Your tune to About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.

Good Evening, Steeler Nation, Back on the drive here on the Steelers Audio Network, West Shooler Matt Williamson.

I'm going to continue to say good evening and hour number two because in the next few weeks, Matt, it's going to be dark by this five o'clock point anyways, and it really will walking out.

Of here at six when it's dark, it's a little miserable, a little miserable.

Yah.

Yeah, I am liking now starting my days a little bit slower in this new time slot.

You know.

In the past, like I would drop my kids off a daycare and I'd be rushing in here to get ready for our morning show in the locker room and Steelers Blitz and all those things.

Now I got some more time in the mornings, which isn't the worst thing ever to kind of take my time and prep the show and you know, get stuff done whatever that I need to get done.

But yeah, as soon as it's dark at five o'clock, that is going to be depressing driving home in the darkness every single night.

But we still do have a little a few weeks tow week.

My first hour or two is research time.

I go to all my sits.

I started a lot of the stat packet ends up in that guy in Oh I like that one.

Yeah see, I thought you did that like exclusively in the evening.

Well, then it also happens after ten pm too.

I can always tell.

I can always tell all the night we go out and the tweets.

That's how I used to tell, was the tweets.

But you know, sometimes at like twelve thirty, like a little bit after midnight, I'll get a text from you about something.

Get an email, or.

I'll wake up in the morning and I'll have a text from you that you send it to my email.

You sent me at one fifteen am.

And I'm like, Matt was in his bag last night.

It was up late.

He was doing his research.

After Thursday football, I'll probably do something, you know.

Right, yep, And that's actually to after.

Thursday football, I started putting.

Next week's past, start putting on the am right.

I'll start looking Patriots stuff.

You know, he is in the groove.

Don't stop him.

He's on a roll at much much much like Animal House and Matt.

And with that I want to go back to something that stuck out to me that you sent last night in your Seattle Seahawks edition of Matt's Stats.

We've talked a lot about the Steelers in twelve and thirteen personnel usage, multiple tight end sets.

How difficult that could be for teams to defend this year when you have Pat Fryermouth and his skill set, John new Smith and his skill set, Darnell Washington and his body type and his skill set.

Seattle defense only faced twelve personnel season sixteen point seven percent of the time, fourth lowest in the league.

Yeah, for the whole year.

The Steelers last week were in twelve personnel nearly fifty four percent of the time, first, right first in the league.

Now, that number for Seattle is from last year and this is a new season, new personnel, like we just we talked about at the start of the show.

So there's a lot overlap.

I mean, only one game into twenty twenty five.

But is how much is that something that could really be a wrinkle for the Steelers this year a Seahawks defense, and they saw.

Very little of it last week because the Niners are a heavy twenty one team, twenty one team, and then Kittle got hurt and they still allowed two touchdowns to tight ends.

Last year, Kittle caught one and then the dude no one ever heard of came in the game and caught one late too, So tight ends gave them problems.

Last week we saw Pat Fryermuth have a couple big catches on Sunday.

We saw John new Smith with the pop pass touchdown on Sunday.

Does this feel like a week where again kind of building upon that what we do from week to week in September, what we want to establish, what we want to be our identity.

Yeah.

Yeah, is a lot of twelve personnel and how the Steelers deploy that going to be part of a big part of the story of the offense on Sunday.

I think so.

And maybe even more thirteen than we saw.

Yeah, I mean, I think that's certainly a possibility as well.

Again, Seattle has not seen a ton of it over this coaching staff's regime, which is now eighteen games long, you know.

So, And not to mention, I think one of the things that they went out of their way to do is, like all four teams de Steelers playing to start the season, their first round pick was an O lineman, which their O line was horrendous, and then they got a toy for their head coach in n U Area in the second year, in the second round, the safety out of South Carolina that has a lot of Kyle Hamilton overlay to them.

And why I say that is as someone like that, now he's missing this game.

It sounds like and I've not seen today's.

I'm still looking for today we sit here, but yesterday's wasn't great for Seattle.

I was chatting with Rob King earlier.

He thinks that you are as probably not going to play.

But why I bring him up is he's a combined freak early second round, two hundred and twenty pound safety that can handle the John News well it's projected to.

I mean, he's a rookie, so who knows what he can do.

But I like his chances against Darnell Jean, who Friarmouth better than what Seattle had last year.

You know, I think Seattle recognized these teams are so smart.

I mean we saw very little twelve last year.

Well we're probably gonna see a lot because we're not accomplished against it yet, you know what I mean, So get used to it.

You know, that's a very good point.

I mean, all you know, the NFL teams, they've got these these numbers and analytics and breakdowns as well too, And it's all about just finding that one little crease or one little wrinkle where you think you can have a leg up.

Big Godfather thing, And I'll bring this up all the time, Godfather, learn learn to think.

Is those around you think?

So gold rule of life.

But anyway, there's so many things.

To learn from godf You're sure that wasn't the Rolling Stones.

So I was sitting here thinking, well, when you mentioned that with Seattle, I'm like, well, did they not see a lot of twelve because their division doesn't play a lot of twelve?

And the answer is yes on San Francisco because they play a lot of twenty one.

But then I'm sitting here thinking the only team that played more thirteen than the Steelers was Arizona.

Arizona is a huge multiple tight end team too, and the Rams they're a heavy eleven team, but their first draft pick was a tight end.

Like all this stuff adds up, you know, Yeah, again, think is those around you think?

And as you and I know, the league is cyclical.

Yeah, how are they going to attack us?

Offense is spread it out, Defenses go more Nickel and don Defenses go more nickel and don.

Offs want to start pounding the football, playing with tight ends in middle of the field and closer to the.

Line of screen.

Paye Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley exactly right, and then you go to Super Bowls and win a lot of games.

You know, right, And you know, nobody wanted to pay running backs a few years ago, and now they're making a difference for a lot of these teams.

But no, I would expect heavier.

I don't think the Steelers are going to do a lot of eleven.

I don't think that they have a pretty deep secondary.

Their corners aren't household names.

I don't think that you're going to go deep into you don't want these guys in dime a ton.

I think you're going to see a lot of tight ends on the field.

To your original question, and maybe more Washington than we saw.

I think they No one's told me this, but.

A little lighter than I thought it would be.

Yeah, And I didn't realize this till last night.

I did a night show with Tom and Tim Bens, and I think it was Ben's that mentioned that at one point Washington kind of limped off, and the announcers never mentioned it.

So I wonder if there was something during the game bugging him, and I'd have to go back can find the spot, But there was something that he'd looked tight or whatever.

But my point was, I bet if he gave the coaches true serum on Monday, they would say, probably should have used Washington to hire more snaps, especially on Roger Jones's side and protection.

You know, makes a ton of sense.

And now they make that mistake twice.

Kind of sticking with that and some tendency stuff there.

Week one one Week one data point, but still eighty four point two percent of the Steelers running play were zone runs, highest in the NFL.

Yeah, we know that that's the ultimate goal of the Arthur Smith offense.

Is this this zone run scheme, outside zone runs in particular.

We talked a ton about that when they drafted Caleb Johnson.

Right, much better fit than Nausey for that scheme.

But do you think that maybe in.

The preseason runs were like all zone which they've won practice.

They just want practice and they don't care if they know they're all look for the results for practice.

Now.

We're looking for results now, obviously, and the highest own run percentage in the league over eighty four percent of the time in week one?

What's that look like in week two?

Is there some Okay?

Obviously this is what we're trying to build towards, but it's not working the way we need it to right now.

Where do we go from here?

So I've really mixed feelings about this, and frankly, it's gonna be my first question.

I asked Merrill Hodge when we do our night show tonight, because run get runs.

I mean, it's a running back any smart.

So this is a longer conversation.

Wow, Hey, we got nothing with me.

We got nothing but time Matthew.

I thought, say we wanted about Matt Canada wasn't good.

We know the results he got.

Let go.

That's uncharacteristic of an in season move.

Nobody was thrilled with that era.

Coordinating wise, I think that's fair at this point.

Yes, However, as that last season went on, their man blocking stuff got better and better.

And if you can remember, and that's a while back, they weaponize some of their athletic linemen pulling them.

Rodert Jones in particular, I thought was really good at it.

Designed movement from your lineman as opposed to zone blocking, where it's like synchronized swimming.

For hippos, it's like five of them all moving is one, you know what I mean.

And frankly, that takes more time than man blocking time.

Yeah, I mean, if Wolf was sitting here'd be like anymore.

He said.

He used to talk about this all the time.

No, yeah, I need a lot of reps with the guy to my right and left to know.

It's not synchronized swimming.

He's not easy, let alone if you're three or thirty pound hippo.

You know.

And Wolf used to have six preseason games where they would drill that stuff.

Yeah, those guys why they did it so much in.

The quarters in the preseason zone run, zone run, zone run.

So I guess my point with the Canada stuff was, and the numbers bear it out, but I thought this running game was more effective with man than zone pre Arthur Smith higher.

Now, that doesn't mean that's a bad hire.

You knew he was going to implement zone stuff.

You knew nause these days here were numbered.

It was only one year overlap that they were going to get a zone runner, that all the linemen they draft are going to be really good athletes that can do this stuff on the move, But they were better at the man's stuff to begin with.

So I had mixed feelings of going so strong zone with the coordinator higher.

You knew it was coming, and it has now where I will be critical and again I can't wait to talk to Meryl about this.

Eighty four percents too much to me.

You know, like when you when you talk about a man heavy running game or a zone heavy running game, it's usually like two to one.

Yeah, it's sixty percent, it's sixty five percent, maybe.

Maybe seventy percent.

The teams that do it most successful.

I think at this point everyone's saying I'm going to line up as if you're running outside zone, and a lot of that stuff's alignment, you know what I mean.

Like McVeigh is, I think McVay is the best head coach in the league.

There's a lot of great ones.

But when remember in the Super Bowl against Belichick, when that was an awesome offense and I think the Patriots won like six to three.

I mean, it was insanely low.

Yeah, and Belichick put a seven or thirteen to ten, whatever it was.

It was a.

Belly McVeigh in that game.

The defense, I'll coach both offense.

It was six or three, but they did a six man front and said, try to get wide on our six man front.

And at that point the Rams were like the heaviest zone team in the league.

There's a defense for everything.

I guess it's my point.

They also had Jared goff To who at that time it wasn't I think even as highly regarded as Jared goff is now.

No, No, Belichick was like, make that beat right, beat.

Me, but I'm not going to allow Gurley get into the outside on zone runs.

Over and over and over and over and over.

Thirteen to three was the finale that New England.

And crazy low.

But they led up three points in that game.

It was great offense.

Three.

That game was three to three going into the fourth quarter, okay, into the fourth.

Quarter, okay.

And but anyway, to mcveigh's credit, now they're one of the most diverse run games in the league.

You know, like Kevin Dotson was not a zone guard, but he goes there as a big masher and they mash.

And now like a massive contract to.

Show it right, right, So he's adapted and and again I think he's like the best offensive mind in the league.

Now I'm not saying Smith's incapable of adapting or I only know how to do one thing, but it's one game.

Eighty four percent seems a lot, and I think defenses are gonna key on that, you know, and especially if you're not good at it yet into the season.

Back to the Wolf point, Yes it is.

It is one thing.

And you know, to use another one of our uh Steelers Audio Network offensive lineman colleagues as an example.

Here, Yeah, I'm sure Max told the same thing.

Max.

Max talks about that all the time, and it's it's one thing to know as an offense and an offensive line in a run game, they know what's and they can't stop us.

Oh there's a lot of that too.

That's the greatest.

That's what those guys live for.

Hey, you know the zone runs coming right here, try and stop us.

Good luck.

Oh yeah, but it's another tmes Jerome.

You know, it's right right, that's great when you are elite at it and when you can excel at it, and when you can demoralize a defense with it.

But that's just not where they're at right now.

No, no, And it's hard to get to that point, very hard to get to that point.

I mean the Shanahan Terrell Davis led here comes outside zone again.

You know, we're a lot.

Of offensive linemen and going to the Hall of Fame on those teams in the trenches.

So this is a side note, but it makes me smile.

Denver plays in high altitude.

It's hard to play there, so they don't want three hundred and fifty pounds fat guy lineman.

They want dudes that can move, you know, that don't get tired in the fourth quarter while the d lineman's huffing and puffing that only plays there once a year.

We play nine plus playoff games here.

I think that's why Shanahan not devised it.

He's on the first one, came his zone, but we're gonna be his zone team.

In the altitude, we're gonna have a lot of and those days, two hundred ninety pound guys that aren't fat, that don't get tired, that can move all day long.

They're just gonna out leverage you and out move you, and ye're going to be gassed by the fourth quarter, and it's different.

But I use this example because it hits home.

When we had Larry Fitzgerald, I could we could put on the scoreboard, here comes a fade the Larry in the red zone.

Doesn't mean you're gonna do anything about it.

And that's when you're humming.

Hey, we're going to Antonio Brown on this red zone.

Play here, right, all right, try and stop them.

Right, here's a fade to Larry.

Good luck.

That's another one of those numbers that I'm excited to see what that looks like after Sunday's home opener against Seattle.

What's up?

What what that zone?

The zone?

The zone?

Right?

Yeah, right, even if if it goes from being over eighty four percent to seventy.

Percent, yeah, okay, and maybe it is eighty four percent, but they're better at it.

It doesn't mean you stop doing it.

That would that would be great.

Certainly we're on the scoreboard, run zone right.

More to get to in this regard.

We are going to get to your tweets here as we roll along as well, too.

We've got a few of those.

Continue to get those in before our last segment when we will do a little Twitter Thursday at Williamson, NFL at Wesley Yuler, Wes Schuler, Matt Williamson, it is the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

Your tunes about drive on your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Goal.

Steelers Nation Radio.

Back on the Drive here on a Thursday evening, Matt, we do want to talk a little bit about this big NFC game tonight at lambeau Field between the Packers and the Commanders.

Are still hoping that we're going to get today's injury report before we get up out of here at six o'clock, So can I call an audible?

Can I do an Aaron Aaron Rodgers at the line of scrimmage thing here and check into something different?

I mean, I didn't know eighty percent of what we were going to talk about when it was Dale and I the last couple of years.

So feel free to audible anytime you want dig it.

You are an expert in free form jazz.

Yeah, yeah, we're in the key of B minor here about football.

If you ask me to talk about like baseball or something, I'm not gonna have any clue I'm talking about or like you who president.

Is very good.

Will Chamberlain reference that you though, by the way, and led Zeppelin.

You can, of course always talk led Zeppelin, as long as I don't mix them up with the rolling Stone things.

I know, like a JABBRONI and he tweets us and says, what is a reasonable time period for a developmental draft pick to develop?

How big of a risk is it that a team will give up on somebody too soon and see them develop elsewhere?

Seems like Fields is having much more success since he left the Bears as an exit ample.

Thank you.

Yeah, a good question.

I think it varies obviously, but.

First round picks different than a seventh round pick, quarterbacks different than a running back.

Yeah, I mean, so there's a lot of variance to that question.

But I do think this isn't what she asked.

Here comes the stuff.

Here comes the good stuff, but will be on the test write this down.

I think the league is showing us though that Donald Mayfield, maybe Field some of these highly picked dudes that go to bad situations, maybe we shouldn't flush them quite yet, you know what I mean?

Like I wonder if Mariota wentz Winston, all these highly picked dudes that kind of washed out, serbiskya my doubts about But what if they would have went to a better situation than where the first or second overall pick goes and like this is terrible.

Yeah, I mean the bare situation Fields went to was bad, Baker's was bad, Arnold's was bad, you know what I mean, Zach Wilson, and it's really being obvious, you know, take it to a new level.

And this goes back to like Parcels, the quarterbacks that have more experience at the college level, Pennix, Nicks, Daniels, those are six of your guys have come in the league much more, paid.

For multiple programs in college as well too.

So Bill Parcels was saying, who probably, like I've been telling you this for thirty years, these guys need all the experience they can get, you know, don't dis expect them to be good in year one, you know, so quarterback, I think the league might be starting to be not more patient, but more open to the idea of Anthony Richardson is the next place could be really good.

You know what I mean.

It doesn't look at now it's you say, ah, he stakes you know.

Yeah, the labs were saying that everyone just wants to fire everybody and move on, and you know good positions and you know correct.

So yeah, it is obviously on a case by case basis.

But I think you're right.

I think teams are getting more willing to take second chances on guys.

H I think there's a clear cut of you're patient with somebody, and you give them the opportunity.

Uh maybe a Nach type example, yeah, yeah, or clearly this isn't working out, let's move on.

Maybe the Kenny Pickett type example that is as well too.

So again it's it's all case by case.

But but the other thing too, And this isn't new, but now it's a lot different.

If I'm on a rookie contract, then okay, you're not a first round pick.

I didn't pick up your option.

Any anyone else's doesn't have that fifth year option even available.

Okay, I like you as a safety for third round money.

Do I like you as a safety for eight million a year?

Yeah?

Not so much.

Yeah, you know what I mean?

And those four years go by pretty quick.

I mean the move the league moves fast.

I mean it's amazing.

Proder Jones's fifth year option time is now already.

You don't really even know the sixteen more games to make a decision on his age.

A league is flawed with that stuff.

It's to have to pick up a fifth year option before their fourth year, I think is so dumb.

I do too, you know, and it a lot of time.

The kind of parameters around it are just like we I know, we've discussed the Tyler Linderbaum fifth year, right, it's like a it's like elite tackle money that you're gonna have to pay a center to pick.

Why why are you getting punished for drafting somebody successfully in the first round.

Yeah, Like, there's there's a lot there that that is.

Like, I know, people non copasetic people were shocked.

I guess it's like May a year ago that the Steelers didn't pick up Nausey, but if they would have, they're basically guaranteeing two years your's fourth year and his fifth year.

The guy took more punishment than like any back in the league.

What if he gets hurt in Week two of twenty twenty four and then you're on the hook and then you still have him around, you know, like it doesn't make a lot of sense, you know.

It doesn't you be on the hope even if you like him a lot.

Yeah, if he gets hurt in a couple games in the season, you're still on the hook for thirty some more games of him.

Yeah, over the next two years, and he's taking a pounding, you know.

And that's an important thing to consider with Proger Jones decision as well too.

Yeah, you pick up that option.

It guarantees their contract for two years basically, right right, thirty four games.

Yeah, and that fourth year.

You weren't going to cut them anyway if you pick them up.

It's not like like I always found that funny, like Lamar, but they gave him all this guaranteed money.

I'm like, well, they're not going to cut him.

He's the only way he's not gonna get his money is if he gets cut.

He's not gonna get cut.

You know, he's Lamar Jackson.

Correct, he does right.

I'm sick of that guy.

You know.

Steelers Nation nine to twenty tweets us how likely is a Tyreek Hill trade?

What's your favorite stadium and field that you've ever visited.

I can't answer the field stuff.

I've been to so few it would chockview.

Yeah, because you're You're background was right.

I mean, I guess you probably did a decent amount of college stadiums when you were with Pittnakron or were you still.

In their amount?

But even my acron stint, I was never on We never had a game.

I I set up the opening day travel to Penn State, but I was a Brown at that point, so I was only there months and I was never during the season.

Maybe it was only eight months the Browns.

I had no reason to travel with the team.

I did when they came to Pittsburgh, but I drove myself.

If it's a close, stayed at home with my wife.

Yeah, you know, but I had no reason to travel the team.

But I did go to like preseason games, Like I went to a Panther game as a Brown scout in the preseason.

But otherwise I didn't have much reason to go to other stadiums.

It's a good point.

Weird, you've been to way more.

Man now, Dale's been to like.

All of them, probably more than thirty two.

Yeah, the ones that don't exist anymore.

Absolutely, he has a long list.

I mean, it's crazy.

I'll give you both ends of the spectrum.

So far is incredible out in La and we'll be there in November again.

Yeah, Okay, it's like nothing else I've ever seen him out.

The whole stadium is open air, so this looks so the ball is built and then the overhang is detached, so the so the bowl of the stadium is not connect It looks like a sting ray hovering over a massive stadium bowl.

Okay, it's so cool, and obviously the Southern California weather them lets them get away with that.

But the JumboTron in there is like the whole hundred yard length of the field.

It feels like it's impressive.

It's very cool.

And then the opposite end of the spectrum.

There's a part of me, the sports dorking me and growing up as a nineties kid.

I still love the old stadiums, the old barns, the old arenas that are dumps and people just go there for the sport.

In the atmosphere.

It's not a fancy night out.

It's not.

I'm taking a bunch of Instagram pictures with my friends.

Buffalo, I mean, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Their stadium is it's bleacher seats.

There's barely any suites in there.

It's seventy thousand people right on top of the stadium, and they don't care about the Wi Fi, they don't care about the amenities, they don't care about the concession stand.

They're there for the Buffalo bills.

Those old, dumpy stadiums and arenas still have a soft spot in my heart.

So those are kind of the two ends of the spectrum that I love.

The one thing I'll throw in.

And I have so many great memories at three Rivers Stadium, I mean tailgateing with my buds, concerts, terrible town.

I went to a million Steeler games and Pirate games and whatever, and I don't even know if any of them even exist.

But like Riverfront, the ones that were baseball and football stadiums made sense at the time.

You'd move the seats and blah blah blah.

That's that's tough that that ship, is it.

That's a tough way to live.

It certainly is.

Certainly is in terms of how likely Tyreek, Yeah, I like, I don't know if if he means here in Pittsburgh specifically or just in general.

I guess I've been told I've been asked about Tyrek at Tom Valley, and I guess Vegas odds his next team, the Steelers are second in terms of Matt you can battle on everything.

I just believe people have told me that because they're gonna be a link to every wide receiver.

That that that, and I also he's now got some investigation stuff going on.

In abuse stuff.

It just came up with a wife that he was married to for like seventeen months.

I think it's a non starter until that, until minimum some kind of because you don't, right, the worst thing in the world would be to trade for a guy and then a week or two later he gets suspended for four games, six games the rest of the year, whatever it may be.

I looked at it a little too.

He's making thirty million next he's got one more year a year in the deal.

He's making thirty million.

I think he could get traded.

I mean, their season is a disaster, but you got to get the off the field stuff at least cleaned up.

And even if that gets cleaned up, he has an off the field reputation.

I mean, he went he went to say we want about the Chiefs.

They have taken character risks on people more than most teams.

Yeah, he was not on most guys draft boards.

I know Ito's one hundred years ago.

They took him in the fifth round and because you could everyone knew he was a really talented player, but he was not I probably was not on the Steelers draft board.

At the time.

Last tweet to get to here me tweets us and says doctor Westman and football laureate Matt are our inside linebackers missing assignments.

I don't know about that.

I've given them too much of a pass this week because I've blamed the people in front of them for getting pushed into their laps more than maybe I should.

But I really think that's the number one problem is it's hard to operate when someone's rolling up on your feet.

That's your teammates, even though.

Even if you're Patrick Willis dipped in Luke Keithley.

You're right.

I mean you're getting a lot of friendly fire with Bent and Loudermok going backwards and even Cam to some degree in that game.

I'm not going to quite go there.

Not yet.

Yeah, not yet, but I'm open to the fact that it was an underwhelming performance by the second level.

I think it was performance by most on that defense, but particularly at the defensive front.

We're talking about last night.

I mean, I would say Watt, Ramsey, Echoles, maybe high Smith can hold their head up high for how they played in that game.

And that's it's pretty short list, you know.

And then none of those guys were perfect either, you know, but they all had high quality individual performances where I'm not sure anyone else could be like, wow, I was great in that game.

Me also asks grande nachos or seven layer burrito?

Whoa seven layer burrito?

That's that's think about all the layers.

That seems a little intimidating.

I try it though.

Both The beauty of Mexican is it's just different shapes and they're all the same stuff, you know, And I like all this stuff, but I'm not huge.

I like dipping a chip in guac.

I don't love guac on my taco or burrito.

I love it.

My daughter gives me hard time with that.

She loves Mexican and we give Mexican a bunch and she's like, why don't you give guak on?

I'm like, eh, takes away from what I'm after and sour cream.

I could take her leave on nachos or burrito.

I would choose to put it on on burritos, I'm with you on nachos.

I want it fully loaded.

Give me the give me the sausa, give me the sour cream.

Yeah, because even more freedom to I got my chip.

I'm gonna give it a little bit of a black ball over a little salt where the burrito is just one bite.

How about this move.

We don't cook much at home anymore, but on taco night, my whole family gets their tacos and then when they're like, I've had my filled.

Not that they eat without me, but they all get more than they need or whatever.

And then I get the big thing of refried beans that only my daughter and I eat, and I take all the leftovers, jump them in there and I just go brah.

And that's Matt's meximush And it goes right in the taco.

So we don't have layers, you know, Like that's phenomenal.

You can trademark that right anything.

They gave it a name, and it's all evenly spaced.

Every bite is the same.

It's not pretty, but it gets a job done.

Like a rice bowl that's loaded with beans and protein.

Another thing not a rice guy.

It's filler that's less beef.

Or Bean's a filler too.

But no, they're they're they're not the star of the show, but they're they're a quality player for you.

That's fair, that's fair.

Yeah, good questions by everybody, like.

Burrito, Chipotle, no rice, just eating up space.

Wow, Now all that this has done is I need Chipotle or Mo by the way, Taco Bell or my goodness.

Ye hope a text from my daughter comes by, Hey, I'm stopping Chipotle.

What do you want?

Tell her I'll do Barbara Bowl.

She's not listening.

It wouldn't be funny if this was the one time she was though, wasn't it.

Maybe maybe your boyfriend is or something she's with.

We got to get to our last break of the day.

Some thoughts on Thursday night football.

When we return, maybe we'll get to one or two more tweets as well too.

You know where to get at us if you want to get involved.

West Shooler.

Matt Williamson, It's the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.

Wrapping things up here on a Thursday and Matt, I love it when a plan comes together.

Because Tim right right as we went to break there, the injury report dropped for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Glad we got those tweets in in the previous segment.

Here is what we know.

Not great news on Joey Porter Junior.

Did not practice on Wednesday, did not practice again today.

It's not great, but it doesn't break my heart for this matchup.

I mean, I really think there's one above average receiver and they don't want to use a third guy much.

Cooper Cup is a shell of what he used to be.

So you're so deep at like this was last year big oh.

No oh, you would be like, oh, this is not good.

If Eccles is your three for this game, I'm cool with it.

Yeah, it went in doubt.

Keith Porter out for another day, another.

Week, of course.

Deshaun Elliott, Derek Harman did not practice yesterday or today.

They've already been ruled out.

Ellek Harrison as well too, but he's moved to IR so he will not be showing up on these practice reports.

Good news on the Nick Herbigfront good full participant today after being limited on Wednesday.

That's a good sign for his availability on Sunday.

Yeah, and it's not a huge deal.

But with Harrison out of the mix, Harrison did some outside linebacker stuff.

He did some of that.

Ohio State did a little bit of it at Baltimore.

Now, he's not one tenth the edge bender pass rusher Herbig is, But you don't have that fourth guy unless you wanted to call up Leal.

It's a lot to ask a Sawyer.

And plus the offensive line for Seattle's not great.

I like cross the left tackle and I'm excited about it.

Is able to left guard.

But I think Herbig could really pressure Donald.

And we'll talk more about this kind of stuff tomorrow.

But even as good as Donald was last year, his numbers when pressured.

Everyone's worse when they're pressure.

Is going to clean pocket, sure, but his gap is wider than most.

He doesn't handle pressure great.

If I'm remembering correctly, two years ago, at that game out in Seattle, must win for the Steelers the start of that three game Mason Rudolph win streak that got them out of play.

Ye wasn't it Nick Herbig who had the big strip sack on Gino Smith to turn the tide of that game.

I don't know I thought my head.

I believe I believe it was Herbig.

Yeah, I believe he shocked me.

He is a game changer.

I believe it was because there was that big strip sack on Gino that turned the tide of that game.

And I do believe that it was Nick Herbig two years ago.

His rookie season like.

A phenomenal asj As causing force fumbles and strip sacks.

Herbig might be better because he's got so much fewer opportunities and his numbers are a little less, but he also gets like a quarter of the opportunity.

Yeah, you know what I mean.

And he learned from big brother, you know, I mean he learned from TJ.

Obviously certainly takes advantage of him.

TJ was back in practice at full today after getting a vest a rest day yesterday.

Cam Hayward got a rest day today, but clearly, you know, he was part of practice on Wednesday.

Good last one here.

Calvin Anderson didn't practice yesterday with an illness.

Full participant today, so hopefully that was cold bug something like that.

You know, just wasn't feeling the best.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, just a twenty four hour thing.

Get some rest, dehydrated and he was back to it today as well.

Back up anyway, I mean, yeah, ideally he doesn't play a snap in a perfect world.

Maybe this is optimistic, but sounds like Porter is the only one really of note, you know, and maybe.

That and again the three that they might have already ruled out earlier in the week.

It's not great that they're all on defense, but you know.

I would agree with you on that.

But yeah, looks like good news and trending in the right direction for Nick Herbig and you know, maybe gonna be an week and a little bit longer for Joey Porter Junior.

And we didn't mention any safeties, but now you have Jabrill Peppers too, you've added something to the defense from a week ago.

Absolutely, absolutely.

He spoke for the first time yesterday, talked about how excited he is to you know, he said he said he had a goal when he came into the league that he wanted to play for Bill Belichick and Mike Tomlin at some point in his career, and that he got to play for Bill Belichick and now gets to play for Mike Tomlin.

And so yeah, I have a feeling we will we'll see him get some spend.

He'll be wearing number forty for those of you that are going to be looking for Peppers on Sunday afternoon before we get out of here, Matt, a couple of minutes left tonight at Lambeau Field in green Bay.

Second, I mean, in second massive game here at Lambeau in the span of five days.

Of course, Packers with a division win comfortably over Detroit in their opener, Commanders with a division win over the Giants, and there opener, Matt, two of the and I think you and I both agree the Packers are a step ahead, but two of the contenders in.

These Yeah, it's high expectations for both.

Yes, rightfully.

So I think green Bay might be right there with the Eagles as the best team in the NFC.

Probably the most impressive win of Week one considering who they played.

I mean, they kind of embarrassed the Lions, and I still think the Lions are pretty aren't good.

I like green Bay.

I think they're like three and a half point favorites.

I think they're I would lay the three and a half.

It sounds like green Bay might have a few o line injuries.

I don't think Parsons will be a full time player yet, but he's still super impactful and I can't wait to see him on primetime.

I'm sure he's gonna be phenomenal tonight and the Giants couldn't really take advantage of it.

But I still have a lot of questions about Washington's defense.

They're old, Yeah, they're old.

They're old.

See a lot of difference makers.

They certainly have them on offense, but I do think that's a fair assessment of their defense.

It is green Bay favored by three and a half, so you like to win, but the Commanders to cover no straight up yeas I mean sorry, not straight up, but laying the laying the points.

Yeah, still win by four or more green Bay tonight.

I also think short week at home goes a long way too.

It definitely not making the trip.

Yeah, Washington had to get on a plane yesterday.

The Packers got some some extra time at home.

There uh a lot to a lot to I think be excited about for both of these offenses to watch too.

Yeah, both quarterbacks are gonna be fun to watch too.

I'm a big Jordan love guy.

Both quarterbacks.

Absolutely.

I know you're a big Jordan love guy.

I think everybody thinks that Jayden Daniels.

You know, if.

He takes a step forward this year, we could be talking about him potentially as one of those Unicorn type, truly elite quarterbacks.

Very impressive.

You've got two really intriguing running backs for different reasons too, and Jacob's and Crosskey Merritt kind of at different points in their career.

And you know, Deebo Samuel was a really good debut for for Washington as well.

So a lot of storylines to sink your teeth into in this one.

Now, everyone get your popcorin ready for this.

This should be a good matchup.

It is, and I I do like how they've started to do that now.

Like we all know, sometimes the Thursday night football slot can be treated as like the throwaway game.

It used to be like Titans Jags when they both stunk all the time.

Or you'll you'll like and Derek Henry run for two hundred yards against the Jags.

You know you'll like, you like it, You'll like this story.

Arthur Motes, my former co host on The Blitz.

Sure we should.

We will have to get him as a guest a couple times throughout the season.

That'd be fus his first four years in the league.

He played for the Bills before he before he played four years for the Steelers, and then his last year with the Cardinals.

And that was pre Josh Allen.

Pre McDermott was in the middle of Buffalo is like thirty years streak of not going to the playoffs, whatever that was.

And I told you the joke before about how he said, like we won seven games one year and they wanted to throw us a parade, you know, like that's.

How courgh and they want.

To he you don't go to the super Bowl.

It's a free season.

He would always laugh and tell me my four years in Buffalo, every team in the league is guaranteed at least one primetime game.

And he's like, that was the biggest adjustment for you when I got the Pittsburgh is we're having five or six a year.

He's like, in Buffalo, we had won and it was always a Thursday night we'd be playing Cleveland or Tennessee or that was our only primetime game we had the whole year.

It was that kind of Thursday night throwaway.

I think Jeff Bezos and Amazon, you know, put a put a word in, put.

A call in, he's a little bit more attractive, and at least.

At the beginning, it always seems like the first handful or very it's like they.

Want people want to hear a quarterback injury or whatever you do that kind of know what you're getting.

Absolutely, absolutely, but these no good good Slay to Thursday games to kind of get a started.

All the primetime games are pretty awesome so far.

Absolutely, and I think tonight eight p fifteen at lambeau Field is certainly going to be another one of those.

Matt enjoyed today's show.

Good stuff, dude.

Tomorrow will be a lot of fun.

We will completely deep dive into the Seattle Seahawks, more of Matt's stats, some scouting, some looking ahead.

We will have Missy Matthews join us on the show tomorrow as we as we get ready for that Steeler's home opener Sunday one o'clock against Seattle at Akroshuer Stadium.

Big thanks to Bob Labriola for joining us today and of course our video producer.

If you want to see our beautiful faces on YouTube, mister t V for Matt Williams and I'm west Heuler.

Take care everybody.

We'll talk to you tomorrow.

You know where to find us.

As always, it's on your twenty four to seven home of the Black and Gold.

It's Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network