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 Lolly, he is the Matt Williamson.
It is a Thursday here in Pittsburgh.
But we have the final injury report at least right now for the Steelers.
Yeah, and we now know Friday for them, George.
Pickens will not play in Saturday's game against the Baltimore Ravens. I think it's might be a little weather related. Supposed to be kind of nasty down there on Saturday, not great field conditions, and so they're going to hold him out. No, justin fields as well. He's at abdominal injury and obviously as a quarterback you do have to be able to throw the football a little bit sure, and so he will be out. Deshaun Elliott took it. It was a limited partition spent in practice today, but it is doubtful to play, probably for many of the same reasons that Pickens might be.
Yeah.
Dante Jackson was a limited participant today with the back issue. He is questionable. Larry Ogan Jobie was a limited participant today. That gives him all three days of practice this week. He is also questionable full participants today Cam Hayward, T. J. Watt with no injury designation, Nice Landam Roberts, and uh Patrick Queen.
So okay, so defense other than Ellie, it looks like it's in good shape. Pickens is the news, of course. Yeah, you know, I mean I was optimistic that he was going to play, as was I and I mean another short week between now and Christmas two.
I mean, oh he's playing Christmas.
Do you think yeah? Okay, do you think he's that close? Yeah, Okay, it's a big deal. I mean, downfield passing is obviously a key component, and he's their best weapon, and we saw it in you know, with Life without him already it's not wonderful.
Given what Baltimore has been doing lately and how they've been playing, might this change a how they defend the Steelers?
Thinking okay, oh yeah, they're.
Not going to try anything deep and then maybe you take a couple of shots if they're playing single high, when then normally they've been kind of playing some too high shells.
To take away the deep stuff, they.
Put the safety in the box and I've got Mike Williams out there, I've got Calvin Austin out there.
I'm not going to shy away from taking a shot.
No, No, I think they'll take shots no matter what. I think that's a Russell Wilson thing. I think that's an Arthur Smith thing. We didn't see a lot against Philadelphia, but that they didn't.
Have a ballast Philadelphia.
Yeah, I think they'll take shots no matter what. Off play action, crowded boxes, all that type of thing. I just know where the football goes, you know, I mean, like where do if he has twenty completions, who gets them?
You know?
I mean I would think Warren gets a spike. They're numbers against receiving numbers against backs aren't great. I think Friarmouth has a chance to six six catches, seven catches maybe something like that.
Austin had five for sixty five last week against Philadelphia.
Yeah.
I think Austin's quietly had a good year. Ye like to me, if the two receiver sets for me should be pickings in Austin and then you can go from there after that.
I mean it just he does limit somewhat. You know what you can you can't use him.
Much as a blocker, No, No, but he as a receiver, he's dangerous and he's a well rounded receiver.
Now, I think around there a lot, I think around the league because I still see a lot of people trying to pigeonhole him as a slot receiver.
No, I think that's he's not. No, he's not.
He wasn't coming out of school. And I know he does play a lot of slot, but he's not slot only, right, No, I mean I think that's a misnomer. Yeah, And as many even one receiver sets and two receiver sets they play, there's not a slot on the field all that much.
Yeah, and he's a guy. You know, if you're a defensive back, you do have to respect to speed.
Oh, no questions. You know, if you try to jam him and you don't get him.
He's okay against press and yeah.
Right, so just somebody to keep an eye. Yeah, I'm with you. I think he's had a really solid season.
I mean that's more of a big picture conversation. I mean, I think he's part of the future plans and I'm glad he's on board. And you know, I'm not saying he's one for one replacement. For Pickens, but I'm glad he's gonna be on the roster next year.
Yeah, in the mix.
It would be interesting if if, in fact, he were a reason why the Steelers won this game without Pickens. If because if you remember the Ravens were gonna draft, they had three picks.
In that round round four that year.
Oh yeah, they drafted two tight ends and a punter when they needed a receiver.
Yeah, I mean it was like four gone. They basically said that we were gonna take him.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think their interest was obvious. Now he's gonna have to have a big game. I think it'll need more from Williams. Jefferson solid. None of these guys are Dickens, you know. I mean it's just yeah, none of them change coverage to the point that George does.
Yeah, right, and that's that's the big thing is, you know, it changes how Baltimore is going to defend you, yea, much like it did with Philadelphia. Yeah, and we saw it against Cleveland as well. I mean they even though they didn't know as far ahead of time, I'm sure in that hour and a half that they've once they found out.
Okay, okay, we.
Don't have to play some of the coverages we're going to play here, We're gonna put an extra guy in the box, and every.
Team is faced out to this point, probably has different rules whenever he's taking a playoff too. Yeah, I mean, if he's not on the field, you know, we're not shading to either side. Okay, now that's gonna be the full time move, even if it's a game time decision situation. Yeah, so it doesn't not great. No, there is big picture stuff here at play, you know. Yeah, you know there's big fish to fry down the road too.
You know.
The Ravens have some injury issues at the wide receiver position themselves. Yeah, a little light and Bateman's out right. Bateman was in a walking boot today. They actually added a way to the injury report yesterday as well.
Remember we didn't have their injury well.
We didn't have their injury report yesterday because they didn't send it out until later. Nelson Agilore has got a concussion. He didn't practice Wednesday. He didn't practice, Okay, so for him to get clear, he's gonna be a long shot.
He thought, Yeah, it doesn't sound good.
Bateman got hurt Tuesday, No, yesterday, I should say Wednesday.
My days are all messed up to Yeah, it was in a walking boot today.
Okay, it's got a blurb by my phone about him that he spotted today with a boot on his injured foot, did not practice today and officially questionable for the game.
This sounds he's out. Yeah, he's not playing. If you're in a walking boot today, you're not playing on Saturday.
Two days away, right, So that's a big deal for him. He's had a good year.
Let's say like their top three receivers.
Yeah, and we were talking about in the lobby. I would imagine that means a lot more twelve and thirteen personnel for those guys, you know, I mean maybe that makes mika On Andrews even more important. Yeah, and I would think Likely is in line for more targets than maybe you thought Cohler could be your chipper. You know, you could probably live in thirty you know, Cohler or I would think you see a lot of this. I would think you see Zay Likely, Andrews, Henry and either Cohler or Rashard.
Here's their problem, which is really only like four eligible receivers on their active roster. They only have five.
Tight ends wide receiver wide receivers. Okay, if you're down two, yeah, yeah, yeah, So that one Johnson who's not gonna play and he's not he's not even listed on that.
That's almost five. Yeah.
So you got Zay Flowers, devontees Walker who just had his first career catch last week. He was a fourth round pick this year, and Tyler Wallace who was a fourth round pick in twenty twenty twenty one, who hasn't really done a whole lot.
No, they made a big play earlier in the year. I can't remember as hunt return or a long catch or something.
A long catch gets the Bengals and that, Yeah, up and down it was the Bengals.
Walkers a deep threat, kind of linear dude, fell in the draft. I mean, nothing super great to write home about, but he was kind of a name going into the draft process. But would you put Porter on z Yeah, I think I would. Yeah, I think that's the move. I mean, Jackson's got back stuff going to And.
The only thing with with Porter on on Zay Flowers is that they move him around so much and there's a lot of behind the line of scrimmage stuff.
And also his style of receivers a little smaller, shiftier. Yeah, but still I want my best guy on him.
Yeah.
I mean if I can spend a large percentage of snaps with make and Andrews order on Za and their next best guy is likely, it's not scary.
Yeah, yeah, it's not bad. No, it's not bad.
So yeah, maybe all the passing props should be going down there twenty four hours.
Yeah, how they throw in the football. And the other other thing is is t J.
Watt is in right, So you got Roger, You got Roger Rosingarten against t J Watt again.
Yeah, that's why I was going back to, you know, Ricard or Kohler getting a fair amount of snaps too on that side of course. And then then of course there's a ripple effect. Stanley's probably gonna have to deal with high Smith, her big on his own, and that's why you pay him, and you know that's what you do with good left tackles. But that doesn't mean he wins every rep.
You know, No, No, I expect I expect high Smith to win some of those. Yeah, me too. And you still have to deal with Cam Hayward coming up the middle.
Now, I say Cam Hayward against your left guard is a problem.
Yeah, question two.
Now, the D line greatly favors the Steelers, and I don't know if the coverage units do, but they it's got a lot easier to decide.
Think it's it's a lot more down at that point. Yeah, yeah, because Bateman isn't a great player, but he plays this year. Is not a great player, right, but he's made play this year.
Yeah, you have Agalar for like this situation. Yeah, Like, Okay, he's not the ideal starter, but he has started. We're familiar with them, count on them.
It would be like if the steel which one would you rather have? Right now?
Would you rather have the Steelers situation where you don't have your number one? I'd rather have? Or would you rather have not? Even we're not talking about tight ends, I'm talking about the which situation would you rather have? Would you rather have the Ravens?
You got your number one, but you don't have your two or three? Two or three and you don't have you don't have the depth the Steelers have either position like you got Jay Flowers and that's it.
No, I went the difference maker though.
I get that.
Yeah, yeah, but you know it's a conversation.
On third and five the difference makers getting covered. I mean, that's why they difference makers make plays in those situations.
They're getting double teamed in those situations, and these other guys are the ones that gonna win their one on one battles.
That's a tough one. Yeah. No, neither one's perfect, that's for sure.
It's not what Yeah, but the fact that they have two really good receiving tight ends is helpful too.
Yeah, you know, as opposed to one.
Yeah, I'm just looking here thus far that like Likely he's playing fifty four percent of the offensive snaps, Andrews is at fifty nine. Bateman's played seventy percent of the snaps.
He played. They played almost as much as as they Flowers. So, I mean, are you gonna have Oh they love Bateman, Yeah, I mean they were Agelar's played forty five almost as much as Likely.
Yeah, that makes sense.
He's he's played forty six percent of their offensive snaps. So you're you're taking a guy that's played seventy percent of the snaps. You're taking a guy that's played forty six percent of the snaps out of the equation they play more than Ricard has only played thirty eight percent of the snaps.
Okay, yeah, I mean that adds up. I mean they're the lowest eleven percent of eleven team in the league.
Kohler's played twenty five percent of the snaps. So you're gonna ask these guys in a big game.
They're going to do more, do a lot more. I think you would have anyways, though, I mean, they're still gonna be your chippers. I mean I think likely he's the one that gets the big boost where I think you'd have seen if they were if Bateman's out there, I would think you have Cohler and Andrews and Cohler's on TJ side, you know where. Now it's like, well, Isaiah, you need to step up and we need some pass catchers.
Now here's the thing that it really does so to me, is it maybe makes Lamar Jackson have to hold the ball a little bit more than maybe he would have. I wonder run more and then and that's a part. Yeah, you know right, Because here's the thing. Tylan Wallace has played one hundred and seventy seven snaps this year.
He's played bas their punt returner as well.
He's active, right, He's basically played ten snaps a game or so, ten to fifteen snaps a game. He's at nineteen percent overall.
He has to throw in when those guys need to breathe.
Yeah, you know, right, davontees Walker's played seventeen snaps all season.
It was all last week too. Yeah, probably a lot of garbage time. In garbage time, Giants team right with Agal are out, you know, you know, young guys, some reps.
It's it's not idea.
See a lot of one receivers on the field for those guys. Yeah, which they're equipped to do that. They do that kind of stuff more than most teams, but still inevitably, as Greg Costell says, it's third and eight.
Sometimes it also makes them a slower oh much team. Yeah.
Yeah, and Hill's an okay receiver, But it'd be different maybe if you had a really dynamic pass catching back as your number one. You know, it's McCaffrey's your one as your one.
You know, they don't throw the ball to Derrick Henry. He's played. Bill Henry's played fifty four percent of the snaps.
Yeah, that one shocks me. I thought that'd be higher. I mean, there's been stretches early in the season in particular where he's just standing there. I'm sure there's some blow ups or blowout situations, like I'm sure he didn't play the fourth quarter against the Giants. Yeah, but he's also your closer.
You know, right. I mean, we'll put it this way, Mark.
They're rotating offense personnel more than I realized.
Lamar Jackson has played ninety seven point six percent of the snaps. He hasn't been hurt all year, so he's yeah, he's been out for basically they played.
Fallele Is the.
Only guy has played every offensive snap for the Ravens nine hundred and fifteen and Lamar has played eight ninety three.
So you're looking at you know.
The market hurt for a little bit, or they just pull them for pulling them.
He didn't play like yeah, yeah, So really what you're you know, what you're looking at there is is with with a guy like Henry Is, he's just not been like he's not out there on any passing downs now, No, he is not. If they're in hurry up mode, they're at the end of a half, he's not out there a.
Lot of times. He's a certain type. I mean, he is a banger early down short yardage. Dude.
Yeah, I mean he's only Derrick Henry.
They should use him more.
Derrick Henry has played seventy nine more snaps this season. Now this is over what fourteen games, so basically five per game more than Nelson Aguilar.
I get that. I mean most teams were number one back verse third receiver is close. But this team doesn't use a third receiver much, and he's dere for he's played.
He's played four more snaps than likely.
I think there's a reason to become a little not that he's complaining, but if you're being critical of the team, I would have him out there more.
He's played less than one hundred snaps more than Justice Hill.
Yeah, that's a little odd too.
Justice Hill has played Love Hill forty about forty five percent of the snaps. He's played four hundred and seven offensive snaps and Henry's again, is it four ninety nine? Like one of these things is not like the other.
No, I don't know if that's why they're don't have a better record or any of those type of things.
Sometimes it might be though some games early on where they weren't you know.
I mean, Harball even came out and saying things like, well, we're not dedicated to one guy and things like that early in this eason, Well you should be.
If you're gonna have yeah, if you're gonna have that guy.
Yeah, that's surprising, it's that low.
But like he didn't have a carry in the fourth quarter, It wasn't on the field of a snap in the fourth quarter against the Steelers the first time around.
Yeah, were they and hurry up? I'm trying to think, yeah, yeah, I mean they.
Were down, going to be out there for that, And that's to me is like it's all very situation. You were only down a score.
Don't go to hurry up, then, don't go to you know that package.
I mean you still get he gives you the threat back there of yeah, potentially breaking one.
And he's not Jerome in his prime where he can't hit a home run, you know what I mean, Like he could.
He's as capable as anybody on their roster of going seventy yards.
In terms of explosives. Right, Yeah, that's yeah, that is considerably low considering his talents. And I doubt there's been many fourth quarters where he's just sitting over there with a hat on giggling.
You know, no, you know, no, they've been different. They've been in a lot of close games this year. I just want to look at his career numbers in terms of snap counts.
I mean, he's never been a big third down or passing down.
No, of course, but you still think he would be uh okay, so twenty since twenty sixteen, twenty seven percent forty He was a part time player.
Early in his story of year, Christ Johns, I think it was still there.
Sixty four percent, sixty six percent, seventy one percent, sixty seven percent. Last year in Tennessee it was fifty three percent, but he was dinged.
Up a little bit at the time.
I think, so, yeah, and then this year it's fifty five percent.
It's low.
He's not young, and he's had a lot of wear and tear, but I get it. But but still I would be using no more than that.
Yeah. Anyways, let's get to a break. He is the Matt Williamson.
I am Dale Lolly and this is a drive on the Steelers Audio Network. Matt now will be back with more right after this.
At least, he's the drive with Dale Lolly and Matt Williamson on your twenty four to seven, Home of the Black and Gold cast in Steelers Nation Radio.
Welcome back. I am Dale Lalli.
He is the Matt Williamson and this is the drive on the Steelers Audio Network. And Matt, there's kind of a big game tonight in the NFL. And I say it's kind of a big game.
It's a big game. It is a big game.
And if you start looking at what, you know, I just saw the headline here on ESPN or on the Pro Football Talk said Burrow will be keeping an eye on what happens in the Denver Chargers game.
And the reason for that. They're not dead yet, but they.
Could be because if the Chargers win tonight.
So they're definitely rooting against the Charger.
Yes, the Chargers would improve to.
Nine and six, so they'd have nine wins, that would be their sixth conference win. They'd be six and four in the conference and Cincinnati will be six and eight. They're three and six in the conference.
And losses in the conferences for them. Yeah, and so when you look at it, they also they play it. No, Yeah, Indy's still alive too, right.
Yeah, technically, but the.
Chargers have the head to head win over Sensy over Sincy. So if you're a Steelers fan, you want the Chargers to win this game.
I think there's no I think about it. Here's why.
Okay, if if the Bengals are eliminated, Yeah, Burrow ain't playing in that last.
Game, I would assume not between him and Herbert, they have like a ten injuries.
Yeah, but if they had something to play for, yeah, he would be playing.
I see you're going this agree.
Now, here's the problem with all this. After the game against the Broncos tonight. Uh, the Chargers then are at the Patriots and at the Raiders. Yeah, they're not gonna they're they're gonna have more.
They're gonna get to ten at some point.
Yeah.
I would say tens their floor. If they have nine, I think they're gonna lose tonight. They're on a two or three game losing streak. Why originally said that without thinking about Burrow and cha whoever would sit in Week eighteen. I think the Chargers are right for the picking right now.
Here's the thing.
Think they're playing well at all.
If the Broncos win the game tonight against the Chargers, they're at the Bengals next week, and then they finish up.
With the Chiefs.
I know they got a tough round, but the Chiefs at that point could be resting. Everybody could be.
I don't know, but I mean the Bills need to lose for them to do that though, and the Bills have an easy schedule.
No, they're still a game ahead.
Well, they lost ahead, two games ahead, are they?
Yeah, Kansas City has two games ahead.
So the Chiefs could rest.
Bills have three losses. Chiefs win these next two. Bills have three losses to the Chiefs.
Okay, I thought that was a game difference. They won the head to head. No, okay, because I don't think the Bills are gonna lose again.
No, I don't think so either.
He's ones and fourteen and three.
So it's it's a super long shot for the Bengals to get there. It is it is.
They've already lost to the Broncos. I'll probably pick the Broncos, or they've already lost to the Chargers. I'll probably pick the Broncos against them next week. Even they're better, they're better teams. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Okay, Yeah, that's interesting. I don't want Burrow in the postseason.
The other thing is you.
Don't love Herbert being in there either.
I think you'd rather at this point face the Chargers.
I think so they're in trouble. I think they're they're not getting back.
Yeah.
No, they can't run the ball at all. Interior lines are real problem. They were short on pass catchers to begin with, and it's not gotten a lot better.
I mean, you already beat them here twenty to ten early in the season with Justin Fields a quarterback. He also won at Denver.
I get but.
Herbert's got a million injuries as well. He hasn't been quite the same player the last couple weeks. Eh, And they need him to carry the whole team, just.
Like i'd rather. I think the Chargers are the easier.
I tend to agree. I tend to agree. Yeah, I can't imagine the Bengals getting in before we talk through it.
Yeah.
Now again, that that three and six conference record right now, it's awful.
It is awful.
That means they would have to sweep their their last No, I do think they're going to beat the Browns on Sunday.
I think they might beat the brakes off of them. Yeah, but then Indy doesn't make a chance.
I know that was a massive loss for them, but they have three really easy games.
They have a chance. The Bengals still have to play.
I me if the Chargers, I'm just saying that the Chargers lose two of these next three or whatever.
The Bengals would have to sweep these next three games Browns, Broncos, Steelers at Steelers to even have a shot of getting in. Yeah, that's not going to happen.
I don't think so. It would be great for the Bengals to be resting guys in Week eighteen.
Yeah. The Colts, on the other hand, still.
Have they have the easy schedule in the league.
I think, uh, they get the Titans this week, at the Giants and then the Jaguars in the final season.
And that was a massive loss. I mean, that's a that's a fireable loss to me, and I rarely say that. And I know the head coach didn't drop the ball on the one yard line instead of crossing the end zone, but still, I mean, that goofy play that Benito took to the house, it took eight years to develop. I mean, like, what are you doing? You can't lose that game, and that's that probably is an elimination game. For the Colts, but if they were to not beat themselves in that game, they'd be in the driver's seat.
They lose the tiebreaker to the Broncos. They lost to the Broncos head. That's because they had to head.
That's why that loss was like the biggest loss of the year.
They haven't played the Chargers the boy if they had a cake schedule.
It's unbelievably easy, and it's so easy the rest of their way. Yeah, I think they're good, but they'll just beat bad teams. Yeah, yeah, and yeah, I'd love to play. You say that they have an easy, easy schedule, but there's no such thing as an easy schedule when Anthony Richardson is your quarterback. Yeah, but I don't think the Giants could beat anybody.
I agree with you.
Yeah, but if he can't complete a pass, yeah, that's that's an issue.
And I think is that game in the Metal Lands? Yeah, that game's at the Metal.
Lands, which is not the easiest place to complete passes, especially when you're throwing deep all the time.
There's still a ten point favored in that game. I mean, Giants are probably, yeah, probably, but there's no Titans and Jags are losable games.
Yeah, yeah, they could. They could certainly lose it to Titans this week.
I will They're good. But you know, at the same time, I'd.
Love to see the Colts get in the playoffs.
They're two games back right now with three to play, and they lose the tiebreaker to the the Broncos could lose out and still beat them head.
There's so many people that do these playoff percentage chances and all that. I wonder what the Chargers sit at with a loss tonight or even going into the game. I mean, they have to be a well over fifty percent. They're gonna win their last two games exactly, exactly. Like this is a fun conversation, but man, it's hard to knock the Chargers out of the playoffs. Yeah, and you know all things that they're playing as bad as they can right now, and they're still in the driver's seat.
Yeah, because they have they have the tie breakers, they stacked them.
They they're another team that hasn't beaten a good team all season. The only their best win this season is over the Broncos. Okay, that's it. Yeah, yeah, I mean that's division game. They they're favored to night, which I still don't understand, but I mean their wins have come over the Raiders, the Panthers, the Broncos.
When the Panthers were really, really bad.
Yeah, yeah, the Saints, the Browns, the Titans, the Bengals, the Falcons when the Falcons were on a three game losing stream. And now they've lost the last two weeks to the Chiefs and Buccaneers.
They have to have the their lost lowest strength of victory in the league.
Their losses are to the Steelers, the Chiefs, the Cardinals, the Ravens, the Chiefs and Buccaneers.
Yeah, they beat garbage teams. They lose a good team. Yeah, I mean they're the definition of that, which is okay, but that's not going to go far in the playoff.
Yeah.
Their strength of victory is three thirty nine. Denvers is actually lower. There's three to seventeen. Okay, Neither one of those two teams is really good. No, No, that's what I say. That's the beauty of the two and three seed in the AFC. You know, like going to Houston doesn't look terrible as the five. Their strength to host one of those two teams, Houston strength of victory is three eighty one. And remember they beat the Bills early in the season.
Yeah.
Wow, I still have a little bit of hope for them. You know that the end of this season looks better than it has at points during the year. Yeah, I mean, they're definitely better than the Chargers. Denver and I think Chargers are different. That's it's in third in that conversation. Yeah, I'm not sure the Chargers are better than the Colts and Bengals.
If you look at it, their strength of victory, those two teams strength of victory is the lowest in the AFC.
Denver and the Chargers.
Denver and the Chargers are the only two teams that are into It's it's awful.
Yeah, yeah, I mean AFC is vastly.
Well, Miami's another one. Miami's strength of victories two seventy four.
They're not eliminated yet, right, No, but they have to have like miracles happen.
Well, they're they're right there with Indianapolis and they have they have the head to head over Indianapolis.
Okay, the chances of coming out to those two seemed slim, but.
I think no, I'm sorry they lost to the Colts when they had all the slappies without Yeah, yeah, yeah, but they've got the forty nine ers at the Browns at the Jets.
No, they could go three and no they could. They're probably gonna be two in one.
But I don't like their chances even against this Browns team in weather.
No, yeah, I remember, I think Jets is on the road too. I remember looking at the schedules saying they had weather at the end.
I think, you know the Jets, Well, the Jets just they're not home.
They haven't they have been given up now when Roger's still playing with pride.
And yeah, he wants to show he can still play. So and they're better built to play in that weather than everybody is.
Yeah.
So, but if the Chargers win tonight, it kind of makes all those points that's thinking.
It kind of wraps everything up.
It's a huge game. Denver's going to the playoffs matter what. I mean, I can't believe they wouldn't. But if the Chargers win the night, they're gonna be in. Yeah, and most likely they're both gonna be in.
Probably.
I think the field is kind of set now, it's just a matter of who finishes where.
I guess the Chargers still could be the six. Yeah, if they win.
They're definitely you know, probably the six they have won both games had to head against Denver, it.
Will go a long way. Yeah.
I'd much rather play the Chargers than Denver though, And I don't think Denver's great, but Denver can bucket up and play defense. Yeah, you know, Chargers d isn't bad, but I like, I think that was.
Kind of falling off actually in recent weeks.
I think they're on the field a ton too. Yeah, I mean they can't run the ball.
At all, not at all, So that's an interesting one to watch. Uh. Patrick Mahomes Andy Reid said.
If he's playing, if he feels like he can play, he's gonna play.
Yeah.
I heard on the way here he's had I think the number was eight high ankle sprains, you know, in his career, and he's always played like the next week. I mean, I think the super Bowl was won, There's been a lot of high profile ones late in the year, and he always plays. I mean, he hobbles around. I think they're gonna lose that.
Can I do too.
Yeah, I think they're gonna lose this one, and I think they're gonna lose to the Steelers.
I definitely think they're gonna lose this one. And I'm curious just to see what he looks like and how well can he protect himself if they can't protect him, because that.
Can protect him.
They don't at all that edge pass rushes on par with the Steelers or in at least in the neighborhood. I mean, those tackles aren't gonna block Hunnor and Anderson at all, right.
No, not at all, So that's gonna be a problem for them. And again they're you know, yeah, he can get rid of the ball quickly, sure, and you know, move the football, but.
They don't have a lot of quick, get open guys either. That's they can really use Ratie Rice right now.
Like right now, they're you know, they're probably gonna get Hollywood Brown back yeah this week, which is nice. Sure he's but he's a on the field threat right right, he's not all I'm gonna throw you a bubble screen and see what you can do with it, because all you have to do is breathe on him and he goes down.
I was hearing some stuff yesterday, like they're yards after catch is way lower than like.
Because Kelsey's averaging like eight yards of catch exactly, and that used to be his thing, like ping pongyriek.
I'm talking like the whole mahomes ere yards after catches way down compared to what how they're built. You know, get the ball all quick, Kelsey after the catch. Racey Rice was good in that regard. He was a huge loss for them.
Yeah, Hopkins has never opened you. Yeah.
Yeah, he goes up and gets it and goes down. You know, but I mean score touchdowns for you and stuff. I mean, Juju is not what he used to be. Worthy doesn't separate, you know, so that they're searching, I would say, I mean, so therefore Noah Gray's getting more stuff like that, you know.
Yeah, and you know, if you watch some of the Noah Gray stuff too, he's the guy that ends up getting the ball thrown to him when Mahome starts to move around in the pocket. I just don't know what kind of pocket movement he's going to have.
Yeah, that's a good point at a point and they run the ball.
Fine, But I said this a million times, Like I know that they went after Hopkins at the trade deadline. Okay, I would have gone after like Kamara, you know, like, but check Go's okay, but give me a well rounded, pass catching type guy, you know that you could have got on the cheap. I would have been interested in something like that.
Yeah.
I just think their Kareem Hunt's very pedestrian.
Very beatable.
Yeah, it's the most beatable thirteen and one team I think I've ever seen.
I think they'll maybe end up thirteen and four. They're fourteen to three, yeah, something along those rides. They're not in a great spot right now.
They really aren't. You don't want to be limping into the playoffs. And we'll see how the Steelers.
I think there's a good chance Buffalo ends up with the one Seeds have to happen.
Yeah, it's a shot. Yeah, they you know, if they lose these next two. And I think that's why Mahomes is playing.
I would imagine, I mean, you feel the heat that Bills are playing well, billse are playing better than them.
Won a plan those that. In that regard, you might want Houston to win Saturday. For the Steeler perspective, I guess yeah, yeah, and then they might say, yeah, it's a short week, we're gonna sit Patrick out this one and let him rest up for the Finaley and.
I still think that's a possibility. Like if the Chiefs win, I would think there's more likely to set my home, sit my homes on Christmas, because then you got a two game lead with two to play, right, all you gotta do is win the last one. You could give him a really.
Long give him two weeks off, then he comes out and guts it out through a game against and then he gets two more weeks.
That would be my plan. If he plays this week and wins, I would have a hard time playing I'm on Christmas. Yeah, you know, that's a really short week against a great pass rush, you know, and if he doesn't handle the pass rush well against the Texans, probably isn't much better in Pittsburgh.
Yeah, the only difference is this game against the Texans is in Kansas City. You might think we can steal and win here at home without him, you mean with him? Yeah, I think so too.
And and you know, and then you know we're not going to play them against Pittsburgh.
It's the way I would try to set it up on But it sounds like, I mean, he's got a lot of say in this matter too, and I don't think he's ever to be like I'm a cool sitting.
Yeah, I would almost right now. And I understand Carson Wentz has not been Yeah.
But he's not tea bag. But he's not hurt, right, I mean, he's at least been around the league.
Yeah, I don't know.
If I'm the Steelers, I might rather face my home right now, my chances.
I would never do that.
I'm just you haven't seen him play yet, I know. But he's the best quarterback this year.
He's not played well, he hasn't played like the best quarterback on the planet, but he's played better than if piece of sitting when he has guy in the league, if piece of.
Sitting duck in the pocket, I'll take my chances.
Oh, compared to Wentzh, I'll take my chances playing against him. I don't fear him like I usually would.
I think just with Wentz, there's just so much unknown because you just haven't seen him going to.
Some Winston qualities too, which has nothing to lose and throw it all over the place, and.
That to me, that unknown because he's he's done it before, he's he's own flashes before.
Oh.
I used to be a big fan, Yeah, I mean not compared to my homes and then he started he could be in a wheelchair.
I disagree. I disagree. I'd rather face the hobbled the hobbled guy.
He's done well in those Thames circumstances without with I mean, I get it. It's better than playing him fresh.
That's all.
He's done well in the past when he had like Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelsey at the height of his powers.
Yeah, but in like Super Bowls, and.
But those guys at the at the height of the at the height of his power, at their powers when they could actually all he had to do was throw Kelsey at a five yard out right, and he's rumbling down the field, pinballing off of guys and not getting tackled.
And does have those advantages either. Yeah, but he you know, he's healthy. He's healthy. Yeah, he's talented and he can run. Oh, he can run. He's talented. Yeah.
I'm shocked his career has gone as bad as he has. I have no tape on him, right, I mean he has tendencies, but not in that offense.
Yeah, you just don't. I'd rather face what the devil I know, than the devil I don't know.
That devil's too scary. Homes, the devil's missing horns and half a tail, And yeah, he's still magic. It's not like Chris Collinsworth He's awesome.
He's not. He's not been awesome this year. He's not. He's not about Jalen Hurt, but he's not that awesome that he's been. He's a great quarterback. I think he's the best quarterback in the league. He's not been that guy all season long.
Now, he's merely been really, really good.
I'll take us.
I mean, he's got twenty one touchdown passes and eleven interceptions, but we might have he might have twenty one touchdown passes eleven interceptions and.
They might be three and ten as opposed the other way around.
Yeah, he's not pulled out as many of those victories as people give him credit for.
He didn't block a kick against the Broncos.
Make him drop a drop field either, drop an they could.
They could very easily right now be an eight win team.
Oh absolutely, And that's kind of what they're playing like, Yeah, I mean that's what they are on tape.
And it's not all it's not been all my home, my homes, my home mahomes.
No, No, it's not like how Josh Allen's carried. No, no, not at all. It's not even been like Lamar has carried the Ravens now time. But he's done a lot of things like I'm not going to force this thing. I'm going to play smart Rady esques of management, you know.
But he's also been you know, there's they're they're averaging fewer points per game than Steelers.
Oh I know.
Yeah, their offense has been very middle road. Yeah, it's not it's not this great offense.
No, by the way, to go in to score and beat the Chiefs, that's not who this team is.
No, I think Hexans are going to beat them.
That they are who they are at this point in the season. They're a team that's that is a struggling people talk about the Steelers are struggling offense. The Chiefs are a struggling offense with Patrick Mahomes.
Oh yeah, No, they're not the powerhouse that they have been the last couple of years at all. I think in the super Bowl, but they're not Patrick Mahomes And if he's healthy.
I would not play them.
If they win against Texans, I would said them maybe until if.
I if I watch this game on Saturday and he's out there limping around.
I'll take what I'll take my chances against Willis re Mm not not versus Wentz, but not to us. I I just but if I were read, I would not.
Honestly, it's as much a tip of the captain Andy Reid and what he's capable of doing even on a short week, because he's had Wentz all year long. Now that he's gonna he's gonna come up with some kind of something that that Wentz can do.
Well.
Oh yeah, they won't be a pushover with Wess.
No chance.
They weren't when Henny would get in games.
I think his quarterback mobility because it's certainly is an asset that Andy Reid would use and utilize more so than he can do with with a hobbled Patrick Mahomes.
That's my point.
Oh, that point's valid. I mean, he's definitely gonna move better than Mahomes.
And I think Andy Reid again, I think Andy Reid is probably the best coach. There's no problem. He's the best coach in the league right now. And he would come up and he's certainly the best offensive game planner. He would come up with something that would make Carson Wentz capable of beating.
You don't come up with something to make Mahomes cap We'll beat into the Texans.
He could quick.
But I think I'd much rather defend that than I would a guy who's I have. I have no tape on I had no idea what they're gonna do with them. Now if he plays in this If Wentz would come in and play this week against Houston at some point at least, then you have some tape on him. Yeah, yeah, you see, Okay, he can He can still make this story. He can still make that through does hero He always when he tries to escape, he always tries to escape left or he always tries to escape right.
That's what I wanted him. He does have a lot of tendencies over his career. Yeah, you know, not necessarily good like a Winston, you know.
Like, but have they but have they coached that stuff out of him?
Maybe not? But I don't want to play against Home. I mean, you're not gonna convince me that I would play against all.
Take my shot.
I'll take my chances in my building with my pass rush against a guy that can't move.
I'll take my chance against both of them. I think either one is a winnable game for the Steelers. I have to pick between the two. You're never gonna convince me that's not my homes all right, Never, Let's get through a break.
I am Dale Lalli.
He is the Matt Williamson, and this is the Drive on the Steelers Audio Network. Matt and I will be back with more right after this.
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.
Welcome back to the drive.
I am Dale Lolly, he is the Matt Williamson and Matt this will be the thirty seventh matchup between Mike Tomlin and John Harbory over the course of their careers.
Who would you say has had the better overall talent?
Oh wow, that's tough. I mean, how many Hall OFAs have gone back and forth? More Hall of Famers, I was going to say, but Ben, I'll take over all of them just in terms of importance. Not the flat goes bad, but give me a Hall of Fame quarterbacks impressive, I would say, have a last Since Ben, I would say the Ravens have had more talent, and yet the Steelers have won eight of those nine games. Yeah, in this decade, one eight of the last nine.
Now, Lamar Jackson has only played in five of those, but in the games Lamar has played in, the Steelers have won four to five.
M I'm still thinking, who is that better talent? I mean, think all the defensive studs that they've both have had.
Well, think about the power rankings just in this decade when we start the season. Throughout the season, I think everybody says that the Ravens have more talent than the Steelers.
Lately, for sure. Lately for sure.
Yet the Steelers have won the last nine meetings between these two teams.
And yet when you hear people.
Talk about the coaches, especially locally, well, I'd much rather have John Harbaugh as my head coach and Mike Tomlin.
Well, then how are they winning these games? How have they won eight of nine? Right? Oh?
No, Kenny Pickett's And when you started that, I're gonna say who's had the better career, Tomlin or Harbaugh. I think it's Tomlin. I would agree with that too, right, Yeah, and I think they're both going the Hall of Fame. Yeah, But I think Tomlin has a stronger case if they were to both retire today.
He's got more wins, he's got to see a number of he's been to two Super Bowls, and.
Obviously the head to head stuff is noteworthy.
But you know, but I think the difference between the two teams right now is the head coach. I think Mike Tomlin, because again, thirty seven times these guys have faced off. I think Mike Tomlin has a better understanding of John Harbaugh than Harbaugh has of Tomlin.
Yes, I absolutely believe that that he would never admit this or tell us why, but I think he has not like insider dirt on him, but he has some kind of feel.
For this is how Arba is going to prepare for us on this, or what he's going to do on fourth downs, or or.
He's in a zag on this. You know, we've done this to them over and over and over and it hasn't worked. So I bet Harbad does this now, you know, Like I think he's one step ahead.
These are like two guys playing chess against each other for thirty seven consecutive days.
Yeah yeah, yeah, like immense knowledge of one another. Right and after a while, you just learned.
Okay, if I moved this rook here, he's gonna move that pond there and I got him.
Yeah, Yeah, I definitely think so. And I think that's one of Tomlin's great strengths, you know, especially within the division and coaches he sees a lot of. Now, I think Belichick was a little better at it than Tomlin, you know, like, yeah, Belichick I think is the best ever at that. And their head to heads was one side.
Just like the freaking Emperor right in start in Star Wars, right with the hood on.
And exactly you know, and running the universe right with Brady and.
Right Brady was Darth Vader out there doing all the dirty work and Belichick's sitting back there twidling exactly, you know, and they've been shooting.
That's why I think he's a best coach of all electricity.
Right.
So, I think it's sort of similar, Like Belichick knew how to attack the Lebaux defense and what Tomlin was doing. And tom was a younger coach at that point. I'm sure he learned a lesson or two from man going against that coach all the time. How do I get to be that guy?
You know?
What I mean, And I don't think that it's a dominance over Harbor, but I do think it's an edge. I think it is too because I think everybody would agree, especially over the last four or five years, the Ravens have had better talent. Yeah, I mean, like you said, I think that you know, preseason power ranks or Vegas odds have always favored the Ravens going into the season. Expectations going into the year by smart people, you know, including like you know, guys like us that do this for a living.
You know that that doesn't include us in the smart people.
No, and we're also a little leaning towards one team. But I mean in terms of, like, man, how good to that team be? You know, the Ravens have been at the top of the list during the La Mario let's call it that, you know, because Steelers but Picket, I mean, like the quarterback competition lately has not been cool.
Even when the Steelers had ended career Ben the Ravens had an advantage.
Your quarterback, absolutely, absolutely right.
They've had the advantage of quarterback over the Steelers since basically Lamar's second year and the only time he has beaten them in that period in his career he beat Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges, Like, right, you got to be better than that. Yeah, quarterback advantage and you had to go to overtime to do it. And he didn't even have Like that wasn't even him doing it. That was Marlon Humphrey forcing Juju Smith Schuster to fumble and then you get ten yards and Tucker kicks a six you know, fifty plus yard field goal and you get to win.
It's still rattling around in my brain just their whole careers, Who's had the better talent? Because I was going to say, you know, Ben over Flacco carries a lot a weight, sure, and Flack is good, but lamar over Duck and Picket, you know what I mean?
I mean, now we're talking an A versus a yeah a D, or an F versus an AA versus a C, or.
Even just cheat and say since both of them have Ben Head coaches, the defenses are almost a wash. The kickers are close to a wash. You know, if we just focus on weapons and quarterback, it's like, well, there was a stretch there that Ben was. Steers had a big edge and even but Flacco's a lot better than what the Seeers have played with throwing the Lamari era up until this year.
Yeah.
Right, So It's just I was thinking of that today as I'm trying to come up some stuff for the five for Friday, and that hit me.
I'm like, is this.
I just don't you know when when again, when you when you start listening to people rank head coaches and things of that nature, even coming into this season. Yeah, Harball's a top five coach, you know, Tomlin's you know, he hasn't done much lately. What he has done is beating Harbaugh.
Yeah yeah, yeah, and one in the consistently the whole division too. You know That's not fluky to me is his knowledge of the coaches. I'm sure it goes even to the front office ownership, how they build things, what kind of people they're trying to you know, what their vision is as organizations, and how can I destroy that vision?
You know? Yeah? You know what do I need to do to beat that?
And you know, I think a big reason why the Steelers have the guys that they have on the edge is a big you know, is because they play Lamar Jackson.
Oh yeah, I mean Lamar and Burrow are gonna dictate what you do an awful lot without then Jamar Chase is a guy like that. Yeah, And certainly the rest of the division looks at Garrett and Watt and be like, we're in the division with two of the top dudes, you know, like we better be good at tackle. We better go sign on right right right? Yeah, yeah, I mean we better use picks on tackles. And Steelers use two picks in the last two drafts on tackles, you know, like a lot of good edg rushers in this division.
Yeah, that matters, It certainly does. And but I just it just seems to me that Tomlin just has the mental.
Edge on Harbor.
I get that impression too, you know, like head to head, he kind of feels more of the big brother, you know.
Yeah, you know. Yeah. Anyways, let's get to another break.
That's going to do it for our number one of the drive here on the Steelers Audio Network.
Matt and I will be back with our number two right after this