it was a twenty something yard driving that in
that half. And so you know, I know a guy
like him, with his talent level and resume, you can't
give him short fields and things of that nature.

Speaker 11 (38:55):
And so.

Speaker 6 (38:57):
You know, that's where my energies are. What we can
control what we do.

Speaker 9 (39:00):
Respectfully, a lot of your offensive place seemed to be
taking a long time to develop.

Speaker 6 (39:05):
Why is that?

Speaker 5 (39:06):
What can be done about it?

Speaker 2 (39:08):
You know, I don't know what specifically you're referring to.
I probably need a little bit more detail, but obviously,
you know, we're not performing to the level that we'd like.

Speaker 6 (39:17):
We're not exit.

Speaker 3 (39:18):
You know, we're so used to seeing high Smith and
Watt just devastate and stock quarterbacks week in week out.
They had absolutely no effect on Patrick Mahomes this past week,
and no touches on him, no sacks on him, no
pressure on him. Patrick Mahomes was comfortable back there and
went about working as magic. I really want to focus

(39:40):
what I think is the Achilles heel for this Pittsburgh
Steelers team. Look, it's not your kicking game. You got
one of the best kickers in the league in Boswell.
You got one of the best punters in the league.
Your offensive backfield, well, you got a Super Bowl winning
quarterback and Russell Wilson, Deshaun Elliott, and dont Jackson, Joey Porter,

(40:02):
of course Mika Fitzpatrick make up that secondary for your
Pittsburgh Steelers team.

Speaker 5 (40:07):
Now.

Speaker 4 (40:07):
Look, I know that we've had some injuries back there.

Speaker 3 (40:11):
Joey Porter may have been playing injured on Sunday against
the Chiefs, the very best passing team in the NFL.
There's a couple problems. James Pierre does not have cover speed.
He just doesn't. He in my humble opinion, he should
be playing strong safety. He's not fast enough to cover

(40:32):
at the cornerback position. When you look at the Chiefs secondary,
there's one thing that stands out about the chief secondary
which makes their defense formidable.

Speaker 4 (40:40):
I think they're number four or five in the NFL
right now. They like to hit.

Speaker 3 (40:46):
Your Steelers secondary does not like to hit. Without the
exception of maybe Minka Fitzpatrick. You know, I went back
through the last couple of games, the Eagles, the Ravens,
and now the Chiefs.

Speaker 4 (40:58):
Dante Jackson does not like to hit. That is very
apparent to me.

Speaker 3 (41:03):
You cannot have a defensive back, a corner who does
not like to tackle, who does not like to hit people.
Go back watch the Eagles games, watch the Ravens game,
watch the Chiefs game.

Speaker 4 (41:16):
He does not like to hit. He does not like
to tackle.

Speaker 3 (41:20):
This is unacceptable and this is one of the reasons
you're getting picked apart well by Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson
and the Rattlesnake Patrick Mahomes. It's time for Peyton Wilson
to play every single snap, whether it be run, whether
it be passed down.

Speaker 4 (41:35):
You know, when Patrick Queen came.

Speaker 3 (41:37):
Here, I thought we were getting a really solid step
up because it's been a long dry spell linebacker at
least five or six years. Patrick Queen started the season
out as a thumper, meaning he liked to hit. As
you watch the season progress, two things. On pass coverage.
If the pass is in front of him, whether it's man,

(41:58):
whether it's zone, Queen can make the tackle. But he
gets lost when he's in his zone coverage, and he's
got to look for other receivers coming into his zone,
even the tight ends, they get lost behind him. He
gets lost in coverage. You've seen him throughout the season

(42:19):
turning around and yelling at the safeties. It's not the safeties,
Minka Fitzpatrick that's been out of position. He looks very
uncomfortable in pass production. The other thing I've noticed too,
again he started out the season Patrick Queen as a thumper.
More and more he's doing what you can't have an

(42:40):
inside linebacker do, and that is hold up and slow
up before he makes a tackle on a running back.
We used to call it filling the hole a linebacker. Well,
think Brian Erlacker, think Jack Lambert, think Dick Bukis. They've
got to fill the whole with verocity, meanness and anger

(43:04):
and be ready to devastate a running back.

Speaker 4 (43:08):
I literally saw Patrick.

Speaker 3 (43:10):
Queen stop in the hole before Kareem Hunt blasted him
and ran him over for four yards. It's time to
play Peyton Wilson and Damn the torpedoes at inside linebacker
along with Roberts. All right, when we come back, we're
going to take a look at the Joe Moore Award

(43:32):
that went to Army this year.

Speaker 1 (43:34):
Need to work more.

Speaker 9 (43:39):
As you look at.

Speaker 5 (43:41):
Quarterback.

Speaker 10 (43:42):
We need to continue to work, look ourselves in the
mirror and get back to work up sting.

Speaker 7 (43:49):
Is it to be at this point in the season
when you do have to go back to work after
the way things started out working the mill.

Speaker 10 (43:55):
This year, I'm excited to attack the work, no matter
at the outcome. I love football.

Speaker 5 (44:00):
Uh.

Speaker 10 (44:00):
I love the process and I know there's a lot
of guys in the locker room that do also, so uh,
we just need to get back to work.