At least.
He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
And welcome to the Drive.
I am Dale LOLLI he is the Matt Williamson and it is a Wednesday here in Pittsburgh.
That means Matt that well. We have our first practice report of the week here for both.
The Steelers and the Browns who they could play Sunday at Akroshuer Stadium. And the Steelers injury list is pretty extensive, but most of these are resting veteran players.
Makes sense. It's time of year. We're into December.
You know.
They also practiced indoors today, which a lot of times they will rest guys.
Yeah.
Yeah, old knees get rested when they practice indoors because it's a little tougher on. Yeah, So that would that would include Mike Williams, Najee Harris, Making, Fitzpatrick, Isaac Samalu, Michel Pruett, T J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Larry Oguan Joebi. What was limited today? Guys who practiced in a limited fashion? Where Calvin Austin third, good goodness first, Yeah, that's the first step in returning from a concussion protocol. Alex high Smith, with the ankle, was limited in Montrevious Adams also limited with the knee.
Those seemed like the three to watch. Yeah, those those are the guys we don't know for sure will be there for Sunday.
Corey Trice was a full participant today. Oh, they haven't yet activated him off of I would imagine he's active for a game day, don't you think.
I don't know, because dude hasn't played in two months.
Quite a while, right, and I don't know what he is on special teams. I mean, I'm pretty happy with their gunners. I'm sure I don't think he'd crack that. I wonder if Porter or Jackson were to get hurt the Sutton kickout or would that be Trice's job, I mean, that would be his past.
Pierre Still and Pierre.
So the question is again in Beanie Bishops, are you going to keep six cornerbacks active on game.
Yeah, that's tough. I mean, especially if he's so so on teams or you know, not established interesting.
So that's where they're at with that.
Looking at the Cleveland side of things, Joel Botonio with an ankle as a full participant. Hardened, the cornerback with the tibia, was limited. Maurice Hurst or Michael Hurst, I said Michael Hurst. They just Hirst, they put Yeah, they put in initials here like of course you just know everybody h he has an ankle, He was limited. Kamara, the defensive tackle, had concussion, did not participate. Jerry Judy, with the knee, was a full participant. Elijah Moore with a shoulder a limited participant, Greg Newsom with an abdomen limited participant. Cedric Tillman with concussion did not practice today. Look he's been a while, yeah, since the Steeler game there.
Yeah yeah.
Uh Onan Thornhill with calf did not practice, Okay, uh, James Thrash with the shoulder did not practice, and Jedrick Wills with a knee did not practice.
If he's ever gonna play for them, I don't think he just seems like they're put him on ice side. Note, while you're saying that my phone has popped up, they put Trevor Lawrence on injured reserve too. I would I know. I bet his season's over as well.
Yeah, yeah, they've got four games left. So yeah, this season would be over.
Who are we most concerned with with the Brownies there?
I think Thornhill would be a loss for them.
Yeah, safety, We'll see about Newsome if he is able to go or not.
That's that would be a big loss.
And maybe I missed it, but was Ward not on there?
We're not on there.
I thought he might have broke his forearm watching that game the way he just went off late in the game, but apparently not, so they didn't say much about it. That my observation.
Yeah, so that's that's where they're at. And Tilman not.
If Timan doesn't play, that's a big deal since Thrash is also hurt.
Yeah, and Kilman's a much better player.
Yeah. Yeah, so we'll see about that. But overall, not awful.
No, not awful for either team. Yeah, Steelers could be getting guys back, which is fun. Yeah, always fun. Ye, always fun to get guys back. Looking at this game, even even a little bit more. Dustin Hopkins is not good. No, he's a real problem, real problem.
Did you see by the way the Bengals put McPherson on ir.
Oh really, I was about to say AFC North Kickers aren't doing so great. A lot of kicks, not the one here, but I wonder if that's gonna be popping up on hard knocks here.
I tweeted this out yesterday. Matt actually.
The leading kicker now all time in terms of field goal percentage? Do you know who it is now? Is it fair Baron?
No?
This has changed now.
This is the third time, actually our third change atop the standings all.
Time, So it's not the panther guy anymore.
No, he missed a couple of kicks and he's now at eighty eight point five to two five, okay, just ahead of Boswell.
Boswell has actually moved.
Up to state.
He's moving up a list.
Yeah, he started the season at six. He's now fourth Harrison. Butker is benefiting from not.
Case not swinging his leg and moving up the chart. He's had a good career. That makes it eighty nine point two one two percent. Tucker's at eighty nine point oh three two percent this one season has dropped. He was over ninety one percent. That's how bad he's been one year. Yeah, that's insane.
Pinero's at eighty eight point five two five and Boswell's at eighty seven point seven four eight no.
Good for Butker. I do respect the outdoor kickers that deal with element and wins and stuff like that a little bit more for sure too, you know Pinero and Coup and those guys have it easy.
Yeah, and Pinero. That's the weird thing about this, Like Pinero was a top to the list. He's only been in the league like six years. Yeah, but he's kicked for three teams and he's the all.
All time best or whatever, right you said that last week or whatever. I was like, really, he doesn't seem like he's even a standout, you know.
Yeah, he's one of these names.
Is not like the others because the top five all time are Butker, Tucker, Boswell, Carl Daniel, Carlson with the Raiders, and Pinier.
High quality kickers.
Yeah, nobody would include Pinero in that group.
No, And I don't know a ton about the other kickers, you know, other than like Tucker and Boz. But my hunch is he just isn't a real big leg guy. He just kicked a lot of short ones. That's what's happened. Like the guy in Tennessee this year.
Yeah, he's not kicking like oh he's he's made all you know, missed one kick or two kicks whatever it is.
Yeah, but he doesn't try any hard ones, right, yeah, I mean Boswell's misses one was blocked and two were far yeah.
Yeah, but anyway, I just thought that, you know, again, when you look at the breakdown of this Browns team, they lost that game the other night by what nine points? He missed a kick? Yeah, otherwise they're they different. Two pick six is then.
They gave a gave some stuff away obviously.
Which is what bad football teams do.
Yeah, and they really don't run the ball well at all at all, even they don't try anymore. Yeah.
The number since Jamus Winston has taken over, I mean that.
Is past past, past pass Yeah.
Yeah, they're they're passing. Stuff is just shot through. Like he started one fewer game than Russell Wilson has, but he's thrown like sixty more passes.
Huh. I'm like he's already passed like Watson on. I mean like oh yeah, I mean it's not even clothes.
Yeah, I mean if you look at their I mean it's it's he's thrown in his.
Uh what is he here? Where's it that he is?
He's played in ten games, but he's only started five, but he's already thrown two hundred and thirty passes. Watson in seven starts through two hundred and sixteen.
Yeah yeah, I mean, and the yardage is way crazy different in the touchdowns. And I'm admittedly somewhat of a Winston apologist. I mean, I enjoy his style of play, but he's don ball too much. I mean, like, yes he throws picks, and yes he's aggressive, and we all know that about him, but you could help the guy out a little bit and not have him throw a bazillion times. But the run game's bad.
His interception percentage use three point zero if you start looking at the overall league. I mean that puts him like top five worst worst. Yeah, as bad as Deshaun Watson was this year. His interception percentage is one point four.
The real knock on Watson is just turning down throws. Yeah, I mean he would just dump it down, not try anything. I mean, the anti Winston. Yeah, they need a happy medium there. Yeah, the next gen stats, you know, the NFL pro stuff had some stuff about Winston to today. He throws past the sticks at a alarming rate, I mean, at a really high level and he's done well. But this Dealers happened to be one of the best teams defending passes sticks and they have eleven interceptions when teams throw past the sticks. You know, so his aggression if I was in charge of the Browns or yeah, real, this back.
A little bit.
Yeah.
So he's averaging per reception twelve twelve point five yards per reception and Watson was at eight point four and that still comes in less than what we've seen him with Russell Wilson. Russell Wilson's averaging a thirteen point two yards per completion.
Yeah.
Wow, So so we have a guest we do yeah yeah, uh so we're joined at this time by.
He's always here.
He's here.
Yeah, just completely these.
Yeah, sorry, so we will finish up the segment here. But yeah, so Wilson is also aggressive as a thrower.
Oh yeah, yeah. I mean he's pushed the ball down the field.
But he's more deliberate with it than smarter about it.
Yeah, he's smarter, but he is, there's no question about it. I mean, like the last Winston interception, I don't kill him for trying to.
Win again, right, I mean a bad pick though.
It was a bad pick. I mean, but the other ones like what are you doing? And over his career it just showed that's just he's just going to let it fly.
Yeah.
And if you look at the days in Tampa when he was throwing thirty interceptions in a season, there was a hope that, you know, maybe those couple of years in New Orleans would kind of.
Coach that out of them. It didn't.
No, I mean, I think that's kind of why he went there wisely is let's learn from Breeze and you know that crew or and all those guys. And no, it did not.
It did not help.
No.
No, he's still that guy.
He's a lot like Flatco was last year with the brow just throw it all over and sometimes it's good.
You're going to see some good. Oh yeah, yeah, you're also going to see some bad. No, lot a lot of bad. Well, let's get to a break. He is the Matt Williamson. I'm Dale Lolly. You're listening to the drive here on the Steelers Audio Network. When Matt and I come back, will be joined by Jimmy Rooney. Of course, he is released the audio version of his book A Different Way to Win. Dan Rooney's story from the Super Bowl to the Rooney Rule. Lots of good stuff fair, we'll get to that right after this.
At This is the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven Home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
And welcome back. I am Dale Lolly.
He is the Matt Williamson and we're pleased to be joined now by Jim Rooney, of course wrote the book A Different Way to Win Dan Rooney story from Super Bowl to the Rooney Rule.
And for people that don't know, of course, Dan was.
Your father, and you wrote this book a couple of years ago and I remember reading it then and there's lots of good stuff in there. But you've now taken this to another level with the audio version.
Right right, So Dale, thanks for having me. Matt good to show.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
So we wrote the book.
And we really thought we put a good product together telling my dad's story.
But we always wanted to do an audio version.
And we we our publisher said, well, let's make it sort of a cross between They call it an audio original, but it's sort of a cross between a podcast and an audiobook. So I will read a chapter and then at the end of the chapter. I of a conversation with someone who was pertinent in that chapter. So we talked to Roger Goodell. We talked to Paul Tagliabu. We've talked to my brother Art, we talked to Rocky, We talked to Franco, which was amazing that we got Franco and the time we got Franco. Mel Blunt is in the book. James Shaq Harris, you know, a great quarterback for the Rams and the Bills is in the book. Joe Green is the intro and then at the beginning is Bill Cower and the end is Mike Tomlin. And I did that on purpose. So it's kind of a you you hear the stories, but you also get sort of an intimate connection that's different than when you read the book.
Okay, you mentioned a bunch of Steeler folks. There obviously tons of players. Is there anyone from outside the league? You know that part of it, because obviously he did a lot of more than just owned a team too, you know.
Right, So we took a lot out from the In the original book, there's a section on my father's work in Ireland, and the publisher decided we want to focus on the football audience story run football and business, So there's not that. But we have several folks who were involved in the Rooney Rule, which is the NFL's diversity hiring policy, folks sort of, if you will, on both sides of the fence of that issue. We really wanted to try and get people to say, I think this is working.
I don't think this is working.
So we have several folks there, and that was really important. But I also think fundamentally getting the stories from you know, particularly Joe Franco, Rocky and Mel, each of them and I guess Bill and Mike, each of them tell a story about my father in a way that shows how he mentored them and how now many years later in life, they used these lessons in things, you know, the.
Mel Blunt youth home.
Yeah.
You know, Mel says he uses those decisions all the time.
Yeah, And I'm sure you know you and your brothers, I mean, you're always influenced by your father. You probably do a lot of the things that you do without even thinking about it because of the way your dad did it. But to hear it from somebody else like how he affected them, I'm sure is really interesting as well.
Yeah, it is because you know, my father was was I mean, he was a successful business man and you know, he was accountable, he was transparent, he was reliable, he was all those things. But then you know, you know the stories of my grandfather and then my father. You hear that warmth that people describe in them and how that has allowed you know, rock he talks about getting cut by the Steelers. You know, he got cut when he came back from Vietnam, and that my father called him and said, look, we made a mistake. Rock We expected to invite you back to camp year, but we want to put you on ir. We want our doctors to be able to support you all year when you've been, to be able to work out in our training room, all those things that would help Rocky become, you know, such a critical part of Steelers history and and and sort of the warmth and connection that he relates that story, I think is really impactful when you listen to it.
Yeah, and those are the things that you talk about. Things like that, the there or what are considered the Steeler's way of doing things. You know it because that doesn't happen everywhere, guys, things happen well we'll see you.
Yep, yep.
And we all know this, you know, we we all spend everyone in this room spends a fair amount of time around there. But there is there is a real challenge and and you know clearly we don't get it perfect all the time. But but of of being tough, of having those really high standards, of setting that expectation, and then you see, you know, in Hard Knocks last night, you see Mike Tomlin of George Pickens a hug after a mistake, and and that's how That's how my grandfather did it. I think that's how my father did it. And and it's tricky, I think it. I my observation of it. It took more work. You know, it would be easy to just be a hard ass and just say okay, like let's go right, let's just do this, let's push, let's always be about about these these things. And I think people quit after that. I mean, Dale, you know, I consider you and I young. We've been around here one hundred years now, you know, And but I think that's part of it. Like I I hope you enjoy coming to work as part of this organization, because it's not just you know, hit the clock in and out. And if when you create a culture like that, I think it sustains success longer.
Yeah.
One thing that always strikes me as maybe different is that after every game, win or loss, I would see your dad in shaking all the player's hands, and now I see Art doing the same thing, you know, shaking everybody's hand and thanking them after a game, win or lose. It doesn't matter, you know, could be the super Bowl, could be the you know, a game in Cleveland last Thursday night where they lose, doesn't matter. There's still that human elements everything.
And so we write about that in the book.
And I spent a lot of time talking in a couple different players in the original book, which we did more interviews for which aren't in the audio. But they mentioned that he would walk up and down the aisle of the plane after a loss, and someone I forget exactly who said the story, but they said like he was doing it in a way to show us all the things like that are going to happen that in order to get onto the next game. You know what we said with George Pickens, in order to get onto that next play, you got to be able to get over and if the boss is screaming and ranting and throwing things, then everyone else thinks, well, that's how you would react when something goes bad.
Yeah, and you know, your your dad was always even killed with everything, maybe not so much. I don't know how he was at home with the kids.
And everything, but was able to get to like your little league games and stuff. I mean, I'm obviously a very busy man, you know.
Yeah, no, I you know, I've I've said this many times. I'm glad you said that, Matt and Dale. You know, you're so involved with baseball. My father probably made ten of one hundred little league games. And I always say, you know, would I have Would I trade the four Super Bowl championships and the times we had in the seventies for that? And I missed him, you know, But but there was something about going to his office it was pretty cool.
Yeah yeah, and.
Getting a chance to be part of this. So it was a trade off.
But but I think the hard work he put in, you know, meant something to all of us, and I think means something to this community.
So I'm curious about your father. I mean, like, at what age did he start to get involved with the family business. And like in what capacity, Like how did his role in the organization and grow and when did it start?
Yeah, well, well the chief my grandfather was. I mean, he was a great promoter. You know, there's a way that some people tell this. Some people tell the stories that he did everything. Other people say, oh, he couldn't do anything. He was really good at sports promotion and he was great at boxing, which is an event based you know, you promote that event. He was never the best at an operator. You know, my dad the day he passed could probably tell you, you know, how many Kochs were in every concession stand at the stadium. My father was an operator, really understood how you look long term at a business and what you know, what are the mechanisms to make that work. So he started doing that in college, you know, he bought the business side. Night he was managing training camp. Joe Carr was a gentleman who was our ticket manager and really managed kind of those things. And my dad started with him in fifty two fifty three at twenty three years old, and by nineteen sixty your dad really was was the chief operating officer and then really with Chuck Noles sort of the time we say he started making the executive decisions.
Well, the book again came out a couple of years ago, and and again I think did really well for you, and I expect the audio version of this as well to do well with you know, the interviews that you got with this. When you when you started to put this together, did you did you have the audio book in mind? It's the beginning and and and like, Okay, some of this stuff is really good, but I can't get it into the book.
Yeah.
So well, you know, it actually started with Dad being alive and we wanted to do something for like the Harvard Business Review, you know, one of those harder core business journals, and talk about this leadership style, it's impact on football, it's impact on UH diversity and and and some of the things that were really important to him and Ireland and and sort of the community side. Then when we did then when he passed, it was actually Paul Tagliabu, the former commissioner, said we got to turn this into a book because we had so many, so many notes, and so when we turn in a book, I always thought, well, we'll do audio. And then COVID happened and that became a Blessing in disguise because I couldn't get into a studio and and so everything kind of stopped for a while. And then the publisher said, you know, podcasts had become such a big thing.
What do you think about this idea?
And I'm like, this is perfect for this book because you know, you know, you hear me for five hours, but trust me, getting to Franco and getting to Rocky, getting these other guys is much more entertaining read.
For five hours.
I hope people enjoy it, you know what I mean. There's there's real color that they give. That's that's different.
Well, I'm sure that. I'm sure that they will. And where can they get the where can they listen to this and and hear it?
Yep?
So anywhere you download audio books, so so Amazon, which is audible, iBooks, which is through Apple, Google Play, and then Barnes Andannoble dot com or the largest places where people download audiobooks.
Great.
Great, And this is perfect for like, say, let's say you're driving Philadelphia for the game in a couple of weeks.
Here, Well, there's a holiday coming around too.
Well it's funny because people keep saying it, is this a good holiday gift. And I keep saying and I and and Wolf. The other day when I did a little thing with him, he said, well that's not your father said, oh no. When he drove us to Florida, he thought the same. You know, when you're in the when you're in the car for five hours with your family, you might want an audio bay.
This is a good I have one more question too. I mean we referenced it, and maybe not even all of our younger listeners, remember, but your father was the ambassador at Ireland. That's an amazing opportunity. Of course. I mean did he love it? But did he also miss being away from the team.
No, Because he called me at five point thirty, He called Kevin at six, he called Art at at six thirty, he called Mike at seven.
I mean everything he was tuned in and he flew once.
I think, Dale, I think you know this, Matt, you may he we played the Johants, he flew from Ireland, went to the game and was at his desk in Ireland the next morning. Oh wow, so you know, and he was seventy nine years old. I mean, I can't you know. I hate getting off the plane in Charlotte after an hour.
H but then he miss being in the office every day. I mean it sounds like he kept tabs on things he did.
But he loved he really loved Ireland and it was great. It was great. It was important.
I think it helped the organization start to move beyond him. I mean, I love my father, I wrote a book about him. But you have to change, you have to evolve, and I think it was it was a good interim step for the organization. And he had just such love for Ireland and all the things that were going on there. And you know, everyone that talks about his work in Ireland, it's like Dale's story about my dad in Pittsburgh. You know, he was over there within six weeks. Everyone in Embassy Dublin thought, this is the greatest ambassador we've ever had. He's got fifty new projects going. It was it was a great experience.
I can still remember going over when the Steelers played the Bears over there and and uh, you know, your your dad having things set up. We got to go here, and then we got to go there, and it was just so interesting to see he was like he was in his element. Yeah, just you know, had such a great respect and love of of of the country there, and that's what it's going to be maybe cool next year if they actually end up playing a game there, we'll see.
Yeah, we're keeping our fingers crossed. I'm hearing good news though.
Yeah.
So that another Dan Rudy.
You know, my nephew Is has been been putting that project.
In spiritheading that. Yeah there, Yeah, it's it's really cool. And I can remember, like people just when I was out and about and people are like, why are why are these two teams playing here? I'm like, well, you got to understand the background here, what's going on. But it was such a cool event, and uh, you know the possibility of being able to do that again, I'm sure your dad will be smiling on that.
Can I tell one more right ahead?
Yeah?
So, so the coolest thing he didn't, I mean, he did really self things that were really special from an Irish American standpoint. But you know every year at at every embassy in the globe, you have a baseball game on the fourth of July.
Well, he said, we're having a football game. So and this wasn't at taxpair and expenses.
We got sponsors and everything, but he had this mini Super Bowl at at the residence in Dublin, and he you know, we had jumbo trons and I was an announced or Art was a coach of one team. My brother Dan was a coach of the other. I think they almost got in a fistfight at the end. Again, but but it was mainly the Marines who would play and and and the first year we went over this was I mean, like I still kind of brings tears to my eyes. So where the Steeler symbol is at the middle of the stadium, he put the seal of the United States of America and we brought the Marines out the first time to see it, and like they just had such a gleam in their eye that he thought of them like this, and that that he really made something special for the Marines who were serving in Ireland during that time. And that was a really cool, like Dan Rooney touch of getting like, let's do something a little special for these guys.
And he just had a way of doing stuff like that.
Right.
Yeah, So that's great. Again.
The book is a different way to win. Dan Rooney's story from the Super Bowl to the Rooney Rule. That's by Jim Rooney. You can check that out. You can also go to a different way to win dot com and actually still buy the regular book too.
Right, you can buy the regular book and at one of these sites. I should know these things.
The publisher is doing a contest. So you get there's Steeler goodies, you get merchandise.
I think there's autograph footballs.
I think they're going to raff all that stuff off around the Super Bowl.
I'm horrible.
I'm I think I can tell the story and I could write the book, but like every time they asked me to do.
This, I don't have the details of it.
I didn't get your grandfather's promoter.
Well, Jimmy, we appreciate you stopping by. And again, it's a great book. I read it when it first came out, and I might let's go back and read it again.
Yeah, listen to listen.
Yeah, maybe I'll do that. Well, I'm driving to Philadelphia.
It's fine, Like, I know Steeler folks will like it because the interviews are so good.
Yeah.
Absolutely, but we're gonna get to a break.
Thank you, guys.
Yeah, absolutely, thanks for dropping by. He's Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly. You're listening to the drive here on the Steelers Audio Network. Matt and I will be back with more right after this.
He's the Drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven Home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
And welcome back. I am Dale Lolly. He is the Matt Williamson. I'd like to thank Jimmy Rooney for stopping by and talking about his book. There you can put in the audio book still get those. But now I'm joined by another guest on the Justin Miller Hotline. Here we have the Dean of Doom, the lord of living.
In his fears. Bob Labriola joins us.
Bob, the editor of Steelers Digestic Steelers. How you doing, Labs.
Nothing nothing to be living in your fears about now?
Really nothing.
I mean, you got a game against the Browns this week and they just they just beat the Steelers a couple of weeks ago. You're feeling a little more confident after watching the Steelers go out and put up forty four points in Cincinnati on Sunday? Is that Does that have a little something to do with the maybe a little of the optimism.
Yeah, And and and the way the defense played too. I mean it was it was. It was what I would call the kind of defense you're gonna need to play be able to play against good teams.
In December and January.
And the Steelers happen to have a lot of good teams on their schedule in December too. You know, you're not going to be able to shut teams down that you know that a lot of fans think, you know, I just go back to nineteen seventy six and you know, shut out five teams and give up twenty eight points in nine games. That that that doesn't exist anymore. That that brand of football has been out lot outlawed by the league, you know, legislatively and the way it's officiated. And so that's over to me. Good defense now is being dynamic in situations. Five six plays usually can be the difference in a game and the outcome of a game between two good teams. And if you have a couple of three takeaways, a couple key sacks, you know, those kind of plays, that's that's that's that's good defense. That's good enough to win those games, and really that's all you need to do survive in advance.
This is.
In my mind, it's it's not officially the playoffs, but that that mindset I think will serve them well if they adopted starting well last Sunday and maintaining it now through the next couple of months.
You're so bright and cheery. I hate to bring the mood down. But one thing that concerns one of my concerns with this team, and it's it's minimal, But I mean, if we're talking playoff football and these these teams ahead go into Philly hosting Kansas City. You know AFC North football is they run the ball a lot, but I'd like to see more rushing efficiency. They seem to do it better.
Well, I mean I didn't, you know, certainly, Uh, But what I'm what I'm saying is if your offense is doing what the offense did last week in Cincinnati, that's good enough. If you want to nitpick, you know, if you have nausea Harris on your fantasy team or something, and you know you want to nitpick that, you know, Hey, I'm not going to argue with you, but I don't know that it's necessary that to beat the Eagles you've got to outrush them.
No, maybe I phrased the question wrong. I mean, I think it's just there's always room for improvement if you're the best league, you know, and that would be something i'd like to see heading into the playoffs.
You know.
Oh, there's no there's no question that there are things that need to be better. I'm not, but I mean, I just find it very difficult to nitpick that game against the Bengals. I understand their defense isn't very good, but that's what you know, like tounchtilkn always said, if you can't beat the stiffs, the stiffs, you are one. And so you've got a bad Bengals defense, you put up forty four points on them.
That's exactly what needs to happen.
And I don't know that the offenses from the past couple of years would.
Have Oh there's no question, no, right, and I don't I'm going back pre Ben's elbow surgery too.
Yeah, well, I mean you go back.
You had to go back to twenty eighteen when it was the last time they had over five hundred yards. Twenty eighteen was the last time they scored you know that many points. I mean that was pre Ben's elbow stuff. That was a different era.
Well, yeah, and you know it, you know it.
The offensive performance too beyond the yards and the points. To me, which I thought was special. Special was pick six losing seven to nothing, they go seventy yards and whatever.
How many plays tie the game.
I think it was like sixth plays. It was just like bang bang, yeah whatever.
Then the next time Cincinnati scores, goes up fourteen to seven, seventy yards and ten plays, another touchdown ties the game. The Bengals score again the next drive sixty eight yards in five plays.
Nagy Harris runs it in, ties the game again.
When you're doing that, that kind of not only the efficiency in the production by the offense, but the way it was timed, you suck the life out of the opponent, I believe, because they don't.
You know, it's like being in a heavyweight fight.
You think you've got a guy on the ropes and he comes off the ropes and tags you a couple of times, and all of a sudden you're back in the middle of the ring.
You know that happens to you a few times. You just think, you.
Know what, like Paulo Creed said, you know, he turned to his corner, what's up with this guy? He keeps coming? So you know, those are kinds of the things that I'm talking about too, in terms of you know, look, I'm not predicting a super Bowl or a Super Bowl championship, a parade in downtown PITTSBURGHINNY of that stuff. I don't want to mis represent what I'm saying here. I just think that what happened in Cincinnati, and especially on the heels of what happened in Cleveland, to me, said a lot about this team and a lot and in my mind, everything about it that it said was good.
The other thing that it did, Bob, is one thing that we heard.
One of the criticisms of the last few offseasons, the Steelers quarterback room is the worst quarterback room in the AFC North, And I always countered that it wasn't because Cleveland existed. But secondly, you can't possibly go into a game against Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow and expect your quarterback to be better than those two guys and win the game for you.
And in two of the.
Last three weeks, we've seen Russell Wilson be better than Lamar Jackson, and we've seen him be better than Joe Burrow, and Burrow played great Sunday.
He was phenomenal yeah.
But yes, Wilson, and I believe Joe Burrow is the best quarterback in the division. That's been my feeling for a while now. All due respect to Lamar Jackson, but I just think Burrow is If I had to pick one quarterback out of the AFC North that I thought could take my team to a championship, Burrow would be my first pick.
By the way, did you see he just bought three million dollar batmobile?
I saw.
Yeah, so Lamar Jackson might be Superman right now, but Joe Burrow is Batman.
Yeah officially too. But uh so anyway, yeah, I I uh again.
You know, the Bengals defense stinks, but that offense is world class. Yeah, what was it ten times they've scored thirty points this year, some ridiculous seven to eight whatever it is they lost.
They've lost four games now which they've scored at least thirty three points.
The rest of the league has lost two of those.
You know, and there's no question in my mind that the Steelers won that game in Cincinnati by outscoring the Bengals. Yeah, I mean that's if you had to you know, label it or you know, five words or us, they outscored them. In a shootout, you know, a you outscore team. I get that you have to outscore the opponent every time to win. I know that's how the rules will actually work. But I'm talking about an offense that's putting up the kind of points that that offense is putting up.
If you outscore them to win, then I.
Think that's that's a very very positive turn of events.
And it's significant, Bob, because I can remember, you know, going from ninety four into ninety five, going taking the way back trip here, I can remember a game in Chicago where the Steelers had to win a shootout like that against the Bears, and they won it in overtime. And that's when I thought, you know, this team might be they might have something here, because the year before that they wouldn't even though the defense was fantastic. If the defense had an off day and the opposing team scored a bunch of points, or you were playing the forty nine Ers, you were playing one of those teams that could score a bunch of points, you probably weren't going to win unless the defense just played it, you know, out of its mind. Well, this is a similar situation here. People were down on the defense in this game. I'm like, the defense makes a bunch of plays in this game to help them win this game. But you needed the he had to have both. You couldn't just be a defense. You weren't going to win this seventeen sixteen that was not realistic. It was going to be a higher scoring game. And your offense showed that it's capable of doing those things I'm throwing.
Yeah.
Yeah, And I don't think there's going to.
Be any seventeen sixteen games the rest of the twenty twenty four season.
Well, they did play the Ravens again. That's just there just always seemed to be that.
Yeah, I know, but they're they're you know it, it could be in the you know, mid twenties.
I don't think no touchdowns. It's yeah, he beat the Ravens again, right right, It's just.
Not six yield goals isn't going to get it done.
Right, You're going to have to score touchdown unless mission through.
Even with that.
So but yeah, we haven't we haven't seen this kind of offense. As I said, you know, you were thrown out the stats from twenty eighteen, which was pre elbow surgery. I mean, that's that's it's been that long. I mean, you know, twenty eighteen, that's what six years ago. Uh, in NFL years, that's.
Careers for all, that's a generation.
Yes, so again, I you know, and Russell Wilson showed why you know, he was signed by the Steelers when he became available. He showed why he was given the pole position. He showed why you make the move despite being and foreign two with justin fields, because you have to be able to do a lot of the things that he was doing. Uh last Sunday in these games, as Mike Comans says, as the road gets narrow, and you know the Steelers have that. And he is also a guy, you know, Russell Wilson is. He is inclusive, he is positive. Uh, he's a leader.
Uh. He does all of those things.
And I just think that even when Pickett had a good gain, he never had that presence with his teammates.
He was young.
Uh and you know you need you need some experience, you need he brings.
He brings a little gravitas to the position. Guys. Guys, every guy, every especially the offensive guys who are mostly young guys. They I grew up watching Russell Wilson play, right you know, he's been in the league for thirteen years. You go back thirteen years on, say Pat Fryermouth.
He was twelve.
Yeah, played Madden with Wilson. They played Madden with this guy.
So yeah, I mean, so anyway, that's I think we're on the same page, except for Matt you know, being Debbie Downer, so he could take my job away from me.
So it looks like Alex high smiths set the return hopefully this game. But herbig has been unbelievable. Preston Smith's been a nice addition. What is what I mean, how do you handle that? Positions? There's not enough playing time to go round?
Yeah, I mean, and I don't know that it's that's I'm not worried about that. And I don't think any of those guys are either. I you know, Alex Highsmith is more than just his sack total. And I do believe you know, this will be the first time they've had those those top three guys together since the Chargers came, yeah, which September whatever.
Twenty when they have Alex Eighsmith in three and three when they don't.
That's the first time the four of them have been active together, right, Yeah.
And you know you so.
To me, the pass rush was inadequate on Thursday night in Cleveland. Now I understand there were circumstances with climate and footing and visibility and all that stuff, but.
My mind on Sunday, you know, you just rotate those.
Guys through there and torture the Browns past protection as much as possible.
And you got to do a better job of getting.
After Janus because you know, you need you need bad Jamis to show up again. As he said something about them, I'm praying to God to deliver me from the sixes or something like that.
After that much, Yeah, right, very hard.
I mean, that's that's you know, Jameis Winston is a is a gunslinger kind of guy, and he's gonna he's gonna keep throwing it. He's gonna keep trying to make plays. He's going to be pushing the ball down the field. He's not you know, he's not gonna be dumping it off. He's not going to be throwing it out of bounds on this, you know, just instead of trying to force the ball in there somewhere or make a play, so you know, get after him and uh, you know, take advantage of who he is.
Uh, in a in a much.
More consistent fashion than you were able to do on Thursday night in Cleveland. And you know, the actual the Browns game. I like what it is because I think that you know, it was embarrassing. It had to be embarrassing.
There was There was not a happy face in that locker room after that loss. I can tell you that they were pretty ticked off.
I think it's good so soon after.
Too, yes, right, because it's still stings.
I mean it was humbling.
I thought it had to be because I thought in a lot of ways they the Steelers got handled on both lines of scrimmage. And you can't have that against Cleveland. I mean you can't have that period. But against whatever they were two and eight at the time. You know Tomlinson, whoever Thomlinson, that interior defensive lineman. Uh, that was yeah, yeah, he was. He was too much of a problem, uh, in that game. And then and then doing it, you know the other way. I thought that, you know, the Cleveland offensive line, they they protected when they had to, and they carved up, carved open some holes for people running the ball. That wasn't always a running back. People running the ball in some critical situations. So yeah, there's there's plenty of payback farder there for the Steelers, and and it's fodder that they don't like. Two you know, they don't like. They don't like to lose for sure, but getting out physical is I think ten times worse.
Man.
I think that's why there were so many of those down faces in that one, because those that does not sit well with those guys at all. And you can guarantee that it does not sit well with the coaching staff that that that happens. But uh, lads, we've got to let you go here at the top of the hour. We appreciate you dropping by it a little different time today, but we appreciate your understanding with that. He is Bob Labriola, the Dean of Doom, the lord of living in his fears, and I'll see you on Sunday, Bob. In the press box, he's Matt Williamson. I am Dale Lolly. This is the drive on the Steelers Audio Network, Matt, and I'll be back with our number two right after this