November 20, 2024 • 43 mins
The crew is back as Mike Prisuta, Matt Williamson, and Merril Hoge break down what to expect Thursday night at the mistake on the lake between the Steelers and Cleveland Browns.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Steelers Preview show on WDVE Pittsburgh, brought
to you by your neighborhood Fords store. The F one
fifty is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers by
Brian Patton and associates. It's all about the benefits and
by the Steelers Pro Shop. Get it to wreck from
the team at shop dot Steelers dot com. And now
here are your hosts, Merril Hodge, Matt Williamson, and Mike Persuda.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Good evening and welcome to another edition of Steelers Preview
right here on your Steelers flagship one O two point
five DVE and the Steelers Audio Network. Mike Persuda and
Matt Williamson getting you ready for the Steelers and the
Browns Thursday night football in Cleveland. Our factor back, Merril Hodge,
will be along directly. But this is the first of
two consecutive Wednesday shows. Matt Diggs. Thanksgiving is next week.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Strange scheduling.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Even though there's no game on Thursday, We're going to
be otherwise occupied, as I think most of America.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Will, I would think.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So we'll do it again on Wednesday night next week,
and then we'll probably get back into somewhat of a
more normal schedule, but the schedule does get a little
goofy in December, so stay tuned. We'll keep you updated
in terms of when the show is going to air
from week to week. Let's kick things off the way
we normally do with the practice participation a though not
(01:15):
a ton of significant developments. The Steelers will not have
Alex Highsmith. I don't think anybody's expecting him to play.
He's been declared out and Corey Trice Junior to cornerback
still ticking on that re entry clock from the reserve
injured list.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I don't think there's any reason to activate him even
if he was healthy. I think you're fine there for
another week, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
But I would like to see him get back involved
just as an option.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Do you like the chances of high Smith being around
for Bengals?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
I do, okay, just because because Highsmith does Yeah, he's
usually pretty uh, pretty spot on on that stuff.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
For Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
We're gonna get to this a little bit later in
the show, but a significant development Jedrick Wills Junior there
sometimes left tackle. Yeah, weird is out and the Browns
have had some issues at left tackle all season long.
Because Willis has Willis excuse me, has had some issues
all season long, and that's going to be a problem
(02:11):
for the Browns again on Thursday. Will dive into that
in segment number three. But Matt what I wanted to
hit first and foremost here to kick things off. There
is an obvious question on the minds of all Steelers fans,
given what we saw against Baltimore with the three justin
fields plays, and given what we saw in New Orleans Sunday,
(02:33):
when Taysom Hill carried the ball seven times for one
hundred and thirty eight yards and three rushing touchdowns he
scored from ten, thirty three and seventy five yards away.
Is this one of those deals where you don't overthink
it and you just look at it and say, well,
Cleveland couldn't stop the gadgety quarterback.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
Why not run.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Justin fields and see if they can stop it again?
And if they can't, just keep running it. I think
you got to throw it out there for sure.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
I mean, Taysom Hill caused them all sorts of problems,
but he also threw two passes that probably should have
been picked off.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Was yeah, and if you're going to turn the ball
over against the Browns. I mean, I'm not saying fields
would be one for one, but I think you got
to test those waters. I've been asked a lot this week.
I'm sure you've been down this road too, Man, Steelers
are really struggling in the red zone. Why not make
the fields package down by the goal line. And I
know it hasn't quite come to fruition, but one of
(03:31):
Wilson's greatest strengths over his career is red zone passing.
And I don't think that he's a bad red zone
passer all of a sudden and needy yankom down by
the goal line. I don't think that's what you were suggesting. No, No,
I think that Brown's defense wasn't real keen on tackling
Taysom Hill, weren't real buttoned up in any way, shape
or form. So you wouldn't have done a short week.
(03:53):
You wouldn't have to add anything to the playbook. It's
already in there. He's played a bunch of games already.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Russell Wilson said they had a bunch of stuff they
didn't get to for the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
I bet I bet so. Yeah, I would try it
and it's not like, Oh, Wilson's jobs in jeopardy. I
think it's another wrinkle. It's hard to play against one.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Brown's injury.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I forgot to mention Jeff Swain linebacker, but he's also
a short yard it's fullback, goal line and short yards.
He's out with a concussions.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Said linebackers tight end, right, I think he's a thought
he was a backer. I think he's there there blocking
tight end type. Oh, you're right, yeah, which will bring
us to the tackle question too. By the way, be
nice to have a somewhat blocking tight end and they
don't have any of those types.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
I confuse that. Uh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
But back to Hill. Now, they used him. I mean
he was the personal protector on the punt everything. Yeah,
he returned kickoffs. Uh, he played full back, he played
wide receiver. I'm not even talking about necessarily having fields
throw unless you would want to, but I like putting
them in now.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
I did not.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I mean, we're gonna line fields up at tight end
and run routes. You know, right, he's quarterback, right.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I didn't envision the second and long component of it,
which they ran that quarterback draw and he turned it
into third and short. Yeah the first time, but I like,
you know, him reading the end. I don't care if
they know he's gonna run if he reads the end properly,
if the guy crashes, run around the edge like he did,
(05:18):
if the guy covers, you give it to Nase Harris
like they did on the third and one that helped
him steal the game. I mean, I just think this
and he could throw the ball, and he could if
you want him to.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Yeah, you don't.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
I guess the point I'm laboring to make. You don't assume. Well,
Taysom Hill had a lot of success, So Jim Schwartz
is going to fix that in a day or two.
You attack what you saw is vulnerable on it, and
you at least test it.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I think that's the simplest way of putting it, Like
show me you can stop this, Yeah, okay, And if
you can't, then we're just gonna keep running it down
your throat.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
If they do, you move on.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Yeah, we had other options here, and we're not saying
Field should start the game and play every snap and
all that stuff, just but mix them in.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I just thought it was really significant. You know, we've
been talking about this since the spring. Yeah, in some way,
shape or form, and then Fields was starting for a while,
so obviously it's off the table.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Then he had the hamstring injury.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I just thought it was real significant that they got
to that in a game. Finally, I was expecting him
to do it on the fourth and one in the
first quarter from midfield, and I don't look at it
it's just a red zone thing. I look at it
as a when you need to make a play thing.
And particularly for the Steelers Matt, who have not impressed
me in there. They run the ball pretty well, but
(06:29):
their short yardage stuff is problematic miss at best.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah, and it wasn't saying this. I mean it was
only one run, and yeah, he should probably taken one
more step to seal the game. But that was one
of the first times I saw the acceleration from him
that you really have saw with Chicago. You mentioned the
hamstring injury he's had. They they've had a little bit
(06:53):
of a governor on him when he was the the starter.
Had they had to right, I mean, if somebody back up,
that was the one thing that was potential there that
was driving me crazy when he was playing.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I don't know if it's because they didn't want him
taking hits if they were worried about him getting hurt.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
With Wilson unavailable, they didn't want to put him the
way I took it.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Running is And I'm not trying to cast dispersions on
his passing. He's gotten better, but he's gonna look by
far is his best thing.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
So yeah, let's see, he's a thoroughbred.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
This guy is like one of the better running backs
in the league, right and we and I've told Steeler
fans this and I'm kind like you guys haven't seen
it yet.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
I mean, go back to his Chicago tape. It's like
roll down the sidelines running like a thoroughbred.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I mean, imagine the play where he slid early. He
had room there.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
He opened it up there too. He looked great.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Yeah he might if that's the middle of the second quarter,
he's still going. They're not just trying to move the
sticks and kill the game at that point. So so
I think there's a lot of potential there.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
And like you mentioned, it just happened to correlate with
the same week when they couldn't stop Taysom Hill. You know,
they didn't play it that way.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
You know, the thing that concerns me a little bit.
And we'll get into James Winston in the tail with
Merril Hodge. But I see this as kind of a
puncher's chance game for Cleveland because yeah, he'll he'll throw
it to the other team. I mean, they had a
good game against the Ravens. He beat the Ravens, but
they dropped three interceptions.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
They did. There were a couple of the other night.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Where they bawling into a crowd and you're like, are
you doing Yeah, But man, he made some majestic throws
and the firing downfield. I felt like I was watching
football in the seventies again when I was growing up.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
That's what he is.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
None of the sideways crap. And I'm worried about my
completion percentage. I'm trying to get it to third and short.
I mean, he wants twenty thirty yards of play. He's
using that arm to good use, like he can throw.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Make some dangerous Yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
They got guys on the other end. Jerry Judy's no slouch.
I really like Tilman's size and potential. H Mike Tomlin
speculating that's the reason that they traded Amari Cooper number nineteen,
him and I think he's definitely six three two fifteen.
I meet him, get him in the lineup. This kid
is ascending, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Elijah Moore is a fine slot and the joke who's
a weapon and he's unleashed them all, you know, and
they love playing for him. They love that he's not
Deshaun Watson, you know, like that side of the ball
all of a sudden got a jolt of energy. And
he's unconventional by today's terms. I mean, if they can
protect and that's a much different story, he could carve
(09:25):
you up. I mean he throws for three hundred yards
all the time.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
He is capable.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
So we look at this game, and we've had this
conversation a few times. We watched these other teams play,
the Colts and the Cowboys with the boy, it's hard
to see a path to.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
The Steelers blowing this one.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
I know Cleveland's two and eight, but I'm not looking
at this game in that same light. I think, Yeah,
puncher's chance is what I've settled. I think that's a
great or way of phrasing it.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
And I go back to you and I hosting the
schedule release show when this came out, I'm like, oh, oh,
short week on the road in after Ravens. You know,
late in the season, you're gonna be all beat up. Now,
I don't feel that way now. Like if I on
schedule release date and if I had to put a
w ORL next to every game, I would have put
an out on this one. Yeah, I probably feel better
(10:09):
about it now.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
I mean, I just whenever I do that stuff, I
assume three and three in the division. Then I just
worry about the other games. But okay, I'm not assuming
three and three in the division anymore.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
No, they're what six and one in the last seven.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
We're just getting started here on the preview and when
we come back, we'll kick it in the high gear
with the factor back Merril Hodge. So keep it here
with Matt Williamson on Mike Persuda. I want to remind
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(10:45):
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and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
Back to the Steelers Preview show on DVE.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Welcome back to the preview, Mike Pursuita and Matt Williamson
with you, getting you ready for the Steelers and the
Browns Thursday night football in Cleveland. Time now to welcome
our factor back, Merril Hodge to the program. And Merrill,
I know you've got a lot to say about this
current matchup, as you always do, but you are as
(11:32):
I am, someone who dates back to that beautiful dump
that was known as Municipal Stadium in Cleveland.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
Lake.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Yeah, that's the place, and I just wonder I know
you'd like to tell a story or two sometimes anything
stand out from your experiences in Cleveland Municipal Stadium because
it was a one of a kind place.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
Well we could, I only got an hour. I'll just
I'm actually just share my very first experience because it
was probably if I'd never be one another one like it,
hopefully not. But that was the year that we're going
to go on strike. And in nineteen eighty seven and
so what was going to happen is we're going to
play two games and then we're going to go on strike.
(12:21):
And the second game happened to be from us in Cleveland.
And one of the great ideas by the NFLPA, which
they had moronic ideas, they completely screwed the whole thing up.
I don't want to get that. That's another show. They
decide that we are going to show unity and we're
(12:42):
going to shake hands before the game. The every matchup
was going to shake hands soon as we hurting that,
but we an't shaking Cleveland's hands. And they said, and
we're the only team that didn't shake him, right because
we so neither one of us. Everybody walked across the
field shok hands. But in Pittsburgh, please let they showed
the camera and we stayed on our sideline. They stayed
(13:03):
on there. So anyway, it was we're going into hostile territory.
And if you know that, they call the dog pound there,
but the real dog pound started in in that stadium,
and uh, you know, they had extra security because of
the of the strike and just all the things going on.
(13:24):
And so it was my first time there. And so
you used to warm up. We would warm up actually
in the dog pound. So I'm standing in the dog pound,
we're warming up, and I just I see these things
dropping around and I'm like, what They're like double A batteries, right,
there's like So I turned around and there's security across
(13:48):
the back wall. They're all watching us, and everybody behind
them are throwing batteries satisfy something. It is like the
dumbest thing ever like this, This security's not even watching
the people they're supposed to be watching. And so anyway,
I can't. I turn around, I grab a battery and
I go to throw it back. When I throw it,
(14:09):
it slips out of my hand and it hits Mike
Webster in the helmet. Okay, you you don't, you don't
we me? Okay, who's my roommate by the way. Okay,
So he just stops for a second. He turns to
me and he said, hey, listen, it's bad enough they're
throwing them at me. Could you please not do that? Sir?
(14:36):
I'm sorry. Anyway. The best part of it is I
actually take some of the batteries and I go back
to im back to the locker room and I leave
them there. And then when the game's over, I just
wanted to check the batteries. I wanted to see if
they were like dead batteries. This is how dun Cleveland is.
All of the batteries were new batteries. I replaced them
(14:58):
in my walk. I'm like, oh, oh, anyway, that was
my first experience in Cleveland, my first experience. I'll never forget.
I'll never forget it.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
It reminds me. I saw a couple of games. I've
worked games there.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I saw a couple of games there as a fan
when I was growing up, and when I was in college.
I went down there in nineteen eighty three and saw
the Steelers play, and I saw people dumping beer on
each other, you know, wearing the opposite color.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Yeah, yeah, And I thought, man, why would you waste
a good beer?
Speaker 5 (15:33):
Right?
Speaker 3 (15:33):
There's something each other something.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
But anyway, but.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
Hey, last thing about that stag. The last thing. When
that game was over, Jim Brown actually was out in
the middle of the fielding a fifty yard line. It
was the one stadium that you could almost steal ghosts
of football pass. I mean that's how how archaic it
was and old it was, and somewhat historic it was.
(16:04):
I mean you could feel like old's football in that
in that stadium. That is the one thing you could feel.
And that's that's the only thing of good vibes, by
the way, But I never forgot that either, because I
was like, man, that is just a that staying was
very I mean, listen, I used to change in the
in the shower, like nobody showered because you didn't have
(16:24):
enough room. You just got home. You just get to
our drive home, so you just undressed, and Homie showered.
He ain't shower in the locker room.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Well that's a different venue, but the same rivalry and
where I wanted to start with you suspecting that you've
done more research on this than I have. Uh, I
didn't see the Browns play well. Deshaun Watson was quarterbacking.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Uh it was a tough watch.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I've seen two of the games with Jameis Winston and
I'm just surmising that Deshaun Watson must have been off
the charts awful because I mean this team's too in eight,
but it's got some capability with the other guy.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
Yeah, well, I've always say this. I've watched them all
year while you kind of watch the division, at least
the division, stad at the division, if watching the division,
and you watch their opponents, so you've watched almost the
entire league by time you're done anyway, But you know
dsaw and let's go back to you know, the we
talked about the biggest mistake on the Lake, and then
this is probably the biggest mistake in you know, free
(17:26):
agency history. What they did, you know, and their calculation
and their observation, you know, what they what? I think
they clearly obviously never looked at or if they did,
they ignored it. And it's a massive thing to ignore.
This guy didn't play for two years. I can't so
he got two years older, and that that is I think.
I don't think they missed that. But he missed thousands
(17:49):
and thousands of reps to get better. And you I
don't know of any craft profession, you know, and he's
in the midway middle point. You know, it wasn't the
very very big he was more closer to the middle.
And to lose all of those raps that really harnish
your skills, set polish your skills that develop you. Man,
(18:11):
he never recovered from that. I remember his first game,
he looked like a fish out of water. I was like,
he was just and he just and honestly, he never
ever recover from that perspective. You know, when then the
Midnight lost Chubb like at the beginning of the year,
I will say this, they've had no running game, none.
That whole team was built on that. You know, that's
I mean, that's what you had to worry about, which
(18:33):
is ironic shows back, you know, I mean the Pittsburgh
game and you didn't never see anybody get hurt. It
was terrible, seal it, but they'd never recovered from that.
They're not as good as upfront. And I remember at
the Raider game, he absolutely lost his mind. They were
I mean, they were getting destroyed. He didn't have it
didn't matter if they ran a screen, he had pressure
(18:54):
on it. And he, man, he lost his mind. He
got up and he was screaming. And yet his offensive line,
so there was no rhythm to their offense. Uh, there
was no consistency to their offense. There was nothing, no
staple to their offense, and they're a little better now.
They're a little better now than they were.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
But what do you think of Winston as a player?
Just in a vacuum though, Yeah, I.
Speaker 5 (19:20):
Think he's I think he's a well, what is a
great way to describe Onceton.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
I mean he's volatable.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
He's a little bit I mean he's a little bit
spastic and erratic in the pocket. You know, he really
has a herky jerky way of playing. But he throws
some you know, he makes some good throws and he
does you know, he plays for the Procket Pocket fairly reasonable.
I guess the Saints he was terrible. He's all over
(19:52):
the place. His best throws were when he scrambled. He
could a touchdown path too, Sam passes.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Yeah, the ones who the slot guy Elijah Moore in
a back pylon was really a gorgeous throw.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
And he makes him throw here state history, yes, his
Florida state history. The big knock on him was just
like he's gonna throw you a pick. You know, I knew,
you know, Tampa Bay drafted him. I don't know, don't
know if you knew this, but Dirt Cutter was the
head coach at the time Dirt Cutter was my high
school coach. I don't known Dirk since I was like
(20:26):
in junior high. And you know when he didn't want
Jameis Winston for a variety of reasons. One he said
every time, I mean, if you go to BEDTT and
now you you got to worry your quarterback's not gonna
get arrested, or he'll be there show, He'll be there
on Monday for you. He was always worried about that.
And just inside the white lines, he just he was
(20:47):
gonna try to make every play all the time. Like
he didn't. He couldn't. He couldn't decipher which play was reasonable,
Where do I take a sack? Where do I throw
it away? And he has never gotten over that. He's
still like that. So he will win some and they'll
makes fill makes some throws. You're like wow, but it
usually breaks its ugly head when it matters and it's
(21:10):
a critical moment. You know that That was why they
he'd been Ben's why they'd let him go in Tampa.
And that's really been his inconsistency that he has yet
to overcome.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
I mean, he's definitely a big game hunter. I mean,
he drives the ball down the field, and I respect that,
but yeah, you kind of mentioned their own line. Jack
Conklin's the right tackle and he's declining to be kind.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
The left tackles your tongue.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Oh he's a mission stake, dear left tackle. They're pulling
off the street trip. You don't even know who's going
to be playing left tackle. Is it a fetti? And
he's not a left tackle. And they the way they
play is tons of three receiver sets. The joku's not
going to help. The backs are so so in protection.
I mean, I don't know how they chip and help
(21:55):
on the edge guys for the Steelers, I you know,
as let's.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
Get to the the nuts and bolts of this game.
You're right, you know, they just they can't. They will.
They're going to struggle with the fresher. The Steelers can apply.
And if they do surrender and say, well that's not
going to happen, then you give up minimum one guy.
You know, you're tightening their back and possibly too if
you want your quarterback to survive and have chances to throw.
(22:24):
I agree, you know, I just the Saints whipped them,
you know, and they don't have the two guys that
Steelers have and the rotation there, so yeah, that was
I knew the dialogue would eventually go to that. That
is as a real problem. They're not the same upfront.
Even in the running game. You know, they used to
be a really good pin and Poll team did a
(22:46):
lot of it. I was the line coach. Now it's
obviously in Tennessee and he's simply he just wanted the best.
And you can tell their coachings or their players are different,
as you're just well documented. They're just not saying time
about top of all offens line personnel that they've had
in the past.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
I think the Gardens are declining to and you know,
this is.
Speaker 5 (23:07):
A whole nothing like four years ago.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
This was an elite line, right, and it's a lot
of the same guys, but they're not the same.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
Yeah, I agree. You know, Chubb's back and I watched
him and you listen, he's he's a tough runner, he's
a good runner, he's a pro, he knows how to
run him. He's he gives in a little bit, you know,
but he's not what he once was. And and there's
very few back tick an offset a bat off of
his line. You know, the best one in the history
is probably Walter Peyton, and there's no Walter Payton's out there,
(23:38):
you know. It just.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Back to Chubb.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Is that a deal where the more he plays he'll
start coming around or do you think this is post
injury Chubb and pre injury pre injury Chubb is for
the history books.
Speaker 5 (23:56):
I'm actually pulling for him. I yeah, I'm I'm pulling
for him to come back. And I'll tell you this,
he still runs. He makes some good runs. You know.
He is just a really good pro runner. He knows
how to run, man, and he you whatever you present him,
he's going to get the maximum almost every time. He's
he's their best runner. Even now, he's still their best runner,
(24:18):
you know, and I think they have him kind of on.
You know. You know that that was a significant injury,
so to give him twenty five carries would be crazy.
And I know they're not doing that for a reason.
But he does you know, you know, I'm Matt talking
about past. He's probably their best. He's there. They're smarter
than best or so he you know, he does a
(24:40):
good job to help him from that perspective, but he's
not in there all the time, you know, he's in
there about third at the time, and you know, a
Sunday to a Thursday, I would I would maybe say
it suggests well or I anticipate maybe it's probably a
little less because that's a short recovery for him, you know,
with that type of things. So it might be mayor man,
I just possibility. I think.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
So the other side of the ball. Wow, I don't
mean to cause controversy. I don't want you to pick,
but just compare and contrast Miles Garrett and t J.
Watt's styles.
Speaker 5 (25:15):
Well, I guess I think they're so different, you know, yeah,
I just think it's still different. T J. Watt is
like there's instinctive a football player. I like the he's
a phenomena with his hands. You know, he's quick off
the ball to you know, Miles Gearart is big and explosive,
(25:37):
you know for his size. You know, he's just he's
a force and he's so quick, you know, he gets
off the ball. You know. That's why you might think
the Saints played how they how they played. They you know,
they were draws, quick screens and uh and I keep
(25:59):
that some of it Miles Garrett, you know, to neutralize
him because like he caed to block a guy or
you can play call a guy. You know, everything's to
got block a guy. You know, he can't just do
the entire game, but or run at him. So then
they did all of that, and they did it very effectively,
you know, and they because they completely neutralized him. I
don't think he was a factor. I don't remember him
being a factor in the game. But I'm going off
(26:20):
with him.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
I think he ended up with a zero in the
box score because I'll.
Speaker 5 (26:26):
Be surprised that I didn't see. I don't look at sick,
I didn't look at anything. I just I just tell
by their game plan they play calling. During watching the game,
I'm like, he was a non factor period. He was.
I was like, I didn't know where he was and
he never showed up, and not that he wasn't try
And I'm just saying that play calling and design and
stuff I think was geared around that aspect, you know,
(26:46):
And I don't think that there. I think I think
you neutralized him. Then you're you're okay.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
The effort of that defense was not great, to say
the least. Well, I pay some hill.
Speaker 5 (26:59):
Yeah, yeah, I think their linebacker you are questionable so
you know, I do the back end and make some
mistakes and have some issues. So it's not like you know,
I see this things like this year's drug on for
two years, but I because I remember the first year
(27:20):
like they were like their defense was a juggernaut, and
you know, their playoff team and their defense hasn't even
come close to being a championship style defense at any point.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Merrill, They're expecting some weather. Does that affect one team
more than the other?
Speaker 5 (27:38):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Both teams got to play in it.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Let's say it's sleety and sloppy and windy, windy, right,
what's the what's the impact?
Speaker 5 (27:47):
Yeah, I think that favors both of them. I don't
think either one of them are worried about that or
are not customer playing in that. But the better team
than to go on the ground has the advantage, and
that's clearly Pittsford. I mean this series, I think, but
i'd better running attack and a quarterback that can can
move and disturb to and compliment it enough that you
(28:10):
know you can't just in your ear, I mean, drop
eight in the box and tell you I we're to
stop that, and that's the end of it. So I
actually like U. I'd like Pittsburgh if it was. It
was a nasty game in the game, throwing the ball
was somewhat of an issue with the wind in that
I danige the ground game. That's why I love the
(28:30):
ground game. It does so many things in your favor,
you know, specially we're talking about elements.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Yeah, one hundred percent agree, And the way that style travels.
And do you agree that this could be one of
those games where the Steelers control it, run a very
high percentage of the time, don't mind punting land a
lot of body blows in the first half, and then
as the game goes on and the Browns aren't loving
(28:57):
their situation, two yard runs turn into aven yard runs.
Speaker 5 (29:02):
Yeah, well I forget. Yeah, that's a I think that's
almost on every Sunday approach with this team. That's where
you have to, you know, you have to have that
type of mindset going in and I think they've developed
that and they believe that.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
You know, I got the most team in the league.
Sorry to ask your two questions at once, but do
you think the Steelers the most physical team in the league.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
They're one of them, no question. I think that, you know,
the Ravens clearly are one of them. And that was
a fist fight in the fifty you know, they all
I mean, they welcome that and and they'll take that.
You know, they're gonna take that into Cleveland. And that's
always a good thing and always a good thing and
a good sign. So but you make it played very well,
(29:43):
you know, and again I mentioned this on the Morning show.
They just did a really good job against Russell Wilson.
You know, they pushed the pocket, that created a wall,
made it harder for him to throw. I think Russell
navigated around that as much as possible. Then they helped
him a little bit by moving him a little more
because they were winning in that department. So you got
to find ways to counter that, because you know teams
(30:03):
are going to try that, you know, once they see
it and they are minded of it and not he
does it, which is always interesting to me. But they'll
be teams that try it, you know, you know, I
mean they push that front wall to him, so it's
harder for him to see misses some guys because of
his hype, and you don't give any escape routes. They
push him laterally and they'll let him get going vertically,
(30:28):
and you know that's just harder on Russell to make throws. Now,
he does a good job of navigating that, but he's
not as consistent obviously, So it'll be interesting to see
what their counter is to that of Cleveland tries to
do those type of things.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Meryl, the last thing I got for you, red zone
has been a big problem for the Steelers, no matter
who's a quarterback, it's really hit or miss. You know,
three for four or zero for four numbers along those
lines are thirtieth in the NFL. What what's the one
thing that's got to change more than any other n
that around.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
Well, I would see that this is like in the
passing game, you know when they throw the foot blogs.
I just funny, bring what's interesting bringing that up? I
was noticing this, you know, scoring territory. There was a
few times where you had four wide receiver, tight end,
two wide receivers, a tight end, a running back all
inside the hash area. Now, something's wrong there, because, like
(31:23):
spacing is a critical component of the passing game. And
if you're on the ten yard line and you have
four guys within that around, we're looking at the twenty
yard for four people and It's just that's something was
wrong there, you know. Rather guys are busting their routes
and stuff. So they got to do a better job
of run their routes and better spacing. You know. That's
a tough one. That's the tight quarters anyway. The last
(31:45):
thing you want to do is have everybody in the
same thing inside the hash area. There's not a lot
of space to have four potential receivers, you know. And
then you're leaven all this field on the outside wide open,
you know, and only one guy out there, you know,
and then your quarterback that's not maybe his best angle
of you either, it's more on the perimeter. So I'm
(32:05):
sure say they button that worked on that, you know,
whose mistake it was or who was making the wrong
run the wrong routes and doing the right thing and
the timing of it all. You know, they could get
better there. If they got better there, I think there'll
be more access to Russell Wilson Meryl appreciate.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
It is always uh, not sure what is gonna happen
tomorrow night. I'm not sure where you're gonna be, but
I'm guessing nobody's gonna throw.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
A battery at you. So you got that going for you.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Hopefully it's not a dead one to put them back
in your walkman.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well listen, I'm gonna watch
the game, so Coach Steevens, Baby, thank you, guys.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Thanks Meryl, talk to you next week. That is Meryl Hodge,
our factor back for batteries. Did you ever make it?
The uniss will say that, no glorious stump, but it hurt.
It was old and dirty and broken down. But I
loved it really, as Meryl said, yeah, I saw baseball
there and I saw football there, Okay.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
And the history there's gohoes.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Yeah, I'm big on the Yankee Stadium and the Coliseum
in LA and you know Notre Dame Stadium, places that
have been around for a long time. I respected it.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
But pre Super Bowl Brown's Jim Brown and Autograham and all.
You could feel their presence.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
They had a long, long time better than they got
it going now. It still got one more segment to go,
so keep it here with Matt Williamson. I'm Mike Pursuda.
You're listening to Steelers preview right here on your Steelers
Flagship one or two point five DVE and the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Back to the Steelers preview show on DVE.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
Welcome back.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
I always like talking about yesterdays in the nineties with
people such as Marra because they're not.
Speaker 4 (33:49):
A lot of us around, Matt.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
I mean I remember them. I mean they act like
way younger than you guys or whatever.
Speaker 5 (33:56):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
I remember early eighty Brown's football, Frank Minefield and Mac
and Brian Sipe and all those things. That's great stuff.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
And he wasn't kidding about the locker room like it was.
You would go into the visitors locker room and it
was a shoe box and it was wood and there
was a nail and that's where players put their stuff.
Speaker 5 (34:16):
Ok.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
When I was a pit we went to Notre Dame
twice and the visiting locker room was real similar. One
coach could shower at the time.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
And they had it was an old stadiums and had
real wide concourses because back then they didn't care about
footprints and you know, use it up valuable space downtown.
They just built the thing the way it was supposed
to be built, and you would interview the visiting coach
in a trailer, but it was in the concourse and
the fans knew. That's they knew Chuck Male was in there,
and after they would lose a game, people would walk
(34:45):
by and pound on it, so upset like, oh he
hated that.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
Oh I can imagine. I mean it was Uh.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Can you imagine being on that two and a half
hour bus ride with a team that hasn't showered.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
No, that was the revel for Maryland.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Yeah wow, but he got some free batteries out of it.
Speaker 5 (35:03):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
What to Expect is brought to you by Brian Patton
and associates. It's all about the benefits. And here's what
I expect, Matt. I expect the Browns to have troubles
at left tackle. Now let me give you the history.
We told you at the start of the show that
Jedrick Wills is out. He got hurt last year's season again,
season ending knee injury, had to have surgery, so he's
(35:27):
not ready at the start of this season. So they
go with James Hudson, who starts the first couple of
games three of the first four. Actually, Wills came back
for one game against the New York Football Giants Week three,
then he was out again.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
The knees been bothering him off and on all year.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
Hudson ends up on the reserve injured list, Wills ends
up back in the lineup. Then I mentioned the kniees
bothering him. October twenty seventh, Cleveland getting ready to play Baltimore,
and Wills announces that his knee isn't the hunter and
he's going to make a quote.
Speaker 4 (36:02):
Business the city.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
He's also up for contract, by the way, that's business part.
Speaker 4 (36:06):
Yes, So he's not going to play at less than
one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
So then the Brown said, Okay, we're not going to
play next week against the Chargers either. They benched them.
They have gone through Hudson, They've gone through Wills, They've
gone through Dewan Jones.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
Who broke his leg in the Saints game the momising
massive tackle.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Yeah, so now they are down to presumably starter number
four at the position. That would be Jermaine Affetti, who
is a former first round pick in twenty sixteen, but
massive journeyman.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Twenty sixteen is a while ago.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
He's played for Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, and now Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
And I don't know how much left tackle he's played.
He's been a lot of guard and some right tackle.
He's not lived up to being a first round pick,
but he's lasted this league for a long time and
made a lot of money, so good for him, you know.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
But I expect that's going to be a problem for
the Browns, massive problem.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
And we know all these teams are doing going way
out of their way to chip and help on the
Steelers edge guys, and that's great and you have to,
but even the way this team's constructed, they're one of
the They're basically the highest pass percentage team in the league.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
They love three wides, they love three wides.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Winston's putting up numbers, but their tight end is a
true receiver in the djoku. The guy behind him is
Brevin Jordan, who's like two hundred and thirty pounds. I mean,
he's basically a wide out too. And we mentioned the
guy that you called a linebacker and I forget his name,
but he's kind of a black Art fight. Yeah, he
at least could help. So I don't know who the
(37:44):
on the line help is.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
How do you who's your seven man.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Protection against the Steeler pass rush? And I'm gonna say
the same thing next week because the Bengals are the same.
But one of my predictions is over the next two weeks,
the Steeler might have a dozen sacks, you know, with
four man rushes which they love, which they love, and
the blitz and stuff we saw these last two weeks
against the athletic quarterback. I don't know why you need
(38:12):
to do that, you know, just go back to your
cover three drop seven. How are they gonna deal with
Watt and the other edge guys. I think it's gonna
be a real problem. And Winston's not very mobile.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
Yeah, you mentioned h Conkling the right tackles not what
he used to be. Is a first round pick, I
think why Teller's slipping a little bit? And at guard,
I think Joel Batonio, guy who I think has been
a great player for a long long time. Uh, kind
of fine, He's okay, but he's not what he used
to be either.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
They cam Hayward in that fight.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Yeah, I mean it's the O line is going to
be problematic for the Browns, and I think that will
feed into the Steelers' hands.
Speaker 3 (38:48):
Yeah, and I don't see a strong running game. Chub
isn't what he used to be. So one of the
past of victories we talked about is maybe Winston carves
you up. But he's gonna have to hold ball to
do it.
Speaker 4 (39:00):
And he's get on his horse and get outside.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
And both his TVs were on the run, as Barrel
pointed out.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
But you know he's not Lamar or Daniels, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Oh, it's to extend He's not He's not going to
run forward. No, So that's what to expect. That's brought
to you by Brian Patton and associates. We could extend
that here if we wanted to. Matt Uh and I'll
do it in an unsponsored uh back half of this segment.
What do you expect from these Steelers all of a sudden.
We talked a minute ago about going down the schedule
(39:35):
at the outset and putting down w or L. I
wasn't sure what to make of this team at the
beginning of the season because of the uncertainty with Russell
Wilson's health. I thought, I thought he was great signing
when they got him. I thought I thought he would
elevate them. At the start of the year, I thought, well,
it's looking like kind of similar to last year. Maybe
go nine and eight, maybe get in the playoffs and
(39:57):
have a short stay and call it a season. U.
I'm starting to think these guys are a contender.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
I do too, and they wouldn't be the top contender.
I don't think they're quite the Bills of the Lions
or the Chiefs, but I think they're probably the tier
right below those guys. I don't love their chances of
winning in Philly, and I'm sure they'll drop a division
game or two, but I think they're going to be
nine to two when we get together next week, and
that's a pretty darn good place to start rested. I
(40:23):
don't know that since he has much more to play for. Yes,
I think this is a at least a tier better
than we've been used to before, and probably a Tier
two team overall, with maybe only three teams in the
league is like a Tier one type.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
And I think it still has some upside.
Speaker 4 (40:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
I look at Buffalo and I think, well, they're playing
about as well as they can play, and that's at
a high level.
Speaker 4 (40:47):
But I don't think the Bills is gonna get a whole.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
Lot better, not that they need to right really good.
Speaker 4 (40:51):
I think the Bills are the Bills.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
I suspect the Chiefs are playing a little rope a
dope in the regular season.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
Not certain of that because there's been a lot of
change there. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
Yeah, really pulled out some games. They'll be fine though,
but not necessarily unbeatable.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
I mean they were undefeated coming into last week. I
don't think they're light years above everyone or even better
than they were last year.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Now, you may have to have the cajones that Sean
McDermott had, and when you got a two point lead,
you may have to eschew the field goal and try
to stick the ball in the end zone and stick
to the steak and Dracula's heart and not give Patrick
Mahomes a chance to beat you at the end. It
may take that, but as we see that could happen.
Steelers showed me something against Baltimore. I had my doubts
(41:36):
about the Ravens defense. The defense for Baltimore was not
the reason Baltimore lost, but what the Steelers did to
that Lamar Jackson Armada defensively was really attention.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
Getting to me.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
I think, superpressive between the defense and the special teams.
If the offense can continue to develop, and maybe that's
the fields package, maybe that's getting better in the red zone.
I think there's still to using Mike Tomlin some meat
on that offensive bone and if they can find.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
That, Yeah, I think the offensive bone defenses needs to
stay healthy and keep up what they're doing. They'll be fine.
I mean, they have a lot of talent and they're
well coached. And you mentioned special teams like I wanted
to throw this out there for this game too, because
it was something I harped on going into the Ravens game.
In the margins, I thought the Steelers had a big
advantage on special teams, penalties, turnovers, all those things came
(42:26):
to fruition against Baltimore. They have big advantages against the
Browns in that regard and special teams wise and really
turnover margin two, they're gonna have an advantage over everybody,
you know. I mean they're the top of the league
in both those categories, which are super important.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
Yeah, Browns gave up a huge punt return last Sunday
which was almost even huger, even bigger. I don't think
huge as a word, but it was fifty three yards.
It could have been another thirty in touchdown, but the
guy just scraped the sideline. The kicker, Dustin Hopkins, is
only fourteen for twenty this year, he missed three kicks
in New Orleans. Yeah, two of them counted them. He
(43:00):
got the result of a penalty, it didn't count.
Speaker 4 (43:03):
But he's still struggling for a kicker.
Speaker 3 (43:06):
Yeah, it's been a revolving door a kicker for them.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
Just keep your guard up and don't get knocked out
by a right cross, and you ought to win a
decision comfortably.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
Entane Garrett to some degree too. He's a scary guy,
there's no question. But their defense is and what it's been.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
That's gonna do it for us. Thanks to uh Meryl
for joining us as he always does. Thanks to Justin
Miller for pushing all the right buttons, and thank you
for finding us once again wherever and however you found us.
For Matt Williamson, Mike Pursuda, this has been Steelers Preview
right here on your Steelers flagship one of two point
five DVE and the Steelers Audio Network until next week.
Speaker 4 (43:43):
Good Night, everyone,
Welcome to the Steelers Preview show on WDVE Pittsburgh, brought
to you by your neighborhood Fords store. The F one
fifty is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers by
Brian Patton and associates. It's all about the benefits and
by the Steelers Pro Shop. Get it to wreck from
the team at shop dot Steelers dot com. And now
here are your hosts, Merril Hodge, Matt Williamson, and Mike Persuda.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Good evening and welcome to another edition of Steelers Preview
right here on your Steelers flagship one O two point
five DVE and the Steelers Audio Network. Mike Persuda and
Matt Williamson getting you ready for the Steelers and the
Browns Thursday night football in Cleveland. Our factor back, Merril Hodge,
will be along directly. But this is the first of
two consecutive Wednesday shows. Matt Diggs. Thanksgiving is next week.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Strange scheduling.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Even though there's no game on Thursday, We're going to
be otherwise occupied, as I think most of America.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Will, I would think.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So we'll do it again on Wednesday night next week,
and then we'll probably get back into somewhat of a
more normal schedule, but the schedule does get a little
goofy in December, so stay tuned. We'll keep you updated
in terms of when the show is going to air
from week to week. Let's kick things off the way
we normally do with the practice participation a though not
(01:15):
a ton of significant developments. The Steelers will not have
Alex Highsmith. I don't think anybody's expecting him to play.
He's been declared out and Corey Trice Junior to cornerback
still ticking on that re entry clock from the reserve
injured list.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
I don't think there's any reason to activate him even
if he was healthy. I think you're fine there for
another week, you know.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
But I would like to see him get back involved
just as an option.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Do you like the chances of high Smith being around
for Bengals?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
I do, okay, just because because Highsmith does Yeah, he's
usually pretty uh, pretty spot on on that stuff.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
For Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
We're gonna get to this a little bit later in
the show, but a significant development Jedrick Wills Junior there
sometimes left tackle. Yeah, weird is out and the Browns
have had some issues at left tackle all season long.
Because Willis has Willis excuse me, has had some issues
all season long, and that's going to be a problem
(02:11):
for the Browns again on Thursday. Will dive into that
in segment number three. But Matt what I wanted to
hit first and foremost here to kick things off. There
is an obvious question on the minds of all Steelers fans,
given what we saw against Baltimore with the three justin
fields plays, and given what we saw in New Orleans Sunday,
(02:33):
when Taysom Hill carried the ball seven times for one
hundred and thirty eight yards and three rushing touchdowns he
scored from ten, thirty three and seventy five yards away.
Is this one of those deals where you don't overthink
it and you just look at it and say, well,
Cleveland couldn't stop the gadgety quarterback.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
Why not run.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Justin fields and see if they can stop it again?
And if they can't, just keep running it. I think
you got to throw it out there for sure.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
I mean, Taysom Hill caused them all sorts of problems,
but he also threw two passes that probably should have
been picked off.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
You know.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Was yeah, and if you're going to turn the ball
over against the Browns. I mean, I'm not saying fields
would be one for one, but I think you got
to test those waters. I've been asked a lot this week.
I'm sure you've been down this road too, Man, Steelers
are really struggling in the red zone. Why not make
the fields package down by the goal line. And I
know it hasn't quite come to fruition, but one of
(03:31):
Wilson's greatest strengths over his career is red zone passing.
And I don't think that he's a bad red zone
passer all of a sudden and needy yankom down by
the goal line. I don't think that's what you were suggesting. No, No,
I think that Brown's defense wasn't real keen on tackling
Taysom Hill, weren't real buttoned up in any way, shape
or form. So you wouldn't have done a short week.
(03:53):
You wouldn't have to add anything to the playbook. It's
already in there. He's played a bunch of games already.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Russell Wilson said they had a bunch of stuff they
didn't get to for the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
I bet I bet so. Yeah, I would try it
and it's not like, Oh, Wilson's jobs in jeopardy. I
think it's another wrinkle. It's hard to play against one.
Speaker 4 (04:07):
Brown's injury.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
I forgot to mention Jeff Swain linebacker, but he's also
a short yard it's fullback, goal line and short yards.
He's out with a concussions.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Said linebackers tight end, right, I think he's a thought
he was a backer. I think he's there there blocking
tight end type. Oh, you're right, yeah, which will bring
us to the tackle question too. By the way, be
nice to have a somewhat blocking tight end and they
don't have any of those types.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
I confuse that. Uh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
But back to Hill. Now, they used him. I mean
he was the personal protector on the punt everything. Yeah,
he returned kickoffs. Uh, he played full back, he played
wide receiver. I'm not even talking about necessarily having fields
throw unless you would want to, but I like putting
them in now.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
I did not.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
I mean, we're gonna line fields up at tight end
and run routes. You know, right, he's quarterback, right.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I didn't envision the second and long component of it,
which they ran that quarterback draw and he turned it
into third and short. Yeah the first time, but I like,
you know, him reading the end. I don't care if
they know he's gonna run if he reads the end properly,
if the guy crashes, run around the edge like he did,
(05:18):
if the guy covers, you give it to Nase Harris
like they did on the third and one that helped
him steal the game. I mean, I just think this
and he could throw the ball, and he could if
you want him to.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Yeah, you don't.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
I guess the point I'm laboring to make. You don't assume. Well,
Taysom Hill had a lot of success, So Jim Schwartz
is going to fix that in a day or two.
You attack what you saw is vulnerable on it, and
you at least test it.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I think that's the simplest way of putting it, Like
show me you can stop this, Yeah, okay, And if
you can't, then we're just gonna keep running it down
your throat.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
If they do, you move on.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Yeah, we had other options here, and we're not saying
Field should start the game and play every snap and
all that stuff, just but mix them in.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I just thought it was really significant. You know, we've
been talking about this since the spring. Yeah, in some way,
shape or form, and then Fields was starting for a while,
so obviously it's off the table.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
Then he had the hamstring injury.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I just thought it was real significant that they got
to that in a game. Finally, I was expecting him
to do it on the fourth and one in the
first quarter from midfield, and I don't look at it
it's just a red zone thing. I look at it
as a when you need to make a play thing.
And particularly for the Steelers Matt, who have not impressed
me in there. They run the ball pretty well, but
(06:29):
their short yardage stuff is problematic miss at best.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah, and it wasn't saying this. I mean it was
only one run, and yeah, he should probably taken one
more step to seal the game. But that was one
of the first times I saw the acceleration from him
that you really have saw with Chicago. You mentioned the
hamstring injury he's had. They they've had a little bit
(06:53):
of a governor on him when he was the the starter.
Had they had to right, I mean, if somebody back up,
that was the one thing that was potential there that
was driving me crazy when he was playing.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I don't know if it's because they didn't want him
taking hits if they were worried about him getting hurt.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
With Wilson unavailable, they didn't want to put him the
way I took it.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Running is And I'm not trying to cast dispersions on
his passing. He's gotten better, but he's gonna look by
far is his best thing.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
So yeah, let's see, he's a thoroughbred.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
This guy is like one of the better running backs
in the league, right and we and I've told Steeler
fans this and I'm kind like you guys haven't seen
it yet.
Speaker 3 (07:32):
I mean, go back to his Chicago tape. It's like
roll down the sidelines running like a thoroughbred.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
I mean, imagine the play where he slid early. He
had room there.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
He opened it up there too. He looked great.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Yeah he might if that's the middle of the second quarter,
he's still going. They're not just trying to move the
sticks and kill the game at that point. So so
I think there's a lot of potential there.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
And like you mentioned, it just happened to correlate with
the same week when they couldn't stop Taysom Hill. You know,
they didn't play it that way.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
You know, the thing that concerns me a little bit.
And we'll get into James Winston in the tail with
Merril Hodge. But I see this as kind of a
puncher's chance game for Cleveland because yeah, he'll he'll throw
it to the other team. I mean, they had a
good game against the Ravens. He beat the Ravens, but
they dropped three interceptions.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
They did. There were a couple of the other night.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Where they bawling into a crowd and you're like, are
you doing Yeah, But man, he made some majestic throws
and the firing downfield. I felt like I was watching
football in the seventies again when I was growing up.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
That's what he is.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
None of the sideways crap. And I'm worried about my
completion percentage. I'm trying to get it to third and short.
I mean, he wants twenty thirty yards of play. He's
using that arm to good use, like he can throw.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Make some dangerous Yeah, and.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
They got guys on the other end. Jerry Judy's no slouch.
I really like Tilman's size and potential. H Mike Tomlin
speculating that's the reason that they traded Amari Cooper number nineteen,
him and I think he's definitely six three two fifteen.
I meet him, get him in the lineup. This kid
is ascending, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Elijah Moore is a fine slot and the joke who's
a weapon and he's unleashed them all, you know, and
they love playing for him. They love that he's not
Deshaun Watson, you know, like that side of the ball
all of a sudden got a jolt of energy. And
he's unconventional by today's terms. I mean, if they can
protect and that's a much different story, he could carve
(09:25):
you up. I mean he throws for three hundred yards
all the time.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
He is capable.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
So we look at this game, and we've had this
conversation a few times. We watched these other teams play,
the Colts and the Cowboys with the boy, it's hard
to see a path to.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
The Steelers blowing this one.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
I know Cleveland's two and eight, but I'm not looking
at this game in that same light. I think, Yeah,
puncher's chance is what I've settled. I think that's a
great or way of phrasing it.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
And I go back to you and I hosting the
schedule release show when this came out, I'm like, oh, oh,
short week on the road in after Ravens. You know,
late in the season, you're gonna be all beat up. Now,
I don't feel that way now. Like if I on
schedule release date and if I had to put a
w ORL next to every game, I would have put
an out on this one. Yeah, I probably feel better
(10:09):
about it now.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
I mean, I just whenever I do that stuff, I
assume three and three in the division. Then I just
worry about the other games. But okay, I'm not assuming
three and three in the division anymore.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
No, they're what six and one in the last seven.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
We're just getting started here on the preview and when
we come back, we'll kick it in the high gear
with the factor back Merril Hodge. So keep it here
with Matt Williamson on Mike Persuda. I want to remind
everybody that Steelers Preview is brought to you by the
Steelers Pro Shop. Gear up with the latest game day
necessities at the official Steelers Pro Shops. Get the latest
Sideline apparel, jerseys, terrible towels, authentic memorabilia and custom exclusives
(10:45):
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one of the official Steelers pro shops. Those are located
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dot Steelers dot com. Marylhadgeh's next here on Steelers Preview
on your Steelers Flagship one or two point five DVE
and the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
Back to the Steelers Preview show on DVE.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Welcome back to the preview, Mike Pursuita and Matt Williamson
with you, getting you ready for the Steelers and the
Browns Thursday night football in Cleveland. Time now to welcome
our factor back, Merril Hodge to the program. And Merrill,
I know you've got a lot to say about this
current matchup, as you always do, but you are as
(11:32):
I am, someone who dates back to that beautiful dump
that was known as Municipal Stadium in Cleveland.
Speaker 5 (11:41):
Lake.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Yeah, that's the place, and I just wonder I know
you'd like to tell a story or two sometimes anything
stand out from your experiences in Cleveland Municipal Stadium because
it was a one of a kind place.
Speaker 5 (12:00):
Well we could, I only got an hour. I'll just
I'm actually just share my very first experience because it
was probably if I'd never be one another one like it,
hopefully not. But that was the year that we're going
to go on strike. And in nineteen eighty seven and
so what was going to happen is we're going to
play two games and then we're going to go on strike.
(12:21):
And the second game happened to be from us in Cleveland.
And one of the great ideas by the NFLPA, which
they had moronic ideas, they completely screwed the whole thing up.
I don't want to get that. That's another show. They
decide that we are going to show unity and we're
(12:42):
going to shake hands before the game. The every matchup
was going to shake hands soon as we hurting that,
but we an't shaking Cleveland's hands. And they said, and
we're the only team that didn't shake him, right because
we so neither one of us. Everybody walked across the
field shok hands. But in Pittsburgh, please let they showed
the camera and we stayed on our sideline. They stayed
(13:03):
on there. So anyway, it was we're going into hostile territory.
And if you know that, they call the dog pound there,
but the real dog pound started in in that stadium,
and uh, you know, they had extra security because of
the of the strike and just all the things going on.
(13:24):
And so it was my first time there. And so
you used to warm up. We would warm up actually
in the dog pound. So I'm standing in the dog pound,
we're warming up, and I just I see these things
dropping around and I'm like, what They're like double A batteries, right,
there's like So I turned around and there's security across
(13:48):
the back wall. They're all watching us, and everybody behind
them are throwing batteries satisfy something. It is like the
dumbest thing ever like this, This security's not even watching
the people they're supposed to be watching. And so anyway,
I can't. I turn around, I grab a battery and
I go to throw it back. When I throw it,
(14:09):
it slips out of my hand and it hits Mike
Webster in the helmet. Okay, you you don't, you don't
we me? Okay, who's my roommate by the way. Okay,
So he just stops for a second. He turns to
me and he said, hey, listen, it's bad enough they're
throwing them at me. Could you please not do that? Sir?
(14:36):
I'm sorry. Anyway. The best part of it is I
actually take some of the batteries and I go back
to im back to the locker room and I leave
them there. And then when the game's over, I just
wanted to check the batteries. I wanted to see if
they were like dead batteries. This is how dun Cleveland is.
All of the batteries were new batteries. I replaced them
(14:58):
in my walk. I'm like, oh, oh, anyway, that was
my first experience in Cleveland, my first experience. I'll never forget.
I'll never forget it.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
It reminds me. I saw a couple of games. I've
worked games there.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
I saw a couple of games there as a fan
when I was growing up, and when I was in college.
I went down there in nineteen eighty three and saw
the Steelers play, and I saw people dumping beer on
each other, you know, wearing the opposite color.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Yeah, yeah, And I thought, man, why would you waste
a good beer?
Speaker 5 (15:33):
Right?
Speaker 3 (15:33):
There's something each other something.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
But anyway, but.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
Hey, last thing about that stag. The last thing. When
that game was over, Jim Brown actually was out in
the middle of the fielding a fifty yard line. It
was the one stadium that you could almost steal ghosts
of football pass. I mean that's how how archaic it
was and old it was, and somewhat historic it was.
(16:04):
I mean you could feel like old's football in that
in that stadium. That is the one thing you could feel.
And that's that's the only thing of good vibes, by
the way, But I never forgot that either, because I
was like, man, that is just a that staying was
very I mean, listen, I used to change in the
in the shower, like nobody showered because you didn't have
(16:24):
enough room. You just got home. You just get to
our drive home, so you just undressed, and Homie showered.
He ain't shower in the locker room.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Well that's a different venue, but the same rivalry and
where I wanted to start with you suspecting that you've
done more research on this than I have. Uh, I
didn't see the Browns play well. Deshaun Watson was quarterbacking.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
Uh it was a tough watch.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I've seen two of the games with Jameis Winston and
I'm just surmising that Deshaun Watson must have been off
the charts awful because I mean this team's too in eight,
but it's got some capability with the other guy.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
Yeah, well, I've always say this. I've watched them all
year while you kind of watch the division, at least
the division, stad at the division, if watching the division,
and you watch their opponents, so you've watched almost the
entire league by time you're done anyway, But you know
dsaw and let's go back to you know, the we
talked about the biggest mistake on the Lake, and then
this is probably the biggest mistake in you know, free
(17:26):
agency history. What they did, you know, and their calculation
and their observation, you know, what they what? I think
they clearly obviously never looked at or if they did,
they ignored it. And it's a massive thing to ignore.
This guy didn't play for two years. I can't so
he got two years older, and that that is I think.
I don't think they missed that. But he missed thousands
(17:49):
and thousands of reps to get better. And you I
don't know of any craft profession, you know, and he's
in the midway middle point. You know, it wasn't the
very very big he was more closer to the middle.
And to lose all of those raps that really harnish
your skills, set polish your skills that develop you. Man,
(18:11):
he never recovered from that. I remember his first game,
he looked like a fish out of water. I was like,
he was just and he just and honestly, he never
ever recover from that perspective. You know, when then the
Midnight lost Chubb like at the beginning of the year,
I will say this, they've had no running game, none.
That whole team was built on that. You know, that's
I mean, that's what you had to worry about, which
(18:33):
is ironic shows back, you know, I mean the Pittsburgh
game and you didn't never see anybody get hurt. It
was terrible, seal it, but they'd never recovered from that.
They're not as good as upfront. And I remember at
the Raider game, he absolutely lost his mind. They were
I mean, they were getting destroyed. He didn't have it
didn't matter if they ran a screen, he had pressure
(18:54):
on it. And he, man, he lost his mind. He
got up and he was screaming. And yet his offensive line,
so there was no rhythm to their offense. Uh, there
was no consistency to their offense. There was nothing, no
staple to their offense, and they're a little better now.
They're a little better now than they were.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
But what do you think of Winston as a player?
Just in a vacuum though, Yeah, I.
Speaker 5 (19:20):
Think he's I think he's a well, what is a
great way to describe Onceton.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
I mean he's volatable.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
He's a little bit I mean he's a little bit
spastic and erratic in the pocket. You know, he really
has a herky jerky way of playing. But he throws
some you know, he makes some good throws and he
does you know, he plays for the Procket Pocket fairly reasonable.
I guess the Saints he was terrible. He's all over
(19:52):
the place. His best throws were when he scrambled. He
could a touchdown path too, Sam passes.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Yeah, the ones who the slot guy Elijah Moore in
a back pylon was really a gorgeous throw.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
And he makes him throw here state history, yes, his
Florida state history. The big knock on him was just
like he's gonna throw you a pick. You know, I knew,
you know, Tampa Bay drafted him. I don't know, don't
know if you knew this, but Dirt Cutter was the
head coach at the time Dirt Cutter was my high
school coach. I don't known Dirk since I was like
(20:26):
in junior high. And you know when he didn't want
Jameis Winston for a variety of reasons. One he said
every time, I mean, if you go to BEDTT and
now you you got to worry your quarterback's not gonna
get arrested, or he'll be there show, He'll be there
on Monday for you. He was always worried about that.
And just inside the white lines, he just he was
(20:47):
gonna try to make every play all the time. Like
he didn't. He couldn't. He couldn't decipher which play was reasonable,
Where do I take a sack? Where do I throw
it away? And he has never gotten over that. He's
still like that. So he will win some and they'll
makes fill makes some throws. You're like wow, but it
usually breaks its ugly head when it matters and it's
(21:10):
a critical moment. You know that That was why they
he'd been Ben's why they'd let him go in Tampa.
And that's really been his inconsistency that he has yet
to overcome.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
I mean, he's definitely a big game hunter. I mean,
he drives the ball down the field, and I respect that,
but yeah, you kind of mentioned their own line. Jack
Conklin's the right tackle and he's declining to be kind.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
The left tackles your tongue.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Oh he's a mission stake, dear left tackle. They're pulling
off the street trip. You don't even know who's going
to be playing left tackle. Is it a fetti? And
he's not a left tackle. And they the way they
play is tons of three receiver sets. The joku's not
going to help. The backs are so so in protection.
I mean, I don't know how they chip and help
(21:55):
on the edge guys for the Steelers, I you know,
as let's.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
Get to the the nuts and bolts of this game.
You're right, you know, they just they can't. They will.
They're going to struggle with the fresher. The Steelers can apply.
And if they do surrender and say, well that's not
going to happen, then you give up minimum one guy.
You know, you're tightening their back and possibly too if
you want your quarterback to survive and have chances to throw.
(22:24):
I agree, you know, I just the Saints whipped them,
you know, and they don't have the two guys that
Steelers have and the rotation there, so yeah, that was
I knew the dialogue would eventually go to that. That
is as a real problem. They're not the same upfront.
Even in the running game. You know, they used to
be a really good pin and Poll team did a
(22:46):
lot of it. I was the line coach. Now it's
obviously in Tennessee and he's simply he just wanted the best.
And you can tell their coachings or their players are different,
as you're just well documented. They're just not saying time
about top of all offens line personnel that they've had
in the past.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
I think the Gardens are declining to and you know,
this is.
Speaker 5 (23:07):
A whole nothing like four years ago.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
This was an elite line, right, and it's a lot
of the same guys, but they're not the same.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
Yeah, I agree. You know, Chubb's back and I watched
him and you listen, he's he's a tough runner, he's
a good runner, he's a pro, he knows how to
run him. He's he gives in a little bit, you know,
but he's not what he once was. And and there's
very few back tick an offset a bat off of
his line. You know, the best one in the history
is probably Walter Peyton, and there's no Walter Payton's out there,
(23:38):
you know. It just.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Back to Chubb.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Is that a deal where the more he plays he'll
start coming around or do you think this is post
injury Chubb and pre injury pre injury Chubb is for
the history books.
Speaker 5 (23:56):
I'm actually pulling for him. I yeah, I'm I'm pulling
for him to come back. And I'll tell you this,
he still runs. He makes some good runs. You know.
He is just a really good pro runner. He knows
how to run, man, and he you whatever you present him,
he's going to get the maximum almost every time. He's
he's their best runner. Even now, he's still their best runner,
(24:18):
you know, and I think they have him kind of on.
You know. You know that that was a significant injury,
so to give him twenty five carries would be crazy.
And I know they're not doing that for a reason.
But he does you know, you know, I'm Matt talking
about past. He's probably their best. He's there. They're smarter
than best or so he you know, he does a
(24:40):
good job to help him from that perspective, but he's
not in there all the time, you know, he's in
there about third at the time, and you know, a
Sunday to a Thursday, I would I would maybe say
it suggests well or I anticipate maybe it's probably a
little less because that's a short recovery for him, you know,
with that type of things. So it might be mayor man,
I just possibility. I think.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
So the other side of the ball. Wow, I don't
mean to cause controversy. I don't want you to pick,
but just compare and contrast Miles Garrett and t J.
Watt's styles.
Speaker 5 (25:15):
Well, I guess I think they're so different, you know, yeah,
I just think it's still different. T J. Watt is
like there's instinctive a football player. I like the he's
a phenomena with his hands. You know, he's quick off
the ball to you know, Miles Gearart is big and explosive,
(25:37):
you know for his size. You know, he's just he's
a force and he's so quick, you know, he gets
off the ball. You know. That's why you might think
the Saints played how they how they played. They you know,
they were draws, quick screens and uh and I keep
(25:59):
that some of it Miles Garrett, you know, to neutralize
him because like he caed to block a guy or
you can play call a guy. You know, everything's to
got block a guy. You know, he can't just do
the entire game, but or run at him. So then
they did all of that, and they did it very effectively,
you know, and they because they completely neutralized him. I
don't think he was a factor. I don't remember him
being a factor in the game. But I'm going off
(26:20):
with him.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
I think he ended up with a zero in the
box score because I'll.
Speaker 5 (26:26):
Be surprised that I didn't see. I don't look at sick,
I didn't look at anything. I just I just tell
by their game plan they play calling. During watching the game,
I'm like, he was a non factor period. He was.
I was like, I didn't know where he was and
he never showed up, and not that he wasn't try
And I'm just saying that play calling and design and
stuff I think was geared around that aspect, you know,
(26:46):
And I don't think that there. I think I think
you neutralized him. Then you're you're okay.
Speaker 3 (26:54):
The effort of that defense was not great, to say
the least. Well, I pay some hill.
Speaker 5 (26:59):
Yeah, yeah, I think their linebacker you are questionable so
you know, I do the back end and make some
mistakes and have some issues. So it's not like you know,
I see this things like this year's drug on for
two years, but I because I remember the first year
(27:20):
like they were like their defense was a juggernaut, and
you know, their playoff team and their defense hasn't even
come close to being a championship style defense at any point.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Merrill, They're expecting some weather. Does that affect one team
more than the other?
Speaker 5 (27:38):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Both teams got to play in it.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Let's say it's sleety and sloppy and windy, windy, right,
what's the what's the impact?
Speaker 5 (27:47):
Yeah, I think that favors both of them. I don't
think either one of them are worried about that or
are not customer playing in that. But the better team
than to go on the ground has the advantage, and
that's clearly Pittsford. I mean this series, I think, but
i'd better running attack and a quarterback that can can
move and disturb to and compliment it enough that you
(28:10):
know you can't just in your ear, I mean, drop
eight in the box and tell you I we're to
stop that, and that's the end of it. So I
actually like U. I'd like Pittsburgh if it was. It
was a nasty game in the game, throwing the ball
was somewhat of an issue with the wind in that
I danige the ground game. That's why I love the
(28:30):
ground game. It does so many things in your favor,
you know, specially we're talking about elements.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Yeah, one hundred percent agree, And the way that style travels.
And do you agree that this could be one of
those games where the Steelers control it, run a very
high percentage of the time, don't mind punting land a
lot of body blows in the first half, and then
as the game goes on and the Browns aren't loving
(28:57):
their situation, two yard runs turn into aven yard runs.
Speaker 5 (29:02):
Yeah, well I forget. Yeah, that's a I think that's
almost on every Sunday approach with this team. That's where
you have to, you know, you have to have that
type of mindset going in and I think they've developed
that and they believe that.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
You know, I got the most team in the league.
Sorry to ask your two questions at once, but do
you think the Steelers the most physical team in the league.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
They're one of them, no question. I think that, you know,
the Ravens clearly are one of them. And that was
a fist fight in the fifty you know, they all
I mean, they welcome that and and they'll take that.
You know, they're gonna take that into Cleveland. And that's
always a good thing and always a good thing and
a good sign. So but you make it played very well,
(29:43):
you know, and again I mentioned this on the Morning show.
They just did a really good job against Russell Wilson.
You know, they pushed the pocket, that created a wall,
made it harder for him to throw. I think Russell
navigated around that as much as possible. Then they helped
him a little bit by moving him a little more
because they were winning in that department. So you got
to find ways to counter that, because you know teams
(30:03):
are going to try that, you know, once they see
it and they are minded of it and not he
does it, which is always interesting to me. But they'll
be teams that try it, you know, you know, I
mean they push that front wall to him, so it's
harder for him to see misses some guys because of
his hype, and you don't give any escape routes. They
push him laterally and they'll let him get going vertically,
(30:28):
and you know that's just harder on Russell to make throws. Now,
he does a good job of navigating that, but he's
not as consistent obviously, So it'll be interesting to see
what their counter is to that of Cleveland tries to
do those type of things.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Meryl, the last thing I got for you, red zone
has been a big problem for the Steelers, no matter
who's a quarterback, it's really hit or miss. You know,
three for four or zero for four numbers along those
lines are thirtieth in the NFL. What what's the one
thing that's got to change more than any other n
that around.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
Well, I would see that this is like in the
passing game, you know when they throw the foot blogs.
I just funny, bring what's interesting bringing that up? I
was noticing this, you know, scoring territory. There was a
few times where you had four wide receiver, tight end,
two wide receivers, a tight end, a running back all
inside the hash area. Now, something's wrong there, because, like
(31:23):
spacing is a critical component of the passing game. And
if you're on the ten yard line and you have
four guys within that around, we're looking at the twenty
yard for four people and It's just that's something was
wrong there, you know. Rather guys are busting their routes
and stuff. So they got to do a better job
of run their routes and better spacing. You know. That's
a tough one. That's the tight quarters anyway. The last
(31:45):
thing you want to do is have everybody in the
same thing inside the hash area. There's not a lot
of space to have four potential receivers, you know. And
then you're leaven all this field on the outside wide open,
you know, and only one guy out there, you know,
and then your quarterback that's not maybe his best angle
of you either, it's more on the perimeter. So I'm
(32:05):
sure say they button that worked on that, you know,
whose mistake it was or who was making the wrong
run the wrong routes and doing the right thing and
the timing of it all. You know, they could get
better there. If they got better there, I think there'll
be more access to Russell Wilson Meryl appreciate.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
It is always uh, not sure what is gonna happen
tomorrow night. I'm not sure where you're gonna be, but
I'm guessing nobody's gonna throw.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
A battery at you. So you got that going for you.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Hopefully it's not a dead one to put them back
in your walkman.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well listen, I'm gonna watch
the game, so Coach Steevens, Baby, thank you, guys.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Thanks Meryl, talk to you next week. That is Meryl Hodge,
our factor back for batteries. Did you ever make it?
The uniss will say that, no glorious stump, but it hurt.
It was old and dirty and broken down. But I
loved it really, as Meryl said, yeah, I saw baseball
there and I saw football there, Okay.
Speaker 4 (33:02):
And the history there's gohoes.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Yeah, I'm big on the Yankee Stadium and the Coliseum
in LA and you know Notre Dame Stadium, places that
have been around for a long time. I respected it.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
But pre Super Bowl Brown's Jim Brown and Autograham and all.
You could feel their presence.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
They had a long, long time better than they got
it going now. It still got one more segment to go,
so keep it here with Matt Williamson. I'm Mike Pursuda.
You're listening to Steelers preview right here on your Steelers
Flagship one or two point five DVE and the Steelers
Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Back to the Steelers preview show on DVE.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
Welcome back.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
I always like talking about yesterdays in the nineties with
people such as Marra because they're not.
Speaker 4 (33:49):
A lot of us around, Matt.
Speaker 3 (33:52):
I mean I remember them. I mean they act like
way younger than you guys or whatever.
Speaker 5 (33:56):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
I remember early eighty Brown's football, Frank Minefield and Mac
and Brian Sipe and all those things. That's great stuff.
Speaker 2 (34:04):
And he wasn't kidding about the locker room like it was.
You would go into the visitors locker room and it
was a shoe box and it was wood and there
was a nail and that's where players put their stuff.
Speaker 5 (34:16):
Ok.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
When I was a pit we went to Notre Dame
twice and the visiting locker room was real similar. One
coach could shower at the time.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
And they had it was an old stadiums and had
real wide concourses because back then they didn't care about
footprints and you know, use it up valuable space downtown.
They just built the thing the way it was supposed
to be built, and you would interview the visiting coach
in a trailer, but it was in the concourse and
the fans knew. That's they knew Chuck Male was in there,
and after they would lose a game, people would walk
(34:45):
by and pound on it, so upset like, oh he
hated that.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
Oh I can imagine. I mean it was Uh.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Can you imagine being on that two and a half
hour bus ride with a team that hasn't showered.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
No, that was the revel for Maryland.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Yeah wow, but he got some free batteries out of it.
Speaker 5 (35:03):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (35:04):
What to Expect is brought to you by Brian Patton
and associates. It's all about the benefits. And here's what
I expect, Matt. I expect the Browns to have troubles
at left tackle. Now let me give you the history.
We told you at the start of the show that
Jedrick Wills is out. He got hurt last year's season again,
season ending knee injury, had to have surgery, so he's
(35:27):
not ready at the start of this season. So they
go with James Hudson, who starts the first couple of
games three of the first four. Actually, Wills came back
for one game against the New York Football Giants Week three,
then he was out again.
Speaker 4 (35:40):
The knees been bothering him off and on all year.
Speaker 2 (35:44):
Hudson ends up on the reserve injured list, Wills ends
up back in the lineup. Then I mentioned the kniees
bothering him. October twenty seventh, Cleveland getting ready to play Baltimore,
and Wills announces that his knee isn't the hunter and
he's going to make a quote.
Speaker 4 (36:02):
Business the city.
Speaker 3 (36:03):
He's also up for contract, by the way, that's business part.
Speaker 4 (36:06):
Yes, So he's not going to play at less than
one hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (36:08):
So then the Brown said, Okay, we're not going to
play next week against the Chargers either. They benched them.
They have gone through Hudson, They've gone through Wills, They've
gone through Dewan Jones.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
Who broke his leg in the Saints game the momising
massive tackle.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Yeah, so now they are down to presumably starter number
four at the position. That would be Jermaine Affetti, who
is a former first round pick in twenty sixteen, but
massive journeyman.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Twenty sixteen is a while ago.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
He's played for Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, and now Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
And I don't know how much left tackle he's played.
He's been a lot of guard and some right tackle.
He's not lived up to being a first round pick,
but he's lasted this league for a long time and
made a lot of money, so good for him, you know.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
But I expect that's going to be a problem for
the Browns, massive problem.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
And we know all these teams are doing going way
out of their way to chip and help on the
Steelers edge guys, and that's great and you have to,
but even the way this team's constructed, they're one of
the They're basically the highest pass percentage team in the league.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
They love three wides, they love three wides.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Winston's putting up numbers, but their tight end is a
true receiver in the djoku. The guy behind him is
Brevin Jordan, who's like two hundred and thirty pounds. I mean,
he's basically a wide out too. And we mentioned the
guy that you called a linebacker and I forget his name,
but he's kind of a black Art fight. Yeah, he
at least could help. So I don't know who the
(37:44):
on the line help is.
Speaker 4 (37:47):
How do you who's your seven man.
Speaker 3 (37:50):
Protection against the Steeler pass rush? And I'm gonna say
the same thing next week because the Bengals are the same.
But one of my predictions is over the next two weeks,
the Steeler might have a dozen sacks, you know, with
four man rushes which they love, which they love, and
the blitz and stuff we saw these last two weeks
against the athletic quarterback. I don't know why you need
(38:12):
to do that, you know, just go back to your
cover three drop seven. How are they gonna deal with
Watt and the other edge guys. I think it's gonna
be a real problem. And Winston's not very mobile.
Speaker 2 (38:22):
Yeah, you mentioned h Conkling the right tackles not what
he used to be. Is a first round pick, I
think why Teller's slipping a little bit? And at guard,
I think Joel Batonio, guy who I think has been
a great player for a long long time. Uh, kind
of fine, He's okay, but he's not what he used
to be either.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
They cam Hayward in that fight.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Yeah, I mean it's the O line is going to
be problematic for the Browns, and I think that will
feed into the Steelers' hands.
Speaker 3 (38:48):
Yeah, and I don't see a strong running game. Chub
isn't what he used to be. So one of the
past of victories we talked about is maybe Winston carves
you up. But he's gonna have to hold ball to
do it.
Speaker 4 (39:00):
And he's get on his horse and get outside.
Speaker 2 (39:04):
And both his TVs were on the run, as Barrel
pointed out.
Speaker 3 (39:09):
But you know he's not Lamar or Daniels, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Oh, it's to extend He's not He's not going to
run forward. No, So that's what to expect. That's brought
to you by Brian Patton and associates. We could extend
that here if we wanted to. Matt Uh and I'll
do it in an unsponsored uh back half of this segment.
What do you expect from these Steelers all of a sudden.
We talked a minute ago about going down the schedule
(39:35):
at the outset and putting down w or L. I
wasn't sure what to make of this team at the
beginning of the season because of the uncertainty with Russell
Wilson's health. I thought, I thought he was great signing
when they got him. I thought I thought he would
elevate them. At the start of the year, I thought, well,
it's looking like kind of similar to last year. Maybe
go nine and eight, maybe get in the playoffs and
(39:57):
have a short stay and call it a season. U.
I'm starting to think these guys are a contender.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
I do too, and they wouldn't be the top contender.
I don't think they're quite the Bills of the Lions
or the Chiefs, but I think they're probably the tier
right below those guys. I don't love their chances of
winning in Philly, and I'm sure they'll drop a division
game or two, but I think they're going to be
nine to two when we get together next week, and
that's a pretty darn good place to start rested. I
(40:23):
don't know that since he has much more to play for. Yes,
I think this is a at least a tier better
than we've been used to before, and probably a Tier
two team overall, with maybe only three teams in the
league is like a Tier one type.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
And I think it still has some upside.
Speaker 4 (40:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
I look at Buffalo and I think, well, they're playing
about as well as they can play, and that's at
a high level.
Speaker 4 (40:47):
But I don't think the Bills is gonna get a whole.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
Lot better, not that they need to right really good.
Speaker 4 (40:51):
I think the Bills are the Bills.
Speaker 2 (40:53):
I suspect the Chiefs are playing a little rope a
dope in the regular season.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
Not certain of that because there's been a lot of
change there. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:59):
Yeah, really pulled out some games. They'll be fine though,
but not necessarily unbeatable.
Speaker 3 (41:07):
I mean they were undefeated coming into last week. I
don't think they're light years above everyone or even better
than they were last year.
Speaker 2 (41:14):
Now, you may have to have the cajones that Sean
McDermott had, and when you got a two point lead,
you may have to eschew the field goal and try
to stick the ball in the end zone and stick
to the steak and Dracula's heart and not give Patrick
Mahomes a chance to beat you at the end. It
may take that, but as we see that could happen.
Steelers showed me something against Baltimore. I had my doubts
(41:36):
about the Ravens defense. The defense for Baltimore was not
the reason Baltimore lost, but what the Steelers did to
that Lamar Jackson Armada defensively was really attention.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
Getting to me.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
I think, superpressive between the defense and the special teams.
If the offense can continue to develop, and maybe that's
the fields package, maybe that's getting better in the red zone.
I think there's still to using Mike Tomlin some meat
on that offensive bone and if they can find.
Speaker 3 (42:02):
That, Yeah, I think the offensive bone defenses needs to
stay healthy and keep up what they're doing. They'll be fine.
I mean, they have a lot of talent and they're
well coached. And you mentioned special teams like I wanted
to throw this out there for this game too, because
it was something I harped on going into the Ravens game.
In the margins, I thought the Steelers had a big
advantage on special teams, penalties, turnovers, all those things came
(42:26):
to fruition against Baltimore. They have big advantages against the
Browns in that regard and special teams wise and really
turnover margin two, they're gonna have an advantage over everybody,
you know. I mean they're the top of the league
in both those categories, which are super important.
Speaker 2 (42:38):
Yeah, Browns gave up a huge punt return last Sunday
which was almost even huger, even bigger. I don't think
huge as a word, but it was fifty three yards.
It could have been another thirty in touchdown, but the
guy just scraped the sideline. The kicker, Dustin Hopkins, is
only fourteen for twenty this year, he missed three kicks
in New Orleans. Yeah, two of them counted them. He
(43:00):
got the result of a penalty, it didn't count.
Speaker 4 (43:03):
But he's still struggling for a kicker.
Speaker 3 (43:06):
Yeah, it's been a revolving door a kicker for them.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
Just keep your guard up and don't get knocked out
by a right cross, and you ought to win a
decision comfortably.
Speaker 3 (43:14):
Entane Garrett to some degree too. He's a scary guy,
there's no question. But their defense is and what it's been.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
That's gonna do it for us. Thanks to uh Meryl
for joining us as he always does. Thanks to Justin
Miller for pushing all the right buttons, and thank you
for finding us once again wherever and however you found us.
For Matt Williamson, Mike Pursuda, this has been Steelers Preview
right here on your Steelers flagship one of two point
five DVE and the Steelers Audio Network until next week.
Speaker 4 (43:43):
Good Night, everyone,
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