January 10, 2025 • 45 mins
The guys discuss their personal playoff experience, and the mindset required to win in these elimination situations.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Shure, the official insurance and
cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by BET MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's Craig
Wolfley and Max Stark's.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Alright, it's the Power Hour. That's right, early hour number two.
Warning to everybody else. We're getting approaching to the midday,
but also approaching deployment for you guys to the airfield,
guys to get to the plane. So you know, I have,
(00:57):
you know, as I kind of think about this as
last final kind of hours here before the team goes
on to to be more. You know, we've talked about
it with Missy. We've kind of talked about it all week.
I mean, the importance of kind of kind of shaking
the quote unquote rust off of this four game losing
(01:19):
streak and going in with the mindset of one to zero.
That's the only thing on your mind. Everything's equal, we
throw everything out. Yes, there's history and everything else, but
this history is really close when you think about it.
I mean, the Steelers have a two to one advantage
over the Ravens over over the last five years. That's
(01:42):
a lot of times to play a team, and there's
a lot of times for things to swing your way.
Lamar to and four against us. And you know Mark
Andrews and eleven contests caught his first touchdown the last
time we played. So you know, I know there's mojo,
and you have to kind of forget about mojo for
(02:03):
a second, but when you just look at it, I mean,
the Steelers have been the better team in this contest,
regardless of who's been a quarterback, regardless of who's been
missing or whatever else, the Steelers still maintain the edge
against the Ravens in this contest. And this will be
the first time the Steelers have traveled to Baltimore for
a playoff game. And I think for Baltimore, you know,
(02:24):
there has to be that thought in the back of
their mind, right, can we really do this? Can we
really accomplish what we think we can accomplish. That's I mean,
that's gonna be permeating throughout their brain and the fact
that that we live in their heads rent free. And
from that perspective, Wolf, you know, you've got to use
(02:48):
that psychological warfare, right, you know, when personnel almost all
things are equal. When it comes to gameplay, you know,
very similar, you know, because we know him just as
much as they know us. That's where the psychological edges.
And I think that's what you got to have to
think about, is psychological edges and pia warfare. That's right,
(03:11):
that's right. It's like a nerve gas agent. But but
not quite unless we've had we've.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Had guys past in the huddle. Yes, that's that's definitely nerves.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
It's funny how the never mind never mind before this
ex generates.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
When all things are equal. Yeah, exactly, exactly. Hey, as
much as things change, things don't change.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Well, that's true the decades. Well, you mentioned Andrews brother.
You know what, though, he's got he's got a touchdown
six straight games and eleven touchdowns over the past twelve games.
But the guy, the guys, after initial not good start,
he's come out and that kind of a dare.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah, well, think about this. The one game he didn't
have a touchdown was against two US, that's right. So
it's not twelve for twelve, that's right. So we do
know how to affect We do have the Andrews code.
We just didn't have the personnel to carry out to
Andrews code the last time we were playing, right, you know,
you know, Missy kind of highlighted it, right, No, Joshaun
elliott O, Larry Ogan, Joby and we also lost Joey
(04:25):
Porter Jr. And Dante Jacksons and Dante. Yeah, so when
you think of that, I mean, come on, I mean
this is a different contest, and you know what, And
now now I'm starting to get honked off. You know,
I let it as, I let it fester a little
bit more.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Wolf here honked off because Suggs is going to be
in the.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Building, I am, you know what, and everybody's gonna feel
the wrath of it until that game's over. Of all
guys to bring back for this game, you bring, you
bring Muddy mud Skipper back. You could have brought Ray
Lewis and read uh well, Hellodnada was at the last one,
so you can't bring him back. And I feel like
we've kind of squashed our issues. He was. He was
(05:03):
a very kind person in retirement. It's been ten years,
so I can let it go. But I can't let
I can't. This is one I can't Helodi not. I
told you I met him in the lobby after the
game and he went up to be hey Max, you know,
asked how I was doing and everything. I was like,
that's good. Yeah, so I mean, so so hel Hellodi
(05:24):
has he has not gotten on the Christmas card list
by any stretch of the imagination. But I mean we're cordial.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Well, let me ask you this. Did he ask about
Ben's nose? Did he ask?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
No, he did, He did not ask about Ben's nose.
That's still a while. It's still a while. That one
probably has a twenty year statute of limitation. But I mean,
but yeah, he was, he was, He was very he
was very kind in that moment. So that's good. I
can't not like you.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
You know, well it happens to all of us.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
But as you see, it'll diminish it, does you know it? Does?
You know? Overtime? Right time you got except for except
for to.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
They give it time, Just give it time.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
I mean, listen, he's gonna have to be an retirement
home and I'm to kick over his wheelchair. Sorry, sorry
I say it out loud.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
Mike.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yeah, yeah, well like I'm scooting over in my walker.
You know, with the little tennis balls on the bottom
to make sure I ask ability, and then I just
have one last like like like high kick left like
and then I just knock him over and he's in
a wheelchair and like the wheels spinning and he can't
do anything about it. Like that's that's where the moment
is there.
Speaker 5 (06:40):
They're bringing out, they're bringing out, they're bringing out dinner
at the retirement home, right, and I want his jello Max,
Max over, here's the chef be like, hey, remember, mister
Suggs is larger to cayam pepper, so don't put any
in his dish.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And Max wheels around and grabs the whole cayene pepper
and dumps.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
It right rade.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Yeah, the viciousness that's just flowing through the locker room
right now.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
My goodness. But that's what a rivalry game is, Wolf, Yes, Yes,
that's that's the feelings you get when you encounter that
team that just that just you know, you don't like
each other at the end of the day, you don't
like each other. And so you know, for me knowing
that it's it's it's personal, it's personal. Like, yeah, I'm
(07:28):
so glad. I'll be on my side of the sidelines,
and Muddy mud Skipper will be on his Side's.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Let's make it nothing, I mean nothing kind of defines
this game more than Mike Tomlin calling two trains one track.
I mean that that to me, that's just the ultimate thing.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Well, no, I mean, and that's what it is. I mean,
like you said, I mean, these are two fierce competitors
in the ultimate contest, because that's what the playoffs is.
It's the ultimate contest for our sport and a monoe mono.
I mean, we saw one last night, right with Penn
State and Notre Dame, and we'll get another one today
with Texas taking on Ohio State. There is there's a
(08:10):
certain level that has to be taken to in your
mind to be ready for this right when there's when
there's no tomorrow, when there's give it all you got.
I mean, every every axiom cliche you can think of
has to be, you know, put out there. And you know,
two trains one track equals it, but I think even
(08:33):
more so, it's two bullet trains in one track. Let's
let's be even more descriptive, right, this is a high
speed collision that you know, if you win do you
really win? You know, because how you're going to feel
after this game. That's the type of game it needs
to be. It needs to be as your as your
brother Ron would say. This is one where you wake
up with bloody sheets the next day, right, you know,
(08:57):
and you have to go to that place because that's
the only way you're gonna win this game. Like it's
it's not it's not fluff. It's not beat around the bush,
it's not you know, we're gonna finesse them. No, this
is this is a physical game.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
This is a physical game, dark motor early yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Yeah, exactly, you know, and you gotta you got you
gotta wear the masks very early, man, and you know,
become hide you know, a lot, a lot sooner, a
lot faster before you know, and you can't have any
Doctor Jekyls in the in this matchup.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Well, we used to say back in the day, Max's
thick face meaning immune to criticism, and then blackheart meaning
asked no quarter, give no quarter. That's that was as
easy as staple as you can have, you know what
I mean. Those are the clubhouse rules. That was it,
you know exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Those are the rules of fight club, right, yeah, there
you go, but don't talk about club. Yeah, but yeah,
but I mean, but and that's what and that's what
it comes down to. I mean, we could talk about personnel.
We could talk about oh way, metabeat, Michael Pierce, all
these guys, broke On Smith, Marlin, Humphrey, Kyle Hamilton, we
(10:02):
could talk about all that. Lamar Jackson, Derrick, Henry Asaah, Likely,
Mark Andrews, blah blah blah blah blah. At the end
of the day, are you gonna go punch that guy
in the face across from you? Yeah, that's what it
comes down to. I don't I don't care. There nameless
gray faces, right, and Mike Tomlin and Mike Tomlin speak
their nameless gray faces. So are you gonna go? Are
(10:24):
you gonna go make the crash test dummy? Just be
a crash test dummy? Are you gonna put his name
to the test, Because that's what it's gonna take. It's
gonna take that physic like like when you think, ah, man,
should I take him to the ground, You shouldn't have
that thought. It should be how many more times can
I take him to the ground? How many? How many
times does it take It's like the Owl and the
(10:45):
Tutsi pop commercial. Right, how many licks do you get
to the center of a Tutsi pop one, two, three, three?
You keep going, you figure out, Hey, how long before
this dude breaks? What is it going to take? Guess
what I'm gonna find out. I'll be back to you
guys in sixty minutes. Right. That's that's what you have
(11:07):
to have. That's that's the modus operandi that you have
to work within. That's the world you have to live in.
And whatever it takes to get to that place, whether
it's music, whether the it's meditation, a mantra, maybe some
some Himalayan humming. I don't know. I don't know what
it's going to take. But you need to get there
because you know, like you said, I mean, yes, you're
carrying the legacy of this rivalry and the tradition of
(11:28):
both of these teams, but at the end of the day,
you're carrying your own personal pride and legs. And I
think that's what TJ was getting at. You know, it's like,
it's like, how do I get on the other right
side of this history? Right? You know, it's like I
want to get there. Everybody wants to get there, but
not everybody's been there. And I want to get to
that point. You have to think I can't do it
(11:50):
without getting to this point, and let that drive you,
whether it's fear, anxiety, whatever, you use it as fuel
in your journey because it's not an easy journey. And
guess what, nobody wants you to win, you know, on
on any other side, like there's only literally one team
rooting for you in that Steelers nation, everybody else wants
(12:13):
you to fail around the country, right, and even the
bandwagoners there, they're they're secretly hoping that you fail so
they can talk crap, you know, But like you said,
thick Face, you're immune to that criticism. Dark Heart, put
the mask on you. Gotta you, gotta you, gotta you,
gotta you gotta go. You know, you gotta call it
(12:33):
goon mode, beast mode, whatever you want to call it.
You've got to go to that point because they're not
they're not going to take it easy on you, and
black Heart, I'm not looking for them to take it
easy on me, right, I'm not looking. I'm not looking
for quarter and no I'm not going to seek it.
But also don't ask me for it because I got
nothing for you. You know what I'm saying. I got
(12:55):
I It's like I got a closed fist and I
got bubble gum and guess what, I'm fresh out of
bubble them.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Well it's gonna you know, this game is just I
just keep trying to see how, in my mind's eye,
how it's gonna unfold, you know, because I keep pleading,
as we all do. I mean, we all want to see,
you know, and we talked about this yesterday. If you
come out, you win the toss, and you come out
and on offense, which I'd love to do, which just
(13:23):
because I'm an I was an offensive player and I
just hated sitting around waiting for that get that first
lock in the game.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
But to go and not do anything on.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
That first drive, be it the very first drive of
the game or the second, you know, after the Ravens,
what have you doing something with? It is so important
because you think about it, you would be zero to
twenty on opening drives in games. You know, it's such
(13:54):
a downer, you know, to go with three and out
or even go six plays and out. I know you
want first down, but you know, in a hostile environment
like it is going to be an M and T
Bank Stadium. The ability to be able to come out
and get some points early to create at least a
little bit of a down Debbie downer for the crowd,
you know, at least do that. Yeah, you know, that's
(14:14):
something to me that is so very important. So as
I look at, you know, all the factors that are
playing in this game, number one in my mind is
the ability to do something early with the ball and
do it, you know, by via putting points on the board.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
That's what you gotta do. Yeah, No, points on the
board are the requisite for this. You know what I'm saying, Like,
you gotta you get you get you gotta you gotta
get it, you gotta get it, and you gotta get
it early. Like you said, in this drought or whatever
is going to take in the drought, you know, at
some point, get the lead in this contest early, like
(14:52):
you said, make you know, make it, make it tough
on them. And like I said, you know, I feel
like there there is an opportunity. I think, when all
things are equal, I think we can go toe to
toe with this squad. We've shown it. And the other
thing is we have shown these moments throughout the year.
You know, we've shown we could do it in a
(15:12):
Washington type of manner. Right, you can come from behind,
make the big throws and make the big plays at
the right time, you know, have opportune turnovers that affect
the game. We've also had to shootout addition with the
Cincinnati Bengals, where you've got to go put up forty
plus in a game. So, I mean we've seen it,
and we've also seen it where bos can win the
game literally with his legs. Right. So we've shown all
(15:35):
three phases can be dominant in a contest. We just
haven't seen all three of those phases come together and
make it that dominant. And I think it's going to
take all three phases in this game on Saturday. There's
no question, no question, all three phases have to come
together like Voltron exactly.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
But again, to me, the ability. Here's the other thing too.
If you can put points up early, you've just put
a little bug in the back of Lamar's head and said,
oh uh oh, here we go again. Yeah, just a
little little worm. You know, you gotta have that little
tick in there. It's you know, it's worth exploring by
putting some points on.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
The board early, that's all I can say.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
You know, you kind of create that little self doubt,
that lack of confidence that sometimes permeates any great athlete. Uh,
you know, it's just it's it's one of those things.
But I think a fast start putting on points does
more than just give you a crowd silencer. I think
it puts an onus on lamar and a little bit
(16:34):
more pressure. Maybe maybe it's nothing, Maybe it's something you know.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Well and also gives you confidence as well. Right on
the other side of that, you know, when you gain confidence,
the other team games doubt right, like it's a seesaw
there's they don't live in silos separate of each other.
The more confidence that you have, the less that that
other team has, and the more you can take from
their silo and putting your and putting your silo, the
better off you're going to be. And so what what
(17:02):
what is? What is confidence? Like you said, converting on
third downs, keeping drives alive, also converting on third downs
and getting them off the field, you know, on drives,
scoring points, not allowing points, turnover, differential time of possession. Right,
all these things are manifestations of the seesaw of a
(17:24):
game that can shift and tilt in your direction or
out of your favor, and so you have to constantly
think that I'm in a constant game of hungry hungry hippos.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Well we both have been actually the hungry hippos.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
You know the board game the board game sense, but yes,
we are always hungry hippos. But yeah, in that moment, yeah,
it's like, yeah, that's what I'm just saying.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
You know, it was just a little little observation there,
you know.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Yeah, no, I mean, but but but that but that's
what it is, right, I mean, you've got to win
this time ession battle. You've got to win you know,
the hit the hidden you know, the hidden game within
the game.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Well that's you know, and that's exactly where you got
to go with it. I mean again, so much comes
back to time of possession. The last game that Steelers
played against the Ravens, they lost. They only had twenty
two minutes worth of possession. One of the dominant features
of this four game losing streak is the fact that
the Steelers time of possession has gone down like it
(18:28):
went Okay, so you said it went down like a
fat guy on a seesaw. Okay, how about that boom.
There's a visual it. You know when that when that
time of possession goes down, you know the other team
they's got the ball and they can do things with
it and where your your your defense out And to me,
that's one of the biggest stories of the last month.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Oh yeah, absolutely absolutely, I mean that that that that's
the that's the key in this and hopefully you know,
at the end of the day, you shift things back
in your favor that would normally that would normally be
negative factors and you know, you you make you make
(19:09):
them your strength again because that when this when when
this team was on was on their p's and q's, it.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
Was all about how how they performed in those moments,
right right, And so hopefully they continue to move back
in that direction of the team that we knew them
to be.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
And they can't. They can't. That's the easy that's the
best part about it is that they can do that.
They can do it because we've seen it and it
just takes a certain level of you know, of depth
and deafness to to get the job done.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Absolutely well, I think that's well.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
With that, we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna go to
break and we're we're going to be back with more,
of course, with with of course the locker Room, and
we are going to turn it over to the possession
earrow of Craig Wolfley, Possession Arrow wolf Time. So we'll
be back with more here in the Steelers Audio on
(20:12):
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and
Cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next, Now here's Craig
Wolfle and Max Starks.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
You know the other thing that I kind of it
got a little bug in my gorge is thinking about,
you know, stats that worry you. Now one was again
with Russ getting the ball out a little bit earlier.
You know, I love the fact that you got a
proven leader, a proven winner with Russ nine and seven
in the playoffs. The guy he's not maybe everything that
he was a few years ago, but none of us are. Okay,
(21:18):
that's just that's just a factoid. But you know, you know,
besides getting out a little bit earlier. One of the
things too, that that kind of caught my attention was
that average pass attempt going from eight to four to
five seven yards per average right now, Lamar Hunt, I'm
so Lamar Hunt, Yeah, Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
Wow that far back, Yeah, really going far back.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
But Lamar Lamar Hunt, Hanks Stram, Yeah, really exactly.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
But but Lamar Jackson leads the league with eight point
seven or eight eight something yards per attempt, you know,
And to me, that's a very telling statistic between the three,
you know, averaging three twenty five and snapped to with
getting rid of the ball, and the average attempt yards
per attempt is you know, shrinking all the way to
(22:06):
five seven. That that says there's some things going on there, Max.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
No, I mean there is. And I think it really
comes down to that that memorandum or referendum or ultimated
however you want to look at it, protect the football, Russ, right,
That's that's what it comes down to. So when you protect,
when you when you're told to protect the football, what's
the first thing that goes out of your mind, Well,
eliminate the places where it has the highest probability of
(22:34):
you know, of of of that happening righting safe cuts
out the hashes cuts out the middle of of the
of the field. And when you're talking about when Russ's
number goes down is because he's he's trying to throw
outside shots right and the success right now, when you
when you eliminate the middle of the field and teams
(22:54):
don't know you're not going to go there, you know
that number is going to drop because your success rate
is a lot lower throwing to those sidelines, right, especially
if you know that teams are trying to force your
guys to the sideline and play inside out coverage on
the receivers. That makes for a lot smaller windows. So
therefore a lot more error than success as far as
completions versus incompletions. And also it's their ball or nobody's ball,
(23:17):
because the ball is sailing out of bounds.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Well, part of the problem too, also stems from the
fact that I think with Russ sometimes when you hold
that pass rush again, held the ball that long, the
pass rush gets in your face. Obviously as the pocket
is going to be you know, one of the goals
of the defense is to make him throw out of
a well, you know, I mean, that's exactly what you
want with Russ because he's not six ' five, you know,
(23:41):
but he's still capable obviously moving around the pocket and all.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
But with age comes a little less of that.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
But certainly he's still capable of doing some dynamic stuff
as we already seen. But the indicators to me are
again when you hold the ball a little too long
when you are attempting, you know, your yard per average
per attempt drop that drastically. And again I go back
to last year. That was one of the big things
that Kenny Pickett was suffering from, and that was obviously
(24:11):
not being able to operate down the midfield and down
down deep. And I think with Russ there's there's got
to be something where you and again it's it's such
a lousy time to really have this all coming into
play because the weather is going to be a factor
comes Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Oh yeah, absolutely absolutely. And you know that that that
safety security, that reverend that memorandum goes out of your mind.
It's like, who's open, get him the ball now, you know.
And I think for the offensive line as well, they
also know they haven't held up there into the bargain
so far. You know, they they they they've kind of
(24:49):
regressed a little bit in the last couple of weeks,
and I think they were they're itching to get out
there and prove themselves right, you know as well. And
you know, when you can protect and give Russ time
that he obviously that he needs, then that's that's gonna
help your team better be better, and that's gonna also
help Russ make better decision making. The problem is, like
(25:09):
you said, he's holding the ball, but then like you said,
he's still you know, he's got a little bit of
of the skits in him, of the yips in them,
where he gets a little skittish at times if he
feels that pressure coming because he's felt in the last
couple of weeks. Hey, if I feel it is usually happening.
I mean, Trey Hendrickson, you know, had a hell of
a game against against the offensive line, right, and so
that's going to be in the back of your mind
(25:29):
and too until you stamp it out right Wolf, you know,
it's it's going to perpetuate. And so the offensive line
also do their job hold up there into the bargain,
then make sure that they get Russ an adequate amount
of protection you know, hey, get him to that two
and a half second mark where he's not having to
move around where he could sit on the spot and
go and go play darts. Yea, you know, don't give
(25:49):
him one and a half seconds. He has to run
around for another two to create three and a half.
You know that that that math doesn't math right if
the guy let him be on the point and let
him go through his progression. That's the other He hasn't
really been able to go off his progression. He's been
moved off his point so much that I think we
don't pay attention that we just say, hey, he's getting skittish.
But that's also a part of that. We have to
trust our guys know what their propensity is. You know,
(26:12):
for Ben, Ben was going to hold the ball. You
know what, if Ben knew he had to hold an
extra time, he was going to move around and move
the defense with his feet and then make the play.
But we also had to do our part to make
sure we kept him as clean as possible in those moments.
And so it's knowing the psyche of your quarterback as well,
and that's a connection with your offensive line. Make sure
y'all spend time together right to know how those what
(26:32):
those little titches are, what those little you know, quirks
are about your quarterback?
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Did didn't player say anything to Ben about all all
his running around? I mean, the one thing about it.
For an offensive lineman, you know, you don't know where
your quarterback is. You think you know, you know, you
start off thinking you know, but you never really know,
no idea exactly.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
I It's like you can think you you had the
great you had the greatest stop on a bull rush
in your life. And the next thing, you know, why
is this guy reaching over my shoulder? Oh that's right,
because the quarterback's right behind me. So come on, why
are you standing behind you? It's like, well, I got
pressure from the other side. Geez, heads up, a little warning,
you need a bell or something, you know.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
I was watching film on Kyle van Noy, the he's
I think the leading sacker for the Ravens. He got
twelve and a half se Yeah, Cayle van Annoy, Yeah
van Annoy, Yes, and somebody was blocking him and he
got so far out over his skis. You know how
you get the throwdown, you know, you throw him down
and the quarterback scrambled right by him, and he reached
(27:36):
up and grabbed the leg and got us. I couldn't
believe it. I mean, you talk about while lucking into
a sack. You know, you come up headstrong, ready to
bull rush the guy over you, and you go barreling
into him and he throws you down. And there you
are laying and wallowing it on the ground and the
quarterback runs by. You reach up and snatch his ankle
and you get a freaking sack. Oh for crying out.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Loud, Yeah, exactly. He's you know, he's just he's the
golden boy, right. I mean I feel like he just
he just he just stumbles into.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
It, seems like it.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
You know.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
That's why I call him Kyle van Annoy. He annoys you.
He seems to make plays, yes, yeah, because.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
He makes the play where you don't think he has
a possibility of so.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Man, no, yeah, but you know, those these are all
the key complications that that I'm looking at. You know,
Number one is got to You've got to do something early,
you know, and I know I I oppress about the
first series, but you got to do something. Get points early,
put the onus on the Ravens, make Lamar uncomfortable maybe.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
You know.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
The second thing I think is so huge is what
Mike Tom called about, that talked about, you know in
the press conference this week. You got to make the
routine plays routinely. That's such a football fundamental staple, you know.
That is so that's just all about you know, and
it's not it's not making catches all the time, right,
(28:59):
it's so Yeah, it's about George Biggins. You got to
make that catch. It's about making the block, it's about
making the tackle. It's about being in position have an
opportunity to pick off a ball and create a turnover
going the other way. But those are routine plays done routinely,
and you've got to be able to squeeze the charm
and at the appropriate moment get the job done. Because
(29:20):
that job that that opportunity may not come around.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
No, and you can't and you can't depend on that
opportunity coming. You have to go make it happen. Right Well,
I think that's the other thing is, you know, it's
it's make the play. Don't expect somebody else to do
it for you, right right, win in doubt, I trust
me at the end of the day, I trust me
at the end of the day and then I start
depending on my teammates outwardly. But if I can do it,
(29:47):
why not, why not? I'm not gonna wait for somebody
else again. You know, I enjoy good time just like
everybody else. I would go make my own fun. And
that fun is either taking the ball away or knocking
a guy down on opening a lane just a little
bit wider for your running back to cut through, holding
the ball, holding your defender a tick longer so your
quarterback can make that fantastic throw. All those things you
(30:10):
can affect, go hit the guy, try and punch out
the ball on special teams that the guy hasn't called
for a fair catch. But you know, every once in
a while, I get it. You know, sometimes you might
want to tee off on a guy that calls a
fair catch. I get it, you know. You know sometimes
you know it's just the trigger. The trigger happens to
you can be a little itchy.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
You know what, Bill Kawer, stuff happens only he said, yeah,
yeah exact, yeah, yeah exactly.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Coming off the field. Yes, yes, yes, stuff happens. Coach,
yeah exactly.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
But I really believe those those are the important factors
and the last one I'll put out there again. They've
got to be more productive on first down. You gotta be.
You know, you've got both offensively and defensively, because the
Ravens are very productive on first down. They're just shade
under seven a scotch under seven yards per you know,
(31:05):
per play on first down. Where is the Steelers only
four and a half. And that's a huge gap in
between the two.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
Yeah, I mean it is. It is, so the goals
get that to half of what they're normally used to. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
Yeah, oh that would be awesome, you know, because I
think it would put so much bonus on on Lamar
Jackson and again piling up whatever you can on him early,
creating just a sense of not desperation, but something that
akin to it that would kind of metastasize too. Desperation
(31:42):
is an evening goes on. I think that that's something
that can is workable for the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
Yeah, yeah, no, it is. And like you said, I
think that's that's the starting point when you're talking about
defensively against their offense. It's meant the effectiveness of their
early down production force them into third and lungs force
them into you know, they have to pass. There's no run.
There's no run option there now. Granted, I know with
(32:11):
Lamar Jackson scrambling in the pocket, there's always a chance
for run, but eliminated from the nome suspect, which is
Dereck Henry of Justice Hill. Yeah, put it on the
quarterback to make that play, because he will, he will,
he will, he will, he will cough up the pill,
you know, eventually with with with all the movement that
he has, I'd rather I'd rather hit him a number
(32:33):
of times versus having to take down you know, a
wild boar charging at you, which is which is Dereck Henry. Yeah, Oh,
that's that's a serious wild boar. Yeah, that that is.
That is that he is not like I'm like, I'm
really happy about that.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
All right, Well, it's time to go to the bell
lap as Max comes up. We're gonna take you right
up to the top of the hour and then it's
I'll see you in Baltimore. So well, if you're back
after this, you're listening to the Steelers A Network.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Shure, the official insurance and
cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's Craig
Wolfley and Max Stark's.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
All right, we're going into the bell lap here. That's right,
your this is your final early lunch warning system before
the weekend hits. Make sure you got there and for yourself. Apparently,
uh Steelers Nation nine twenty told me to stop by
Starbucks in the airport and get me a cake pop
to celebrate, So there you go. My daughters would be
(34:05):
so extended. They love cake pops. And by the way,
I'm going to figure something out.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
The DeSantis family sends their happy birthday wishes to you, Max, you.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
Know, and that's all right, Well, yes, James, and you know,
thank you so much. I will I will heat that
and I will be I will do my best to
enjoy my birthday and make it happy. But you know,
it's it's funny to me. I know I probably put
(34:36):
you know, some you know, little little extra oop in
this game just because you know, I'm not a fan
of theirs. But here's I want to I want to
send some parting shots in a positive direction for the
Steelers before we go, you know. And of course I
love Matt stats, which you know he makes sure he
(34:58):
distributes to us, and I appreci siate it. But there
was one that stuck out to me. Wolf, what's that
even in this four game losing streak, even in oh
my god, the sky is falling cloudy with the chance
of meat balls, whatever you want to call it. Right,
guess what Pittsburgh owns over the other team what we do.
(35:22):
But they do have crabcakes, so I mean rings culture, Yeah, sanity,
that is true.
Speaker 5 (35:32):
Not wearing not wearing those dumb purple camouflage pants.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
Yeah, we can see you.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
That defeats the point of camo.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
I mean, I mean, let's not talk too loud. West.
We do have yellow in there, and yellow is a
lot brighter than purple.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
I thought that was pretty funny myself.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
But we still own the turnover differential battle are still
plus sixteen. Baltimore is only plus six. I means we've
done it ten more times in our favor.
Speaker 4 (36:06):
Than the other team has.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
That that streak when we couldn't buy a turnover, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
When we couldn't buy a turnover, we still because we
had such a big lead on that department. It's only
right that it shifts back a little bit. But I
think now with everything being equal again, we now get
to go and prove that stat right again. And you know,
we we can force the fumbles. I mean, we saw
what t. J. Watt does. I mean, you know, it's
(36:33):
like when he knows how to just zero in and
punch that ball out. We can force turnovers. It's just
coming up with those turnovers after they've been forced, you know.
And I think that's the key that Yeah, I know
Baltimore putt an emphasis on it in us as we
saw the whole the the what's it called, what's the
one following the AFC North Son Max or HBO or
(36:57):
whatever Hard Knocks Hard Knocks there we go, could not
think of the name king about. Yeah, it's a show
it as people they talk, they show pictures very it's
very riveting stuff by the way, I love it. But
no on the Hard Knocks ask. You know, they talked
about the emphasis going into the game against the Steelers
the second time around, Oh my gosh, we've got to
(37:18):
be secured, the move to be secured, the ball scure,
scuit scure secure. I don't think that's the emphasis. I
think the emphasis is, Hey, we need to get this win,
so why not reintroduce them to the fact that they
need ball security, you know, take advantage of that. Yeah,
that would be very beneficial. And I think you know
that stat really, you know, kind of just highlights it,
(37:40):
you know, because you know, it was us and the
Vikings that led the league in takeaways thirty three of
them on the season. So that's something that I think
we can have, you know, an effect on the Ravens
only had seventeen takeways. Now granted we did give them
two of those takeaways in one game, the Russ fumble
and the pick six, But you know, I think, you know,
(38:02):
eliminating and not forcing and not pressuring things, realizing it's
okay to go down after you've accomplished the first down,
you know, more heads up play. I think I think
that you know, affects us in the right direction because
I think now that you've seen it, you put it
on tape and you realize you talked to, Hey, you
don't need to press, don't need to press this game.
This game was still in tow, you know, for the
(38:24):
Steelers favor, and we played them tough, and like you said,
just one or two mistakes really changed this game, you know,
in a different direction. You think of plus fourteen swings
at multiple times in this game, when Russ had the
fumble going into the red zone, they scored two plays
later fourteen point swing minimum ten points right, pick six,
(38:46):
another fourteen point swing right in their favor, and they
won by fourteen. So you know, you eliminate those mistakes
and you continually play, this game is a lot tighter.
I mean, the average series score in this thing is
eighteen seventeen in favor of the Steelers over the last
twenty one matches. So you know, it's not about doing
(39:07):
anything extraordinary. It's just doing the routine things routinely. There
you go, not turning the ball over and just progressing
the football down the field, and we would have had
a tie game that might have went into overtime. No,
So I think that's and we and how many people
do we have missing from that game?
Speaker 4 (39:25):
Miss?
Speaker 2 (39:25):
Yes? So you know, when I look at this now,
the Ravens are experiencing that right with injuries and guys
who are doubtful to play and everything else. Now we
get to go in and play our game and all
things are apples and apples at this game, and I think,
you know, I think we become Johnny Appleseed.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
That's my first point, Johnny Applesteed. Well, the Ravens have
won four in a row. The Steelers have lost four
in a row. The Steelers have not held the lead
in any of the past four games. And that again
goes back to you know, you need to turn things around,
and you best do it by getting a quick start.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
And it's just.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
Something that I don't know, it just it just kind
of gnaws at you. But you know, you're right. We
we've talked about all these elements, all these things come
into play, but really what it's going to boil down
to is who's winning their one elevens, you know what
I mean. And that's really where it's at. They've got
to be able to control the line of scrimmage on
both sides of the ball, and to do that is
going to be it's not going to be an easy thing.
(40:20):
You got some big people that Daniel Folelli, oh my gosh,
that's whatever you want to call whatever. Falaffel there you go.
I just know this that is I Faloffel's are right, man.
But you know, he is a biggin and he is
one of those guys that you know, it's kind of
(40:40):
funny you watch him. He's not he's not much in
the open field. They don't like to run a whole lot.
I don't think I'll say that, but he's a good
phone booth fighter.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
I'll tell you, Oh yeah, absolutely. But you know, I
think the other thing is we talked about this kind
of the crew that's there was is Alan Kim's crew
officiating this game. Yeah, they're really known for their Yeah
they're highly known for their holding penalties. But here's a
stat that'll help you.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Wolf, Okay, give me a stat that'll help me.
Speaker 2 (41:09):
The Steelers have fifteen more first downs via penalty than
they've given up. Baltimore has had one hundred and thirty
two accepted penalties. All of the Jets had more of those.
Pittsburgh had one hundred and two. Only nine teams had fewer.
Baltimore's twenty four offensive holding calls are the fourth most,
and as their fifteen defensive pass interference in fractions. As
(41:33):
a team, you know, they have averaged more than anybody else.
You know that we that we've seen this season. So
when you got a group that has a propensity to
call holding calls. Just saying not that I'm depending on
Zebras to help us out in this contest, but is
this two fits? Yeah? Where?
Speaker 3 (41:52):
But here's the catch to that. If this is the
guy I'm thinking of, doesn't he have something like a
seventy five or eighty percent as far as team home
teams win, Home teams win?
Speaker 2 (42:06):
Or was that last week?
Speaker 4 (42:07):
That might have been last last week's gone we had.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
We've had that three times, and they keep they keep
trying to make us lose a home. They finally got
their wish. Okay, all right, there was something about this guy. Yeah, yeah,
this crew is just it's the holding crew.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
Okay, so we got a holding crew. Keep the hands inside, boys,
that's all.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
Keep the hands within the framework of the body. And
nothing wrong with the occasional throat punch. I'm just saying
that I happened. I don't discourage you know, you don't
have to. You don't have to like design it quick.
You don't have to squeeze. No, remember squeeze the web boom.
The web jab is just as good as the squeeze.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
You know, absolutely, you know I'm right there with you
and and here's the we just remember opera cuts always work.
Speaker 2 (42:55):
They do. They do because it's within the framework of
the body exactly. It just don't grab the face mask
after you initiate the EP unless you're in a real brook.
Then that's a little different. Well, I mean that's after
the whistle actually right there, that one. That one is
like hockey. You know what I'm saying. You just grab
whatever piece of piece of material you can use it
to your advantage.
Speaker 4 (43:15):
Push, pull, uppercut. That's all you gotta know.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
Yeah, and I saw that firsthand. I mean, in practice,
that was the worst place to see it. But you know,
but with that, it's all good, man, it's all good.
It's time to go. Uh you guys got to catch
a flight. I gotta go pack because I still haven't
packed yet. I mean I I packed like the most
essential stuff. Okay, it's not like I didn't not pack.
(43:42):
I just haven't finished packing. Yeah, that's me. Yeah, you know,
I just got to finish, finish that and then you know,
head to the air report too, and then I'll be
there late tonight. You guys will be tucked in west
will you know, He'll he'll have he'll have a baby
bottle of bat blue, you know, nursing them to sleep.
But don't don't Trigg Italian Baltimore.
Speaker 4 (44:02):
We got to drink to Guinness.
Speaker 2 (44:03):
Max, Well, but you're not going to the Guinness factory.
Speaker 5 (44:07):
You still got it flowing in the streets like the second.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
It doesn't it doesn't. It doesn't go with Italian food.
This is true. You know you need the savory, savory
salty to go with Guinness. You can't do can't do creamy.
Speaker 4 (44:26):
On my Italian I'll be on my Italian wave.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
Yeah, exact, exactly. Go get a peroni. You know it's okay,
It's okay, Go get a peroni.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
You can't stop them. You can only hope to contain them.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
That's all that. That's true, Mama Mia me familiar, all
right with that. It's been it's been a great show.
You've been inside the locker room. It's of course, ah, yes,
birthday salutations to myself that's me and then of course
Wesley Euler on the ones and twos and of course
(44:59):
happy birthday mark ahead. You know I saw one of
the things of Eminem crew. I'm like, yeah, Morgan and Max,
there we get it is booth Eminem both have the
same birthday, and of course for everybody else celebrating your birthday,
Happy birthday to all of you out there. Of course,
Dawson prayers are to our our friends and families that
are you know, affected in California. You know, we wish
them safety and the best. I mean, it's just a
(45:21):
tragic situation, so we're always putting you at the front
of our minds. Love you all out there, and then
of course the Sinsey and CJ. We got to give
love to the to the crew behind the scenes. We
appreciate all that you do since say La Martina and
of course CJ our chief, our chief black belt Ninja
on on site with the technical side. But for everybody
(45:41):
else out there, Steelers Nation, go make it a great
day and have a great weekend. We'll talk to you
on Monday.
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Shure, the official insurance and
cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by BET MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's Craig
Wolfley and Max Stark's.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Alright, it's the Power Hour. That's right, early hour number two.
Warning to everybody else. We're getting approaching to the midday,
but also approaching deployment for you guys to the airfield,
guys to get to the plane. So you know, I have,
(00:57):
you know, as I kind of think about this as
last final kind of hours here before the team goes
on to to be more. You know, we've talked about
it with Missy. We've kind of talked about it all week.
I mean, the importance of kind of kind of shaking
the quote unquote rust off of this four game losing
(01:19):
streak and going in with the mindset of one to zero.
That's the only thing on your mind. Everything's equal, we
throw everything out. Yes, there's history and everything else, but
this history is really close when you think about it.
I mean, the Steelers have a two to one advantage
over the Ravens over over the last five years. That's
(01:42):
a lot of times to play a team, and there's
a lot of times for things to swing your way.
Lamar to and four against us. And you know Mark
Andrews and eleven contests caught his first touchdown the last
time we played. So you know, I know there's mojo,
and you have to kind of forget about mojo for
(02:03):
a second, but when you just look at it, I mean,
the Steelers have been the better team in this contest,
regardless of who's been a quarterback, regardless of who's been
missing or whatever else, the Steelers still maintain the edge
against the Ravens in this contest. And this will be
the first time the Steelers have traveled to Baltimore for
a playoff game. And I think for Baltimore, you know,
(02:24):
there has to be that thought in the back of
their mind, right, can we really do this? Can we
really accomplish what we think we can accomplish. That's I mean,
that's gonna be permeating throughout their brain and the fact
that that we live in their heads rent free. And
from that perspective, Wolf, you know, you've got to use
(02:48):
that psychological warfare, right, you know, when personnel almost all
things are equal. When it comes to gameplay, you know,
very similar, you know, because we know him just as
much as they know us. That's where the psychological edges.
And I think that's what you got to have to
think about, is psychological edges and pia warfare. That's right,
(03:11):
that's right. It's like a nerve gas agent. But but
not quite unless we've had we've.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Had guys past in the huddle. Yes, that's that's definitely nerves.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
It's funny how the never mind never mind before this
ex generates.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
When all things are equal. Yeah, exactly, exactly. Hey, as
much as things change, things don't change.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
Well, that's true the decades. Well, you mentioned Andrews brother.
You know what, though, he's got he's got a touchdown
six straight games and eleven touchdowns over the past twelve games.
But the guy, the guys, after initial not good start,
he's come out and that kind of a dare.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Yeah, well, think about this. The one game he didn't
have a touchdown was against two US, that's right. So
it's not twelve for twelve, that's right. So we do
know how to affect We do have the Andrews code.
We just didn't have the personnel to carry out to
Andrews code the last time we were playing, right, you know,
you know, Missy kind of highlighted it, right, No, Joshaun
elliott O, Larry Ogan, Joby and we also lost Joey
(04:25):
Porter Jr. And Dante Jacksons and Dante. Yeah, so when
you think of that, I mean, come on, I mean
this is a different contest, and you know what, And
now now I'm starting to get honked off. You know,
I let it as, I let it fester a little
bit more.
Speaker 4 (04:40):
Wolf here honked off because Suggs is going to be
in the.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Building, I am, you know what, and everybody's gonna feel
the wrath of it until that game's over. Of all
guys to bring back for this game, you bring, you
bring Muddy mud Skipper back. You could have brought Ray
Lewis and read uh well, Hellodnada was at the last one,
so you can't bring him back. And I feel like
we've kind of squashed our issues. He was. He was
(05:03):
a very kind person in retirement. It's been ten years,
so I can let it go. But I can't let
I can't. This is one I can't Helodi not. I
told you I met him in the lobby after the
game and he went up to be hey Max, you know,
asked how I was doing and everything. I was like,
that's good. Yeah, so I mean, so so hel Hellodi
(05:24):
has he has not gotten on the Christmas card list
by any stretch of the imagination. But I mean we're cordial.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Well, let me ask you this. Did he ask about
Ben's nose? Did he ask?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
No, he did, He did not ask about Ben's nose.
That's still a while. It's still a while. That one
probably has a twenty year statute of limitation. But I mean,
but yeah, he was, he was, He was very he
was very kind in that moment. So that's good. I
can't not like you.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
You know, well it happens to all of us.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
But as you see, it'll diminish it, does you know it? Does?
You know? Overtime? Right time you got except for except
for to.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
They give it time, Just give it time.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
I mean, listen, he's gonna have to be an retirement
home and I'm to kick over his wheelchair. Sorry, sorry
I say it out loud.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
Mike.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Yeah, yeah, well like I'm scooting over in my walker.
You know, with the little tennis balls on the bottom
to make sure I ask ability, and then I just
have one last like like like high kick left like
and then I just knock him over and he's in
a wheelchair and like the wheels spinning and he can't
do anything about it. Like that's that's where the moment
is there.
Speaker 5 (06:40):
They're bringing out, they're bringing out, they're bringing out dinner
at the retirement home, right, and I want his jello Max,
Max over, here's the chef be like, hey, remember, mister
Suggs is larger to cayam pepper, so don't put any
in his dish.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And Max wheels around and grabs the whole cayene pepper
and dumps.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
It right rade.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Yeah, the viciousness that's just flowing through the locker room
right now.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
My goodness. But that's what a rivalry game is, Wolf, Yes, Yes,
that's that's the feelings you get when you encounter that
team that just that just you know, you don't like
each other at the end of the day, you don't
like each other. And so you know, for me knowing
that it's it's it's personal, it's personal. Like, yeah, I'm
(07:28):
so glad. I'll be on my side of the sidelines,
and Muddy mud Skipper will be on his Side's.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Let's make it nothing, I mean nothing kind of defines
this game more than Mike Tomlin calling two trains one track.
I mean that that to me, that's just the ultimate thing.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Well, no, I mean, and that's what it is. I mean,
like you said, I mean, these are two fierce competitors
in the ultimate contest, because that's what the playoffs is.
It's the ultimate contest for our sport and a monoe mono.
I mean, we saw one last night, right with Penn
State and Notre Dame, and we'll get another one today
with Texas taking on Ohio State. There is there's a
(08:10):
certain level that has to be taken to in your
mind to be ready for this right when there's when
there's no tomorrow, when there's give it all you got.
I mean, every every axiom cliche you can think of
has to be, you know, put out there. And you know,
two trains one track equals it, but I think even
(08:33):
more so, it's two bullet trains in one track. Let's
let's be even more descriptive, right, this is a high
speed collision that you know, if you win do you
really win? You know, because how you're going to feel
after this game. That's the type of game it needs
to be. It needs to be as your as your
brother Ron would say. This is one where you wake
up with bloody sheets the next day, right, you know,
(08:57):
and you have to go to that place because that's
the only way you're gonna win this game. Like it's
it's not it's not fluff. It's not beat around the bush,
it's not you know, we're gonna finesse them. No, this
is this is a physical game.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
This is a physical game, dark motor early yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Yeah, exactly, you know, and you gotta you got you
gotta wear the masks very early, man, and you know,
become hide you know, a lot, a lot sooner, a
lot faster before you know, and you can't have any
Doctor Jekyls in the in this matchup.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Well, we used to say back in the day, Max's
thick face meaning immune to criticism, and then blackheart meaning
asked no quarter, give no quarter. That's that was as
easy as staple as you can have, you know what
I mean. Those are the clubhouse rules. That was it,
you know exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Those are the rules of fight club, right, yeah, there
you go, but don't talk about club. Yeah, but yeah,
but I mean, but and that's what and that's what
it comes down to. I mean, we could talk about personnel.
We could talk about oh way, metabeat, Michael Pierce, all
these guys, broke On Smith, Marlin, Humphrey, Kyle Hamilton, we
(10:02):
could talk about all that. Lamar Jackson, Derrick, Henry Asaah, Likely,
Mark Andrews, blah blah blah blah blah. At the end
of the day, are you gonna go punch that guy
in the face across from you? Yeah, that's what it
comes down to. I don't I don't care. There nameless
gray faces, right, and Mike Tomlin and Mike Tomlin speak
their nameless gray faces. So are you gonna go? Are
(10:24):
you gonna go make the crash test dummy? Just be
a crash test dummy? Are you gonna put his name
to the test, Because that's what it's gonna take. It's
gonna take that physic like like when you think, ah, man,
should I take him to the ground, You shouldn't have
that thought. It should be how many more times can
I take him to the ground? How many? How many
times does it take It's like the Owl and the
(10:45):
Tutsi pop commercial. Right, how many licks do you get
to the center of a Tutsi pop one, two, three, three?
You keep going, you figure out, Hey, how long before
this dude breaks? What is it going to take? Guess
what I'm gonna find out. I'll be back to you
guys in sixty minutes. Right. That's that's what you have
(11:07):
to have. That's that's the modus operandi that you have
to work within. That's the world you have to live in.
And whatever it takes to get to that place, whether
it's music, whether the it's meditation, a mantra, maybe some
some Himalayan humming. I don't know. I don't know what
it's going to take. But you need to get there
because you know, like you said, I mean, yes, you're
carrying the legacy of this rivalry and the tradition of
(11:28):
both of these teams, but at the end of the day,
you're carrying your own personal pride and legs. And I
think that's what TJ was getting at. You know, it's like,
it's like, how do I get on the other right
side of this history? Right? You know, it's like I
want to get there. Everybody wants to get there, but
not everybody's been there. And I want to get to
that point. You have to think I can't do it
(11:50):
without getting to this point, and let that drive you,
whether it's fear, anxiety, whatever, you use it as fuel
in your journey because it's not an easy journey. And
guess what, nobody wants you to win, you know, on
on any other side, like there's only literally one team
rooting for you in that Steelers nation, everybody else wants
(12:13):
you to fail around the country, right, and even the
bandwagoners there, they're they're secretly hoping that you fail so
they can talk crap, you know, But like you said,
thick Face, you're immune to that criticism. Dark Heart, put
the mask on you. Gotta you, gotta you, gotta you,
gotta you gotta go. You know, you gotta call it
(12:33):
goon mode, beast mode, whatever you want to call it.
You've got to go to that point because they're not
they're not going to take it easy on you, and
black Heart, I'm not looking for them to take it
easy on me, right, I'm not looking. I'm not looking
for quarter and no I'm not going to seek it.
But also don't ask me for it because I got
nothing for you. You know what I'm saying. I got
(12:55):
I It's like I got a closed fist and I
got bubble gum and guess what, I'm fresh out of
bubble them.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Well it's gonna you know, this game is just I
just keep trying to see how, in my mind's eye,
how it's gonna unfold, you know, because I keep pleading,
as we all do. I mean, we all want to see,
you know, and we talked about this yesterday. If you
come out, you win the toss, and you come out
and on offense, which I'd love to do, which just
(13:23):
because I'm an I was an offensive player and I
just hated sitting around waiting for that get that first
lock in the game.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
But to go and not do anything on.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
That first drive, be it the very first drive of
the game or the second, you know, after the Ravens,
what have you doing something with? It is so important
because you think about it, you would be zero to
twenty on opening drives in games. You know, it's such
(13:54):
a downer, you know, to go with three and out
or even go six plays and out. I know you
want first down, but you know, in a hostile environment
like it is going to be an M and T
Bank Stadium. The ability to be able to come out
and get some points early to create at least a
little bit of a down Debbie downer for the crowd,
you know, at least do that. Yeah, you know, that's
(14:14):
something to me that is so very important. So as
I look at, you know, all the factors that are
playing in this game, number one in my mind is
the ability to do something early with the ball and
do it, you know, by via putting points on the board.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
That's what you gotta do. Yeah, No, points on the
board are the requisite for this. You know what I'm saying, Like,
you gotta you get you get you gotta you gotta
get it, you gotta get it, and you gotta get
it early. Like you said, in this drought or whatever
is going to take in the drought, you know, at
some point, get the lead in this contest early, like
(14:52):
you said, make you know, make it, make it tough
on them. And like I said, you know, I feel
like there there is an opportunity. I think, when all
things are equal, I think we can go toe to
toe with this squad. We've shown it. And the other
thing is we have shown these moments throughout the year.
You know, we've shown we could do it in a
(15:12):
Washington type of manner. Right, you can come from behind,
make the big throws and make the big plays at
the right time, you know, have opportune turnovers that affect
the game. We've also had to shootout addition with the
Cincinnati Bengals, where you've got to go put up forty
plus in a game. So, I mean we've seen it,
and we've also seen it where bos can win the
game literally with his legs. Right. So we've shown all
(15:35):
three phases can be dominant in a contest. We just
haven't seen all three of those phases come together and
make it that dominant. And I think it's going to
take all three phases in this game on Saturday. There's
no question, no question, all three phases have to come
together like Voltron exactly.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
But again, to me, the ability. Here's the other thing too.
If you can put points up early, you've just put
a little bug in the back of Lamar's head and said,
oh uh oh, here we go again. Yeah, just a
little little worm. You know, you gotta have that little
tick in there. It's you know, it's worth exploring by
putting some points on.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
The board early, that's all I can say.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
You know, you kind of create that little self doubt,
that lack of confidence that sometimes permeates any great athlete. Uh,
you know, it's just it's it's one of those things.
But I think a fast start putting on points does
more than just give you a crowd silencer. I think
it puts an onus on lamar and a little bit
(16:34):
more pressure. Maybe maybe it's nothing, Maybe it's something you know.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
Well and also gives you confidence as well. Right on
the other side of that, you know, when you gain confidence,
the other team games doubt right, like it's a seesaw
there's they don't live in silos separate of each other.
The more confidence that you have, the less that that
other team has, and the more you can take from
their silo and putting your and putting your silo, the
better off you're going to be. And so what what
(17:02):
what is? What is confidence? Like you said, converting on
third downs, keeping drives alive, also converting on third downs
and getting them off the field, you know, on drives,
scoring points, not allowing points, turnover, differential time of possession. Right,
all these things are manifestations of the seesaw of a
(17:24):
game that can shift and tilt in your direction or
out of your favor, and so you have to constantly
think that I'm in a constant game of hungry hungry hippos.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Well we both have been actually the hungry hippos.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
You know the board game the board game sense, but yes,
we are always hungry hippos. But yeah, in that moment, yeah,
it's like, yeah, that's what I'm just saying.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
You know, it was just a little little observation there,
you know.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Yeah, no, I mean, but but but that but that's
what it is, right, I mean, you've got to win
this time ession battle. You've got to win you know,
the hit the hidden you know, the hidden game within
the game.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Well that's you know, and that's exactly where you got
to go with it. I mean again, so much comes
back to time of possession. The last game that Steelers
played against the Ravens, they lost. They only had twenty
two minutes worth of possession. One of the dominant features
of this four game losing streak is the fact that
the Steelers time of possession has gone down like it
(18:28):
went Okay, so you said it went down like a
fat guy on a seesaw. Okay, how about that boom.
There's a visual it. You know when that when that
time of possession goes down, you know the other team
they's got the ball and they can do things with
it and where your your your defense out And to me,
that's one of the biggest stories of the last month.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Oh yeah, absolutely absolutely, I mean that that that that's
the that's the key in this and hopefully you know,
at the end of the day, you shift things back
in your favor that would normally that would normally be
negative factors and you know, you you make you make
(19:09):
them your strength again because that when this when when
this team was on was on their p's and q's, it.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
Was all about how how they performed in those moments,
right right, And so hopefully they continue to move back
in that direction of the team that we knew them
to be.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
And they can't. They can't. That's the easy that's the
best part about it is that they can do that.
They can do it because we've seen it and it
just takes a certain level of you know, of depth
and deafness to to get the job done.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
Absolutely well, I think that's well.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
With that, we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna go to
break and we're we're going to be back with more,
of course, with with of course the locker Room, and
we are going to turn it over to the possession
earrow of Craig Wolfley, Possession Arrow wolf Time. So we'll
be back with more here in the Steelers Audio on
(20:12):
the Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and
Cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next, Now here's Craig
Wolfle and Max Starks.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
You know the other thing that I kind of it
got a little bug in my gorge is thinking about,
you know, stats that worry you. Now one was again
with Russ getting the ball out a little bit earlier.
You know, I love the fact that you got a
proven leader, a proven winner with Russ nine and seven
in the playoffs. The guy he's not maybe everything that
he was a few years ago, but none of us are. Okay,
(21:18):
that's just that's just a factoid. But you know, you know,
besides getting out a little bit earlier. One of the
things too, that that kind of caught my attention was
that average pass attempt going from eight to four to
five seven yards per average right now, Lamar Hunt, I'm
so Lamar Hunt, Yeah, Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 4 (21:36):
Wow that far back, Yeah, really going far back.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
But Lamar Lamar Hunt, Hanks Stram, Yeah, really exactly.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
But but Lamar Jackson leads the league with eight point
seven or eight eight something yards per attempt, you know,
And to me, that's a very telling statistic between the three,
you know, averaging three twenty five and snapped to with
getting rid of the ball, and the average attempt yards
per attempt is you know, shrinking all the way to
(22:06):
five seven. That that says there's some things going on there, Max.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
No, I mean there is. And I think it really
comes down to that that memorandum or referendum or ultimated
however you want to look at it, protect the football, Russ, right,
That's that's what it comes down to. So when you protect,
when you when you're told to protect the football, what's
the first thing that goes out of your mind, Well,
eliminate the places where it has the highest probability of
(22:34):
you know, of of of that happening righting safe cuts
out the hashes cuts out the middle of of the
of the field. And when you're talking about when Russ's
number goes down is because he's he's trying to throw
outside shots right and the success right now, when you
when you eliminate the middle of the field and teams
(22:54):
don't know you're not going to go there, you know
that number is going to drop because your success rate
is a lot lower throwing to those sidelines, right, especially
if you know that teams are trying to force your
guys to the sideline and play inside out coverage on
the receivers. That makes for a lot smaller windows. So
therefore a lot more error than success as far as
completions versus incompletions. And also it's their ball or nobody's ball,
(23:17):
because the ball is sailing out of bounds.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Well, part of the problem too, also stems from the
fact that I think with Russ sometimes when you hold
that pass rush again, held the ball that long, the
pass rush gets in your face. Obviously as the pocket
is going to be you know, one of the goals
of the defense is to make him throw out of
a well, you know, I mean, that's exactly what you
want with Russ because he's not six ' five, you know,
(23:41):
but he's still capable obviously moving around the pocket and all.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
But with age comes a little less of that.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
But certainly he's still capable of doing some dynamic stuff
as we already seen. But the indicators to me are
again when you hold the ball a little too long
when you are attempting, you know, your yard per average
per attempt drop that drastically. And again I go back
to last year. That was one of the big things
that Kenny Pickett was suffering from, and that was obviously
(24:11):
not being able to operate down the midfield and down
down deep. And I think with Russ there's there's got
to be something where you and again it's it's such
a lousy time to really have this all coming into
play because the weather is going to be a factor
comes Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Oh yeah, absolutely absolutely. And you know that that that
safety security, that reverend that memorandum goes out of your mind.
It's like, who's open, get him the ball now, you know.
And I think for the offensive line as well, they
also know they haven't held up there into the bargain
so far. You know, they they they they've kind of
(24:49):
regressed a little bit in the last couple of weeks,
and I think they were they're itching to get out
there and prove themselves right, you know as well. And
you know, when you can protect and give Russ time
that he obviously that he needs, then that's that's gonna
help your team better be better, and that's gonna also
help Russ make better decision making. The problem is, like
(25:09):
you said, he's holding the ball, but then like you said,
he's still you know, he's got a little bit of
of the skits in him, of the yips in them,
where he gets a little skittish at times if he
feels that pressure coming because he's felt in the last
couple of weeks. Hey, if I feel it is usually happening.
I mean, Trey Hendrickson, you know, had a hell of
a game against against the offensive line, right, and so
that's going to be in the back of your mind
(25:29):
and too until you stamp it out right Wolf, you know,
it's it's going to perpetuate. And so the offensive line
also do their job hold up there into the bargain,
then make sure that they get Russ an adequate amount
of protection you know, hey, get him to that two
and a half second mark where he's not having to
move around where he could sit on the spot and
go and go play darts. Yea, you know, don't give
(25:49):
him one and a half seconds. He has to run
around for another two to create three and a half.
You know that that that math doesn't math right if
the guy let him be on the point and let
him go through his progression. That's the other He hasn't
really been able to go off his progression. He's been
moved off his point so much that I think we
don't pay attention that we just say, hey, he's getting skittish.
But that's also a part of that. We have to
trust our guys know what their propensity is. You know,
(26:12):
for Ben, Ben was going to hold the ball. You
know what, if Ben knew he had to hold an
extra time, he was going to move around and move
the defense with his feet and then make the play.
But we also had to do our part to make
sure we kept him as clean as possible in those moments.
And so it's knowing the psyche of your quarterback as well,
and that's a connection with your offensive line. Make sure
y'all spend time together right to know how those what
(26:32):
those little titches are, what those little you know, quirks
are about your quarterback?
Speaker 3 (26:38):
Did didn't player say anything to Ben about all all
his running around? I mean, the one thing about it.
For an offensive lineman, you know, you don't know where
your quarterback is. You think you know, you know, you
start off thinking you know, but you never really know,
no idea exactly.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
I It's like you can think you you had the
great you had the greatest stop on a bull rush
in your life. And the next thing, you know, why
is this guy reaching over my shoulder? Oh that's right,
because the quarterback's right behind me. So come on, why
are you standing behind you? It's like, well, I got
pressure from the other side. Geez, heads up, a little warning,
you need a bell or something, you know.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
I was watching film on Kyle van Noy, the he's
I think the leading sacker for the Ravens. He got
twelve and a half se Yeah, Cayle van Annoy, Yeah
van Annoy, Yes, and somebody was blocking him and he
got so far out over his skis. You know how
you get the throwdown, you know, you throw him down
and the quarterback scrambled right by him, and he reached
(27:36):
up and grabbed the leg and got us. I couldn't
believe it. I mean, you talk about while lucking into
a sack. You know, you come up headstrong, ready to
bull rush the guy over you, and you go barreling
into him and he throws you down. And there you
are laying and wallowing it on the ground and the
quarterback runs by. You reach up and snatch his ankle
and you get a freaking sack. Oh for crying out.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
Loud, Yeah, exactly. He's you know, he's just he's the
golden boy, right. I mean I feel like he just
he just he just stumbles into.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
It, seems like it.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
You know.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
That's why I call him Kyle van Annoy. He annoys you.
He seems to make plays, yes, yeah, because.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
He makes the play where you don't think he has
a possibility of so.
Speaker 3 (28:19):
Man, no, yeah, but you know, those these are all
the key complications that that I'm looking at. You know,
Number one is got to You've got to do something early,
you know, and I know I I oppress about the
first series, but you got to do something. Get points early,
put the onus on the Ravens, make Lamar uncomfortable maybe.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
You know.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
The second thing I think is so huge is what
Mike Tom called about, that talked about, you know in
the press conference this week. You got to make the
routine plays routinely. That's such a football fundamental staple, you know.
That is so that's just all about you know, and
it's not it's not making catches all the time, right,
(28:59):
it's so Yeah, it's about George Biggins. You got to
make that catch. It's about making the block, it's about
making the tackle. It's about being in position have an
opportunity to pick off a ball and create a turnover
going the other way. But those are routine plays done routinely,
and you've got to be able to squeeze the charm
and at the appropriate moment get the job done. Because
(29:20):
that job that that opportunity may not come around.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
No, and you can't and you can't depend on that
opportunity coming. You have to go make it happen. Right Well,
I think that's the other thing is, you know, it's
it's make the play. Don't expect somebody else to do
it for you, right right, win in doubt, I trust
me at the end of the day, I trust me
at the end of the day and then I start
depending on my teammates outwardly. But if I can do it,
(29:47):
why not, why not? I'm not gonna wait for somebody
else again. You know, I enjoy good time just like
everybody else. I would go make my own fun. And
that fun is either taking the ball away or knocking
a guy down on opening a lane just a little
bit wider for your running back to cut through, holding
the ball, holding your defender a tick longer so your
quarterback can make that fantastic throw. All those things you
(30:10):
can affect, go hit the guy, try and punch out
the ball on special teams that the guy hasn't called
for a fair catch. But you know, every once in
a while, I get it. You know, sometimes you might
want to tee off on a guy that calls a
fair catch. I get it, you know. You know sometimes
you know it's just the trigger. The trigger happens to
you can be a little itchy.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
You know what, Bill Kawer, stuff happens only he said, yeah,
yeah exact, yeah, yeah exactly.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Coming off the field. Yes, yes, yes, stuff happens. Coach,
yeah exactly.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
But I really believe those those are the important factors
and the last one I'll put out there again. They've
got to be more productive on first down. You gotta be.
You know, you've got both offensively and defensively, because the
Ravens are very productive on first down. They're just shade
under seven a scotch under seven yards per you know,
(31:05):
per play on first down. Where is the Steelers only
four and a half. And that's a huge gap in
between the two.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
Yeah, I mean it is. It is, so the goals
get that to half of what they're normally used to. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
Yeah, oh that would be awesome, you know, because I
think it would put so much bonus on on Lamar
Jackson and again piling up whatever you can on him early,
creating just a sense of not desperation, but something that
akin to it that would kind of metastasize too. Desperation
(31:42):
is an evening goes on. I think that that's something
that can is workable for the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
Yeah, yeah, no, it is. And like you said, I
think that's that's the starting point when you're talking about
defensively against their offense. It's meant the effectiveness of their
early down production force them into third and lungs force
them into you know, they have to pass. There's no run.
There's no run option there now. Granted, I know with
(32:11):
Lamar Jackson scrambling in the pocket, there's always a chance
for run, but eliminated from the nome suspect, which is
Dereck Henry of Justice Hill. Yeah, put it on the
quarterback to make that play, because he will, he will,
he will, he will, he will cough up the pill,
you know, eventually with with with all the movement that
he has, I'd rather I'd rather hit him a number
(32:33):
of times versus having to take down you know, a
wild boar charging at you, which is which is Dereck Henry. Yeah, Oh,
that's that's a serious wild boar. Yeah, that that is.
That is that he is not like I'm like, I'm
really happy about that.
Speaker 3 (32:48):
All right, Well, it's time to go to the bell
lap as Max comes up. We're gonna take you right
up to the top of the hour and then it's
I'll see you in Baltimore. So well, if you're back
after this, you're listening to the Steelers A Network.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and
brought to you by acro Shure, the official insurance and
cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI,
and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's Craig
Wolfley and Max Stark's.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
All right, we're going into the bell lap here. That's right,
your this is your final early lunch warning system before
the weekend hits. Make sure you got there and for yourself. Apparently,
uh Steelers Nation nine twenty told me to stop by
Starbucks in the airport and get me a cake pop
to celebrate, So there you go. My daughters would be
(34:05):
so extended. They love cake pops. And by the way,
I'm going to figure something out.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
The DeSantis family sends their happy birthday wishes to you, Max, you.
Speaker 2 (34:13):
Know, and that's all right, Well, yes, James, and you know,
thank you so much. I will I will heat that
and I will be I will do my best to
enjoy my birthday and make it happy. But you know,
it's it's funny to me. I know I probably put
(34:36):
you know, some you know, little little extra oop in
this game just because you know, I'm not a fan
of theirs. But here's I want to I want to
send some parting shots in a positive direction for the
Steelers before we go, you know. And of course I
love Matt stats, which you know he makes sure he
(34:58):
distributes to us, and I appreci siate it. But there
was one that stuck out to me. Wolf, what's that
even in this four game losing streak, even in oh
my god, the sky is falling cloudy with the chance
of meat balls, whatever you want to call it. Right,
guess what Pittsburgh owns over the other team what we do.
(35:22):
But they do have crabcakes, so I mean rings culture, Yeah, sanity,
that is true.
Speaker 5 (35:32):
Not wearing not wearing those dumb purple camouflage pants.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
Yeah, we can see you.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
That defeats the point of camo.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
I mean, I mean, let's not talk too loud. West.
We do have yellow in there, and yellow is a
lot brighter than purple.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
I thought that was pretty funny myself.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
But we still own the turnover differential battle are still
plus sixteen. Baltimore is only plus six. I means we've
done it ten more times in our favor.
Speaker 4 (36:06):
Than the other team has.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
That that streak when we couldn't buy a turnover, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
When we couldn't buy a turnover, we still because we
had such a big lead on that department. It's only
right that it shifts back a little bit. But I
think now with everything being equal again, we now get
to go and prove that stat right again. And you know,
we we can force the fumbles. I mean, we saw
what t. J. Watt does. I mean, you know, it's
(36:33):
like when he knows how to just zero in and
punch that ball out. We can force turnovers. It's just
coming up with those turnovers after they've been forced, you know.
And I think that's the key that Yeah, I know
Baltimore putt an emphasis on it in us as we
saw the whole the the what's it called, what's the
one following the AFC North Son Max or HBO or
(36:57):
whatever Hard Knocks Hard Knocks there we go, could not
think of the name king about. Yeah, it's a show
it as people they talk, they show pictures very it's
very riveting stuff by the way, I love it. But
no on the Hard Knocks ask. You know, they talked
about the emphasis going into the game against the Steelers
the second time around, Oh my gosh, we've got to
(37:18):
be secured, the move to be secured, the ball scure,
scuit scure secure. I don't think that's the emphasis. I
think the emphasis is, Hey, we need to get this win,
so why not reintroduce them to the fact that they
need ball security, you know, take advantage of that. Yeah,
that would be very beneficial. And I think you know
that stat really, you know, kind of just highlights it,
(37:40):
you know, because you know, it was us and the
Vikings that led the league in takeaways thirty three of
them on the season. So that's something that I think
we can have, you know, an effect on the Ravens
only had seventeen takeways. Now granted we did give them
two of those takeaways in one game, the Russ fumble
and the pick six, But you know, I think, you know,
(38:02):
eliminating and not forcing and not pressuring things, realizing it's
okay to go down after you've accomplished the first down,
you know, more heads up play. I think I think
that you know, affects us in the right direction because
I think now that you've seen it, you put it
on tape and you realize you talked to, Hey, you
don't need to press, don't need to press this game.
This game was still in tow, you know, for the
(38:24):
Steelers favor, and we played them tough, and like you said,
just one or two mistakes really changed this game, you know,
in a different direction. You think of plus fourteen swings
at multiple times in this game, when Russ had the
fumble going into the red zone, they scored two plays
later fourteen point swing minimum ten points right, pick six,
(38:46):
another fourteen point swing right in their favor, and they
won by fourteen. So you know, you eliminate those mistakes
and you continually play, this game is a lot tighter.
I mean, the average series score in this thing is
eighteen seventeen in favor of the Steelers over the last
twenty one matches. So you know, it's not about doing
(39:07):
anything extraordinary. It's just doing the routine things routinely. There
you go, not turning the ball over and just progressing
the football down the field, and we would have had
a tie game that might have went into overtime. No,
So I think that's and we and how many people
do we have missing from that game?
Speaker 4 (39:25):
Miss?
Speaker 2 (39:25):
Yes? So you know, when I look at this now,
the Ravens are experiencing that right with injuries and guys
who are doubtful to play and everything else. Now we
get to go in and play our game and all
things are apples and apples at this game, and I think,
you know, I think we become Johnny Appleseed.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
That's my first point, Johnny Applesteed. Well, the Ravens have
won four in a row. The Steelers have lost four
in a row. The Steelers have not held the lead
in any of the past four games. And that again
goes back to you know, you need to turn things around,
and you best do it by getting a quick start.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
And it's just.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
Something that I don't know, it just it just kind
of gnaws at you. But you know, you're right. We
we've talked about all these elements, all these things come
into play, but really what it's going to boil down
to is who's winning their one elevens, you know what
I mean. And that's really where it's at. They've got
to be able to control the line of scrimmage on
both sides of the ball, and to do that is
going to be it's not going to be an easy thing.
(40:20):
You got some big people that Daniel Folelli, oh my gosh,
that's whatever you want to call whatever. Falaffel there you go.
I just know this that is I Faloffel's are right, man.
But you know, he is a biggin and he is
one of those guys that you know, it's kind of
(40:40):
funny you watch him. He's not he's not much in
the open field. They don't like to run a whole lot.
I don't think I'll say that, but he's a good
phone booth fighter.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
I'll tell you, Oh yeah, absolutely. But you know, I
think the other thing is we talked about this kind
of the crew that's there was is Alan Kim's crew
officiating this game. Yeah, they're really known for their Yeah
they're highly known for their holding penalties. But here's a
stat that'll help you.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Wolf, Okay, give me a stat that'll help me.
Speaker 2 (41:09):
The Steelers have fifteen more first downs via penalty than
they've given up. Baltimore has had one hundred and thirty
two accepted penalties. All of the Jets had more of those.
Pittsburgh had one hundred and two. Only nine teams had fewer.
Baltimore's twenty four offensive holding calls are the fourth most,
and as their fifteen defensive pass interference in fractions. As
(41:33):
a team, you know, they have averaged more than anybody else.
You know that we that we've seen this season. So
when you got a group that has a propensity to
call holding calls. Just saying not that I'm depending on
Zebras to help us out in this contest, but is
this two fits? Yeah? Where?
Speaker 3 (41:52):
But here's the catch to that. If this is the
guy I'm thinking of, doesn't he have something like a
seventy five or eighty percent as far as team home
teams win, Home teams win?
Speaker 2 (42:06):
Or was that last week?
Speaker 4 (42:07):
That might have been last last week's gone we had.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
We've had that three times, and they keep they keep
trying to make us lose a home. They finally got
their wish. Okay, all right, there was something about this guy. Yeah, yeah,
this crew is just it's the holding crew.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
Okay, so we got a holding crew. Keep the hands inside, boys,
that's all.
Speaker 2 (42:29):
Keep the hands within the framework of the body. And
nothing wrong with the occasional throat punch. I'm just saying
that I happened. I don't discourage you know, you don't
have to. You don't have to like design it quick.
You don't have to squeeze. No, remember squeeze the web boom.
The web jab is just as good as the squeeze.
Speaker 3 (42:47):
You know, absolutely, you know I'm right there with you
and and here's the we just remember opera cuts always work.
Speaker 2 (42:55):
They do. They do because it's within the framework of
the body exactly. It just don't grab the face mask
after you initiate the EP unless you're in a real brook.
Then that's a little different. Well, I mean that's after
the whistle actually right there, that one. That one is
like hockey. You know what I'm saying. You just grab
whatever piece of piece of material you can use it
to your advantage.
Speaker 4 (43:15):
Push, pull, uppercut. That's all you gotta know.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
Yeah, and I saw that firsthand. I mean, in practice,
that was the worst place to see it. But you know,
but with that, it's all good, man, it's all good.
It's time to go. Uh you guys got to catch
a flight. I gotta go pack because I still haven't
packed yet. I mean I I packed like the most
essential stuff. Okay, it's not like I didn't not pack.
(43:42):
I just haven't finished packing. Yeah, that's me. Yeah, you know,
I just got to finish, finish that and then you know,
head to the air report too, and then I'll be
there late tonight. You guys will be tucked in west
will you know, He'll he'll have he'll have a baby
bottle of bat blue, you know, nursing them to sleep.
But don't don't Trigg Italian Baltimore.
Speaker 4 (44:02):
We got to drink to Guinness.
Speaker 2 (44:03):
Max, Well, but you're not going to the Guinness factory.
Speaker 5 (44:07):
You still got it flowing in the streets like the second.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
It doesn't it doesn't. It doesn't go with Italian food.
This is true. You know you need the savory, savory
salty to go with Guinness. You can't do can't do creamy.
Speaker 4 (44:26):
On my Italian I'll be on my Italian wave.
Speaker 2 (44:29):
Yeah, exact, exactly. Go get a peroni. You know it's okay,
It's okay, Go get a peroni.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
You can't stop them. You can only hope to contain them.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
That's all that. That's true, Mama Mia me familiar, all
right with that. It's been it's been a great show.
You've been inside the locker room. It's of course, ah, yes,
birthday salutations to myself that's me and then of course
Wesley Euler on the ones and twos and of course
(44:59):
happy birthday mark ahead. You know I saw one of
the things of Eminem crew. I'm like, yeah, Morgan and Max,
there we get it is booth Eminem both have the
same birthday, and of course for everybody else celebrating your birthday,
Happy birthday to all of you out there. Of course,
Dawson prayers are to our our friends and families that
are you know, affected in California. You know, we wish
them safety and the best. I mean, it's just a
(45:21):
tragic situation, so we're always putting you at the front
of our minds. Love you all out there, and then
of course the Sinsey and CJ. We got to give
love to the to the crew behind the scenes. We
appreciate all that you do since say La Martina and
of course CJ our chief, our chief black belt Ninja
on on site with the technical side. But for everybody
(45:41):
else out there, Steelers Nation, go make it a great
day and have a great weekend. We'll talk to you
on Monday.
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