In the Locker Room with Wolf & Starks (Pittsburgh Steelers)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 Wolfley and Max Starks theaters everywhere.
Actor Matthew kind of Hey, all right, all right, all right, declemn.
Dark.
You're I don't mind a little adversity, you know, I know it's temporary and you just you just go through it and you rise to the occasion when last needed would come up with course like man, uh yeah, we just got some good code words, you know, for plays and different things that we do just to get our guys in certain positions in certain plays.
You know, I love code words, cords light, eh, but I loved when Ben was doing Dilly dilly. Now that was a code word baby. I mean, you know, well you could have uh you know, Peyton Mann with omaha, right, something like that, But Dilly Dilly. To me, the only thing with Dilly Dilly is I think I'd start laughing, you know what I mean? And what do you start laughing? And all of a sudden you get call for you know, quick uh but you know, uh a false start. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I don't know.
You're laughing, man, Yeah, because I mean, I mean, I mean, because dilly dilly like when it came. I mean that was at the era of the you know, the bud light and the and the court with the knights and the medieval sure, right, you know I mean so I mean dilly dilly.
Yes, the Pit of Misery was having to play against Marquise Pouncy. I think.
No, pit of misery, I think is what they call the Cleveland Brown Stadium.
No, No, the Factory of Sadness. That's what it's called. Lake. That was the original. That was the old War Memorial whatever. Yeah, the old Memorial Stadium. I keep calling a war memorial. They say, no, it's just memorial. But it was the mistake by the lake because it was right on the lake, just as the other.
One, the new one are now, well, yeah, because it's out of energy stadium instead of first Energy.
That's now this last energy I got out of energy energy stadium instead of first Energy. I never heard that one. That was new way to go.
Hey, you're oko, you're welcome and please feel free Steelers Nation to disseminate that.
We can get that going before we play the Browns. I love that, all right. Well let's look at it this way. All right, I'm looking at some stats last night. You know, it's just trying to get my mind wrapped around the upcoming battle coming Monday night. As you know, the Steelers they take on the New York Football Giants at Actressure. And so since twenty sixteen, Max, think about this rush Wilson leads the NFL and completions yards and touchdowns on passes twenty or more yards down the field of quarterbacks with a minimum of two hundred and fifty attempts. Right, but here, success leads clues, right, I mean, think about it. This guy he goes long ball, Well, what did he do last week? You got a Steelers passing game that produced four plays of twenty five plus yards last week, and then two weeks before they had just two total. So it tells you right there, something's cooking there. And I think that's gonna be something special for Monday night.
Yeah, no, I think it is. And when you think about, just like you said, the creativity, the refreshing nature, of the game. You know, Dan Orlovsky had had a had a little I saw that X tweet. I sent that to you, right, yeah, you sent it to me about about the arc. That's I actually for.
Jim Jim Wexel's postgame uh Steel City Inside, I wrote about the trajectory of it. Nan Orlovsky, I was it was great tell him about it.
Yeah, yeah, So he said the physical representations where he actually timed the throws, like as far as the style of throw, how it was, and he noted the timing it took in trajectory and arc to get to a guy so that they could adjust their bodies to it or at least or at least frame their mind on how they were gonna catch it, like they showed because they showed the Pat Fryar move red zone Dallas game when he was running the seam route down the scene into the end zone, and he noted that ball. And then he also noted the ball last week of the back shoulder.
Throw where he.
Kind of he kind of went almost like a fade route kind of a little like a or a breakout scene, and and how the timing was about I think about almost like a half a second I think was a difference in timing because.
Of a couple of them.
Yeah, it was a full second on that George Pickens one, right, because they showed they showed that, they showed the Pickens the ball against the Raiders that feels through, and then they showed the one in this game that he threw, and they just noted just the timing. That one was a full second difference to where George could adjust move make the play. And the other one because it was such a lower arc, it got there so much faster because the ball was thrown with a lot of zip that you couldn't adjust to it because it was too low. It didn't have time in the air to arc in two.
Where George was.
And so he was just talking about the difference in trajectories when you're throwing the football between Justin and Russell and you know that older veteran quarterback that has good accuracy versus a younger guy who has the same thought process but hasn't put the arc on the balls touch, so to speak. So I just thought, I just thought, you know, with that, and when you have success off of throwing those, you know, then you get a little bit looser.
Then you can do things like Coors light.
I mean personally, I feel like that was like, you know, he was reaching back into his Denver Bronco days because he was tapping the Rockies on that one. But we'll give him a pass. We'll give him a pass. I mean, it was his first start. He hasn't really developed anything. He can't icy light, icy light, icy light, you know what I'm saying, Like, that's probably what he needs to uh eventually evolve that too.
You know. The interesting thing is it's all in the arc, you know, and I agree with with Dan Orlovsky. Obviously an extra second to adjust, that's a long time in terms of heartbeats of playing. You know, guys are there and making decisions in a heartbeat, you know, and so one's full second is exactly you know, that's a long time for them. But it's also the arc because when you're running in man and you got to turn and locate the ball, it's hard to you know, you you can turn and look at the quarterback because it's you know where the guy's emanating from. You know pretty much where he's at. Trying to locate the ball up in the air on a high arc is an entirely different matter. And when you can time it the way he does where it drops into your pocket as they say, I mean that one. That the first one when he caught that forty four yarder when he was playing butt ball with I think it was a sauce gardener or somebody, and he is holding him off with one hand. He's got his butt up against the other guy, shielding him so that you know, he can't reach around, and he catches it with his one hand while facing the quarterback running backwards. I mean, that was absolutely unbelievable. How do you do that? You know, that's that's the equivalent of, you know, for an offensive lineman. It's like, you know, chewing gum and running at the same time, you know, I mean, we're a little bit more simple in our movements. That was like phenomenal. But you have that high arch that drops in just like it would into a pocket.
Yeah, I mean. And and here's the other thing. The ball was so soft on on on another Jeorish road that he caught it.
Three times right shoulder pads the other guy.
The other guy hit it, and then at the end he had to catch it one more time before he went down.
You know what I'm saying, Like.
I think when you have a ball like that that allows that type of opportunity. I don't know if you could have done that with a bullet pass. Right, you may have one maybe maybe a double catch if you take some heat off, But it's it's just it's such a weapon and like you said, and not to have, you know, the opportunity for a guy to really intercept. I mean, now granted, hey, can you throw interceptions, yes, But Russell Wilson's pretty good about protecting the football and putting the ball in a place where only his guy is going to catch it more often than not, or nobody's gonna catch it. And I think that's the other like when you talk about just the touch and the savant nature of the quarterback position and a veteran versus a younger guy and a guy who has gotten his you know, has acquired his skills, you know, like Liam Neeson and taken right. Oh, you know, I've developed a particular set of skills over a very long career, you know, right right. And I think that's also another bonus to have a justin fields watch that, because now he can go to the lab and say you know what I need to let me work on this. You know, we do the trash can drill there you go, or we're throwing at the goal post, you know, and quarterbacks have a little competition with each other. You know, maybe I could work on some of those as because he has a strong enough arm to do it, you know. And it's just about it's just about your It's just about your depth, perception and anticipation. Yeah, and those are things that you could that you that you can that you can work on. And he doesn't have to work on this in a stressful environment of trying to win a game every single time every week. Right now, he had he has a little bit of time where he can work on those things. He can spend the extra time. And I think that that's just a good representation. And then he has the guy who he can talk to to understand that and rep.
That with Well, think about the statistically is you look at the Giants, they couldn't cover a cot with a quilt. I mean, for crying out lot, that's you look at him. They're allowing a seventy one percent completion percentage, and just versus the wide receiver position alone, the Giants are alone over seventy percent completion. I mean, for crying out loud, you know the problem that offsets this is that of the poor coverage. Is that pass rush of the Giants led by Dexter Lawrence with his nine sacks and nose tackle max nose tackle nine sacks? Are you kidding me?
Yeah, there's a lot of pressure in the face to still sorched. Yes, yeah, And so I think opposing quarterbacks I'm trying to think, where is it. I think it's opposing quarterbacks when passing against him average like a ninety six point one passer rating.
I think it's what is the numbers cover?
But they can rush, Yeah, they could rush him. But the problem is but when they don't get to him, that he gets the ball to.
His other thems. Yes, yes, I mean.
Whoever insert random quarterback here, six seven previous quarterbacks.
I mean, here's the problem. Okay that right now the Giants are averaging over four sacks a game. All right, my last three games over five on the road, seven sacks per game. Eleven different Giants have a sack this season. Kad zooks man, that's a lot of saccarations. As we like to say, you know what I mean, and so you've got a problem that that that's you know, the fact is this is gonna be what We've got five different starting combos for this offensive line of the Steelers. This is yeah, that's this could be problematic, man. You know, it's kind of like it's kind of like, Okay, Russ held the ball last week for two and a half seconds or longer on like seventy five percent of his passes. Right, I'm thinking of the last time I played, well, not the last time, A long time ago. We played the Giants with Mark Malone as a quarterback, and the great late Mike Webster offered at the pregame meal. He said, as we were talking about Lawrence Taylor and the rest of the Giants, he goes, Mark, my advice to you is throw the all quickly. Yeah.
Sage wisdom, Sage wisdom. By Mike, I would say the same thing to Russ.
Don't wait for that two and a half seconds if you don't have to, buddy. Yeah.
And you know, I think the other thing is is that you know, for this giant spill, it's feast or famine for them. Yeah, you know, with it like they had like because the secondary is not good. The defensive line has to be great, you know what I'm saying to balance them out at okay, you know, like like that's like it's like you have to because yeah, you know, you know what I'm saying, like very heavy in one area, super light in the other makes it medium. It's kind of like when I justify my diet.
You know, yeah, there you go.
Hey, hey, you know, if I go all these cookies, I can't go as I can't go as much protein. But if I go, but if I go as many cookies, at least I've had the cookies, and you know protein will come one.
Day, you know, you know, right, yeah, you.
Know, four donuts and like four ounces of steak. You know, I mean that that's balance. That's perfectly balanced me. And that's how the giants, I believe, also think that's why you know, you got a cheese wopper like Derek dexha.
Lors in the middle.
But but you know, you're you're right. I mean that that's one of the things where they have to hit home or else somebody's getting a home run, and you know it's it's going to be a challenge. But I think also, you know, with that you have. That's where that's where the run and the play action are really important, right because the run game staves off the blitz in the pass rush. It's it softens you up and also allows the offensive line to tenderize the defensive line a little bit.
You know what I'm saying.
Like you get to you get you get you get to put a little extra jelly on your work as you like, or you know, force Dexter Lawres to do a couple more push ups and he planned.
On doing on Monday night.
And those are the things, like I said, you have to take advantage and you have to be successful.
Right.
The first down run especially has to get the four yards right. You have to stay on pace, and I think it's when you get off it's when you get off schedule. Behind the chains, third and longs. That's where the Giants become more indefensible, so to speak, on the defensive line because they're bringing five and they're you know, they may add or may not add because they know that they can't just drop in his zone coverage because zone they will.
Look like Swiss cheese.
So you know, when you are playing press those press coverages, you got to head home with the blitz and that's what they're banking on, and that's why they've been so successful because they do have a good D line, they do have a good mic backer, and those guys you know, rush up field, especially when they already play, you know, more up the field. Anyways, they're not really two gapping, even though they have a three four look that they appear for.
It's more so three four blow the doors off. Just just get.
Upfield, cause havoc right right, cut off lanes and force them into a box.
You will. You take a look at the starting for they got eighteen sacks among them, you know, I mean all four guys across the front. We're only talking about what going to seven games? Eight games now, I mean, you know, it's not like we're not in the second half of the season where you know, it starts piling up and things like that. Like that, these guys can tear it up. And that's the thing that I look at this and I go, this is made to order for us, you know, being able to unload the ball quickly, being able to see it coming, that sort of thing. We'll see, you know. But I really like the opportunity to go after these guys, especially with a home game, and especially with the rushing attack, because let's face it, Saquon Barkley rip this team for almost two hundred yards by himself last week. You know, they have a big place all over the place.
And and he sat down. You know, I thought the ultimate mark of that. They showed a clip last week of Nick Sirianni sitting down talking next talking to on the bench and said, hey man, you you only I forgot what the number of yards. You're only a certain number of yards away from setting your career high. You know, do you do you do you want to go? Because if you want to go for that, I'm here. I'm here to back you on it. You just you just let me know. And Anduon said no, he turned it down, and he said no, let the young boys eat.
He done enough right.
These were his friends and his teammates for a very long time, so it was almost like a sign of respect, and he said, let the young boys eat. No, I'm good, I'm not worried about that. You know, like there'll be plenty of other opportunities for for that type of goal. I thought, I thought that was a lot, but you're right. He absolutely tored them a new one. Yeah, rush into football, and you know, I'm sure they're gonna be a little honked off that they gave up that many yards. But at the end, by at the end of the day, you still you are who you are, right, you know, Zebra will not erase his stripes. So let's just go ahead and make them feel bad. And I'm sure Nase he's not gonna have a problem turning that down.
If yeah, I don't think he's gonna say.
Yeah exactly, He's like, he's like, hey, I don't feel this, I don't feel this.
I don't know any of those dudes over there.
Absolutely yeah, this will be what the second time he's seen them in his career.
So ready to okay, you know what, that's a wrap on the first segment. Here here we go. Oh yeah, cannon shot. We got the great Missy Matthews coming up next to do no No next hour gone, and I screwed up.
One more segment, one more eleven.
I understand the confusion, Max, I mean it is the same time we have Missy every week.
I understand why it's confusing every single time. Bottom of you guys just got a taste of why my wife gets so frustrated with me.
Yeah, you know, it's exercise and repeat and repeated activity. It's not futility, but it is acty, that's all it is.
I just got the same thing that the great John Coleb has. He calls it c R S can't remember squat.
That's sure that. I'm sure that S means squat, right, it works for everybody. Rack or dumbbell. That's a question.
And there's another, and we're out here. We'll be back with more after this.
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and brought to you by acro Sure, the official insurance and Cybersecurity Parkner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by BET MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI, and by FedEx. Where now meets next? Now here's Craig wolf Lee and Max Starks.
Alrighty, back inside the locker room, and we are we are having a time here, you know. We we've gotten everything on kind of on track here.
I think Wolf knows the schedule, so.
Hey, you know, and all I care about is Wolf. Hey, hey, Wolf, just make sure that Monday night, eight fifteen pm you're ready to go. Yeah, that's all I care about, you know, about right now, buddy, there to see. I love the energy just misplaced right now. Let's save that bottlet. There you go, bottlet. Don't do it on Sunday, don't yeah, yeah, don't spend that air on Sunday to say it because we're not doing a show. But uh no, you know, we're.
Kind of breaking down.
Really kind of where we are as a team, right and and and and the challenge that's in front of us against with the Giants, and you know, I was I was digging through, you know, the kind of stats and everything, and.
You know, did you know, Oh, is this what we're going to do? Did you know? Yeah? Did you know?
Yeah, that's what we're doing. That's what we're doing. Did you know that Russell Wilson had a passer rating of one fifty three point three rating on passes down field in Week seven? Did you know that he went five of seven for one hundred and forty nine yards.
Was that play action or is that regular?
Just down downfield? Is ten plus air yards?
Okay?
It was going ten plus yards down the field five and seven for one.
That's awesome. Point three.
I mean that that's that that that's that's that's pretty darn good.
Now you compare that.
With fields fields average seventy three and a half passing yards a game and had two touchdowns on downfield passes.
And it's six weeks as a starter.
So they didn't really give his actual breakdown of ten plus are yard plays, but you know, he he, it was still.
Half in the completion category on the average.
Now I also know that, hey, this is this is also one game versus six games, right, so obviously the average is watered down the moist play. But I just thought it was an astounding stat for right now. I mean, if that's what your average is, right, you know, you're a little bit above a little bit below.
That area and it was double your production.
So so yeah, so it's a pretty cool thing when we're talking about what Russell Wilson was able to to to be able to uh to contract and then of course he leaves the NFL and completion's yards, touchdowns and completion percentage over expected on deep passes twenty plus air yards in the next two stats era since twenty sixteen.
That's I mean, that's amazing, and we're thinking about all the guys yards look at the yardsfty, that's ridiculous.
That it's crazy. It's crazy, so and so full disclosure. You know, I was going through some of some of these stats because I have the Chiefs Raiders game right okay, And so you know, Pat Mahomes is in a lot of these same categories with Russell, you know, in his first eight seasons. And you know, one of the things that I do point to is, you know, he is how about this, if if Russ wins, I'm sorry, if Pat Mahomes wins the game against the Raiders, he moves into third place for most win in first eight years. And he's currently at a tie right now with Peyton Manning and Ben Wow.
That's amazing.
So they both have eighty wins in their first eight seasons, and Patt is currently sitting at eighty and would go to eighty one with the victory against the Raiders. And the only two people that he would be behind and in that in that record Tom Brady and Russell Wilson. You so, and they both have eighty six wins in their first eight years. So I'm just so the rarefied.
It was just funny.
I'm doing this, you know, my research and my and my notes for that game, and Russell Wilson is still popping up in my prep. So I thought that was I thought that was pretty cool to share that most people wouldn't know that.
It's very cool to share. And you know, it's even cooler Russell Wilson versus Daniel Jones. I mean, you know, you got to quote from a one loss perspective, you know, I mean, yeah, I'm Monday Night football. Russell Wilson's eleven to five, you know, and Daniel Jones zhen seven. You know, passing yards per attempt seven point six for Russ, five point eight for Daniel Jones. You know, pass TD to you know, inner TD to interception ratio twenty six to five for US, eight to eleven for Daniel Jones, and then the passer rating seventy two point four for Daniel one o three point five. I mean, Russell is just in that rarefied air, just as you explained when you got Tom Brady. You're talking about Tom Brady, Pat Mahomes and Russell Wilson in the same breath, you know. I mean, that's yeah, that's rarefied air. That's rarefied air.
And you know that that lets you know that, you know the trajectory of Russ Wilson. Once he does hang it up, he's got to wait five years. That that's the only that's the only thing, you know what I'm saying, Yeah, because that's that's that's where he's going. Yeah, oh yeah, absolutely, Ben and Peyton who's already there, right, you're already in that in that that top echelon category. And Russell's sitting there right there with all the greats. And I think I think that's what's really special about what we have at quarterback here. And you know, and when you go back to a week ago, you know, or I.
Should say five days ago, I guess.
And people during that first quarter had had the had the exhalations that they did, I'll call them exhalations, you know, with to be at the front of.
It, a little qualifiers to be in front of it.
Yeah, with to be in front of it, you know. But yeah, it's it's like what what are what are you really excelating about?
Right?
You know, It's like you have to realize who you're dealing with. Like let the man warm up, right, I mean, like I said, wolf, when it's when when it's cold outside and there's snow piled up around you and you gotta you gotta get to work. You're not gonna just jump in the car and and reverse out. You're gonna warm the engine up, right, Sometimes.
You gotta warm the engine up, no doubt about it.
So, so, yeah, so I think so, I mean so when we're talking about right, you know, it's it's something that I have to constantly, you know, remind others and also go back and review it for myself, right, you know, just to make sure that I never get into that situation where I'm over indulgent, over you know, over analyzing things and realize, no, no, I mean, this is a great quarterback. And he showed and he showed us why he's a great quarterback. And hence why we're talking about his downfield balls, right, you know the balls that he throws, I mean downfield. He he's he is he is pinpoint accurate. He is lethally accurate, yes, with those, and he is a weapon that could be you know, and they should do like four of them, you know. No, don't even mess around with like a trilogy, you know, just go for the quad fecta.
Who would you want to go for the lead?
Guys, I'm thinking you gotta see, man, you know, I mean, if we're I mean, if we're doing this in the in the late eighties, early nineties, you know, I definitely think that Danny Glover was really, really good.
It was legitimate. Man, I liked him. Who you know, I'm trying to think, you know, you know there's any guy you know, would you have?
No, No, there's a guy who Hey, who's that guy that played Braveheart?
Oh, Mel Gibson. William Wallace? Yeah, that would be William Wallace. That's right, Well we got anyhow Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, Brave Heart. You know, I think he also played in a movie called The Patriot. You know, I think that guy looks like he could do some good things. I just say, yeah, Mel Gibson, because I feel like Bruce Willis, because I feel like Bruce Willis is occupied.
With his Diehard franchise.
So you know, we're trying to do something different, so we probably have to go in a different direction.
There you go. Yeah, all right, well you know what, let's make a note of that. Maybe we can come up with something there.
Yeah, I feel like we should, you know, And while we're noting that, we're gonna we're gonna take a break because I don't want to miss any minute that we get to spend with my sideline came Padre, the one, the only. Missy Matthews coming up next here. So we're gonna break so that we can bring Missy into the locker room because I feel like, you know she she's like a mom, you know she She wants to make sure that school drop off is right on time, So we want to make sure locker room drop off is right on time for her as well. So we'll be back with more after these commercial breaks. Inside the Locker Room on Steelers Audio Network.
This is in the Locker Room, presented by Ford and brought to you by Akroshure, the official insurance and cybersecurity partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, by Bett MGM, Huntington Bank, PNC, PEPSI, and by Betex. Where now meets next. Now here's Craig Wolfley and Max Starks.
And the walk up music. Lets you know the awesome Missy Matthews is coming in the locker room. Missy, welcome and go ahead, smackerate me. I know Bett Syracuse. I'm a Syracuse guy. We took it on the chin yesterday or last night, I should say, bummer. That's all I can say.
I mean, I love you so much. Here I told West is, you're my favorite Syracuse person person I think that I like. But I had I gave it to West when pitty West Virginia. I mean forty one to thirteen? Where was this offense? I thought this quarterback is supposed to be like the guy you know.
I considered going to the game, but I just knew I got too much in prep for, you know, going on this weekend and everything, and I was like, as I'm listening watching it last time, I'm going, you gotta be kidding me. Man, what's going on?
I mean three pick sixes?
Okay? Who was in the huddle with them? That's what I want to know.
I have two quick questions that I have to ask Missy then follow ups? Okay, one okay, one, Missy? Am, I am I the only West Virginia person that you like as well?
Much like Wolf with Syracuse.
Oh yeah, that's I do. Like Beanie Bishop.
Okay, that's I don't really.
I don't know no Zach Frazier, but I feel like I could. I can like him because what he brings to the Steelers. Yeah, fair enough, I like Pat McAfee.
There we go.
Okay, yeah, there we go.
That's another good one.
There we go. Now we're talking. Okay, second right, right, second follow up question, then, Missy, which is the worst way to lose by blowing a ten point lead with like three minutes left or by throwing three pick sixes and losing forty one to thirteen.
Oh, I don't know that. I flip a coin. I don't know. I mean, both are both are kind of painful. Both are kind of painful. You know, I don't know if there's if there's a good option out of those.
All Right, we're moving along.
Quickly.
Yeah, hi, missy, am I your favorite Florida might as well go down the list here.
I mean, you guys gotta let me.
You know, baths Pit, I mean, pitt has three wins last year, Like, let me have this.
Okay, you got it, they earned it, you got it. H that was a tough one for the kid here. All right, Missy, we're moving on. If Bill Belichick likes to say, we're moving on the Monday, all right, we're moving on the Funday night football. What do you what are some of the prominent storylines going into this game?
I think For the Steelers, it's how do you continue building off what you did against another New York team and you get to do it in prime time. You had the feeling of jubilation with just the atmosphere that we had at Akforsher Stadium, and you know that you have a bye week coming up, and then I'm sure the guys have taken a little peak. You know that it is not going to get easy, uh, and that you finally get to play your first AFC North game when the Ravens come to town week eleven. So I think it's not hurting yourself and continuing to build. I think, especially for the offense, what else can we see become unlocked? With Russell Wilson at quarterback? You know he shuck, he shook off the rust, right, So now it's what's the next step for them? And I think for the defense, it's another repeat performance of being a good defense. Stacking those performances. We saw them do it in the first three. Things got a little haywire the next two, but they're kind of back on the right track. And I think, you know it's Russell Wilson and Danny Dimes. It was just last week like it was Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. I mean, you look at Russ. He has the seventh most wins by a quarterback in NFL history in prime time Danny Dimes, He's won in fourteen oh and seven on Monday Night football. And you just you don't want this to be a game that you lose because this is a game they should win.
No, You're absolutely right, this is a game they should win. Now.
You know, Wolf talked about, you know, the prowess of that defensive line, but also we talked about the poorest nature of the of the secondary. Is there anything that concerns you knowing that this team is really good at rushing the passer and knowing that Russ has held the ball for about two and a half seconds on most of the majority three fourths of.
His dropbacks, are you worried.
About that aspect of an offensive line holding up since it is a new unit working for their second game together. You know, yeah, have another transition, but yet no more transitions this week, Thank goodness.
Yes, knock on wood, Max, please.
Yeah, sorry, I'm knocking on wood.
I'm knocking on wood. Thank you.
Uh, you know, I thought last week we were all kind of maybe a little nervous, just because they were so used to Justin being able to use his legs to escape if he had to and to extend a play. But I thought the O line did an amazing job. And I think especially that last touchdown, you get Naugy in the stands, McCormick goes with him. I just I feel like they're building something and Max and well, if you guys know this better than anyone, it takes time to build an offensive line and that continuity and that bond, and we've we've witnessed how many moving pieces and missing pieces they've had to deal with just through the first seven weeks. So I'm hoping that that continues. And clearly everybody knows Dexter Lawrence is, as coach Hellan said, you have to have four hands on him at all time. They're not going to rise. Just wish Ryan McCollum good luck and say all right, buddy, you got it, here's your third start, which you know, it's like what teams they don't wish their tackle is good luck going against TJ.
Watt.
So I'm sure you know there's going to be some thought put into that as well. But I think with Russ with the play action. I think that just helps the Steelers in terms of giving him a little bit more time in making teams decide do you want to stack the box? You are you going to think about what could happen downfield. So I think that's a good problem to have. But I don't think this is like a slain junk. They definitely have to bring their a game again.
You know what's interesting to me, Missy is the fact that the Giants get ripped on some big plays. I mean, you take a look at Saquon Barkley with one hundred and seventy six yards rushing, but three what there was three runs that were like was like seventy five percent of his rushing total. I mean, it just busted up. What do you think the chances are that Naji continues his run of you know, back to back and maybe back one hundred yard plus games. What do you think the adds of that are?
I don't.
I mean, he's running angry. Guys, we've we've seen it, you know, you love to see it, and hopefully it can continue to go. He has never had three straight games of one hundred plus rushing yards and only five times has it happened in Steeler's history, So you know that says something. But I think that he has it in him and this O line has it in them.
You know.
I love Russ rushes the touchdown and gives it to Dan Moore to spike the ball. He talked about Naji celebrating the O Line going with him too. I mean, you just want them to feed off that and to continue to want to do that, because I think this is what Arthur Smith wanted the second he decided to take the job at Pittsburgh's. We're going to be physical, We're going to run the ball really well, and we're going to score points and that is not something we are used to seeing. I think, hey, I'm going to mind one more time. Fit scored over thirty points forty one. Actually last night, the Steelers are coming off their performance. You know, we got to keep it going in primetime at Acharca.
City Boy the nice little jab there, I heard that. I heard that well played, well played.
The act at night. You know, I mean, let's just let let's just let's let's just keep those vibes going that you just don't want to play here. I mean, as we get to Halloween. It's a house of horrors for opposing teams. That's what we want to make it, you know, Missy. One of the things that I've been just uh most happy with. I mean, you know, we we've we've missed Alex high Smith and listened nothing against you know, Jeremiah moon Ade and Eku because I'm not going to try and pronounce all those vowels and syllables, so we'll just we'll just refer them as that. But there's just something different about Hei Smith and Watt as as as dynamic duo.
You know.
One of the things that you know, this offensive line struggle has struggled with his pressure off the edge. I mean, what do you see the challenge you know really for TJ.
Because TJ is getting a ridiculous.
Amount of of of of attention and assistance and no calls and et cetera, and insert anything to stop t J. Watt from terrorizing your quarterback. Every team is done. I mean, I feel like they've done everything but bring out like real barricades. Uh just just line them up pre snap, you know what I'm saying. Us kind of what do you anticipate, you know, for this type of game knowing that the tackles are highly susceptible. And you look at Daniel Jones' success, he is he's been shell shocked and he and he can't get.
Yeah, lack of success.
He's successfully been getting hit and not completing passes. Uh you know, just just you look at this. I mean, the opportunity is there for TJ and Alex absolutely.
I mean he was sacked seven times alone last week, eight total for their team. And you know, I always pull up whatever team we're playing, you know, website to just see what are their headlines, what are they talking about, you know, reading some player quotes and.
All of it.
This week, guys, is about the offensive line? Do we need to make changes? Is this going to work? How do we how do we protect him better? He he has now been sacked two hundred times in his career. That that game put him at that milestone. Not a milestone you want to be on, but he is there. Uh So I do think that this is really one of those games that this defense can feast on. And I think you know, not that TJ has been quiet, but stat wise and sack wise, TJ has been quiet because of all the things legal and illegal things happening that you said Max to stop him, not that he doesn't, you know, help in terms of forcing fumbles and punching balls out in all of those things. But I hope that this is one of those games where we can increase his sax total. It is kind of crazy that Dexter Lawrence is leading the league an interior guy with nine sacks right now, but as we know, sometimes they come in bunches. It's kind of like how Beanie was last week with two interceptions. But I do think with high Smith back, it's it's not that you don't notice him, but I think you slightly take it for granted until he's not there, and then you're like, oh, okay, yeah, Like there's something to this Batman and Robin duo that those two guys have. And man, I really wish Nick Herbig had an arrow pointed up for this week as well, because I think he just adds to them is you know, a trio per se and just what he's been able to do in terms of growing and getting better in the year two. But I definitely think high Smith is this is a prime game where you know, I go back to that Monday night game last year against clean Eveland where they were the ones scoring the touchdowns and just making the Browns life miserable. So hopefully we can see another repeat on Monday night of that.
Mister, do you think is there well, is there any sense of the Steelers overlooking these guys because this looks like it's a layup for the Steelers, a made for the Steelers. I mean, like I said, I was telling Max earlier, these guys in the back end of that Giants defense, they couldn't cover a cot with a quilt for crying out loud, right, and then so you got this firits pass rush. But if you get the ball off, you got a good chance of being successful. And the running you should be able to run the ball against them. It's almost like you want to go, Okay, guys, we need a gut check here. We need to make sure everybody is on their p's and q's with an extra little bit of oompho whatever in the brain, because this looks like the Steelers should win this going away.
Yeah, but I do think you know, we talked about Dexter Laurence. He's somebody you have to account for. They will wreck a game if you don't. Malik Dabers. I think, you know, no matter what's happening, he's still somebody they're going to have to keep in on. And I think Joey Porter Junior, the whole secondary's been doing a great job of, you know, keeping these big guys, the DeVante Adams and whatnot, under control. But I think it's fair to say. I mean, the Giants have scored ten total points over their last two games total, both games ten. They didn't force any turnovers for seven straight games, so that they that they've ended up losing. I mean, I think that says something when you can't get a takeaway to even try to help your offense in terms of a short field or just getting them the ball back. So I don't think they're overlooking them. I also think it's color Rush Jersey prime time. I mean, the Steelers streak is twenty one consecutive home games that they've won on Monday night football. How do you not keep that going? And I just I really think the energy is going to be up there like we saw on Sunday night, and I think the team is very well aware of what this win could do for them going into the back half of their season.
Excellent Missy, thank you so much. We want to take just thank you for coming to the locker room again and again. You finished with fashion. I like that all right, because yeah we got fashion. We're talking fashion in the locker room.
I'm here to help guys, to help.
Thank you the great Missy Matthews. Thank you so much. We appreciate you coming in.
Thanks all right, see you guys on Monday.
You bet you see it the ball, you bet you. All right, we'll be back with more coming up the Power Hour with Max Sharks taking over taking the lead right here in the locker room. Steelers Audio Network
