Happy Thanksgiving everybody.
I'm Dan Horde and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast. The I'm a substitute for another Guy addition. As the Bengals get ready to face the Pittsburgh Steelers with Jake Browning making his first NFL start at quarterback, coming up, I'll talk to quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher, who says this is an opportunity for him to show that he's a
good coach. Jason mccordy from Good Morning Football joins me to share his thoughts on how the Bengals need to rally around their new QB Logan Wilson discusses his tackle last week that resulted in an injury to Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, and finally, in this week's No The Faux Conversation, we'll hear from Brook Pryor, who covers the Steelers for ESPN. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, proud to be the Bengals official
HR software provider. By Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business, and community to a new level, and by kettering health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider.
Of the Bengals.
Now here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since Jim Donovan getting a game ball. Jim is the longtime radio voice of the Cleveland Browns
and one of my favorite broadcasters in the NFL. When the Browns were really, really bad several years ago, I told Jim that if I was teaching a college course on sportscasting and had to discuss how to call games for a losing team, I'd have him do a guest lecture because he never lost his enthusiasm even when the
team was lousy. His broadcasts were exciting and entertaining. This year, Jim had to step away from the booth for a couple of months for cancer treatments, but he returned last week, served as the honorary Dog Pound captain before the game that's the Brown's equivalent of the ruler of the Jungle, and after Cleveland beat Pittsburgh on a last second field goal, he received a game ball from Brown's head coach Kevin Stefanski. It was a classy gesture for a fantastic announcer. Now
let's get to the Bengals. As I just mentioned, Cleveland beat Pittsburgh last week and did so with a backup quarterback, rookie Dorian Thompson Robinson. Now Jake Browning will try to do the same thing as he makes his first start since the twenty nineteen Rose Bowl, when his Washington Huskies lost by five to Ohio State. When Jake takes the field this Sunday, it will be his first start in a game that counts in four years, ten months, and
twenty five days. Browning is twenty seven years old and has spent the last four years on NFL practice squads, two years with the Vikings and two years with the Bengals. This week, I discussed him and the challenge of going the rest of the year without Joe Burrow with Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher. Dan, I think most people have heard of the seven stages of grief, shock, denial, depression, et cetera. I don't mean to be too flippant about it,
but the final stage's acceptance. Did the team go through something similar when Joe suffered his injury.
I think so.
I think we all did, you know, And I think it's kind of happens on an individual level. You know, everybody walked in this building in April with visions of us winning a Super Bowl and Joe Burrow leading us to that, and so I think it's natural you have to process the reality that that's not going to happen this year with Joe leading us, and so that that hurts and you kind of sort through that.
We've done that.
I know I've done that, and very quickly you had no other choice but to move forward.
Did it help it all that the injury happened on a Thursday and he had a few days to process it before practice really kicked back in again on Monday.
No matter when that happened, it was going to stink. So, you know, I don't know if helps the right word. I mean it does. Having a little bit extra time to craft the plan around Jake and for Jake to have that mindset of, you know, is my time I got to go? I think that helps a little.
Bit for sure.
We're visiting with quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher. Joe shown up for training camp in the best physical condition of his life. Then suffered the calf injury on day two of camp. What kind of season do you think he was going to have if he was healthy.
All I can look at is the progression of his career from rookie season to year two where we go to the Super Bowl to strikes that he made last year, and you can't help but assume that it would have continued on that path. And I think as he got healthier and healthier and felt more and more confident moving around out there, we started to see that and so you know, it's a stepback. It's a disappointment, but it's
the reality that we have right now. And I know the way he's wired, he's gonna do everything in his power to get right back to that same spot where he was coming in the best shape of his life, and you know, we'll being a shape.
Let's turn to your starting quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Jake Browning. You've spent about two and a half years working with him. What are Jake's biggest strengths.
You know, Jake is very.
Intelligent, he loves football, He sees the game at a very high level, and he's done everything in his power during the course of his time here to earn the respect and the trust of his teammates. And so everybody in this building holds Jake in very high regard and that's an important step to now moving.
Into this leadership role. And the next step is you got to be able to play.
You know, all that stuff's great and it's important, but you got to be able to play. And Jake can play. Jake hasn't had a lot of opportunity to show that he can play, but we've seen it in practice. We've seen how fast he's able to process and make the right decisions. He's not Jel. There's going to be a difference. We all understand that. Everybody in the world understands that. But he has what it takes to go help us win football games, and that's what we expect.
What, if anything, do you think he's gained from spending two and a half years of working with Jill.
I think really one of the things I pride myself on is just the environment that we have in that room and together on the field on game day, and the openness that exists there and just being able to talk through things and solve problems on the fly, and I think, just you can't help but getting you know you're gonna get better if you spend time in that environment. In my opinion, that's why I want it to be the way that it is. And he's been there now for two and a half years, and so he's asked
a lot of great questions. He's answered a lot of good questions. He's seen us have to overcome the hurdles that pop up every now and then that maybe we're unexpected, and he knows how we communicate, and so all those things should put him in position to have success.
We're chatting with the quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher. People joke that the quarterback who holds the clipboard has the greatest gig in the world. One thing I admire about Jake is that when he was the practice squad quarterback, he wasn't content. He would spend his off seasons working on his mechanics trying to improve his arm strength. Was that noticeable from year to year. Yeah, that's why he's here
in the role that he's in. He's a better player than he was when we signed him before the start of the twenty twenty one season, and that's due to his work.
And that's not always easy because when you exist in that role, especially when you were the third guy, which he was for a considerable amount of time, the reps are even fewer and further between. So to have that dedication to his craft, to put the effort that he's put in to try to be there as an asset
to anyone and everyone. I mean, and this guy spent two years meeting with the defensive backs on Tuesdays, watching the opposing offense and giving them the perspective of the quarterback and what he's looking at and why he's looking at it.
So he didn't have to do that.
He did it because he's a good teammate and he wants the team to have success. And so those are the things that now is these guys are gonna have to rally around him. That's what's earned.
That respect and that trust.
His backup is now thirty three year old AJ McCarron. You joined the Bengals in twenty sixteen, the year after he almost led Cincinnati to a playoff win up of the Pittsburgh Steelers. What stands out about Aj at this stage of his career.
I've been with AJ now two separate stints, and I believe AJ's and he's a better player now than he was then. He's obviously seen a lot more football. He's in as good as shape, or if not better shape, than he was his first time around here. You know, I think even if you ask him, he would tell you that the knee injury that he suffered in Atlanta in the preseason a few years back now and how he kind of just reframed his whole approach towards rehabbing that and get himself ready has put him in a
great spot physically. So Aj has been awesome, really just happy with everything he's brought to the table since he's been here this second time around. And he'll be there to support Jake in that role. And you know, hopefully we don't need him, but if we ever did that, I know he'll be ready to step into play.
To be successful. Now without Joe Burrow, Do you need more out of Joe Mixon?
I think you need more of everyone, Joe Mixon included. Need more out of the coaching staff, You need more out of the line. It's you know, Joe, Joe is the engine, right and and now the rest of us have to compensate when a part of that engine isn't working like you expected it to work. And so it falls on everybody. And I think the nice thing is when you look around and you feel the energy in this building and you people understand that and they're they're
embracing it. You know, you could you can mope around and think, well is me or you look at it as an opportunity and if an opportunity for all of us to show that we're good at what we're doing, it's an opportunity for me to show I'm a good coach.
I mean, I know that.
That's that's I got to prove that now, you know. And I think I've proved that working with Joe, But you know, Joe's Joe. Joe's gonna do a lot of things that I could never teach him to do. And Jay can do some of that stuff too. But everyone's got to be on top of their game.
Let's look at the challenge this week, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The names changed, the results don't. On defense, the number seven in the NFL and fewest points allowed. What is the constant, year after year after year of going up against the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.
Just toughness, pass rush, aggressiveness. You know, coach Tomlin has done an incredible job there and it's year after year, and you know, the guys changed now they're they're core guys,
you know, TJ. Watt, Cam Hayward, Maker, Fitzpatrick who you know, Whether or not make it plays, we'll find out, but you know, those are just there's some of the guys are the best in the world of what they do, and then they're always able to find and craft complimentary guys to just be the kind of unit that they want to be, which is one that puts a ton of pressure on you. But just number one, the pressure a lot from a scheme standpoint, and then just from
how aggressive and physical they play. So you gotta come ready for that.
And we know it.
I mean, that's part of the It's the gift and the curse of being in division with somebody like you understand who they are and what they want to be and what they're trying to do to you better than other teams do.
But you also have to face it twice a year. And so we'll be ready.
We'll have a great plan and it's going to be a challenge They've been called blitzberg for a reason over the years. They're fifth in the NFL right now and blitz percentage about thirty seven percent. Is that number going to go up against Jake Browning?
Who knows.
We're expecting a lot of pressure and it. Pittsburgh, in my opinion, is a team everyone obviously is going to have different tweaks to their opponent, but there's a scale on that right. Some teams are very plan oriented. They're gonna craft what they do on a week to week basis, and they could look very different. Other teams on the other end of that spectrum, are a little bit more in the mold of they're gonna do what they do and yeah, they're gonna have a couple of wrinkles for you.
I think Pittsburgh fits more of that style. They're gonna do what they do. They like the pressure. They're gonna pressure us. We're gonna have to be ready for it, and I know Jake will be. I'm bummed about Joe's injury. You're bummed about his injury. Everybody's bummed about his injury. But I can hear a little excitement in your voice about the opportunity that Jake is getting well. You're picking
up on something that's there because he deserves it. And like I said before, we're wired a certain way, like you have to view these things as opportunities, otherwise you're never gonna have success because they will come up. It's a constant. It's going to happen no matter what team you work for, how many years you've been in the league. These things will happen, and if you let them derail you, you're never gonna get to where you.
Want to go.
So we just got to look at it that way, and I'm excited for Jake. Appreciate your time. Best of luck against the Seilers. Jake Browning started fifty three games at Washington and the Huskies went thirty nine and fourteen. In those starts. He led the school to the fourteen College Football Playoff as a sophomore, the Fiesta Bowl as a junior, and the Rose Bowl as a senior. Now time for the national perspective on the loss of Joe Burrow and the Bengals prospects moving forward with Jake Browning.
You can see Jason mccordy every weekday morning on Good Morning Football, and you can hear him calling NFL games as an analyst for Westwood One. He was in the booth last Thursday night in Baltimore, and I caught up with him this week. Jason, You've played in the NFL for thirteen years, you were a captain in New England. You've seen it all, and you were in the booth
last Thursday when Joe Burrow suffered his wrist injury. What would you say to the Bengals going forward as they prepare to play for the first game without Joe.
You don't have the rally around the new quarterback in Jake Browning. And it's obviously always tough when a starter goes down. But then for the Bengals, for fans, if you're an NFL fan, seeing Joe Burrow go down, you just absolutely hate it. He's one of our league superstars. He's a guy that when he's out there in the field, you feel like the team can do anything. So watching him go down and then the way he went down, seeing him on the sideline trying to throw the ball,
very tough to see. But I will say Jake Browning comes in the game, comes out of halftime, leads him down there, kicks a field goal. He's a guy that got in the game and he played well for them. Obviously, the game was they were behind and you're asking him to come in and mount a comeback. But I will say he was impressive in the snaps that he did get in the game.
It was his first extended opportunity to play in an NFL game. Anything particular stand out while he was in there in the second half.
I will say, poise, I think you get into a game in a hostile environment on the roll of the division game and you get an opportunity like that one that you're not expecting. Moving forward for him, it will be different. You'll be preparing all week to be the guy offensive be tailored around you. You go into that game and you're expecting Joe Burrow to continue to play as he's done so and then next thing you know, you're thrown into the fire. And there wasn't any huge mistake,
no big interceptions. He got in the game. He led their offensive was poys. I would say that's the biggest thing because you want to see that from a young guy that gets in that hasn't seen much NFL action.
We're chatting with Jason mccordy. You played defensive back for more than a decade. The Bengals have a lot of young secondary members right now, Cam Taylor, Britt Dax Hill, DJ Turner, Jordan Battle. What do you think of these guys and what's the toughest thing for them being at this stage of their career.
I think it's learning and picking everything up and playing as a cohesive unit. You think about the Bengals and a huge fan of the defensive coordinator, lou Anarroumo, got a chance to talk to him a little bit before the game, and over the past few years you've watched him in the secondary and you've seen Bits and Boon Bell, those guys running it and disguising and moving around and doing all types of different things. And now both of those guys move on in one single season and now
you're throwing Dj Turnery, bring me Scot out there. And we saw more of Jordan Battle on Thursday night. So the main thing, especially in lows defense, is getting up to page, being on the same page and their cornerbacks coach there, Charles Burke's I played for in Miami. A tremendous coach in the way he teaches, in a way he just continues to build his guys up and you
can see them turning a page. Injury to Cam Taylor Britt was really tough because he's a young guy out there in the year two where he's the lockdown DK, he's been matched up with the other team's best wide receivers and that's one hell of a challenge when you actually due, especially as a young dB.
Let's circle back to Joe Burrow.
You played with the greatest of all time, Tom Brady and won a Super Bowl ring in New England. What impresses you most about Joe?
And I don't know him personally, but from the outside he's just so cool And you say that and it sounds like cliche or something to say about a guy, but whether he was dealing with injuries, whether it's an up or down, when you hear him or see him after a game, or even before a game for that matter, he just always seems calm and confident in himself and the guys around. And that was the one thing for me.
I played most of my seasons in Tennessee and one in Cleveland, and we didn't always have a franchise quarterback, and getting a chance to be around Brady, who always stuck out about him was his greatness, was his work ethic, how he prepared, and just the confidence that he exuded when he was out there on the football field. For the guys on offensive us you know, Jamar Chase of Tehiggens, is there any of those guys you always know you have a chance when brows back there quarterback because of
his ability. But I think what it does for an entire organization when you're on defense and you're out there, you know, maybe there's three minutes to go, you know, hey, we can get a stop and get the ball back or offensive gun is going to do it. The confidence and the mental that that gives you as a player on that field to believe in somebody in that way because of what they've proven to you that Joe Burrow has, it goes a long way and winning football games.
It's been a.
Roller coaster ride of a season. Joe's calf injury contributed to a slow start. He got healthy, they won four in a row. Now they've got to go forward without having Joe available. What did you think of the going into the season and is this just life in the NFL?
Is definitely life in the NFL And obviously going into the season extremely high hopes for the Bengals, and then, like you just said, Joe goes down with that caf Drey and it's a slow start. And I remember being on the show saying no team has ever gone owing to back to back years and still made the playoffs. And I remember saying that. For a while, I was just like, Oh, my goodness, they're gonna do it because of how hot they got in what Joe Burrow looked like.
Now moving forward, you have a new quarterback. You got to figure out a way to get more out of Joe Mixon. He's the guy that when he gets the ball, he seems extremely productive. Their offense was just base more around Joe Burrow with the ball in his hands. I
think moving forward, we'll see more of Joe Mixon. You'll see a lot of those plays where they're getting the ball on the outside to whether it's Jamar Chase with blockers in front, and those players kind of gets the ball out of quarterbacks hands quicks and gets the ball
in space as well. And it got to Pittsburgh Steelers up next, a division opponent who just lost to a rookie quarterback and Durian Thompson Robinson, so obviously a little right now, but I think they still have a chance with Jake Brown.
You played both corner and safety in the NFL. You undoubtedly covered some of the all time great receivers.
What do you think of Jamar Chase.
Jamar Chase is a guy. I got a chance to see him before the game, and my brother sat down with him, actually before the Sunday night game. And I'll use the phrase my brother said when he first met him. He said, watching you play, I'm very happy I don't play in the NFL anymore. And that would be how our characterized Jamar Chase. He's just unbelievable. His ability on the outside to go get the ball, his route running ability, but then you mix that into just his run after
the catch. He's a guy thats just as explosive once the ball is in his hands. And I think what makes him so tough as the weapons that's around him as well. When you have a T. Higgins on the other side, makes it a lot harder to double team. I mean, you saw that than missing Tee those last two games. But Jamar Chase unbelievable talent, the way the way he goes about his business. How productive he's been early on in his career has been fun to watch.
So, Jason, as you noted, the Steelers are coming up this week at pay Course Stadium. Pittsburgh is six and four, but twenty eighth in points scored, twenty eighth in total yards. Where do you think of Kenny Pickett in the state of the Steelers offense?
They've struggled. Watching the Pittsburgh Steelers is almost like an anomaly. You're watching him and it's just like, there's no way this team has a winning record because to your point, they've been out gained yardage wise, I think in every single game except one, and they've still found a way to have a winning record or right there in the playoff race and if at ended today at the end.
But they've struggled mightily on offense, and everybody was killing Matt Canada or cheering fire him in the stadiums, and as the seasons continue to progress, Kenny Pickett is really struggled. And obviously you can criticize play calling and different things. He's missed some throws. Whoever you want to place the blame on, the offense just hasn't been good enough, and Tomlin alluded to that a week ago where he said he needed more out of Kenny Pickett in the offense.
This past Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, obviously one of the best defenses in the NFL, they weren't able to do that, and they felt to the Browns ten to thirteen, coming off losing Deshaun Watson. So their team that's right in the contention of playoffs, But to me watching it, if they don't find a way to get more out of the offense, they're gonna end up just a little short.
So the Bengals are five and five with seven games to go. If they win this week and they get some help from some other teams, they could climb in the seventh into the seventh and final playoff seed in the AFC with six games to go. Give us a couple of keys for what the Bengals will need to do to beat the Steelers this Sunday.
Well, one thing I alluded to is they have to find a way to get Joe Mixon going. I think get in the ground game. It'll obviously slow the game down, It'll allow them to possess the ball for a lot longer I think on the defensive side of the ball. You just talked about the way that Pittsburgh has struggled to put points on the ball on the board and be able to move the ball. If Cam Taylor Britt whatever his health situations are, they're going to need to be able to find a way to continue to slow
down that offense. And Jayla Warren, he was unbelievable. He was the one spark club when you watch the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. Getting him on the ground and figuring that out for the Bengals is going to be the number one thing because the last two weeks they really struggled against the run game against Houston and Singletary and then against the Baltimore Ravens who got the run game going big time in the second half. I think that's going to be the key to him. And then for Jake
Browning let it loose. I think for a backup quarterback sometimes you go in and you're timid, and obviously Zach tail is going to design the offense to make it a little easier for him. But you prepare for such a long time for an opportunity to be a starter in the NFL, go out there and play confidence and just go out there and let it fly.
Good Morning Football is the best sports show on TV, and you are a big reason why, Jason.
We really appreciate your time.
Thank you, oh anytime. Thanks for having me.
The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by Paid Corps, Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet design to elevate your home, business and community to a new level, and by Cattering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider.
Of the Bengals.
Joe Burrow was not the only great player who suffered a season ending injury. Last Thursday, The Ravens lost Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews with a broken fibula. Mark was injured when Logan Wilson brought him down with what's known as a hip drop tackle.
In a nutshell, it.
Involves wrapping your arms around a player then allowing your own body weight to drop to the ground. There are studies that suggests that that results in a higher risk of injury, and the NFL is discussing the possibility of banning that technique from Logan. Wilson's perspective, he was doing whatever he could to prevent a fast, two hundred and forty seven pound tight end from getting into the end zone. Nonetheless, many Baltimore fans and some media members ripped Wilson, suggesting
that it was a dirty tackle. When word of that got to Zach Taylor, he made a point of defending Wilson at a news conference, even without being asked about it. Wilson discussed the victory all that he's been subjected to on Wednesday.
It is what it is. It's kind of the world we live in right now, and some of it was obviously very unnecessary and coming at me and my family for really for no reason. You know, I wasn't playing the game dirty. I never wished anymore when any player I ever go against, I play the game at a I play my birth part out every game, play.
My butt off, and sometimes those injuries happen.
It is what it is, But you know I was People would notice that I was one of the first people on a knee when Mark went down, because we never wanted that to happen to their guy, especially of him.
He's a good dude. I'd never wish anything.
A part of way, But what was it like to me? Zach went out of his way to make sure he spoke up on happening.
Yeah, when I saw him say that, that was I really appreciated that. And I think that just speaks volumes of the guy and the coach that he is and why guys loved him so much and loved playing for him, because sometimes coaches would really wouldn't go out of their
way because it wasn't like he was asked about it. It was like I think it was at the end of the conference, So he kind of went out of his way to say that, And I think that, like I said, that speaks volumes and that's why I love playing for him.
How hard is that?
I know there's a lot of conversation about the hip drop and what am I.
Look like moving forward? How hard is that is a defender in real time to go.
About I honestly wasn't even sure of what a hip drop tackle was prior to that bring being brought to my attention after the game, and so.
You know, obviously it's something I guess it's.
Something that they're they're looking at doing, but it's it's hard in the position when you're trying to come from behind and trying to just find a way to bring him down. And it's not like it's not like Marc Andre's just a small human, you know what I mean. So you're just trying to find a way to bring
the guy down, and unfortunately that's what happened. And like I said, I'd never wished upon him, And obviously whenever whatever they just had to do with the hip drop tackle going forward, we'll have to adjust, but it would make it a lot harder if that's what they decided to do.
The Ravens full back Patrick Ricard had this to say about Logan Wilson quote, everybody respects him. I don't think it was intentional or dirty. I think he's a great play I have respect for him and think he plays the right way.
Now time for.
This week's Know the Faux segment as we take a closer look at the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that's currently six and four and holding down the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC. But after a thirteen to ten loss to Cleveland last week, the Steelers made a coaching change, firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner takes over as OC, but quarterbacks coach Mike
Sullivan will be the primary play caller. Brooke Pryor covers the Steelers for ESPN and discuss that and much more on the Bengals Game Plan Show this week with Wayne box Miller and Dave Lapham.
Let me tell you, it has been chaotic, to say the least. And my favorite part about all of this is it's such an unprecedented move that the Steelers fired at Canada. They haven't famously have not fired a head coach or a coordinator in season since nineteen forty one. The news came out via the Steelers social media Tuesday morning, and Kenny Pickett was still at home asleep because Tuesday's
the only day he can sleep in. And I very deeply relate to that because I too, was kind of dozing that morning until the news came out and suddenly I jumped out of bed and just you know away, I went Brook.
Did you have an inkling? You know, there's been rumblings in the last couple of years, no seeker, But was there any inkling that this was imminent?
No, there wasn't. I mean, you're right. There have been rumbling from the last couple of years, but most of that has been external noise. It's been from inside the building that this team had confidence in Matt Canada, that they thought that his schemes and his plays would work. It was just taking some time. And the message from the locker room early in the season was this is not a place this is a lack of execution issue.
But I think that the way that Kenny Pickett has regressed over the last couple of weeks, he would not have broken or he didn't break one hundred passing yards until the last desperation throw of the loss to the Browns. I think that that was kind of the last straw for the Steelers saying, you know, we've got to kind of choose here between our quarterback and our offensive coordinator.
It's a lot easier to move on from a coordinator that's going to be whose contract expires at the end of the season than it is a first round quarterback you drafted less than two years ago. And so I think that that's kind of what put things over the edge, you know, looking.
At tape and now after the fact, you know it's like, okay, well, well the body language, I mean Picket's body language, Pickens body language. Najee Harris comes out, you know with what he had to say. I mean, it just looked like it was time. It looked like the frustration level from a player standpoint, and I hit the boiling point. Was that pretty much it?
You know? I think so. And I think that it's tough because I think the frustration was pointed in a lot of different directions. Yes, there's absolutely frustration toward Matt Canada because this offense wasn't able to fluidly move the ball, they weren't able to score points. I think there's also some frustration that they were having with themselves for not playing better, and also with Kenny Pickett because he was not on the same page with some of his receivers
like Deontay Johnson. He had several overthrows, underthrows. It's just been so off target. And so I think that there were just a lot of bad vibes in general. And I actually talked with Mason Cole the Center about that today and he said, you know, I didn't get the sense that there was necessarily division within the locker room, but a move like this does pull everybody together and it does become in Us against the world kind of thing.
And so I think that that's something that can kind of jolt an offense and get them maybe back on some kind of track.
You Brooke prior ESPN is our guests in Brooke. If you had to look at one thing maybe that Kenny Pikett needs to improve upon maybe to get this offense in a better place to be more productive. Is there anything that you're looking at or that seems to be something that's challenging him a little bit more than maybe people.
Thought, you know, I think to me, his pocket presence and pocket awareness has been really disappointing this season because it was something that was so heavily emphasized in the off season and in training camp. I mean, I look at the way that he responds to pressure. He bails out of the pocket so fast, he gets rid of the ball really fast. And granted, he was playing Cleveland last week in Miles Garrett and we saw on the very first play of the game he got absolutely destroyed.
So I don't blame him for being a little gun shy in the pocket there, right, But this offensive line is better than it has been in years past. They are buying pickt time, but he just doesn't have the awareness or the ability to read the field correctly to make the right decisions. And as soon as he starts to get a little antsy, he bails out. Is usually rolling to his left, and he's rolled right into pressure before. That's how he got hurt in Houston. He ran right
into the defender. And so I think that that's the biggest thing that I want to see. I want to see just better decisions both in the pocket and when he's making his reads because maybe, you know, he lacks the arm talent to do some of the the you know, deep throws some things that can make quarterbacking really exciting. But something that he can improve on in the you know,
immediate is just make better decisions. The play calls are there, he just has got to move through his progressions and decision making more fluidly, you know when I.
Hear you say, and it was obvious on tape with the incompletion by a wide margin, how quarterback and receiver aren't on the same page. And it's going to be interesting how this dual coach filling one position. Eddie Faultono, the running back coach, will be game planning, and Mike Sullivan will be the play caller, but he's got the relationship with Pickett. I would think, I remember the legendary
Paul Brown. We were struggling one year offensively, and he gets up in front of the offensive team in the meeting. He says, here's our runs this week, and there were three. Here's our passes this week there were five, And he goes, well, we'll run them out of different formations, but damn it, we're going to do these right until you guys can get them right. Then I'll start adding more plays. I would think that maybe Sullivan and Faulkner may melt it down.
Maybe maybe there was a little too much on the mind to pick it and you've got to simplify it a little bit, and you know, wrap it over and over and over again, and run it out of different looks and get the ball to Pickens, you know, in a manner where both parties are on the same And I don't think that that's out of the question.
Right absolutely. I mean I think they need to run the kiss offense, keep it simple, stupid. Yeah, let's don't over complicate it. We don't need all the jet motion, all of the movement before the SAT just there is a way to do it that is not the way that Matt Canada is running it. Where it was, it was both very predictable and elementary, while also over complicating some things and just trying to have him do too much. And so I think that they really need to run
the ball more. That's something that they've shown the last three weeks has gotten significantly better. Jalen Warren is a great back. He's a slippery guy, He's really dynamic. I think that now he Harris, he knows he needs to be better. He's not playing like a first round pick
right now. But I think if they can lean on the run game to get things going and open things up shoot, then let's move on to the play action some RPO game because Pikett has proven to be much better when he's throwing out of play action, and for some reason, the Steelers just weren't going to it. So I think if they can do those things, they'll be better. But you're right, it is going to be interesting to see how these kind of shared OC duties end up
playing out the rest of the year. But you're right. The relationship between Mike Sullivan and Kenny Pickett has got to be a big factor here in having Sullivan be the voice in Picket's ear on Sundays.
Right, Yeah, looking on the defensive side of the ball, is Minca Fitzpatrick close to returning? What's the status or what are you hearing about him?
You know, Minka hasn't practiced for several weeks. He seemed like he was close to coming back against Green Bay and then didn't, and he hasn't practiced since then. He didn't practice today, and I think that it's you know, Mike Tomlin wouldn't answer clearly if there had been a setback in this hand amstring injury that he sustained, I mean four weeks ago, it's going on a month ago.
But it would seem to suggest that something had happened because they clearly didn't anticipate it taking potentially four games, otherwise they would have put him on IR. I kind of read into the way that Mike Tomlin delivers his press conferences and the way that he the order in which he announces the injuries or details the injuries. Last wing Binko was towards the end of that list, which made me think, Okay, he's an afterthought. He's probably not going to end up being able to play this week.
He was the first guy listed in terms of he's fighting to come back. He wants to be available. So I last week I felt like there was maybe a thirty percent chance he plays. This week, I feel like it's fifty to fifty and it's something somebody that they would definitely like to have back. Because they just put Elijah Riley on IR along with Kean O'Neal. It's they are really the cupboard is really bare in the safety group.
Boy, it's not bear upfront and it never owns. It seems like with the Pittsburgh Steelers, I mean by Cameron Haywood, TJ. Watt, Alex high Smith, I mean, these guys are all still in others upfront are playing at an exceptionally high level, and it seems like the Pittsburgh Steelers have had that going on defensively for forever. I mean Mike Tomlin and prior to Mike Tomlin. I mean it's amazing how year in and year out, that is a staple that you
can always count on. The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive front will be a handful every single snap.
Oh absolutely and Keanus Benton, the rookie has played really really well. He was really helped out because he got a lot of playing time early in his career this year when Cam Hayward was out with the groin injury. But I think that one thing to note is that against the Bengals in or against the Browns in the first half, they weren't getting any pressure on Dorian Thompson Robinson, which is concerning. I mean, the Browns have a decent
an offensive line. I wouldn't say that it's an you know, I wouldn't say it's a top five unit, but especially playing against a rookie quarterback, I mean, you'd think that they would really just get after the quarterback. And yes, the Browns had a good run game, but at the same time, it was a little bit concerning that they just weren't getting any pressure on him. They did make second half adjustments. TJ. Watt had a much better second half.
He had a sack, how to believe, three quarterback hits. But I think that that is an area where they know they have to kind of that's going to be their bread and butter, especially because the inside linebackers are down. Several guys with Coleholsome and Kawan Alexander having season ending injuries, this is now all Aland and Roberts. He played great last week. He had fifteen tackles, and they've also added
Michael Walker was brought up. They just signed Miles Jack to the practice squad Blake Martinez to the active roster. So they're trying to fortify that group. But while they figure themselves out, it's got an all start up front.
You think Miles Jack will be brought up right away. And I'll tell you what, roberts Man, that dude's a thumper. That guy as a hitter.
Yeah, he is a hitter. And I think it was also encouraging for him, like he knows that he can play in coverage, although that has not been one of his strong suits. And he played well in every aspect, every sub package, in coverage, you name it. He did it all last week. And you could tell him in the locker room after a game that you guys know, is a very interesting place, especially after a loss, because the group that's the most responsible for it is really upset.
But then you have guys like a Landon Roberts who like he kind of had a spring in his step. He just played a great game. But as far as Miles Jack, I don't think it's going to be right away, especially when considered he was retired. He was telling us today that he was working on getting his pilot's license. He bought a hockey team. He was really surprised to
can the call, and he ended last year. My lasting memory of him at the end of the season was he had to sit down in the locker room when he was getting dressed to put on a pair of pants because he was so injured and so banged up. Obviously that's not the case now, but he is a guy that has a lot of wear and tear that they would like him to be able to play. But I think it's going to take a couple of weeks before he's up to speed. This feels like an insurance signing more than anything.
Right.
The Steelers are a one and a half point favorite on Sunday. Here's an invitation to join Dave Lapham and me for the Bengals pep Rally show this week. We'll be at the Wings and Rings Monroe location from two thirty to five thirty on Friday, and our special guest in the final hour of the show will be rookie
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