Welcome to the Steelers Point After Show on WDBD Pittsburgh, brought to you by your neighborhood Ford Store. The F one point fifty is the official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers by Brian Patton and associates. It's all about the benefits by the Steelers Pro Shop. Get it direct from the team at shop dot Steelers dot com and by Clearview Federal Credit Union. Get the financial answers you need. And now here are your hosts, Rob King, Craig Wolfley, and Matt Williamson.
And our wonderful producer Justin Miller. Let us not forget him as we welcome you to the Point After on the Steelers Audio Network. It is time for our first Reaction, brought to you by First National Bank. Let's get started, Member FDIC. Steelers win by the final score of thirty two to thirteen, so the Steelers improved a fourign two.
They remain tied top the AFC North, and teams over the last five seasons that have been tied or leading their division after six weeks have an eighty three percent chance of going to the playoffs.
So that is very good following recent trends.
So all in all the good victory for the Steelers over the Raiders as far as that is concerned, But maybe some other thoughts. Craig Wolf, we let us start with you on your first reaction.
Well, my first reaction was good Zeke's nudgy wow. I mean, that was really a sensational number of a plays that he participated. I mean, if you look at some of those runs, whether he ghosted what's his name, Jack Jones or whatever, it was actual yeah, out in the open field, or he ran through tackles where he was taken on one, two, three, four Raiders at a time, you know, or he was in the middle of a rugby scrum of guys and the pile kept moving for an extra ten yards or so.
He was just magnificent. I I was almost speechless watching some of his efforts, knowing that this guy just shows has been showing and displaying great combative effort in running the ball. But that was really that was over and above and beyond anything I've seen from Nagy. I think in the past he really was terrific. Matt great place to start. I thought he set the trend.
It was needed, you know, a physicality mentality getting down to running the football with aggression and chunk runs as well. That's a great place to start Wolf. I also thought the defense followed suit after that first drive really put the clamps on the Raiders. Now I kind of want to get this out of the way, and I respect every NFL opponent, but this was a pretty bad football team they played. I mean, I felt like the offense
had Brock Bauers and nothing else. And Max Crosby's fantastic on defense, but the rest of that unit, I would say, is subpar. But good teams wipe the floor with really bad teams, and that's exactly what the Steelers did for much of this game.
I agree with all those things. Bowers looks like he's gonna be a really really good player, and the way they utilize him, I mean, I think he's going to be kind of the and is already probably at this stage just a half a dozen games into his career. The next sort of mismatch nightmare for defensive coordinators. I mean, he's just you get in no way can you guard him? The linebacker very difficult to guard him, even with the
safety he moved. I mean, they throw I don't really remember too many tight ends getting passes in the flat where you have set up a blocking scheme out there, that's usually either a receiver or running back running a little swing route out to the flat, or a wide receiver you know who maybe has got you know, like a punt returner type of skills, that kind of thing. They use Bowers that way.
I can I can't.
Remember, Matt, Can you remember tight a tight end that's really been utilized that frequently in that sort of an attack. And it's not just the fact that they were trying to get O'Connell into this. If you see other Raiders games, and I watched them all looking up to this, leading up to this game, they did the same thing with Minshew a quarterback. They throw it out to him in the flat, expect him to make a guy miss.
Yeah, it's pretty crazy, and I've seen it with Kelsey. I'm straining my mind right now to find others, you know, maybe not to this degree.
Now.
I don't think they would do it as much if they had Myers and DeVante Adams and Pat Mahomes, you know what I mean. But I mean they are easy completions. And even leading up to this game, Bowers average depth of target was very low. It was like right around five from what I remember, because they just wanted to
get the ball in his hands. And I give the Seilers a lot of credit for their tackling, and it's not something people think about enough, but man, they limited him after the catch, which is a big weapon the Raiders had, and I thought that collectively they were a very good tackling defense.
Well that's the Raiders weren't That's exactly That's exactly the point I was going to bring up.
Well, I mean, Antonio Pierce made that a point of emphasis for the team this week, said we're going back to training camp, We're going to work on fundamentals. This is going to be a physical team. We need to tackle better. And then not only did they not tackle better.
Wolf and I were leaving the press box and we were listening to their post game show, of course because it's it's in Las Vegas, so that's what's piping through the speakers, and the guy Wolf he was their post was railing on the lack of tackling by the Raiders and how they need to get some guys out of there, guys who want to tackle, and they don't have enough guys who actually want to tackle, and you don't ever have to worry about that with the Steelers.
No, there's no question about it. I mean, we've got enough hands in the pile of tacklers. The fact is, what the Raiders were doing looked to be they just look like they didn't want to be there at some
points in time. I mean, I can understand Nagee's going to put a hurting on you you come up to tackle him, but just at some moments in time, it didn't seem like this was a team that was totally that's This was a team that maybe had a couple of business decisions, as they say, and certainly some of them had to do with getting out of Nage's way rather than taking the full front force from him. So yeah,
I thought their tackling was poor. I thought that it was not representative of what they hope you know, I'm sure they were hoping for. Maybe you have to understand that training camp last more than one week.
I am curious to get both of your guys' opinions as to you know, it looked to me like there was less contact in the backfield for Naji. Naji gets contacted in the backfield a lot. I don't know whether that is something defenses are doing. And certainly the Raiders were selling out early to try to stop the run. I mean they were bringing all kinds of you know, sort of designed run blitz pressures to stop the running game.
I don't know whether he is hit in the backfield a lot because of that, because of the blocking, and again, at least they had the same starting unit out there. We'll hear about Zach Frazer's injury. More about that tomorrow, I think. But whether it's continuity in the offensive line, whether it's just the Raiders not being a very good opponent. But Naji had more room to run he when he got the ball, he wasn't being hit in the backfield as much. And because of that, we saw some different
things from him on the two runs. On that touchdown drive, the twenty six yard er he made. I don't know if I've ever seen Najy do this. He made Jack Jones fall down. Now, he makes lots of people fall down when they run into him, but he made him fall down by juking him. Jack Jones fell to the turf. I mean, that's a defensive back, a lighter guy, supposedly you know, you would think more nimble coming up to hit Naji, and Nagy faked him out so badly he
fell down. And then the move he made before he broke to the sideline on the thirty six yard touchdown run was also you know, him putting some moves on and then showing some bursts.
To the outside.
So, guys, do you know why maybe there was less contact for Naji in the backfield? Is it any of those things that I mentioned previously?
Wolf Well I said, Number one is you had an offensive line that at least had a couple had a game together, right, you know what I mean? So there was an understanding of what's going on. Second of all, there was a couple of design blitzes that hit. But for instance, the one that that no, you didn't have a chance at it, it was in the backfield. Yes, you got three on three on the back side, and then you have a blitzer come down. If you don't audible out of that, you're in trouble, which they were.
But so you've got that. But really what's been going on is at times you're not getting a hat on a hat and you have a mess of you know, of players at the line. Of scrimmage and he gets hit and has to battle his way to the line of scrimmage. Well, we're seeing less of that. As these guys get more experienced, Mason McCormick and the other guys, you know, as they get more experience in their their vision grows wider than the A and B gaps and sea gaps, and you start to see the big picture.
As Chuck Nolways used to say to me, say, you've got to see the big picture. You've got to see it from you know, three hundred feet. You got to see what motion does in this case. You've got to see what a shift does to the defense in this case. And as Tounch always put he goes, Craig, you got to get out of your left guard. Only you know sell he said, you got to see the whole thing. Because Tounch played all every position. I plum played one
for the first eight years of my career. So the point is, you know, I think the guys are getting a little more well rounded and seeing what's going on and understanding and understanding how a blitz can hit you and affect you. And you're not having the bus where you got, you know, no hat on a hat on any guy. Matt totally agree.
I felt like there were fewer leaks in the damn than ever. You know, that nobody was really a liability rewatching it. Darnott Washington had some down moments. Not that I'm worried at all about him as a blocker. It just wasn't his day, I guess. But all in all, I'm with Wolf. I don't have much to add to it. I think that it's maturity, continuity, a little more experience understanding what defenses are trying to do against you. And
I didn't see anyone that was a liability. I mean, of course, like Max Crosby gives people problems, but I mean there was there's down times, but there wasn't a weak link.
Well, Matt, here's the other thing too that I got to thinking about today. I would have to look up the specific moments, but the last I believe the last two years, the Steelers running game midway maybe you know a little beyond midway. The season right around that midway mark, anyway, began to take off, began to take hold, and in fact, going into last year, I think people thought, Okay, let's look how well they ran the ball at the end of last year, that's certainly going to carry over into
the beginning of the twenty twenty three season. Well, it didn't, And I think maybe we had similar expectations with this team. Look at the way they ran the ball toward the end of the season and now at the beginning of the season not running it quite as well. I guess my question would be, you know, again, are these case by every year different? Is there something about a running team?
Maybe the other defenses are getting more fatigued. Does the season wears on Maybe the fact that you've continued to slam your head against the wall that makes you more prepared in week eight than the more tired guys are getting in a week. I don't know what the explanation is, because it's been a trend and now here we are, hopefully this trend is beginning in week six for the Steelers, were we can expect to see more of this dominating running team.
I'm sure this is more of wolf Sally. You're talking about the left guard over here. I mean, he would know this better than I would, But I do think there's something to that. And last year it seemed to get triggered by putting Roger Jones in the lineup. It wasn't the coordinator change. It was you know, getting him out there, weaponizing him as a poler as well as some of the other guys. And I've been saying this all along, even though they drafted well on the offensive line,
and I like all three of those young dudes. I just thought, you know, early growing pains is going to be in the cards for the offensive line no matter what. Let alone when all these injuries have hit. And boy, this frasier thing absolutely worries me along those lines. But you also mentioned the weather and the fatigue of the season. You know, everyone always talks about pounding the rock until it eventually, you know, breaks. I think some of that goes through the course of the year too. If you
stick with a running game. Stick with a running game gets harder and harder to deal with as the season goes on, as the weather changes. You know, Derrick Henry has better numbers in December than he has September.
You know. Now, let's not forget the fact that we've got a new offensive coordinator. Sure, you've got Arthur Smith. As I always talk about two fisted, double chin strap guy. That is as subtle as a frying pan to the forehead. It's all about bringing some power, bringing some heat, bringing some physicality, which is he's very good at. And you can see, you know the attitude of Arthur Smith being picked up by the players. You know they love this,
they enjoys. I mean, there was nothing better then in the second half when you're grounding and pounding on the defense and those guys are starting to bicker with each other and their body language says I'm tired, this hurts, this stucks, you know, I mean, you know they get all upset about Hey, that's great because you want to pile it on. And if you have an offensive coordinator that allows you to go after it like that and go and deal with them physically. Man, that's just a
lot of fun. I can't even begin to tell you how much fun that is.
Well, Nagi's thirty six yard run was the first touchdown run was the first touchdown run by a Steerer's running back this year. And before we get to justin fields, which will do next segment, Matt really encouraging to see Jalen Warren out there. We've talked a lot about injuries, and again we'll wait and see what the case is
with Zach Frazier. I mean, it's it's unbelievable that you know, you felt like, Wow, the offensive line's got great depth, The outside linebacker position's got great depth, the running back position has great depth. And now you know you're calling up guys from the practice clouded outside linebacker. You're down three or four guys on the offensive line, and you're down the two guys behind Nijee Harris at the running back position that I think we all expected to really
help this running attack. Don't know when Cordero Patterson's going to be back. It wasn't a breakthrough game. It wasn't a I'm back kind of game for Jalen Warren necessarily, but the fact that he is back, I think is extremely significant for what this offense wants.
To do one hundred percent and real quick. And that outside line group that got basically called off off the street, off practice squad, they didn't have the most challenging of NFL Sundays, but I thought they were not a liability and that's all I wanted from that group. So that was good from a depth perspective as well. Warren didn't look like last year's Warren quite yet, but I thought that was a perfect game to kind of knock some
of that rust off. And I very much believe the best is yet to come for him for the rest of the season, and he could really spark plug this you spark this offense in both phases run hand pass, had really nice blitz pick up at one point too there, and you know, helped out on third downs. So no, I think that situations in pretty good hands right now.
It's going to evolve and it'll continue to evolve. He's a ballardbuster. It's like Matt talked about it. He picks up the blitz. He's going to do things that maybe on the third down that you know, you'd like to get him the ball and get it out in open field and get some first downs. But a lot of what he does is just just impaling defensive backs and
so forth. Guys that are on a blitz man. You know, let me tell you something, your quarterback, Justin, You're gonna oh, Justin's I going, yeah, I'm glad I got the ballardbuster back.
Well, the Steelers win that game obviously against the Raiders to improve to four and two on the season. So a really, really nice victory for the Steelers in Las Vegas. Up next, we're gonna continue to examine the offense, look at the quarterback position, We'll look at the defense. Special teams should also get a round of applause as well. That's when we continue on the point After on the Steelers Audio Network.
Back to the point after on DVD.
Harris the loan setback. We'll get to pitch the Steelers trying to seal the edge. Naji Oh, We're gonna slide inside one tackle, get.
Down the sideline.
Naji Harris crazy towards the endo, scrawls out, is he in?
Touchdown? Steelers? What a run by Naji Harris.
The play of the game is brought to you by S and T Bank, proudly serving our community since nineteen oh two. stBank dot com s and T Bank member fdi C. So it's great to see the running game going and Naji Harrison for a huge part of that. Great to see that first touchdown run by a Steelers running back on this season. We hadn't seen that until Nagi's thirty six yard first. So good stuff happening in the running game. In the thirty two to thirteen victory.
Matt let's start with you first year as we then talk about the other part of that big running attack, and that was justin Fields, carrying the ball eleven times for fifty nine yards and scoring twice in this game.
Yeah, he's absolutely a weapon with his legs. I mean, that's no secret. I think that early in the season they're getting to know him, he's getting to know them new system. You don't have an established Russell Wilson on the sideline active that I didn't think that. I thought they were a little reluctant to totally unleash his legs early in the season because anybody to watch him with the Bears saw, wow, you know, this guy is zero
to sixty in no time. And we hadn't seen a lot of that yet, but it's starting to really expand and it's a good outlet for him when in doubt, just use those legs. I mean, the same thing that's going on with Jayden Dan and guys like that.
Well, I think one of the other things, and we sort of made mention of it in the last part of the last segment, is the fact that you know, he has got the freedom to make a read and if he sees something in a certain way. Okay, you've called the pass for the average quarterback who doesn't have mobility. The blitz is coming. You've got to try to find the safety value. You've got to find the quick throw. You know, sometimes that quick throw can mean great things.
Sometimes it can be a pressured and poor throw. Well, justin Fields has the capability of getting back there and immediately taking off and when you look at you know the last First of all, he has five rushing touchdowns in the last four weeks, but in two of the last three weeks eleven carries fifty nine yards, and then two weeks ago in the loss at Indianapolis, it was ten carries for fifty five yards, also scoring two touchdowns
in that game. So we can talk all we want about quarterback rating, and his rating has been very, very solid, a little bit above average. Not wowing you with yardage numbers, not wowing you with touchdown numbers. But the rating doesn't take into account what he's doing carrying the ball, which is a huge part of what this Yeelers are doing offensively right now.
Well, there's no question about it. Look, he's growing into the role. I mean, as we see him go through this process of expanding his offensive weaponry. You know, you take a look at it. Okay, we got you got an opportunity, you got the man coverage, you got a blitz. You know, you got pitting nop. You can head right up the field. You can, you know, beat the blitz.
You know those are great, Well you roll them out. Now, all of a sudden, as he was rolling up, what a nice throw that was to Calvin Austin, right, that was just a nice job of throwing across his body and doing a good job. You know. Now we also see times where he put three throws together that you know, you had to have to believe that justin sitting and going, oh man, you know, they kind of got away from me those three throws down to you know, Friar mooth
and so forth. But you know what, but it didn't affect him for the rest of the game. It's not like he went into the tank or anything like that. He fought his way out of it, was able to roll the chain some more in the second half and everything and do the job that he needed to do. And he's growing into a role and I think his
confidence has got to be there. I think when he's in the huddle, the other ten guys are looking at him with confident eyes, you know, and it to me it all comes together and the result of good play and positive, positive, you know stuff on the field where he is doing the things he needs to do to get this team down into the end zone.
Yeah, and I think growing is that's the key word, Matt, that a lot of Steelers fans are looking at right now. And I think that if they're looking objectively, they're probably just they just are questioning, is that what's going on? There are some people that have already made up their minds, absolutely, I can see it with Justin Fields. Others who haven't, you know, I have them they need to throw for
more yards and square or more points. I think when you're looking at this offense, first of all, they're doing what they need to do to win games. We'll get to that in a moment, but you know, as far as just trying to isolate Justin Fields beyond that, which is very difficult to separate from because that's his job is to try to win games. But I think that you need to be looking at this. Hopefully, if you're a Steelers fan, the hope is that this is these
are signs of maturity. He is a player who's getting better than the player that you know, we saw towards the latter part of his time in the Bears. He's the guy that the Bears took in the first round.
He's a guy that just needs a little more evolution, a little more being surrounded by better talent, weeks and weeks to grow into this, to get the technique better, and those sort of things to be the kind of quarterback that can, if needed, throw for two hundred and eighty five yards and three touchdowns in a game against the Chiefs or what have you when you need the offense.
Is that the way you kind of see what we should be looking at and what fans should be looking at, because I think that's what fans are looking at right now with him.
Yeah, And I think it's just society nowadays. But it seems like many Stealer fans, as you mentioned, have already made their mind up. You're either a Fields guy or a Wilson guy, right, Why can't you be both? You know, I don't understand why, right, right? I mean, I think there's great arguments, great cases for both players, and they are very different in a lot of ways. And I also urge people to realize any development in football, but especially quarterbacks.
Is not linear.
You just don't keep taking steps forward. There's going to be setbacks. There's going to be times where you don't look so great, but then the next week you look phenomenal. And I didn't love the way Justin threw the ball yesterday. I thought his accuracy was one of the worst it's been in a Seiler uniform. But to think he's not getting better since the time, you know, from last year, even his end of his beaar days or even just
starting with week one till now is crazy. He's definitely improved, yep.
And I also to you know, I like the rating statistic because it puts some emphasis on touchdown to turnover ratio. But you have to have that touchdown. So he had a lower rating in this last game. But you know, think about this, if that throw to pickings in the end zone where I think I think George would tell you that he would catch that, you know, nine times out of ten, even though it was well defended. But George, he's got such great hands that that's one I think
he normally hauls in. Now, your ratings in the nineties, right, I mean no interception.
Yeah, but he also bailed out on an interception too.
And don't.
You know when he was strapped across that was only a step there, So.
I mean yeah, I'm also I mean he's from one interception all year.
And that's true, and right, you can't and you're right, I shouldn't be cherry picking one moment. I'm just saying, what could have happened. You know that it could have the rating could have been higher. But the sequence Wolf was talking about your your left, you're supposed to layer feather of throw in over defender to George Pickens. I wonder if I wonder if he didn't see that defender of the last minute, because it looked like he was
trying to fire it in there. It didn't look like there was a lane to fire it in there that was high in a way. And then the one to friar Mouth I think was the one that was probably of the three throws the easiest.
You're your move to your left. You got to drop a ball over a guy.
You'd like to be able to make that throw, but it's not quite as simple as it looks. And then nor was the one the third one to Pickens, where he also had to do the same thing rolling to his right. The one to Friarmuth, I think is a It's not the easiest throw you'll ever make, but I think it's one that you know, again, nine times out of ten, Justin's probably gonna hit him right between the eights.
So that three throw sequence. And then you know, again, if we're gonna quibble the throw to Pickens where Pickens caught the ball at to three, if he throws it out a little further, it's that's probably a touchdown there, And you know, we're looking at the offensive output maybe a little bit differently. But again, I think your point's a good one, Matt, is that in totality is he getting better week after week? Are is there going to be more put on his plate when necessary? But this
gets me back wolf to the biggest point. So yes, we're all you know, fans are wondering, is are we seeing the evolution of a young quarterback who's going to be here for a while And we're seeing the first steps on the path to proving why he was a first to overall pick. But again, development goes hand in hand, Actually it doesn't really go hand in hand. Winning leads the way. Development is a step behind, you know what I mean, if you're walking down the sideway, sidewalk developments
behind winning the game. And when you get into games like this, you have to be able to what you're looking at your assets as a team. What do we have, Well, we have a defense, it's the highest paid in the league and has proven to be very good at stopping opponents. We have an offense. It's maybe evolving right now. So what does the offense need to do? Well, largely run the ball and not turn it over. And that's what they did exactly.
And that's the point of growing, you know. I mean the thing about it is, it's not as you said, And what's really important to remember, as Matt said, it's not a linear thing. You know, you're gonna have ups and downs, and you know the thing about it is you're gonna have coaching that's trying to elevate your game. I remember back as I was a rookie, and you know, pass protection was I came from a run blocking school.
I mean, pass pro was just kind of like one of those things you did when you know it was too long to run the ball.
You know, you and.
The fact is, you know, my offensive line coach said, hey, you gotta do this, God is. But if I stuffed the guy, you'd be like, Okay, bottom line is, you got the job done, you know. And that's what Justin's doing right now. It's a bottom line thing at times, and he's getting the job done. He's got those legs, he's using them to extend drives, which is something we so desperately needed. And he's keeping the offense out there
doing those sorts of things. And like I said, no, it wasn't the best throwing day for him yesterday, but Dad Gummett, when you throw three like he did in a row, you start to wonder, oh, is there something going on here or that? And he comes back and he just settles down and finishes the job and wins the day. You know, That's what it's all about, man,
It's about winning and how you get there. I know you want to have nice stats, and I know that you want to look good doing it, and I know that you want to look like it's a smooth operation offensively, But sometimes it's choppy water and you are bailing water and you are paddling as hard as you can and to do that, you know, it takes all hands on deck, and I think that's what we're getting right now.
Yeah, so Rob, I heard an interview once with Brett Farv and he said, all NFL quarterbacks can hit the door. The really good ones can hit the doorknob. The great ones put it through the keyhole. And I don't think Fields will ever be a keyhole accuracy guy, but he's shown bouts of being a doorknob accuracy guy, and I think he can get to that point consistently in not
a long, long stretch of time. And if you mix that with his legs and you only throw an interception once a month or so, you can win a lot.
Of games, right And I think we should also remember again if you're looking for little pieces of the wall, the building block that is going to be justin Fields leading you to success in the postseason. I'll bring you back to that game against Dallas. You know, he led them for a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to give them a seventeen to thirteen lead. That's what you
want to be able to do. I mean to me, guys, an offense has to be able to have the character to score when you want to you know, the defense brings an attitude and we're going to shut you down.
To the the offense, you.
Need to be explosive, but you have to at least have the character to be able to score when the team needs you to score, to be able to go on a drive when a team needs you to be able to go on a drive and give that defense a rest. And even in a loss against Dallas, he marched the team down the field after the turnover and scored a touchdown that gave them a game. They gave them the lead and a chance to win that game against Dallas. So again, is that, you know, three hundred
and seventy yards passing and three touchdown. No, it isn't, But is it maybe another piece of the building block. I'd like to think it is.
Yeah, there's no question about it. Look, let's go back to two thousand and four. Young man named Ben Roethlisberger took the field and you know it was thrown for a buck fifty bucks seventy five, had a powerful running game behind him. Steel has just had a great day running the ball yesterday. Even if part of it is your quarterback's legs, good for that, all right, But you got a good defense. The defense got what three takeaways night's job, I believe it was, you know. And by
the way, we haven't even mentioned that TJ. Watt, Who I gotta tell you, man, this guy gets chipped more than a stone statue with a you know, a guy doing a some sort of you know, a statue type thing, chip it away. This guy gets chipped all the time, and not just by one. Sometimes I saw like three guys at one point in time. He's trying to weave his way through and yet to be able to affect the game to the outcome of the way he was.
He threw what we used to call a number nine the overhand right on, punching down on two footballs, knocking it out. It was tremendous. So, I mean, if you got the defense that's playing like that, and you've got an offense where you've got a number of people that have got their hands in the pile doing those things, but you've got a quarterback that if you need to run, he can run it. If you need to pass, he's
going to pass it. And if you need to stuff yourself in the keyhole, he's capable of doing it, you know what I mean.
So we're gonna talk about that defense more. We're going to talk about the special teams, which is certainly worthy of praise as well. And we're going to take a sneak peek ahead to the game coming up against Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. When we continue in the Point After on this year, there's audio network back.
To the point after on DV E.
O'Connell gets a snap back to pass raiders. Feeling some pressure in O'Connell is slung down Cam Hayward, playing his two hundredth career game, and Hayward sacks him back at the three yard line the Sack Humbert Hunger segment. The Sack Hunger segment is brought to you by the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Get food, volunteer or donate at Pittsburgh Foodbank dot org. Cam Heyward two hundredth game and Wolf I just thought he was everywhere in this game.
The sack tackles at the line of scrimmager in the backfield. I thought Cam Hayward was very, very noticeable for the Steelers.
Oh yeah, the lion King was on the problem. I tell you you know, it was interesting to watch because this guy every time you hear people talk about his age and everything, like, I don't know, you know, it's a bad thing. You just look at him, go, he don't look like a fourteenth season guy, you know. I mean he just plays with such intensity, he plays with such power and technique. I mean, it's all coming together for him. That sack that he had was really, really good, man.
I mean, it was just fun watching him beat the pants off the guy. And then of course you know he almost got home a couple of other times too. So his influence and his ability to marshal the resources of the defense is huge, and I can't say enough good things about the fact. Glad that he's in the lineup.
You know, Matt Antonio Peers was asked about Cam Hayward this week and he said prior to the game that that's where it all start to the Coos defense is Cam Heyward up front and he destroys people, and you know, he's an all time great and he looked like it. You know, I thought again, and I always preface this the same way. I'm careful about saying a guy is extra motivated, because look, if you're motivated at one hundred percent and a lot of these guys are how do
you add extra to that? You know, when you say he's going to be extra motivated, Well, what does that mean he's only playing at seventy percent all these other years?
No, of course not.
But I thought a couple of guys who would would have that little chip on their shoulder going into this season would be Russ Wilson.
And we talked a little bit.
About this, I think in the past Cam Hayward, because Russell Wilson, you know, a nine time Pro bowler, and he gets to Denver and things just go off the rails for him, and I want, I'm sure he would like to remind people that, yeah, I'm a nine time Pro bowler, I'm a Super Bowl champ. This is who I am. I got plenty of good football left and
yes I'm on my way to Canton. And I think Cam Hayward was hearing how kind of a down years Cam getting older, and well, games like that make you realize that he doesn't look like he's getting that much older.
Yeah, And not that I doubted Cam at any point, but many times on the air I mentioned I don't know what he is right now, you know, I mean that was a training camp that was at the preseason. Of course, they took a lot off his plate. They're not going to beat him up in those environments. They're going to save him for now. And I just had I had concerns, you know, because last year didn't go as Cam would have liked. I'm sure he'd be the
first to admit that that was all injury riddled. But I thought the year before twenty twenty two was actually Hayward's best year as a pro. I think twenty twenty four might even be better. I mean, like he's a fine wine that just gets better and better. His technique improves. I mean, he's that Dale and I always talk about how he is that old man game at the Why where he just gets every rebound and you don't know
how he did it. Yeah, yeah, never, He's not chasing loose balls left and right, but he's pulling down every rebound and smart, and you know his strength and power is going to translate for years.
Yeah.
I decided that I gave up playing hoops. I decided I didn't want to be the old man game the Why. But I know that guy you're talking.
Yeah, I mean sharp Eldows, Yeah right.
Right, yeah, you're you're you know, you're quicker than him, and all of a sudden you go to get around him and he's standing in your path.
How did he get there? What is that? Was that a hook shot? He just what the heck? And the yeah? I mean so right? Yeah, good style. Love that analogy. That's tremendous.
You know, Wolf, When I was looking at this game, you know, one of the things that I liked so much about the offseason acquisitions for this Yeelers on defense was, you know, if you're acting Cam Hayward to have a bounce back, and you have Keanu Benton, who's a player on the rise, and you have TJ. Watt and high Smith and Herbig and of course Highsmith and Herbig get hurt, but you have those forces on the outside. Then you add to that Patrick Queen and Peyton Wilson. You team
them together with the Landon Roberts. We know what Mink is capable of doing with a little bit of help, So you bring into Shaun Elliet, you get Dante Jackson, and again we do have to preface this, it's not a very talented Oakland team they're going against. But the Steelers there was a lot of wow performances out there for me.
For the Steelers defensively, MIKEA.
Fitzpatrick had thirteen tackles, Deshaun Elliott added a half a dozen tackles. He was tied with Peyton Wilson in that department. I thought of Landon Roberts was very noticeable, as was as was Patrick Queen in that middle linebacker position, and Peyton Wilson, and then you get a third interception from Dante Jackson. I just thought on all three levels, the Steelers caused problems for the Raiders defensively.
There's no question I think you laid it out there very very well. I mean all three levels. You know I've been I can't tell you the last month to Shawn Elliott. It just seems to be standing out over and over again. And one of the things that was just amazing to me was how he closed on a guy on it. I believe it was second half. Was a possession down crossing route in the middle, and he
came up and he was about three yards short first contact. Now, this is a situation where you and I have a wide receiver running laterally and a guy trying to close on him. You might get dragged to the first down, you might be able to, you know, be out fought for the first down. Deshaun Elliott just kept accelerating his legs as he drove through the tackle to wipe the guy out. I mean he didn't come in with him.
He caught the ball maybe three three and a half yards from the first down, and he finished about five yards from the first down when he hit the turf. And I thought, what a great job of open field tackling and not giving away the sticks on that route. That was just a superb job by him. And you know he's made plays in the run box, you know, doing things from the backside, slashing into the B gap and dropping guys and that, and I think he was
a great acquisition. And Dante Jackson was another guy you know that has done so very well. And then the back end Meca is makea man. And then you got Joey Porter. I like, what's cooking back there? Yeah, rob along those lines. You know, I have a scouting front office background, and Wolf kind of mentioned it. And I know it's almost Halloween, so these guys aren't new anymore. But what additions Jackson and Elliott have made to the
back end playmakers, versatility, and you mentioned Queen. I thought this was clearly his best game in a Steeler uniform, no question about it.
I wouldn't disagree with that.
It all wolf Well, just the fact thirteen tackles. I mean, this guy was coast to coast, you know, I mean I love it. I mean it was just just to watch him. He was his seed do and his his ability to get on the hit and take guys down. It was very apparent. You know. I think he's just settling in. I think that's part and parcel of what it is. He's getting real comfortable, he's realizing some of the gap responsibilities and how some of the guys handle it.
And by the way, let's not forget Larry Ogan job. He's been playing very well. Also. He eats up a lot of meat up front of those big, big, heavy hoofers and does a good job of turning loose the linebackers. And the Landon Roberts is a Landon Roberts just one of the toughest hitters. And then you got the young man Peyton Wilson. So I like that parent of Spare is now again coming to fruition. But the acquisitions in the off season is like you said, on all three levels, they are all contributing.
Yep, and the development of the guys and the continued development of the young guys along the defensive line being able to spell guys the starters. That's a good mix. I think right now for this Tethers as well, and I think Matt, you know, we would be I would be remiss if I did not bring up special teams. You know, when you're covering players that are so good they're almost automatic, you know, Mary of them you had to go in two assists? Okay, yeah, but what else did anybody else?
Do you know exactly?
Yeah, Crosby had to go on an assist, But what about you know, McCutchen had two hits, But what about you know, so you look, you know, Boswell four more field goals, you know, another one from over fifty of forty eight yard or Jeremiah Moon blocks a punt. Minka Fitzpatrick does a nice job of Listen, you know, you expect to be able to cover an on side kick, but you still have to do it, and Minka did it. And I just thought there was a lot to like
about this Dealer's Special team's performance. In this game, and you know, I corless Weightman did a nice job kicking the ball, averaging nearly forty six yards per kick and getting two inside the twenty. So I just thought, I think a go off of the cap to special teams because I thought they were, you know, a sizable part of his victory.
Yeah, that's a great point. And I don't study or know a ton of special teams tape in x's and o's and those type of things. But obviously Danny Smith has a real pension and a real talent for creating opportunities to block kicks and punts, you know. I mean that's just been true year after years since he's been here. Boswell, I'm not a big believer in Hall of Fame kickers and whatnot. I think Justin Tucker should go. But if Tucker should go, Boswell's got a case. I mean, he's
that good year after year. And the fact that we don't even talk about Weightman this far into the season I think is really significant. When when Johnston went down, I was flat out concerned.
Yeah, I agreed, because he was. Look, you went into this offseason Wolf thinking, Okay, we hope the offense is going to get better with the addition to the quarterback position in with some help along the offensive line. You know, we'd like to think the defense, with the additions we've made there, is going to go from very good to elite, and we're gonna add to special teams. You go out and you sign a punter like Cam Johnson and then you get the greatest kickoff return man in history in
Cordero Patterson. When you think the kickoff return is going to be bigger than it's kind of turned out to be, this was clearly an area hit the steam.
Right you bring back Matta Kavich.
This was clearly, you know, an intention to this team to make sure that that third part of the game offense, defense, special teams, that the special teams are going to be on the plus side of the ledger. I don't think there's any question through six weeks that they've been on the plus side of the ledgers. Blocked field goal, you know, blocked punt, doing a solid job in the punting game, Calvin Austin in the return game.
I just think it's been a positive for the Steelers.
There's no question about it. And one of the things that you think about with a punter like that is. You know, there's an old saying in football. You know it's okay to punt. You know, there's times when your offense is struggling a little bit, and you know what, don't stretch yourself and put your the win in jeopardy. You know, punt the ball, you know, get that defense and keep them backed up, that sort of thing, and
he's able to execute that. I mean, he keeps it inside that, you know, the coffin corner does a nice job with that. The one thing that that just blew me away Ryan watching Brian Johnson up at training camp was the fact that he would kick the ball within five yards of the sideline and they'd be seventy yard bombs, sixty yard bombs, but he could place them within five I just, how do you die?
Every club in the bag?
Yeah, yeah, that's a good point. Every club in the bag, which you know I only had a putter.
Wait when I brought up every club in the bag, you didn't like it.
Well, here's the thing about.
It, and I stole it from Matt.
You know, but I just I just had a flashback to playing in them McCollen and play and on the putt butt, you know what I mean? Sure where the girls defeated us.
As we are doing this show, we are waiting for the Jets game to get started on Monday Night Football, So we don't know if it's going to be a Jets game coming in, a Jets team coming in three and three or two and four. They fired their coach, they still have Aaron Rodgers. I think they fired their coach, Matt because they feel like they're off to a disappointing start. I think they're a team, you know, they're a team that some people were predicting would get to the super
Bowl this year. I think it's a team that's dissatisfied clearly with where they are. I also think it's the kind of team, like if you separate the sort of teams in the AFC, you know, you kind of expect the Chiefs to be up there, maybe even with all the players they've lost. You expect the Bills to be
up there. Everybody else is trying to get there. I think the Steelers and Jets are two teams that are trying to get back to that level where they're hey, legitimate, everybody knows we're a contender kind of thing, you know, Baltimore. I think we can throw into that that group as well.
Really intriguing game coming up on Sunday night.
One hundred percent, and I'm already pretty deep into Matt stats. I got two pages here and I've even seen the Jets play this week. But one thing I know for certain is tonight will be Jeff albricks first game as an NFL head coach, and next week will be Mike Tomlins three hundredth so a little bit of a discrepancy there, But in terms of the Jets, I think rob more than maybe any team in the league. And considering the age of their quarterback. We talked about offseasons, they pushed
all their chips in. They went and got Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses and all these older, once and still productive players to try to win. Now you know, like they're mortgaging the future to some degree and pushing their chips in and it didn't kind of go to plan, and the head coach suffered for it. So really curious to see what tonight looks with a new head coach.
Well, it'll be interesting because I doubt he's going to go in for a hug with Aaron Rodgers, right I mean.
Yeah, we all saw that video. Yeah, that was that was interesting stuff. Well, looking forward to that one.
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