Let's Talk Stil'rs - January 4, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Let's Talk Steelers is sponsored by Italian Village Pizza. Lawrence
Spield is stealing 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 Steelers, Who Steelers Nation.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
It's Tank and Mike from a Dallian Village Pizza. Re
Are you over? You'd like your malaria or whatever you add?

Speaker 3 (00:45):
Don'd limpit home at the end of the season and
it all taped up.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
I'm kind of like the Steelers right now.

Speaker 4 (00:50):
You're better off than the Steelers are. All right, Look,
if you're turning in for some positive talk, I was
positive the last couple episodes. I was trying to, you know,
say the offensive flying like Zach Frazier was doing good, and.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
I was looking for positives. You know, we finally used
Darnell Washington.

Speaker 4 (01:08):
Look, if the Steelers can yell and gripe at each other,
I can gripe.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
So you better just stand there and listen to me
talk at you for the next half hour, because I'm.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Not happy well, positive, you did play.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Three in steely Bean got a new hat.

Speaker 3 (01:23):
No, you play three of the top five teams were late,
so you know.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
They got your butt handed to you.

Speaker 5 (01:29):
You get a warm up, it's hey, listen, it's a
it's a warm up.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
It's a gummea. You know who you're dealing with, so
now you're ready the next time.

Speaker 5 (01:37):
It's always hard to beat an opponent's white, so it's
gonna be murderer for those teams to beat the Steelers.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
There, I mean one of these guys that's gonna try
to sell me, Oh, it's a playoffs. Everybody's oh and up,
I'll going in. It's all I don't want to hear
that nonsense. Can I get onto my rams? Want to
sell you the hat and your book right now?

Speaker 5 (01:54):
You know, I'm trying to stand the Steeler nation, but
the insur nation may be a little bit more.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
Hips to this. Why do you give me a tenfoil hat?

Speaker 4 (02:01):
And I'll wait for space aliens to come down, go
to Fable and I want to start with Arthur Smith, Okay,
because this guy was brought in to well revamp your
offense and get things moving. Is he better than Randy Fisher. Absolutely,
is he better than Todd Canada Dry. There is no
doubt I could get a guy office, this guy Schmoe

(02:22):
sitting over there with yellow air. I could get him
and he could call it better offense than Matt Canada did.
I am completely disappointed at this point in the season.
And Arthur Smith, Okay, you're an offensive coordinator. You played
in the NFL. You're in a high school game right
now before we played?

Speaker 2 (02:38):
What game one? What do we do?

Speaker 4 (02:40):
We sit down and look at what assets we have
before the season starts, right, I want to build an
offense built around what assets you have. Let's start with
your running backs. Matt Canada had no clue what he
had in Jalen Warren. You've been listening to me for
two years talk about how good Jalen Warren, and now

(03:00):
all of.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
A sudden, everybody's like, oh my goodness, he's good. He
should be starting. Matt Cannaday didn't see it. Arthur Smith,
it's taken him. What week are we into now?

Speaker 5 (03:10):
Well, you know, Nausey Harris is your every down back.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, you're.

Speaker 5 (03:17):
Your record Alow you know, and but but he's not
performing the way he's durable.

Speaker 2 (03:23):
Yes, but he is trying to bounce too much.

Speaker 5 (03:27):
Nausea needs to be a little bit more north and
south and then allows Jalen Warren to be your little
change of pace guy.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
Yeah, but you gotta use Jalen Warren.

Speaker 4 (03:36):
You can't just set him on the bench for most
of the season and go, oh boy, he's really good.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Naugy isn't playing well.

Speaker 4 (03:43):
You know what a B C D E F he
Arthur Smith gets a D minus on using Jalen Warren
and his two.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
Running backs, especially correctly with the tandem let alone.

Speaker 4 (03:55):
And you and I have gone back and forth on
this trying to get Nagy to the outside.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
Look on a mike.

Speaker 4 (04:00):
You can do it and it'll work right, but it
can't be a break. Remember Matt Canada and his stupid
jet sweeps all the time. It's almost like Arthur Smith's
jet sweeps are trying to get the Naugy.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
Outside all the time. So that's my first rant. Okay,
far enough, second.

Speaker 6 (04:19):
Rank, man, if you looked at that tape of Darnell
Washington out of Georgia, a winning national championship program, you
knew coming out of college Darnell Washington would catch anything
you throw at him. Not only is he six foot
nine and has a can jump up there and catch anything,
but he can catch anything.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
Matt Canada didn't use them at all. If you're gonna build.

Speaker 4 (04:45):
An offense, Mike, Now, I got you to stud running backs, Mike,
Mike McMahon's offense, not Matt Canada.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
Arthur Smith, I got you two great running docks.

Speaker 4 (04:53):
Now I got you two really exceptional tight ends in
Friarmouth and Washington to What are you doing to use
them correctly from day one?

Speaker 5 (05:04):
Oh, you're using multiple personnel sets, you're using different formations,
you're using the shifts and motions. You're trying to confuse
the defense tops like teams are now subbing back and forth.
But I would like to see them spread the ball
a little earlier.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
In first down.

Speaker 5 (05:20):
Maybe throw the ball first down, pick up the six,
get get the second in second and four or second
in three.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
Then go to the heavier set.

Speaker 5 (05:30):
Now you get the two tight ends in, you get
the two running backs in, and you can actually run it,
or you can play action for the chunk place. I
think it's the first down play calling that's getting it behind.
They're just trying to run it first down they're behind,
and now look you spread them out. Maybe maybe use
eleven personnel which threw receivers one back.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
Maybe get a quick passing game in pick up.

Speaker 5 (05:53):
That easy four or five six yards and put yourself
in a second and medium situation.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
Bring in the heavy package and now you.

Speaker 5 (06:00):
Can run the ball and get the third and one,
or you can play action pick up the chunk plays
at a football one oh one.

Speaker 2 (06:06):
That's not stuff up.

Speaker 5 (06:07):
It should happen once every threty four or five games,
not twice a game. This is this is professional football
at this point, and not being able to line up
in a legal formation is that's you know, it hurts you.
And in those penalties, you know you pick up those
yards and now obviously you get that.

Speaker 3 (06:25):
Penalty and you get five yards.

Speaker 5 (06:27):
I mean, hey, if you score on that play, you
know it might be a four yard touchdown that's coming back.
So now that's a forty five yard penalty. It's not
just a five yard penalty. So you know, you have
to be able to make those big plays and capitalize
on those big plays when it comes through.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
Out of a game, and you can't have those.

Speaker 5 (06:42):
Negated by an legal motion or illegal shift or.

Speaker 2 (06:45):
An illegal formation.

Speaker 4 (06:46):
You know, again, analyzing Arthur Smith's C minus offense this year,
Mike knows this.

Speaker 2 (06:53):
I'm big on tight ends.

Speaker 4 (06:54):
Attacking linebackers, both in a blocking game, run game, and
also getting at him and throwing that pass right in
front of them. Attack your linebackers. I mean, Mount Washington's
a massive man. Attack your linebackers with your tight ends,
especially when you have two great tight ends. So with

(07:15):
the running back scenario, with a tight end scenario, Arthur
Smith has failed. Now I'm going to get into, well,
the Prima Donna, the head case George Pickens. Mike, You've
played with Terrell Owens, You've played with some of the
very best wide receivers in the league. We've talked about
Prima Donna's. We all get that with wide receivers. Is

(07:36):
this beyond Prima Donna with George Pickens and stuff that's
going on.

Speaker 2 (07:41):
I know you're not a psychiatrist. You know if it
was your team and your quarterback, and would you be
happy with? First of all, there is a man in
jurity there and I think people don't understand that.

Speaker 7 (07:52):
And this is hard.

Speaker 2 (07:54):
It's really hard because.

Speaker 5 (07:57):
Although these professional athletes, especially in their first you know,
three years in the lake.

Speaker 2 (08:03):
Although they are getting.

Speaker 5 (08:04):
Paid a lot of money and more than they have
ever had them, they are they're still kids in their
minds are still mature at this point and they're not
fully developed, and he needs someone to help them. And
unfortunately that what has happened in the Pittsburgh Steelers probably.

Speaker 2 (08:23):
In the past six seven years. Freach, it's kind of gone.

Speaker 3 (08:29):
You know, Antonio Brown kind of got out of control.

Speaker 5 (08:32):
Then jed you, and then you had Deontay Johnson, and
then you had Claypole and now you've got George and
it's in.

Speaker 3 (08:42):
It's kind of like a cancer.

Speaker 5 (08:43):
You get it and you cut it a little bit
out and it makes it better for a little bit,
but then it comes back. And until you get rid
of it completely and hold them more accountable and force
them to maybe grow up a little earlier, you're gonna
have that issue. What do you want your careers like
because you're starting to go down this path and you
will get labeled as this bad person.

Speaker 2 (09:05):
Cannot do this now.

Speaker 5 (09:07):
At the same time, we would come from the head coach,
just like some kids don't like to listen to their dad,
and you need a.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
Coach to tell them instead, So maybe it.

Speaker 5 (09:15):
It might be a situation where Russell Wilson needs to
pull them over and say, hey, I need to have you.

Speaker 2 (09:20):
Over look, I'm really frustrating.

Speaker 5 (09:24):
No, it's not done at otv's because you don't know
them that well. Once of the season at this point.

Speaker 2 (09:28):
Now you're gonna have that hard.

Speaker 4 (09:29):
You know too, He's a messing with me once and
I got him in an elevator and I stopped the
elevator between the second and third floor. They didn't mess
with me after that. You get the points Steelers Nation,
I'm a little bit frustrated. When we come back, I'm
gonna throw out more frustration. Well, look, if Patrick Queen
can be upset, if Cam can be upset, if the

(09:51):
Shawn Ellicott can be upset about the Steelers set, you
can be upset if you too. Look here, hold that, okay,
we'll be back.

Speaker 8 (10:00):
Solid orfer Is Is it as simple as saying there's
you know, you played three.

Speaker 9 (10:06):
Of the best teams in the NFL over the last
three weeks on at some things that some areas were
maybe usually work re crashed and you have to you know,
correct those before.

Speaker 10 (10:15):
S Yeah, you know, a couple of things. You know,
obviously when you get in the kids game, no matters.

Speaker 11 (10:21):
Every week it's a big matchup of you know, we
played three good teams in a short stretch. The things
that always you know are true that that hurts you.
You know, you get chances, uh, you know, kind of
close the gap or take momentum back.

Speaker 10 (10:38):
You know, I think about Baltimore tie ball game.

Speaker 11 (10:40):
Early in that game, you know they turn over in
the red zone, Uh, Kansas City, you know, a couple
couple things earlier. Obviously, the momentium swing points off the board.

Speaker 10 (10:50):
That'll hurt you every week.

Speaker 11 (10:51):
But when you're playing really good teams and you're in
these playoff type atmospheres, that's usually the difference. That's why
you can chop stats up however you want to. You know,
we times I thought we've run the ball pretty well
last two weeks, but doesn't mean anything.

Speaker 10 (11:06):
When you you know, you give points away.

Speaker 11 (11:09):
And and y not clean operationally. And that's at times
when we've you know, lost, that's been an issue or there.

Speaker 8 (11:18):
Is the the process when when Russ's is the line
if people wants have changed the player or not, is
that working out to your satisfaction or you you're happy
with the way that's going.

Speaker 11 (11:28):
Well, they're all built in, you know, it's not there's
no like, hey, you can get to anything.

Speaker 10 (11:33):
And this doesn't happen in the modern NFL.

Speaker 11 (11:36):
I mean maybe a few people here or there, but
you built in, I mean, things are packaged.

Speaker 10 (11:41):
So certainly a defense can fool you and you you know,
you don't get into it.

Speaker 11 (11:46):
Uh, not every place like that, but just the way
you package things.

Speaker 10 (11:52):
That's not.

Speaker 11 (11:54):
That really hasn't been an issue, you know, more it's
been executions sometimes the details of things.

Speaker 4 (12:00):
And like the Roman Wilson had started practicing, how could
he impact you offensively?

Speaker 10 (12:05):
And how soon could that be? I I think you
you take it, you know, uh uh really week by week.

Speaker 11 (12:12):
You know, hopefully we're playing long enough to you know,
if it becomes an option.

Speaker 10 (12:16):
You know, that's how except the mike and the trainers.

Speaker 11 (12:19):
And those are I I do like what the NFL's
done with the expanded practice squad, the elevations that return
to play the IR certainly allows guys like Roman and
Logan and Cole, especially if you're at the end of
the year. It just gives you a lot of roster
flexibility and Uh, at worst, if the you know, opportunity

(12:41):
is not there, you get those guys practicing so well
to see as.

Speaker 2 (12:46):
Far as Cincinnati gos that know, uh, they're kind of
the same boat.

Speaker 4 (12:49):
Who or a few weeks to fill the right play
a bunch of playoff teams.

Speaker 2 (12:53):
They haven't been the last except for Denver the last
three weeks. But where's where's their defense gotten better?

Speaker 12 (12:59):
Yeah?

Speaker 11 (12:59):
And then they're really they mean they they've got a
lot of turnovers lately and they've capitalize on it. You know,
Cleveland got in a similar situation than we did against
Kansas City. They had a touchdown called back holding two
plays la you know, I think that it was like
seventeen six early in the fourth. You know, he got
a chance to kind of possibly to three, you know,

(13:19):
to they go if they would call on for two
or whatever. Either way, you gotta make it, you know,
a chance to make a one possession game and negative
play and two plays later they think they got picked.
And it's almost identical. Lab knows in Kansas City you
get a touchdown called back and then we threw a
pick the next play.

Speaker 10 (13:35):
So they've done a good job taking the ball away.

Speaker 11 (13:37):
Uh, it's probably been the biggest difference when you've seen him,
and you know they got a lot of you know,
some of their key players have been out and lu
I think Lou does a great job and you could
see he does it every week.

Speaker 10 (13:48):
He's got different packages up there.

Speaker 11 (13:49):
And they've been played pretty good football.

Speaker 3 (13:53):
Was howd of what's that? A couple of Renson turnombers
in the last couple of weeks.

Speaker 13 (13:56):
You have been uncharacteristic, and how do you kind of
how don't walk that fine line of not pressing and
making mistakes sure cause you know, taking those chances to
to get something most.

Speaker 11 (14:06):
Yeah, I mean there's absolutely risk in every any call, right,
and then you going down there and then sometimes it's just
you know, I'd use the the blackjack analogy, like you
lose a hand, you don't need to start splitting you know,
bad cards or double'em down when you shouldn't, or whatever
it is, you know, trying to win it all back
the next play.

Speaker 10 (14:25):
If the opportunity is there, sure take it.

Speaker 11 (14:27):
But you know, sometimes I think it's human nature. You
get a negative play like we get knock. You know,
you get to touch down off the board. Now you're
second and long and you see that sometimes too, and
they're there. There is a fine line and you don't
wanna take somebody's initiative way, but you getting these tight
games against you know, good defenses. Uh, they're not gonna

(14:48):
hand you things. So you know there's an art to that,
not forcing things, and they're not there, and uh, it's
not being conservative, it's trying to play smart football.

Speaker 4 (14:57):
Somebody that she's able to try to wrestling if you
like their disguise and coverages, lining up one way to
move to another.

Speaker 2 (15:04):
How do you prepare for when teams are going.

Speaker 6 (15:06):
To try to set up certain books with their other
opportunities and just do your game play?

Speaker 11 (15:12):
Yeah, I mean they they had been showing, you know,
they play so much shell and they they got a
really good DV group and.

Speaker 10 (15:20):
You know a lot of that stuff.

Speaker 11 (15:21):
Even when they pressure and they're doing a lot of
shell and their they'll roll.

Speaker 10 (15:23):
On depending on who it was.

Speaker 11 (15:25):
I you know, I thought they did a good job
and then some of the you know, you gotta win
it a lot of scrimmage, and I think it was
Duffy's a hell of a player. I don't think he
gets talked about enough. He did a nice job, and
that the the three safeties.

Speaker 10 (15:38):
They play with, but that we had just beately going in.

Speaker 11 (15:40):
I mean, we had a ton of respect to do
every week, but that that they me was just turned
to their team.

Speaker 2 (15:46):
How you how you perform better against teams?

Speaker 11 (15:48):
Yeah, you just gotta you gotta look at it. You know,
you go back and you deep reef and what you
wanna call it after action report and you just talk
about lessons learned, you know, so hopefully we were playing
those guys again at some point and obviously you know
they they have a new wrinkle you're there, but it's
just those are lessons learned. You know, when you you
go in, you prepare, know they'll have something new, know
they'll adapt to right if you're hit them or something. Uh,

(16:10):
just like in the City game, I mean they change
some of their stuff in the second half and so
you don't make the same mistake twice.

Speaker 2 (16:17):
On Russ's pid, what were the route concepts supposed to be?

Speaker 10 (16:20):
How was that play supposed to want? Yeah, I mean
I I appreciate the question. I'm sure I.

Speaker 11 (16:25):
Ask the bunch, but not that you know, and that's
a h there's a you know, lesn't.

Speaker 10 (16:30):
Learned and know you move on.

Speaker 11 (16:35):
But yeah, that's why you coach, and guys learned from
you know, mistakes or whatever, what have it. Just like
you do as a coach. You know, you just came
something up and doesn't work and you gotta realize why
it didn't work?

Speaker 10 (16:48):
Was it? Uh match up?

Speaker 11 (16:49):
You're asking your time with the car or what what
have you.

Speaker 13 (16:53):
Obviously since that's defense has changed, their creating more turnovers.

Speaker 3 (16:56):
For there are things that you can take from the
first time that.

Speaker 10 (16:59):
You guys played them.

Speaker 13 (17:00):
What kind of felt like maybe that was the last
time that this offense was really clicking on all cylinders
and ust had I didn't go over opponent to Jordan Highs.
I mean, were there things that worked there that you
can see being able to apply then this way?

Speaker 2 (17:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 11 (17:12):
Uh again, I don't get caught up in the stats.
I mean, they they are what they are. I mean
we you know, obviously scored enough to beat Cleveland the
next week and then I was and obviously the.

Speaker 10 (17:23):
Last three games, uh that three games in eleven days.
You know we didn't.

Speaker 11 (17:28):
But every week's a different story. I mean there's always
things you you do. I mean, they they had their
strengths to so they're looking at us. They know our
strengths is a divisional opponent, but uh, you know they're
they settled down. I mean we we had a lot
of early success in that game and.

Speaker 10 (17:45):
Certainly took advantage of it.

Speaker 11 (17:47):
But in the day at whether you score whatever it
was forty something or you win seventeen thirteen, I mean
that our objective is to win the game.

Speaker 10 (17:55):
And I think sometimes it.

Speaker 11 (17:57):
Gets lost in the team sport that every phase can
affect the other ones. You know, you you go out
the opening game and I mean an opening series, and
you take a negative play on third down and then
you lose field position and they start, you know on
whatever they did, like the plus forty one or something
that's not that's not good.

Speaker 10 (18:15):
Just like the situation on Baltimore. We didn't we didn't
flip that our first.

Speaker 11 (18:18):
Drive, it backed up, we create the fumble, bounces forward,
they get the ball in a short field. I mean
that those are things like you're all connected and it
gets broken down and targets and w whatever, passing yards,
rushing yards or at the end of the day, you know,
you are a team and then n and when we've
been good we played really well as a team.

Speaker 10 (18:37):
And we we gotta get back to that and do
our part of offense?

Speaker 2 (18:40):
Are the oka arth's speaking of every phase? Uh, Chris Boulswell,
is it counted for alid?

Speaker 10 (18:44):
Your points?

Speaker 2 (18:45):
In two different games? I think, who's that land in ball?
The first gainst ball?

Speaker 10 (18:48):
Do we win both 'em? What's up? Do we win
both 'em? Yeah?

Speaker 9 (18:51):
That was that was gonna say how much did does
that give you kind of a security blank or confidence
knowing that not only has this guy been as accurate
as he has, but there's especially from.

Speaker 1 (19:06):
Let's Talk Stealers is sponsored by Italian Village Pizza. Lawrence
filled to stilling enjoy their handcrafted spirits. Visit Canton, Ohio
Red Fox Winery and Lounge. Call Italian Village Pizza on

(19:29):
Steelers game day and say let's talk Stealers and any
size pizza is buy one, get one free, take out
a delivery. Let's talk Stealers.

Speaker 2 (19:39):
Willa did you say? Is that desert?

Speaker 10 (19:43):
What is it?

Speaker 2 (19:44):
That?

Speaker 12 (19:44):
Is?

Speaker 3 (19:44):
A spiked hot chalcolte with parking chair vodka?

Speaker 2 (19:47):
Who's it for it for you?

Speaker 3 (19:49):
Hey?

Speaker 2 (19:50):
Can I try it? Please?

Speaker 14 (19:51):
Please?

Speaker 4 (19:51):
Do?

Speaker 10 (19:52):
All right?

Speaker 4 (19:54):
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Speaker 2 (19:57):
I'm sure it's gonna be great, and it's perfect. It's perfect.
Try that right there.

Speaker 4 (20:07):
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and ask Tara to.

Speaker 2 (20:11):
Make you what is this called the.

Speaker 4 (20:14):
Way the Steelers are planning gonna eat twenty seven of
these cheers. You gotta come to the Italian Village Pizza.
It's wonderful, really family oriented.

Speaker 10 (20:30):
Here.

Speaker 2 (20:30):
It's a great place where a wonderful bar and the
food is all handmade.

Speaker 4 (20:35):
You put on twenty pounds this season eating pizza. Please
come to the Italian Village. I'm rout twenty eight Waterworks small.
You're gonna fall in love with their their food, their pizza,
the people here.

Speaker 2 (20:46):
You're gonna become a repeat customer.

Speaker 4 (20:48):
I see a lot of the people every week coming
in and out for the show.

Speaker 2 (20:51):
All right, I'm on a rant this week.

Speaker 4 (20:54):
Like I said, if the Shawn Elliott can go on
a rant, if Cam Hubert can go on a rant,
Queen can go on a rant about the Steelers, secondary
I can't. All right, let me go off here a
little bit. This is ridiculous. As you run into the
eighteenth week in the season. You're, as Tomlin says, you're
supposed to be a team on the rise every week.

(21:15):
This thing is, ah, I don't know, a nineteen sixty
eight Ford Fairlane and the muffler is falling off, the
hubcaps are falling off, that the husband's arguing with the wife, the.

Speaker 2 (21:27):
Kids in the back seat throwing eggs, that the cars going.

Speaker 4 (21:30):
This is ugly at this point. What's happening. Have you
ever been on a professional team that's been this dysfunctional
this late into the season.

Speaker 10 (21:39):
All right, so you do.

Speaker 2 (21:40):
You didn't play on the Yellen sixteen while.

Speaker 5 (21:42):
But when you're losing that bat, it kind of tends
to bring the closer together. But maybe it's one of
those situations, whether cho's just.

Speaker 2 (21:48):
Trying to air everything out and then we're going to
rod from it. Maybe no, I don't you know. At
this point, it's got to be like a symphony in
the secondary, every.

Speaker 4 (22:02):
Call, every piece, the corners, well, the safety we're injured,
I know that. But the next man up theory is
Mike Tomlins theory. You have to know your responsibilities. That's
your play of the book again, and that's what we're
Hearing's going wrong.

Speaker 2 (22:20):
I'm gonna be mister positive.

Speaker 10 (22:21):
This is okay.

Speaker 5 (22:22):
They had their toughest match up against arguably the best
quarterback in the league, Patrick Mahomes, with the most creative
play caller.

Speaker 3 (22:31):
In the league, and Reed building up against the first
starting to back up.

Speaker 2 (22:36):
So yeah, maybe give them a pass. Let's see how
they just went. Okay, I'll give you that with the symphony,
knowing your response to how the past rush wasn't quite
the same. It's just that they didn't even get near
mah Homes. I'll give you that that the symphony was
off with the pieces. But I am telling you this.

Speaker 4 (22:55):
I'll get back to Patrick Queen in a second, because
I've been telling Mike all season he's still and pass coverages.

Speaker 2 (23:01):
And he did it again and it was ridiculous. But
the point is this, and you've heard me saving moore him.
But I don't care.

Speaker 10 (23:09):
Let's go.

Speaker 2 (23:10):
I'm sixty years old. Listen. You gotta hit, You gotta
hit people, Okay, you gotta let receivers know if they're
coming across the middle. Like a guy named Troy Paula Malin,
did he like to hit people? Yeah, take your head off.
Back in the day, Jack Tatum.

Speaker 4 (23:28):
For you guys that remember the Los Angeles Raiders, they
wrote a book called they Call Me Assassin.

Speaker 2 (23:34):
I need defensive backs that want to heat people. Mike
watching the tapes going all the way back.

Speaker 4 (23:39):
To the Dallas losses, the Indianapolis Colts loss, the first
Cleveland Browns game, which.

Speaker 1 (23:46):
Was a loss.

Speaker 2 (23:48):
They don't like to hit people.

Speaker 4 (23:50):
You cannot go into the playoffs, you cannot go on
to a Super Bowl run and not hit people.

Speaker 2 (23:56):
And you know who was hitting people in the Chiefs
game and Steelers game.

Speaker 4 (24:00):
Your coach Andy Reid has the Chiefs hitting people and
tackling people. Because at the end of the day, I
don't care if everybody says it's a passing league.

Speaker 2 (24:08):
You still gotta tackle people. And they're fundamentals are horrible.

Speaker 4 (24:14):
Okay, moving on to Patrick. I mean, yeah, I'm just upset,
like all the Steelers nation is out there. I read
the comments. I'm here in the comments. This is ridiculous.

Speaker 10 (24:26):
Again.

Speaker 4 (24:26):
I use the analogy of the old car with the
pieces falling off. At this point, the cars falling apart.

Speaker 2 (24:32):
Look, it hasn't been pretty all season, even when they
have one.

Speaker 3 (24:35):
For the most part, all the wins are offense, defense
tie together. Special teams tie together.

Speaker 2 (24:42):
They find a way. It's ugly, but they find special
teams have been great. Bengals.

Speaker 5 (24:46):
I think Mdlork might have been their best win as
far as offensive.

Speaker 2 (24:49):
Why is scoring most boys?

Speaker 3 (24:51):
Yeah, good news is they're playing the Bengals.

Speaker 4 (24:55):
Well, here's the thing. We record the show on Monday.
The game's Saturday night. Watching this Sunday warning, I'm probably
either in a jail cell down on the South Side
right now. S folks are watching it. Are I'm extremely
hungover because.

Speaker 2 (25:10):
Because we lost.

Speaker 10 (25:11):
They don't.

Speaker 2 (25:12):
They don't because we lost to the Bengals last night,
is my thought.

Speaker 5 (25:17):
On this thing.

Speaker 2 (25:18):
They're gonna say they won. We got to do two segments,
are we Hey, congratulations Steelers.

Speaker 3 (25:24):
You guys, well, you guys end up beating the Bengals.
Proved everyone gorong, you've got the five seat. You're going
down to Houston to get a playoffs win against a very.

Speaker 2 (25:32):
Beatable team, or.

Speaker 4 (25:37):
You gotta go back they Ravens, and then you got
real problems because that's like going into a jungle down there. Man. Look,
this team should not be where they are right now.
I really thought when we were going into Philadelphia. That
was the game to prove that you're an elite caliber team.

(25:57):
I thought they had the weapons.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
Give me the prediction right now, it's Sunday morning. Give
me the prediction. Who are they playing. We lost to
the Bengals. Man, yeah, we lost to the Bengals last night.
I could be wrong. It's a home game. I said,
don't don't discount Houston. They're the front of it. He's

(26:21):
very good style.

Speaker 4 (26:22):
Joe Blaine in Houston, Joe Nixon, and they got two
studs on their defensive line that both are in double digits,
say Nico Collins.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
So all.

Speaker 4 (26:35):
Deontay Johnson, maybe, uh, you know this optimism that you
are going to go into Houston and beat them just
because really, Okay, well, Blake Burtles can't throw a ball
tour Blake Burtles can't throw a ball forty yards.

Speaker 2 (26:54):
And the Jaguars came in here with Lannard Fernette and
ran over you on your own field.

Speaker 4 (27:00):
The Cleveland Clowns came in here a couple of years ago,
and we were gonna beat them too, in a playoff game.

Speaker 2 (27:05):
I was at that game and it was snowing, and
we were supposed to beat them and we went home
and lost. No lost twenty twenty five. I haven't stay Possa.
Oh you're like Toman, you refuse See.

Speaker 4 (27:15):
I'm one of these guys that truly believes if you
do not learn from history, you are doomed to repeat
his story. All right, I'm almost gonna fall over here
for a second. I'm gonna get a drink at Italian
Village Pizza. Wait a minute, I forgot to mention our
parking chair fluck and the Steelers are gonna cosmic to drink, Mike,

(27:37):
that's how bad it's got them drinking a parking Chervlaka
from Lawrenceville is stilling. When we come back, I'm gonna
try to look on the bright side of the Steelers.

Speaker 2 (27:47):
Boswell's having a great seat. Wait here, Stephen history.

Speaker 15 (27:57):
I think we just got to get focused back on
fundamentals of the game and play clean football. So be
it still be aggressive in our mentality and our approach,
not playing not don't play conservative in any way in
terms of how we play, but just doing the little
things right.

Speaker 7 (28:09):
And I'm looking forward to.

Speaker 15 (28:10):
The opportunity of what we got, Man, we got what
opportunity is to play at home last game of the
year in front of our fans, and uh, you know
in regular season and then and then.

Speaker 7 (28:18):
Here we go to the playoffs. So we want to
finish it the right way for us, right.

Speaker 4 (28:21):
Successfully walk down line of being aggressive and not being careless.

Speaker 15 (28:26):
I think doing what we've done, you know ninety five
percent of the season, you know, you can't just look,
you know, look at one or two bad plays and
then judge the whole season off of that. You look
at all the collection of all the plays. And it's football.
It's it's an imperfect game. And you're always seeking perfection
every day. And I think that's the thing that we're
we're doing a really good job of. We're we're we're
finding every day. We're trying to search for that every day.

(28:47):
And I think the most important thing is is you
gotta have amnesia. You know, we gotta have amnesia in
this game. It's it's uh, as one of those games
that they got good players. We got good players. There's
gonna be highs, there's gonna be lows throughout a game,
throughout the season, through all that and just having an immension,
and that's when the great things are happening too. To
be able to move on and move to the next play.
And I think that's gonna be key for for for

(29:08):
winning football as we go here and search for what
we're all searching for.

Speaker 8 (29:12):
First Cincinnati game, was that the best you guys did collectively?
And is there anything you can take from that experience,
you know, to kind of restart with jump start it now?

Speaker 7 (29:22):
Yeah, I think that's the you know, I think that
was a great game for us.

Speaker 15 (29:24):
I think for four quarters, we battled, we responded early,
and when we mean to speak about responding, they made
plays on you know, on their side. We responded again,
and like I said to you guys, it's it's you know,
some of these games, especially in the NFC norther are
heavyweight fights in their battles, and as we go further,
it's going to be like that too, you know. And
so I mean, I think the best thing that we'd
obviously the playmaking and all the things we're able to do.

(29:46):
I mean, we we threw the ball around the field,
and we we also you know, ran the ball well.
We did some great things. We you know, scored touchdown
crucial situations. We answered and just we didn't blink, you know,
we didn't blink and we can't bling now, can't bling now,
And so I think the best thing we can do is, uh,
you know, just continue to have you know, focused practices, detail,
uh meetings and everything else and and and utilize that

(30:07):
the game. And I always tell you guys, every game
is the history of its own and you get you
just focus on this next game. And we got a
lot of respect and regard for how they play the
game and how their coaches and everything else.

Speaker 7 (30:17):
And so we've got to play our best.

Speaker 12 (30:19):
Those seasons.

Speaker 16 (30:20):
How important is it to get the moment of.

Speaker 15 (30:24):
I think it's I think it's always great just to
stay on on a momentum high, you know. I think
that's always helpful, But it doesn't determine anything. You know,
you know, our presence is going to determine. You know,
how we work is going to determine, you know that.

Speaker 7 (30:37):
And and where we go and so.

Speaker 15 (30:40):
You know, I think the teams that you know, I've
been on the been able to go long ways and
do some special things and all the playoff games and
all the things unfortunately be able to do and be
around and be a part of is is uh, like
I said earlier, a little bit so you got to
have a little bit of amnesia, you know, you got
to be able to uh, you know, just embrace the moment,
so so addicted to the moment that nothing else gets

(31:00):
in the way of it. And no matter what people
write good, no matter why people write bad, maybe you know,
for a couple of days or whatever it.

Speaker 7 (31:07):
Is, you just stay stay focused on the moment.

Speaker 15 (31:09):
They focus on the next place, They focus on the
next practice, the next meeting, And that level of obsession,
that level of focus, the level of communication, that level
of response is everything.

Speaker 7 (31:18):
And that's what champions do.

Speaker 15 (31:20):
And I think that if we want to be champions,
we got to communicate that way, We got to think
that way, we got to believe that way. We can't blink.
And and you know, champions don't focus on the negative stuff.
They fix it, They move on and they and they
focus on what helps and win. And that's and that's
all the things that we have in this locker room.
I'm looking forward to us, you know, focusing on that
and possibly doing that usual.

Speaker 7 (31:41):
Is that a learned skill, Yeah, it's part of it.
I think the mental part of the game.

Speaker 15 (31:44):
It's I don't know, I got a lot of baseball
on me, and so you know, and I think that, uh,
you know, you think about baseball, you go, you know,
thirty for.

Speaker 7 (31:52):
One hundred, your your whole famer.

Speaker 15 (31:54):
You know, it's you know, so you got to be
able to focus on the next pitch. I think same
thing in any sport.

Speaker 12 (31:59):
Really.

Speaker 15 (31:59):
I think the best players in the world, they're able
to remain neutral, you know. Uh, you know, Steph Curry
is probably a ninety three four percent free throw shooter out,
you know, something like that. If he misses a free
throw in the finals, doesn't mean he's not any good
anymore at free throws. It's just the next free throw,
the next moment. And I think that's that's just part
of the being neutral. Being locked in the communication, the

(32:19):
self talk, uh, the self talk within the huddle, you know,
the self talk on the sideline, the self talk within
your own ears is everything. And how you speak to yourself,
how you believe, and how you how you embrace it,
how you embrace the challenges. And like I said, every
team and that's gonna be in the playoffs. He's got
great players too, you know, And so how how we respond.
Who's gonna respond the best? More often phenomenal Arthur's little

(32:42):
locker say one more time.

Speaker 5 (32:43):
Arthur's well of some of the other guys in the
locker rooms said that, you know, their deepense has gotten
better at.

Speaker 12 (32:48):
Large parks are created turnovers.

Speaker 1 (32:50):
What have they done to create those turnovers?

Speaker 10 (32:52):
Is it they just good?

Speaker 2 (32:53):
Fortunate are they doing so?

Speaker 7 (32:54):
Yeah? And their coach extremely well. I think Loud does
a great job.

Speaker 15 (32:56):
I think that they they they got good playmakers, they
got you know, Hilton's a good player.

Speaker 7 (33:00):
Hendrickson obviously a great player.

Speaker 10 (33:02):
You know.

Speaker 15 (33:02):
There's just different guys that you know in their secondary
and and the things they do. The linebackers fly around,
so just uh, they're they're competitive group, you know, and
you know, really they do a really good job of flying.

Speaker 16 (33:13):
Around when things are a plush the backs.

Speaker 7 (33:23):
That's a good question.

Speaker 15 (33:23):
But I think the best thing is part of the
part of the amnesia is is that you know, if
you're focused on the work and obsessed with the work,
that allows you to you free yourself of you know,
the negativity sometimes too.

Speaker 7 (33:36):
You know, it's just like you know, it's part of
the journey of seeking perfection.

Speaker 15 (33:40):
Is there's always highs, there's mountain peaks, there's there's great moments.
There's tough ones. The ability to embrace the adversity, not
not running from it. You know, we don't have time
to run from adversity. We have time to run through it.
We've gotta gotta climb the wall. We get run through it.
You know, there's no like, uh there's some you know,
magic pill of getting around it. You just we just
work on the us, on the work, and we focus

(34:01):
on the next pitch, the next play, you know. And
I think that's the great part about this game is
it allows you to play the next play.

Speaker 7 (34:07):
And I think the best thing is.

Speaker 1 (34:13):
Let's Talk Stealers. He is sponsored by Italian Village Pizza.
Lawrence Field is Stilling enjoy their handcrafted spirits. Visit Canton,
Ohio Red Fox Winery and Lounge. Call Italian Village Pizza

(34:36):
on Steelers game day and say Let's Talk Steelers and
any size pizza is buy one, get one free take
out or delivery. Let's Talk Stealers. Lawrenceville is Stilling crowd
sponsor of Let's Talk Stealers.

Speaker 4 (34:50):
Hey, welcome back to Let's Talk Steelers from the Italian
Village on around twenty eight again, come for some homemade
food Frank.

Speaker 2 (34:58):
Fi owner goes over to it a couple of times
a year.

Speaker 4 (35:01):
He gets recipes old school Italian cooking, the way it
was meant to be. If you want to, you know,
you can taste all that stuff out of a can
from someplace else. If you want to own me beautiful food,
beautifully crafted, come to Italian Village Trappery. If all right,
we got to thank Red Fox Winery. They've been great
to us all year long as a sponsor.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
As we wind this.

Speaker 4 (35:23):
Thing up before well the playoffs begin, and really, I
know it's a you know, people say it all the time,
the old Jim Mora thing, but really, playoffs, playoffs. I
don't feel this team's ready for the playoffs, but they're
gonna limp into the playoffs. I don't care if they
beat the Bengals again. We record on Monday. We've got

(35:44):
no idea what happened last night. I'm probably in a
jail sale down in the South Side right now. I've
got to fight with the Bengals ladies. Have you ever
see her Pittsburgh gad and that says with her the
Bengals lady, she cries every time they lose. Anyway, can
I tell you my dream scenario.

Speaker 5 (36:02):
If I'm in the Pittsburgh Steelers, I'm gonna win against Cincinnati.

Speaker 3 (36:06):
I'm gonna go to Houston, and I don't wanna let
the Harball brothers take it out.

Speaker 10 (36:09):
Of each other.

Speaker 4 (36:10):
Yeah, butterflies were gold, I'd catch them all right. Look,
I want to hit Harkin on something like that's the
probability here. Yeah, if the world was perfect and your
Steelers defense was playing perfectly well.

Speaker 2 (36:22):
Parkening back to a thing called Blitzburg in the nineties.
You know, the Steelers have a.

Speaker 4 (36:27):
Documentary out right now, Mike about Blitzburg, and Man, I
was at that Super Bowl in Phoenix. It was beautiful
until I won't mention his name through those two interceptions.
I was there through those playoff games, and it was
a thing of beauty to see the zone blitz work
from Dick Lamo's Boglamoe's creative mind. Kevin Green, all respect

(36:50):
for him, Airborne Ranger captain.

Speaker 2 (36:52):
A lot of people didn't know that.

Speaker 4 (36:54):
In the reserves, Greg Lloyd coming off that other side
of Woodson back there Carnel Lake, they played in Unison.

Speaker 2 (37:05):
They played in Unison. They all knew where each piece was.
We've talked about this before.

Speaker 4 (37:11):
Built Power required his defensive players to know where the
other defensive players were.

Speaker 2 (37:17):
On each scheme. These Steelers don't have that. But that's
how you could beat Lamar if they were in sync.

Speaker 4 (37:25):
And again I'm beating up the secondary right now. It
was a beautiful thing the zone Politz because boom, they
were on the quarterback. And really, to me, that's the
only way you can beat Lamar.

Speaker 2 (37:39):
You gotta be on him like a mountain lion or
a little wits often as much this year, and they're
about the middle of the league.

Speaker 5 (37:48):
But they rely on that pass rush and it's going
they come down to the pass rush can whether they play.

Speaker 2 (37:53):
Lamar or CJ. Stroud.

Speaker 10 (37:55):
You know CJ.

Speaker 5 (37:57):
Stroud to me, can deliver the bow a little bit
better from the pocket than Mark. But you want to
keep Lamar stuck in there and you can feel uncomfortable.
I try to get him outside and try to make throws.
If he gets outside, it starts running. That's why he's
most dangerous. And the Steelers have been a pretty good
job except for the last time. But I think it's
all gonna come down to how the pass rush does

(38:17):
and how they are able to stop the run, because
back when you go to the playoffs, all bets are
off all this offensive football you see every year, it
happens all these great offensive teams go to the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (38:28):
But it's the teams that are physical on defense.

Speaker 3 (38:32):
The refs let the playing go a little bit more.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
The illegal contact, so let me tell you something.

Speaker 5 (38:38):
The news fore, they're gonna let him get away with
a couple of those holes, those.

Speaker 3 (38:43):
Grabs, those pis, because that's what happens playoffs.

Speaker 2 (38:46):
They let the play go a little longer.

Speaker 3 (38:49):
And it's typically the defense that is most physical and
steps up in the team that can run the ball
is the one.

Speaker 2 (38:55):
That's gonna come out and win.

Speaker 4 (38:56):
Mike alluded to the old saying defense wins championships. If
that's the case, this one hundred and ten million dollar
defense is falling apart like that.

Speaker 2 (39:07):
Ford Fairland.

Speaker 4 (39:09):
All right, my brother, we will huddle up again after
either the Houston game or the Ravens game, and we'll
see what is kind of happen.

Speaker 2 (39:17):
We might have to be the zoom call from the cell, right, yeah,
all right, until then, we'll see guys later.

Speaker 7 (39:26):
Away the media.

Speaker 10 (39:32):
Auston, he's a great honor and I'll take by the name.

Speaker 12 (39:38):
It matters most of the guys that each every day
and you have a come from.

Speaker 10 (39:44):
All right, you guys.

Speaker 3 (39:51):
The States, I mean, definitely have anything like like.

Speaker 14 (40:00):
I've talked to you guys about the last couple of weeks,
just doing what sounds be great to do, saying.

Speaker 4 (40:06):
Your gaping, your assignment, attack, all those things that make
peoples great.

Speaker 13 (40:12):
The secret there's a defense, honey, and as a leader,
defense navigate some.

Speaker 3 (40:18):
Of the vocal frustrations as.

Speaker 2 (40:22):
Kings.

Speaker 16 (40:23):
I mean, after the game to Shawan was was pretty
vocal about being frustrated about guys a game white open
and Alex said, some of the things, I think you
guys are differing out so much. How do you kind
of just navigate the frustration as express We're all we're.

Speaker 9 (40:40):
All professionals, we're all want to know that it's all
about channel energy, you guys, what's happenings.

Speaker 7 (40:57):
I think it's it's just not doing things that make
defense is good and sound defenses. There's all of the
basic things that.

Speaker 14 (41:04):
Take from Dave on defense that we haven't been that
we were doing earlier in the season, along with that
great internal.

Speaker 2 (41:10):
Verse and most things all.

Speaker 8 (41:13):
Look at see out of us, continue to work, continue
to I mean when you're go ahead, right, how does
it do?

Speaker 12 (41:21):
I mean, it's the NFL.

Speaker 10 (41:22):
It's hard to it's hard to deal. You can win down?

Speaker 16 (41:25):
Oh is it to get all these things corrected before.

Speaker 2 (41:30):
It's I'm trying to get it corrected yesterday.

Speaker 10 (41:32):
It as a matter of the postseason.

Speaker 12 (41:33):
See us not trying to get things corrected as look
as possible as the NFL.

Speaker 9 (41:37):
Trying to feed our families and take this very seriously
weekend took out and obviously not.

Speaker 10 (41:42):
Having your show bad.

Speaker 2 (41:44):
We have the talent, we have, the coaching staff, we
have in the field.

Speaker 7 (41:48):
We can be a great defense.

Speaker 13 (41:50):
It would be a great team.

Speaker 10 (41:52):
And there's nothing left to talk about this.

Speaker 4 (42:00):
Team.

Speaker 16 (42:00):
How much built matter going into playoffs. I'm just getting
things fixed. I mean wanting to go in with a
winner or a game where it feels like things are
turning the page versus schuys pays.

Speaker 13 (42:20):
You were pretty pretty serious about what about about things
that have gone wrong? And I know you guys met
on Thursday. How do you feel like you guys are
maybe resolving some of the communication issues and breakdowns that
were happening in the last three weeks.

Speaker 12 (42:34):
First, we're gonna say you probably shouldn't have say anything.

Speaker 14 (42:36):
Keep things more in the house, uh, just because the
respect out of the guys in the locker room, respect
for coaches.

Speaker 12 (42:41):
But it was out of emotion. I love ball.

Speaker 14 (42:45):
Everyone knows that I love these guys. But we just
have to get back to the drawing board. And we're
doing that.

Speaker 8 (42:50):
Uh Ma.

Speaker 14 (42:50):
Actually have an extra walked in a couple of minutes.
But we just you know, trying to work out the kinks,
get back to the playing stay with football. I think
we will, especially with the time of the year. Uh
in those couple of days we had off, give us
time to refresh our brains, get back to uh the basics,
and I think we'll be okay.

Speaker 17 (43:06):
You guys are a lot of veteran leaders on this team,
guys that have stepped up several times this year and
years before. How do you how do you guys when
there's disagreement as far as what do you kind of
work out? Hey, this is where we have to be
in the right moments at the right time.

Speaker 14 (43:17):
So this is like being an adult, you know, by
talking it out and not trying to turn into an argument.

Speaker 12 (43:23):
And I think we have the right guys in the
room to do to do that, and so we do
that on a David basis.

Speaker 14 (43:28):
Other than that, I mean, if you gonna go out
there and play ball, man, you gotta go and ex
I go out there execution about to play. It's not
about to how about what the coach are gonna put
us in. Its about us executing things are However, when
I think we have the guys who do that, we've
done it in the past, We're we're going to continue
to continue to do that as well.

Speaker 11 (43:41):
How once you look at that film, once you look
at the film already ball a couple of days, is
it something the other teams are figuring out with this
defense or is it.

Speaker 12 (43:49):
Just lack of executions like a lack of execution. Of course,
there's like s seventeen eighteen week season seventeen weeks or
every I wanna say, but.

Speaker 14 (43:58):
Uh, you know, every team's gonna have a chance to
see what you're doing, see what see what your strengths are,
your weaknesses are, and they're gonna take take advantage of that.
And it's all it's about you just being able to,
uh make sure you eliminate those weaknesses and uh, minimizing
those and I think we we can do that. We
know what our weaknesses are and we're working on, uh
getting better towards those things.

Speaker 10 (44:17):
That's wrong.

Speaker 7 (44:17):
We mentioned refresh your brain in a minute ago?

Speaker 10 (44:19):
How do you do that?

Speaker 12 (44:20):
How did what you doing? I I I didn't do nothing.

Speaker 14 (44:22):
I hung out with my dogs and just sat at
home all you I train a little bit, but we
would just hang out with my dogs every fresher.

Speaker 12 (44:30):
Uh, spend crusts with my pets and a couple of
friends and that's about it.

Speaker 13 (44:33):
How many team mentioned a couple of days ago that
you guys bigger because you care when they're you know,
the the arguments in fighting that it's rooted and care.
Is that what where you see it's all coming from?

Speaker 12 (44:42):
For sure? For sure?

Speaker 14 (44:43):
Uh, it just you know when guys when when guys
are passionate and by the game that we've been playing
for for so long, you don't prepare to lose, prepare
to win. And when you don't win things you can
get you know, frustrated.

Speaker 12 (44:54):
And but we'll be alright. We all love each other.
It's like when you argue with your brother. Eventually you'll
hash it out and get it get them say how
important is it to.

Speaker 13 (45:01):
Get on that same page before the the playoffs start?

Speaker 12 (45:04):
What time is it? First off? It is, uh fifty
fifty seven? Okay, sorry, ask the questions.

Speaker 16 (45:10):
You know you're good. How important is it to get
on the same page.

Speaker 13 (45:12):
Before the playoffs start?

Speaker 12 (45:13):
Uh? Important? You know you wanna go into the playoffs
on the high street.

Speaker 5 (45:15):
Uh.

Speaker 14 (45:15):
Everybody's seeing out eye the cohesiveness, uh, especially because you
know it said uh uh still go gain illumination situation.
So every play matters, every communication matters. Is you gotta
uh intensify the way we go about our day.

Speaker 11 (45:29):
Is there an urgency right now to kind of stop
the bleed and get that moment of back before hitting
the playoffs?

Speaker 10 (45:33):
Of course?

Speaker 12 (45:33):
I mean that's any team. You're just trying to have
a stive urgency the time of the year.

Speaker 14 (45:37):
And I think that uh being around here championship pedigree,
uh organization is just even more heightens it anymore.

Speaker 12 (45:43):
But be alrighty John, I.

Speaker 4 (45:45):
Think a lot of people would say it's good leadership,
good veteran presence to like saynition things you did afterk
and you kind of start up.

Speaker 10 (45:52):
I don't apologize if you're stronger, but you.

Speaker 12 (45:53):
Kind of started off by Senate shouldn't said that.

Speaker 4 (45:55):
Yeah, it's like a fine line between being that leader
being to somebody who says something you shouldn't be said
and or not.

Speaker 12 (46:00):
You know what I'm saying, Well, if anybody knows me,
I'm a very truthful person. I don't really I don't.
I don't sugarcoat anything.

Speaker 14 (46:06):
So it was just in the moment, I meant what
I said, but I just should've phrased it a little
bit different. I really shouldn't said anything at all, but
I if I if I felt that way, I should
have said it closed behind closed doors.

Speaker 13 (46:18):
Does it help to be a guy that doesn't sugarcoat things?

Speaker 5 (46:21):
You know?

Speaker 13 (46:21):
Mike t said that he leads with information and transparency.
Does he have maybe that same kind of attitude too?
Obviously not to aspect.

Speaker 14 (46:28):
Yeah, he's always been transparent with me since been here.
He's the only head coach of Ada in the NFL.
It was like that, that's why he's my favorite coach.

Speaker 13 (46:34):
Uh.

Speaker 14 (46:35):
But yeah, I mean everywhere I go, I don't care
for people care about me being transparent or not.

Speaker 12 (46:39):
It's kind of like him. How much does that help you?

Speaker 13 (46:42):
How much does that help you guys in the realm
to have him lead with that transparency, make sure everybody
knows exactly where they stand up a lot.

Speaker 14 (46:48):
Cause makes everybody realize that we can trust him. When
you can trust your air coach, you know, believe anything
he say.

Speaker 3 (46:55):
Just is a group took care of your people.

Speaker 10 (46:59):
EXPLI she's to pigous challenge in this play.

Speaker 15 (47:01):
I think we just got to get focused back on
the fundamentals of the game and just play clean football.
So be it still be aggressive in our mentality and
our approach, not playing not don't play conservative in any
way in terms of how we play, but just doing
the little things right. And I'm looking forward to the
opportunity of what we got, man, we got what opportunity
is to play at home last game of the year
in front of our fans and uh, you know, in
regular season and then and then here we go to

(47:23):
the playoffs.

Speaker 7 (47:23):
So we want to finish it the right way.

Speaker 4 (47:25):
Us right, successfully walk that line of being aggressive and
not being careless.

Speaker 15 (47:30):
I think doing what we've done, you know, ninety five
percent of the season, you know, you can't just look,
you know, look at one or two bad plays and
then judge the whole season off of that. You look
at all the collection of all the plays, and it's football.
It's it's an imperfect game. You're always seeking perfection every day.
And I think that's the thing that we're we're doing
a really good job of. We're we're we're finding every day.
We're trying to search for that every day. And I

(47:52):
think the most important thing is is you got to
have amnesia. You know, we gotta have amnesia in this game.
It's it's it's one of those games that they got
good players. We got good players. There's gonna be high,
there's gonna be lows throughout a game, throughout the season,
through all that and just having an ambasion and that's
when the great things are happening too.

Speaker 7 (48:07):
To be able to move on and move to the
next play.

Speaker 15 (48:09):
And I think that's gonna be key for for for
for winning football as we go here and search for
what we're all searching for.

Speaker 8 (48:17):
The first Cincinnati game, Is that the best you guys
did collectively? And is there anything you can take from
that experience to kind.

Speaker 7 (48:23):
Of restort rump start it now? Yeah, I think that's
the you know, I think that was a great game
for us.

Speaker 5 (48:29):
We have.

Speaker 3 (48:30):
Not drank football teams.

Speaker 2 (48:37):
And no friends. All that beat.

Speaker 1 (48:45):
Let's talk Stealers. He is sponsored by Italian Village Pizza.
Lawrence Field is stealing. Enjoy their handcrafted spirits. Visit Canton,
Ohio Red Fox Winery and Lounge. Call Italian Village Pizza

(49:07):
on Steelers game day and say Let's talk Steelers. And
any size pizza is buy one, get one free take
out our delivery. Let's talk Steelers.