[00:00:22] And welcome to Episode 592 of the Pittsburgh Nerd Podcast. I'm Sean.
[00:00:29] And I'm Ian, and this is the only podcast that says...
[00:00:32] When people get too chummy with me, I like to call them by the wrong name to let them know I don't really care about them.
[00:00:40] Nice.
[00:00:43] The great Ron Swanson.
[00:00:46] How are you, sir?
[00:00:48] Good, yourself?
[00:00:49] Oh, I'm not bad. I can't complain too loudly.
[00:00:51] Yeah.
[00:00:56] What's going on in your world?
[00:00:57] Oh, nothing.
[00:00:59] How's fantasy football there for you?
[00:01:01] It is.
[00:01:04] Here's why it's frustrating.
[00:01:06] Because, again, this is one of those years where it's like, this can't be happening.
[00:01:11] Okay.
[00:01:13] But if you look, I am 2-5 on the season.
[00:01:17] I saw that. That's what I wanted to ask you about.
[00:01:19] Right. I'm in ninth place in our league.
[00:01:21] The only team worse than me is Fad's team who has zero wins.
[00:01:26] Wow.
[00:01:27] Okay.
[00:01:27] But I am the second highest scoring team in the league.
[00:01:31] Right.
[00:01:32] That's weird.
[00:01:34] It is.
[00:01:34] It's just, with the exception of last week, and before somebody writes in or calls in and says,
[00:01:41] well, what about last week?
[00:01:42] Yeah.
[00:01:42] I got my ass handed to me by the floppy beavers.
[00:01:46] Yeah.
[00:01:46] You know?
[00:01:48] And did not, that was not a good game by any stretch of the imagination.
[00:01:52] Right.
[00:01:52] But every other game I have been in.
[00:01:57] Right.
[00:01:58] Like, every other game I've scored very well.
[00:02:02] Yeah.
[00:02:03] And, like, I've lost, most of my losses are less than five points.
[00:02:12] Right.
[00:02:12] Like, you know, like, I think I've had the tightest loss, like, two or three times already this year.
[00:02:18] Right.
[00:02:18] Right.
[00:02:18] The smallest margin of victory.
[00:02:20] Yeah.
[00:02:21] That's big.
[00:02:21] So, like, it's extraordinarily frustrating because I'm looking at my team, I'm like, well, there's no real changes I want or need to make.
[00:02:28] Right.
[00:02:29] Right.
[00:02:29] But at the same time, you know, where last year I was getting, I had luck in those types of games and was winning them.
[00:02:39] Yeah.
[00:02:39] Yeah.
[00:02:39] This year I'm losing them.
[00:02:41] But it's, but to be the second highest scoring team and to be like two and five is extraordinarily frustrating.
[00:02:49] Right.
[00:02:50] I mean, and what's even worse is the week you and I played.
[00:02:56] Yeah.
[00:02:58] It was the Chiefs bye week.
[00:03:00] Right.
[00:03:01] And I'm like, I text you on a Saturday.
[00:03:02] I'm like, hey, you need to put in a quarterback.
[00:03:04] Right.
[00:03:04] And you go get field two puts up 30.
[00:03:07] Right.
[00:03:07] Like, you had your biggest week ever the week you played me.
[00:03:14] And I had a good week.
[00:03:16] I didn't rub that in.
[00:03:17] No, you didn't.
[00:03:18] But, like, I had, like, you beat me by, like, like, 10 points or something, I think.
[00:03:22] But it was, like, one of those games where it was, like, you scored 150 to, like, my 140.
[00:03:29] Yeah.
[00:03:29] Or something like that.
[00:03:29] It was, like, a ridiculous score.
[00:03:31] Yeah.
[00:03:31] Which I've been doing shit all year.
[00:03:33] Yeah.
[00:03:34] Yeah.
[00:03:34] And, like, I'm sitting there cursing myself because I'm like, man, if I hadn't said shit
[00:03:39] to him, he would have ran with the Holmes.
[00:03:41] I'd probably have a win.
[00:03:42] Right.
[00:03:43] You know, but no, I had to be the good guy.
[00:03:47] You know.
[00:03:48] Yeah.
[00:03:49] So.
[00:03:50] But, yeah, I mean, so, I mean, and you've taken, you've won two in a row, I think.
[00:03:55] Three in a row, I think.
[00:03:56] Three in a row.
[00:03:56] Yeah.
[00:03:56] Yeah, like, I mean.
[00:03:58] I'm doing better.
[00:04:00] Yeah.
[00:04:01] Like, it was very frustrating because I had a decent team, but everybody started getting
[00:04:05] hurt and I started having to getting, I mean, like, it was like, I was on the boards like
[00:04:09] crazy.
[00:04:09] Yeah.
[00:04:10] Trying to pick up people and, and I picked up fields, which he had a good day.
[00:04:19] You know.
[00:04:19] Yeah.
[00:04:20] And then he gets benched.
[00:04:21] Yeah.
[00:04:23] I went to that game.
[00:04:25] Not that he got benched.
[00:04:27] Right.
[00:04:27] The game that Russell Wilson started.
[00:04:29] Yeah.
[00:04:29] Yeah.
[00:04:29] I saw a lot of dirt balls.
[00:04:30] I'm just saying.
[00:04:33] I saw a lot of dirt, a lot of dirt and no mobility.
[00:04:40] Well, okay.
[00:04:41] So, let me, let's get into it because it's an interesting conversation to have.
[00:04:46] Um, so Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Steelers, makes a decision to start Russell
[00:04:53] Wilson.
[00:04:54] Right.
[00:04:54] Now that he's healthy.
[00:04:54] Right.
[00:04:56] Sorry for the background noise.
[00:04:57] Ian is unwrapping frames.
[00:05:00] Yeah.
[00:05:01] Yeah.
[00:05:02] But, um, so, so, I mean, at the beginning of the year, it was like, they were talking
[00:05:13] about like, well, who's the starting quarterback?
[00:05:15] And it was right now, Russell Wilson is in the pole position.
[00:05:19] Right.
[00:05:20] Which meant he was penciled in his QB one.
[00:05:23] Right.
[00:05:24] Justin Fields was penciled in his QB two.
[00:05:25] Right.
[00:05:26] And then Wilson injures the thigh, really doesn't do much of anything during camp.
[00:05:32] No.
[00:05:32] And then right before the season starts, re-aggravates that thigh injury.
[00:05:38] Right.
[00:05:39] And now he's, he's, he's out for five weeks.
[00:05:45] Right.
[00:05:46] And in that time period, Justin Fields played well.
[00:05:51] Yeah, he did.
[00:05:52] I would say, and, and, and this is where I defend Tomlin a bit other than the Colts
[00:06:00] game where they had to kind of open up the offense a bit.
[00:06:04] Right.
[00:06:04] And let him throw the ball.
[00:06:05] Right.
[00:06:07] Like he hasn't like, while he has played well, and I, I'm, I'm certainly not going to
[00:06:12] be like, you know, he, he, he hasn't, you know, cause he's played better than I thought he
[00:06:17] would.
[00:06:17] He only has the one interception.
[00:06:19] Right.
[00:06:19] You know, those are the type of things.
[00:06:21] The interceptions were my biggest concern.
[00:06:23] He was a turnover machine in Chicago.
[00:06:25] Right.
[00:06:25] Um, but he was playing very Kenny Pinkett like.
[00:06:30] Yeah.
[00:06:30] In that he, he wasn't making big throws down the field.
[00:06:35] A lot of them.
[00:06:37] It was very conservative offense, but where he was making a massive difference was in his
[00:06:44] legs because that offensive line stinks right now.
[00:06:46] Right.
[00:06:46] You know, they have had several injuries on the offensive line and the offensive line.
[00:06:52] Like, I think they've had like five or six different variations of the offensive line.
[00:06:59] Right.
[00:06:59] This year already.
[00:07:00] I know.
[00:07:00] So when you put all of that together, like you're, you think to yourself, well, Justin
[00:07:07] feels is the better choice because of what he brings with his legs.
[00:07:11] Sure.
[00:07:14] But.
[00:07:16] And you're right.
[00:07:17] The first quarter that, that Russell Wilson played.
[00:07:21] Cause all week, like I was not questioning Tomlin's decision.
[00:07:25] I was like, I think I get where he's coming from.
[00:07:28] Right.
[00:07:29] Like you have this guy, you have this veteran and in all honesty, this is a team right now.
[00:07:36] And he is in a position where people are saying they're talking about him.
[00:07:42] Not leading this team very well.
[00:07:45] Right.
[00:07:45] You know, the lack of playoff success.
[00:07:49] Like, oh great.
[00:07:50] Yeah.
[00:07:50] Here's another non-losing season.
[00:07:53] Whoop-dee-doo.
[00:07:54] Yeah.
[00:07:55] Winning the playoffs.
[00:07:56] They haven't won a playoff game in seven years.
[00:07:58] Right.
[00:07:58] You know, his, his record in the playoffs is pretty abysmal.
[00:08:02] Right.
[00:08:03] Like the one thing you can say about Cower was, you know, he, you know, he only got to
[00:08:09] two Super Bowls in that time period, but he was constantly getting to the AFC championship
[00:08:14] game.
[00:08:15] But he had playoff wins.
[00:08:16] Right.
[00:08:17] You know, it wasn't, you know, he'd have, he'd get in as a wild card and get two wins
[00:08:21] or he'd go in as a, a two seed and get to, you know, like he, he, they were, they played
[00:08:26] in a ton of AFC championship games.
[00:08:28] Right.
[00:08:29] Under Tomlin, since Superbowl 45, they haven't played an AFC championship game.
[00:08:35] I don't think.
[00:08:36] Right.
[00:08:37] You know, the, you know, when in the, in the wild card round to the divisional round
[00:08:42] occasionally.
[00:08:43] Yeah.
[00:08:43] And other than that, bupkis.
[00:08:46] Yeah.
[00:08:47] You know what I mean?
[00:08:47] Like, so I think he's looking at from the standpoint of, yeah, I could ride with this
[00:08:53] guy.
[00:08:54] I could probably ride with him the nine or 10 wins.
[00:08:58] And then, you know, we go to Buffalo and get destroyed and get destroyed again.
[00:09:03] Yeah.
[00:09:03] Or we go to Kansas city and we get destroyed again.
[00:09:05] Right.
[00:09:05] You know, or I can go, I could test out this veteran guy.
[00:09:11] Right.
[00:09:12] A guy who's won a Superbowl.
[00:09:13] Who's been to two.
[00:09:14] Yeah.
[00:09:14] He's had playoff success.
[00:09:17] He's seen it and done it all.
[00:09:18] Yeah.
[00:09:21] And let me see what I got with him.
[00:09:22] Yeah.
[00:09:22] Like if he, cause if he's like, we talked about the preseason, like he statistically,
[00:09:28] he was not bad.
[00:09:29] Right.
[00:09:30] With Denver last year.
[00:09:31] Yeah.
[00:09:31] I think it was 26 touchdowns to eight interceptions.
[00:09:34] Yeah.
[00:09:34] Yeah.
[00:09:34] And that was without playing the last two games of the season.
[00:09:37] So you extrapolate that he probably has 30 touchdowns to 10, 12 interceptions for the
[00:09:43] total of the season.
[00:09:44] Yeah.
[00:09:44] I'll take that.
[00:09:45] Yeah.
[00:09:46] You know what I mean?
[00:09:47] Especially considering what we had the past couple of years.
[00:09:50] Yeah.
[00:09:52] So let me bring in, let me bring in the vet and let me see what he got.
[00:09:57] And the other thing to remember is this wide receiver room is not very good.
[00:10:02] It's George Pickens and the Smurfs.
[00:10:05] Yeah.
[00:10:05] You're right.
[00:10:06] You know what I mean?
[00:10:08] What you saw and well, yes, I, again, I agree that first quarter in particular, there were
[00:10:13] a lot of balls in the dirt.
[00:10:14] There were a lot of balls.
[00:10:15] I thought, but what he did was he opened up Pickens.
[00:10:23] Yeah.
[00:10:25] And he threw those 50, 50 balls that in George Pickens hands become 60, 40 balls.
[00:10:31] Right.
[00:10:32] And he does that in a way that Justin Fields doesn't have.
[00:10:37] Yeah.
[00:10:38] I agree with you.
[00:10:39] When Justin Fields throws a deep ball, he throws a laser.
[00:10:42] Yeah.
[00:10:43] It has very little altitude on it.
[00:10:45] Yeah.
[00:10:46] And because of that, a receiver can adjust, or not a receiver, the defensive back can adjust
[00:10:52] to it and make a play on the ball.
[00:10:54] Yeah.
[00:10:55] Russell Wilson throws a moon ball.
[00:10:58] Yeah.
[00:10:58] And you saw it.
[00:10:59] Yeah.
[00:11:00] That first one he threw to Pickens, it looked like it left the stadium.
[00:11:05] Right.
[00:11:06] It was so high.
[00:11:06] Right.
[00:11:07] And it comes down like a teardrop, and Pickens is able to go up and make a play.
[00:11:11] Yeah.
[00:11:13] That's a massive difference.
[00:11:16] Okay.
[00:11:17] Like, I'm not defending one or the other.
[00:11:19] I'm just saying, first off, you got to rip, you know, there's probably still some rust.
[00:11:27] Yeah.
[00:11:29] But I feel like Russell Wilson gives the receiving core a better chance to make plays than Justin
[00:11:40] Field does.
[00:11:40] Right.
[00:11:41] Well, Justin Field kind of makes his own plays.
[00:11:43] Right.
[00:11:43] But when he does throw the ball, as a thrower of the ball, he has a rifle of an arm, but
[00:11:50] there's no altitude on the ball.
[00:11:53] I realize what you're saying.
[00:11:54] I realize what you're saying.
[00:11:54] You know, and that is a difference.
[00:11:56] Like, and I'm not criticizing Justin Fields for that.
[00:11:59] I'm just saying in this situation, especially with a guy like Pickens, where I can throw
[00:12:06] the deep ball up.
[00:12:07] Yeah.
[00:12:07] And I can throw it in a way that gives him a better chance to make a play.
[00:12:12] Right.
[00:12:12] You know what I mean?
[00:12:13] Then now you've, now you're on to something.
[00:12:16] Right.
[00:12:17] Right.
[00:12:17] You know what I mean?
[00:12:18] Yeah.
[00:12:20] I'm not saying Russell Wilson is the quarterback of the future for this team, but he may be
[00:12:26] the quarterback for now because of what he brings to the table.
[00:12:31] Right.
[00:12:32] And also to kind of get those naysayers off and give you a better chance of winning a playoff
[00:12:39] game.
[00:12:40] Right.
[00:12:41] Which is what Mike Tomlin needs.
[00:12:44] Right.
[00:12:45] Like, I'm not saying if he didn't win a playoff game, he's going to be fired.
[00:12:48] I don't think that at all.
[00:12:49] Right.
[00:12:49] But at the same time, from a fan's perspective, that's what you need to see.
[00:12:57] Yeah.
[00:12:58] Yeah.
[00:12:58] I agree.
[00:12:58] You need to see those postseason results at some point.
[00:13:02] Right.
[00:13:02] Like, if he can make a run to an AFC championship game and lose, I would be like, okay, that's
[00:13:08] cool.
[00:13:09] Yeah.
[00:13:09] Like, you know, you made some hay.
[00:13:11] Yeah.
[00:13:11] You know, but I think that's why he decided to try out Russell Wilson.
[00:13:18] I think that's why he's probably going to, like, start the rest of the way.
[00:13:25] Right.
[00:13:25] Unless something, unless he goes, unless they go into this Giants game on Monday night and
[00:13:31] he somehow shits the bed against the Giants, which I can't see him doing.
[00:13:35] Right.
[00:13:35] The Giants are just that bad.
[00:13:39] Yeah.
[00:13:40] They are.
[00:13:40] Are the Giants bad this year?
[00:13:41] They are.
[00:13:41] They're horrible.
[00:13:43] Okay.
[00:13:43] I didn't know.
[00:13:44] Yeah.
[00:13:45] And, I mean, they got trained.
[00:13:49] I mean, just had a train run through them by Saquon Barkley.
[00:13:53] Really?
[00:13:53] Yeah.
[00:13:54] No.
[00:13:55] Yeah.
[00:13:56] Yeah.
[00:13:56] It was Saquon Barkley.
[00:13:57] He went to Philadelphia.
[00:13:59] Philadelphia went to the Netherlands.
[00:14:01] He was 13.
[00:14:02] Saquon Barkley was 13 yards away from his career high in rushing yards.
[00:14:06] Uh-huh.
[00:14:07] And I saw this video on Twitter.
[00:14:09] And it was, um, the head coach came to him and was like, hey, you're 13 yards away from
[00:14:15] your career high.
[00:14:17] Um, I have no, it was like in the fourth quarter, late in the fourth quarter.
[00:14:20] I have no problem keeping you in so you can get that.
[00:14:23] And Saquon's like, no, no, put the young kids in.
[00:14:28] Let them eat.
[00:14:29] Really?
[00:14:30] Yeah.
[00:14:30] Hmm.
[00:14:32] Like, it's almost like he's like, yeah, I've done my damage.
[00:14:34] I'm done.
[00:14:35] I'm good.
[00:14:35] Really?
[00:14:36] Yeah.
[00:14:36] That's kind of interesting.
[00:14:37] It is.
[00:14:38] It's very interesting because like anybody else, especially in the revenge game where like
[00:14:41] the giants kind of let you go.
[00:14:44] Right.
[00:14:44] Like we don't think anybody's going to pay you what you think you're worth.
[00:14:47] And the Philadelphia was like, yeah, we'll pay you what you think you're worth.
[00:14:50] You know, to go back to the Meadowlands and just like destroy them.
[00:14:56] Yeah.
[00:14:57] And then like say like, no, I've done enough damage here.
[00:15:00] You know?
[00:15:01] Right.
[00:15:01] There's no need to rub their noses in it.
[00:15:03] Right.
[00:15:04] You know?
[00:15:04] But, um, but like, yeah, I mean, the giants are a bad team.
[00:15:08] So like, unless Wilson like goes out there and somehow just like completely shits the bed,
[00:15:15] which I can't see him doing.
[00:15:16] Like I, I don't, I don't see where you would take him out as the starter at this point.
[00:15:22] Okay.
[00:15:23] Okay.
[00:15:25] I think what you can sit there and say is, okay, we've got a book on, on Justin Fields
[00:15:31] now.
[00:15:32] And now we know we have to work with him on to make him a better quarterback.
[00:15:36] Right.
[00:15:38] As compared, like, you know, so maybe you sit there and you say, we'll, we'll sign Justin
[00:15:43] Fields to, you know, maybe a two year, you know, $10 million contract, $20 million contract,
[00:15:51] something reasonable, something that's not.
[00:15:55] And then you see if you have your quarterback of the future after this year.
[00:15:59] Right.
[00:16:00] You know, like, cause you can sit there and say, well, he played six games.
[00:16:04] He played well in six games.
[00:16:06] Didn't turn over the ball.
[00:16:07] Right.
[00:16:07] Did the things we asked him to do was fantastic with his improvisation.
[00:16:12] Um, you know, there, there, there are a lot of good things you can, you can say happened
[00:16:19] in that game and in those six games for him.
[00:16:22] Right.
[00:16:24] And it's no, and I don't think it's any, you're not saying anything bad about Justin Fields.
[00:16:30] Right.
[00:16:30] You know, I just think you have a veteran guy who you feel gives you a better opportunity
[00:16:36] to win, especially in the post season.
[00:16:38] Yeah.
[00:16:40] So you like what you saw from Wilson.
[00:16:43] To an extent.
[00:16:44] Yeah.
[00:16:45] Yeah.
[00:16:45] No, I gotcha.
[00:16:46] Like, I'm not going to say like, I mean, you're right.
[00:16:48] Like that first quarter was abysmal.
[00:16:50] Like when he got booed, I was just like, and there was even a look on Tallman's face.
[00:16:55] Like, man, maybe I fucked up.
[00:16:57] Right.
[00:16:58] You know, the camera was on him and you could just kind of see him kind of like, man, I
[00:17:03] may have made a mistake, you know, but once he hit that, that first moon ball to Pickens.
[00:17:11] Yeah.
[00:17:12] He, he played much better.
[00:17:14] Made a little more confidence.
[00:17:16] And I feel like there's still rust to be, you know, kind of worked out for him.
[00:17:21] Yeah.
[00:17:22] And, you know, maybe you can get Calvin Austin going a little bit.
[00:17:28] Maybe you can get Van Jefferson going a little bit.
[00:17:31] Um, you know, maybe you start utilizing prior move more.
[00:17:39] Or they, they seem to like throw the Washington now.
[00:17:42] Yeah.
[00:17:43] I noticed that too.
[00:17:45] Which like, I'm like, okay, that's a good idea.
[00:17:49] Yeah.
[00:17:49] Let's throw the, the six, seven, excuse me, the six, seven guy.
[00:17:52] Yeah.
[00:17:53] You know?
[00:17:53] Yeah.
[00:17:56] So I, I feel like, you know, there's always this talk like, you know, when the Fonte Adams
[00:18:03] was asking for a trade from the Raiders, it was like, well, the Steelers are making a play,
[00:18:06] you know?
[00:18:07] Yeah.
[00:18:08] Before that, it was, you know, the Brandon Iook saga that was all summer and camp long.
[00:18:13] Yeah.
[00:18:13] Yeah.
[00:18:14] Then they were talking about Cooper Cup.
[00:18:16] Oh.
[00:18:17] Well, the Rams are like, I think the Rams were looking, I, after Thursday night, the Rams
[00:18:23] are no longer looking to trade Cooper Cup, I think.
[00:18:26] Right.
[00:18:26] I think they're kind of like, feel like, okay, I think we can do something here.
[00:18:30] But, um, I, I don't know who else is out there.
[00:18:35] Like maybe Mike Williams from the Jets.
[00:18:38] Okay.
[00:18:38] Because he's kind of get, he kind of gets pushed out as the odd man out.
[00:18:42] Yeah.
[00:18:42] With the Jets, with Adams and Wilson and, um, the other guy they got, I can't remember.
[00:18:50] Like they've got three really good receivers.
[00:18:52] Yeah.
[00:18:53] Um, so Mike Williams might be available, but he's just another version of George Pickens.
[00:18:59] He's not like the guy you want on the other side of Pickens is a Hines Ward type or a
[00:19:07] Antonio Brown, like a, a true route runner.
[00:19:10] Right.
[00:19:11] So you have that guy who is a threat 10 to 15 yards down the field to make a big play.
[00:19:19] And you have that guy who's a big threat to make a play 30 yards down the field and Pickens.
[00:19:24] Like that's, that's what you want.
[00:19:25] You want somebody to offset Pickens.
[00:19:27] Right.
[00:19:27] Not another version of Pickens.
[00:19:30] Um, so I, I think they, like, I would not be surprised if they just stand pat and kind
[00:19:39] of run with what they've got.
[00:19:40] Yeah.
[00:19:42] And then you have to address that in like the draft.
[00:19:48] Like you got to go looking for another guy.
[00:19:51] Yeah, for sure.
[00:19:52] It's just kind of weird that we're down on receivers.
[00:19:56] You know what I mean?
[00:19:59] Do you find that odd?
[00:20:02] Well, I find it odd.
[00:20:03] I mean, once they traded Deontay Jets, Deontay Johnson, Johnson.
[00:20:09] Yeah.
[00:20:09] Deontay Jackson is the corner we got, which is, who's very good.
[00:20:12] Yeah.
[00:20:12] Um, like it was like clear.
[00:20:17] Like, okay, you need to find another guy.
[00:20:20] Right.
[00:20:22] Now they went and they got that guy in the draft.
[00:20:25] Um, I can't remember his name, but he, he's been injured.
[00:20:32] But he was a guy I really thought might like, he's been stuck in that Mike Tomlin.
[00:20:41] You've got to earn a helmet deal.
[00:20:43] Yeah.
[00:20:46] And they're not putting, giving him a helmet.
[00:20:48] And when he has been healthy and he hasn't been healthy, pulled hamstring or something.
[00:20:55] Like it's just one of those deals where like that guy who I thought he might start as a third receiver to move into the second receiver.
[00:21:03] Right.
[00:21:03] Right.
[00:21:04] Hasn't done anything because partially because Mike Tomlin's rule with like guys like that of like, yeah, you got to earn your stripe.
[00:21:14] Right.
[00:21:16] You did that years ago with like, when we had Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders, it was like two dogs, one bone.
[00:21:21] Yeah.
[00:21:23] Like let's just give both those dogs a bone.
[00:21:26] Yeah.
[00:21:26] Why not?
[00:21:26] Let's sit somebody else.
[00:21:28] Yeah.
[00:21:28] You know, cause they were both really good.
[00:21:31] Right.
[00:21:32] Um, but I just, I do feel like, I think we're going to see like the second half of this season is where you're going to find out where they're at.
[00:21:44] Like after the giants game, have a buy and then they've got six games against the AFC North.
[00:21:51] I think they play the Eagles, the commanders, and they have Kansas city on like Christmas night or some shit.
[00:21:58] Yeah.
[00:21:59] KC games, Christmas.
[00:22:00] Yeah.
[00:22:01] So, I mean, like you're going to find out who the Steelers are.
[00:22:06] For the second half of the season.
[00:22:07] I'm not afraid.
[00:22:08] You know.
[00:22:09] Yeah.
[00:22:12] It was a good one.
[00:22:13] It was, it's a, it's a great win.
[00:22:17] I mean, in, in, especially in regards to like what you're trying to do.
[00:22:21] Yeah.
[00:22:24] Like you're, you're, you're, you're competing in the AFC North, which like, I mean, Baltimore's on fire offensively.
[00:22:33] Yeah.
[00:22:34] Like it's not even fair that they have Derek Henry.
[00:22:39] Like he is like rejuvenated himself in the waters of like, like, like, like whatever.
[00:22:48] I'm like, he has just been like a absolute monster.
[00:22:56] And what makes it worse is because he's so fucking good.
[00:23:03] Now that frees up Lamar Jackson.
[00:23:07] Right.
[00:23:08] I know.
[00:23:09] You know.
[00:23:10] Derek Henry's a beast.
[00:23:11] He is.
[00:23:12] I mean, you're talking about, he, they're saying like he could rush for 2000 yards this year.
[00:23:16] You think?
[00:23:17] He's on pace for it.
[00:23:19] Like, I mean, whether that pace keeps up or not, I don't know.
[00:23:22] What's their record?
[00:23:24] They're what?
[00:23:25] Five and two.
[00:23:26] Just like us.
[00:23:27] Yeah.
[00:23:28] Just the, I mean.
[00:23:29] When's the Baltimore game happen?
[00:23:31] Well, I think they play Baltimore in three weeks.
[00:23:41] Three.
[00:23:42] Yeah.
[00:23:42] I get the first Baltimore game.
[00:23:43] I think it's in like a three weeks.
[00:23:45] Cause I know.
[00:23:45] I mean, they, they got the bi-week after the Giants game on Monday night.
[00:23:51] And then after the bi-week, they play the Commanders.
[00:23:56] And I think after that is the Baltimore game.
[00:23:59] Oh, yeah.
[00:24:01] But that, and then they play Baltimore like twice within like, it's, I mean, let me look
[00:24:06] this up.
[00:24:06] Cause it's like their, their, their, their schedule is ridiculous.
[00:24:13] It's like, you look at it and you go, how is this?
[00:24:27] Yeah.
[00:24:29] So, so coming out, coming out of the bi-weeks, they play the Giants on Monday night.
[00:24:34] Then, then they have the Commanders and then they get the Ravens, the Browns, the Bengals,
[00:24:42] the Browns, the Eagles, the Ravens, the Chiefs and the Bengals.
[00:24:46] Wow.
[00:24:47] Yeah.
[00:24:48] Like it, the second half of their season, like people were, I remember when they announced
[00:24:52] the schedule and everything, like it was like the Steelers had the hardest second half schedule
[00:24:59] of any team in the league.
[00:25:01] And at that time, at that time, they were looking at the Commanders game as an easy one.
[00:25:08] Yeah.
[00:25:08] Like that was like, yeah, their last easy game will be against Commanders.
[00:25:12] And then they go down, you know, you know, hell's row with everybody else.
[00:25:18] Well, the Commanders are pretty fucking good.
[00:25:21] Yeah.
[00:25:22] You know?
[00:25:22] So it's like, holy shit.
[00:25:24] But I mean, like, yeah, I mean, they play, you know, Ravens, Browns, Bengals, Browns,
[00:25:30] you know, you're like, holy shit.
[00:25:33] Because they haven't played any of the, like all these divisional games that were put off
[00:25:37] to the second half of the season.
[00:25:39] And the conspiracy theory is the NFL did that for hard knocks.
[00:25:45] Really?
[00:25:46] Yeah.
[00:25:47] That kind of sucks.
[00:25:49] Well, because it's that thing of like, okay, so the in-season hard knocks this year is for
[00:25:55] the AFC North as a whole.
[00:25:57] Right.
[00:25:58] So it's not just the Steelers that are on there.
[00:26:01] Yeah.
[00:26:02] But you know as well as I do, the star of the show is Mike Tomlin.
[00:26:07] Yeah.
[00:26:08] The two stars are going to be Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh.
[00:26:11] Yeah.
[00:26:11] Those are the two charismatic coaches in the division.
[00:26:13] The other two guys in Cleveland and Cincinnati, like I couldn't pick out of a lineup if you
[00:26:20] had a gun to my head.
[00:26:21] All right.
[00:26:21] Right.
[00:26:21] Like, you know, they both look the same.
[00:26:24] They both, you know, gel their hair the same.
[00:26:26] They have the same three day gross shitty beard.
[00:26:29] Like they're the same fucking guy.
[00:26:32] Yeah.
[00:26:32] Yeah.
[00:26:33] You know, and.
[00:26:35] You know, whereas with like Harbaugh and Tomlin, I mean, those guys are so charismatic and
[00:26:42] they're so fun to watch.
[00:26:44] As much as I hate John Harbaugh, I have to admit like he is.
[00:26:50] Like he's going to be a fun guy to watch on that show.
[00:26:53] Why do you hate John Harbaugh so bad?
[00:26:55] Well, one, he's a Harbaugh.
[00:26:58] And two, he's the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.
[00:27:00] Okay.
[00:27:01] I mean, I, I, he, and he's been there forever.
[00:27:04] Yeah.
[00:27:05] You know what I mean?
[00:27:05] Like he's been there, I think 15 years to Tomlin 17.
[00:27:10] Okay.
[00:27:10] You know what I mean?
[00:27:10] Like he has been a nemesis for a very long time.
[00:27:14] Okay.
[00:27:15] You know, I mean, it's, it's, it's like my dad hating bum Phillips and John Madden.
[00:27:20] Yeah.
[00:27:21] You know, those guys were with the Raiders and the Oilers forever.
[00:27:24] They were a nuisance.
[00:27:25] They were a pain in his ass and he hated them.
[00:27:27] You know, same thing for me with John Harbaugh, you know, I'm not a big fan of Jim either,
[00:27:33] but nice.
[00:27:36] Like the worst Superbowl ever was, was the Harbaugh bowl where it was, you know, Jim was
[00:27:41] the head coach of the 49ers and John was the head coach of the Ravens.
[00:27:44] I did not know.
[00:27:45] I did not have a rooting interest in that game.
[00:27:47] No, no.
[00:27:49] Like it was like the first Superbowl I could ever say like, I could care less who wins
[00:27:53] this game.
[00:27:53] Cause they both suck.
[00:27:54] Nice.
[00:27:55] You know, but, but so like you have Tom one, like I said, like, you know, the conspiracy
[00:28:05] theory is like, you're going to have him against all of these guys.
[00:28:09] So you can really focus on him as the, the, the show progresses.
[00:28:18] Right.
[00:28:18] You know what I mean?
[00:28:19] Like, because I said, you, you, he's going to be the star of the show.
[00:28:22] Him and John Harbaugh are going to be the big stars.
[00:28:23] Right.
[00:28:24] As far as coaching goes, like, you know, maybe some individual players.
[00:28:28] Like I'm, I'm, I'm sure Russell Wilson will be hamming it up for the camera in that
[00:28:33] Russell Wilson way that I just like Russell Wilson is a corn ball.
[00:28:40] He, he, he is like, I think he tries to be what you think a quarterback would be in a
[00:28:47] movie.
[00:28:47] Really?
[00:28:49] Yeah.
[00:28:50] Like, and I, and nothing, cause like he seems like an amazing human being.
[00:28:56] Like he spends every Tuesday at children's hospital.
[00:28:59] Yeah.
[00:29:00] Like every Tuesday, even when he was injured, like every Tuesday at children's hospital
[00:29:05] going to visit the kids.
[00:29:06] Really?
[00:29:07] Yeah.
[00:29:09] Like amazing guy.
[00:29:11] Okay.
[00:29:12] Like very charitable.
[00:29:13] Like, but, but like he like does like the corn ball stuff.
[00:29:16] Like I can't even describe it.
[00:29:21] Like just when you listen to him talk, you're just like, that's not how a real person actually
[00:29:27] talks.
[00:29:29] You know what I mean?
[00:29:29] Like, like a real person doesn't say these things.
[00:29:32] Like this is what things a movie character would say.
[00:29:35] And it's, it's stuff like that, that like kind of endears him to you, but also like kind
[00:29:41] of grates on you a little bit.
[00:29:42] Yeah.
[00:29:43] Like, like I would not want to play for, with Russell Wilson.
[00:29:46] Okay.
[00:29:46] Not because he's a bad guy or I think he's a bad quarterback.
[00:29:49] Just, I think his bullshit would like be like, Oh, come on, man.
[00:29:52] I'm more of this.
[00:29:54] You know what I mean?
[00:29:55] Like I, that's just how I think.
[00:29:56] Like, I think that's what happened a little bit in Denver was a little bit of that was
[00:29:59] like, really bro, you know, but I think there are going to be other guys.
[00:30:09] I'm, I'm sure that'll, that'll pop for all four teams.
[00:30:15] I think Jameis Winston and Cleveland will probably be a big, like he'll, he'll probably
[00:30:20] get a lot of shine.
[00:30:21] Yeah.
[00:30:24] I'm sure Jared Burrow will.
[00:30:28] That's the other thing.
[00:30:30] That's the thing you don't want to have happening.
[00:30:32] It's happening.
[00:30:33] Bengals are getting hot.
[00:30:34] Yeah.
[00:30:35] Like you look at the Bengals and you're just like, Oh man, here they come.
[00:30:40] And like, I, I told Hobie at the beginning of the year before football season start, I
[00:30:45] hate that they have Joe Burrow.
[00:30:46] Yeah.
[00:30:47] Because the Bengals will always be relevant as long as they have him at quarterback.
[00:30:53] They may not be a Superbowl threat.
[00:30:54] Yeah.
[00:30:55] They'll probably never be a Superbowl threat again, but they will always be relevant
[00:31:00] because they have Joe Burrow.
[00:31:02] Yeah.
[00:31:02] Because he's that damn good.
[00:31:04] Yeah.
[00:31:04] Like he, to me, Joe Burrow is the second best quarterback in the league.
[00:31:08] Yeah.
[00:31:09] Yeah.
[00:31:10] You know, Mahomes is, is number one.
[00:31:11] And to me, Joe Burrow is number two.
[00:31:13] And as long as they have Joe Burrow, they will always be relevant.
[00:31:17] Yeah.
[00:31:18] They'll win games.
[00:31:19] They'll, they'll be a 10, a nine, 10 win team.
[00:31:21] Yeah.
[00:31:21] Every year.
[00:31:23] Yeah.
[00:31:23] Every year.
[00:31:23] But at the same time, like that, that franchise, that organization is so fucking bad.
[00:31:32] Yeah.
[00:31:32] They're not going to keep the players around them that he needs.
[00:31:36] They'll end up doing like, they'll, they'll, they'll look at Kansas city and they'll see
[00:31:46] that Patrick Mahomes has made, has won championships with lesser talents.
[00:31:50] Yeah.
[00:31:51] And I'll say, well, Joe Burrow can do that.
[00:31:55] Yeah.
[00:31:56] And maybe he can't.
[00:31:58] Like Patrick Mahomes is so like his talent, plus he may not have had the receiving talent
[00:32:06] around them, but he's had a defense the past couple of years.
[00:32:08] Yeah.
[00:32:09] Like this year they're winning with defense.
[00:32:11] Yeah.
[00:32:12] You look at Patrick Mahomes stats, you know, you have them.
[00:32:14] I have.
[00:32:15] His stats aren't that good.
[00:32:16] Yeah.
[00:32:17] But they're winning with defense.
[00:32:19] You know, they're winning other ways.
[00:32:20] Yeah.
[00:32:22] So they've spent money in other places.
[00:32:26] If I'm the Bengals, I'm looking at that model, but I'm saying to myself, well, how can we
[00:32:32] save money?
[00:32:33] Yeah.
[00:32:34] Well, let's, let's go get the TAMU version of, you know, TJ Watt.
[00:32:42] Let's go get the TAMU version.
[00:32:43] Like I'm going to do it on the cheap.
[00:32:45] Right.
[00:32:46] On the Bengals.
[00:32:47] Yeah.
[00:32:48] And then you're, you'll always be like, you'll be what the Steelers have been the past 10,
[00:32:53] 15 years.
[00:32:54] Right.
[00:32:56] Nine, 10 wins.
[00:32:58] Get to the playoffs.
[00:32:58] As good as Roethlisberger was, he should have won more Super Bowls.
[00:33:02] Well, I mean, but that's the problem.
[00:33:04] Like you look, you look at that run and what was the problem?
[00:33:09] Well, the problem was on the defense.
[00:33:11] The defense stunk.
[00:33:12] Yeah.
[00:33:13] They had Paul Amalu.
[00:33:16] They had Cameron Hay, Kim Hayward and nothing else for the longest period of time.
[00:33:22] Yeah.
[00:33:24] Like there were games that they, that they lost where like the Steelers scored 30 points.
[00:33:30] Yeah.
[00:33:31] You know what I mean?
[00:33:31] Like, but they, they still lost the game.
[00:33:34] Well, how do you do that?
[00:33:35] Well, your defense stinks.
[00:33:37] Yeah.
[00:33:37] And they were spending money on Bell, Brown, um, and Ben spending money on the offensive
[00:33:46] line to protect Ben.
[00:33:48] Yeah.
[00:33:49] You know, but they weren't spending money on the defensive side at that time.
[00:33:52] Now they've completely, you know, they're the highest paid defense in the league.
[00:33:56] Yeah.
[00:33:57] But, you know, they're missing a lot on offense.
[00:34:01] Yeah.
[00:34:02] So it's a given day.
[00:34:05] Yeah.
[00:34:05] I get it.
[00:34:07] It reminds me of the pirates, like the nineties and the two thousands.
[00:34:10] Yeah.
[00:34:11] Like you would go into a season and the pirates would like have like, they'd be losing games
[00:34:17] like five to six, five to eight because they had really good hitting, but they had no pitching.
[00:34:25] Yeah.
[00:34:26] So they would spend all their draft capital.
[00:34:28] They would spend, you know, all their free agent money.
[00:34:31] They would, you know, developing a pitching staff.
[00:34:34] Yeah.
[00:34:34] And by the time that pitching staff developed, they had no hitters.
[00:34:38] So now they're losing games two to one, two nothing.
[00:34:42] Yeah.
[00:34:43] You know?
[00:34:43] And it was like, oh, yeah, they never could get the pitching and the hitting right at the
[00:34:51] same time until 2013.
[00:34:53] Yeah.
[00:34:54] 20 years of futility, you know, but that's the way it always was.
[00:34:59] And that's the way it's back to being like right now.
[00:35:02] You look at the pirates, they have amazing pitching, but they have no hitters.
[00:35:07] Yeah.
[00:35:07] Nothing.
[00:35:09] You know, they were like, you had Paul Skeens.
[00:35:13] He's just blowing people away.
[00:35:15] Yeah.
[00:35:16] You know?
[00:35:17] But he was losing games or getting no decisions in games because they were going, by the time
[00:35:23] they were pulling him in the sixth inning, it was still a zero, zero or one, one.
[00:35:28] Yeah.
[00:35:28] He was giving up no runs, striking out eight.
[00:35:33] Yeah.
[00:35:33] But yet he's getting a no decision because he can't hit for him.
[00:35:38] That's terrible.
[00:35:39] It is.
[00:35:40] Ah, Pittsburgh sports.
[00:35:42] Yeah.
[00:35:44] Or, you know, when the Penguins give up 50 shots on goal like they did last night.
[00:35:51] I didn't even see it.
[00:35:52] I didn't read it.
[00:35:53] Yeah.
[00:35:53] They gave up 50 shots on goal.
[00:35:55] Only the goalkeeper like stood out.
[00:35:57] I can't remember who it was in goal.
[00:35:59] It was not Jari.
[00:36:00] He went to Wilkes-Barre, I think.
[00:36:03] Oh.
[00:36:05] Like you give up 50 shots on goal and you only give up four goals.
[00:36:08] Yeah.
[00:36:08] And you're like the third star of the game.
[00:36:10] Because he stood on his fucking head.
[00:36:12] Did they win?
[00:36:13] No, they lost 4-0.
[00:36:15] Oh, really?
[00:36:15] Yeah.
[00:36:17] They played the entire game on their side of the ice.
[00:36:20] Really?
[00:36:21] Yeah.
[00:36:24] But that's what happens when you pay three guys who, you know, are eyeballing retirement.
[00:36:33] Yeah.
[00:36:37] The rebuilding years.
[00:36:41] I mean, and it's hard.
[00:36:42] I get it.
[00:36:43] Like with the Penguins, it's so hard because you're just like Crosby, Malkin, and Letang.
[00:36:47] Yeah.
[00:36:48] Like all three of those guys are going to be in the Hall of Fame.
[00:36:53] Yeah, I know.
[00:36:54] I mean, I get that.
[00:36:55] But you're not going to go to a cup with those three guys.
[00:36:57] Not right now.
[00:36:58] No.
[00:36:58] Not at their age.
[00:36:59] No, but you have to have a background for them.
[00:37:02] Yeah.
[00:37:03] Like when they got rid of, when they got rid of, um...
[00:37:12] Marc-Andre Fleury?
[00:37:13] No.
[00:37:15] Recently.
[00:37:16] Last year, they got rid of him.
[00:37:19] Little guy.
[00:37:20] I always say they reminded me of Bob Airy.
[00:37:22] I can't remember.
[00:37:25] Oh.
[00:37:27] They just got rid of him.
[00:37:38] Jake Getzel.
[00:37:38] Jake Getzel.
[00:37:39] Okay.
[00:37:39] Yeah.
[00:37:40] Yeah.
[00:37:40] That was a mistake.
[00:37:43] Yeah, I agree.
[00:37:44] That was a mistake.
[00:37:48] I'm not saying he could have been your franchise, but...
[00:37:52] He scored.
[00:37:53] Yeah.
[00:37:54] And he was good.
[00:37:54] And he was good in playoffs.
[00:37:56] But he was a guy, like...
[00:37:58] I mean, you're making the decision...
[00:38:01] This is the hardest thing in the world for any sports franchise.
[00:38:05] Right.
[00:38:07] How do you honor a legend that's not hanging it up?
[00:38:15] Yeah.
[00:38:17] Like, Ben should have retired two years before he did.
[00:38:20] Yeah.
[00:38:21] Probably.
[00:38:21] Agreed.
[00:38:22] Like, but he stuck it out because he loved the game, loved the guys.
[00:38:28] Like, you could see why he hung around.
[00:38:32] Yeah.
[00:38:33] But yet, at the same time, like, he wasn't throwing the ball deep down the field because
[00:38:37] he had no time.
[00:38:38] He was, you know, 1.2 seconds and releasing the ball.
[00:38:42] Right.
[00:38:43] It was shit like that.
[00:38:47] And it's the same with the Penguins.
[00:38:48] Like, at some point, you got to have a conversation with them.
[00:38:53] Right.
[00:38:53] Like, that's what the Steelers did with Ben.
[00:38:55] They're like, you know, we are not going to resign you.
[00:38:57] Yeah.
[00:38:58] Like, you have to have that conversation.
[00:39:00] I did the same with Paul Amalu.
[00:39:02] Yeah.
[00:39:02] Like, you're at a point where we just, we can't see why we should resign you.
[00:39:09] Yeah.
[00:39:10] Like, if you want to go and play somewhere else, we understand.
[00:39:15] We don't want you to.
[00:39:17] But you're at a point in your career that you're not as valuable as you think you are.
[00:39:25] Right.
[00:39:27] And I have to have that conversation probably with Geno, probably with a lot.
[00:39:33] Like, very weirdly, Crosby is still Crosby-ish.
[00:39:40] Yeah.
[00:39:41] Like, you know what I mean?
[00:39:41] Like, not the best player in the league.
[00:39:46] He's probably in the top 10.
[00:39:47] You know?
[00:39:48] Yeah.
[00:39:49] Yeah.
[00:39:49] But, but Malkin and Letang, they're not.
[00:39:53] No, they're not.
[00:39:54] Like, sometimes they have a spark and you're like, oh man, I remember when he was used to
[00:39:57] playing.
[00:39:58] I remember that guy.
[00:39:59] Yeah.
[00:39:59] I remember that guy.
[00:40:00] Yeah.
[00:40:00] But most of the time, you're like, where the fuck is Geno?
[00:40:04] Where's 71?
[00:40:05] Where's 58?
[00:40:07] Like, where are these guys?
[00:40:08] Yeah.
[00:40:09] It's different.
[00:40:10] Yeah.
[00:40:10] It's not like.
[00:40:11] I always compared Malkin to Vetch, right?
[00:40:14] A Vetchkin.
[00:40:15] Yeah.
[00:40:16] A little bit.
[00:40:18] Especially with a slouch.
[00:40:19] Yeah.
[00:40:22] I don't know.
[00:40:24] Vetchkin has to be close.
[00:40:27] You would think, to retiring.
[00:40:30] I think he's, he's pushing.
[00:40:32] I think there are records that he, he's pursuing at this point.
[00:40:35] I see.
[00:40:37] Like, I think that's what keeps him on the ice is like, that there are some Gretzky records
[00:40:41] he can reach.
[00:40:43] I see.
[00:40:43] You know?
[00:40:44] Yeah.
[00:40:44] And I think that's what keeps him going.
[00:40:50] But like, I just, I, I, I, I understand it.
[00:40:56] Walking away from something you've done your entire life.
[00:40:59] Right.
[00:41:01] Has got to be extraordinarily hard to do.
[00:41:04] Yeah, sure.
[00:41:04] For, no matter what the sport is.
[00:41:07] Right.
[00:41:08] Like, especially a team sport, because not only are you losing, like, what that was on
[00:41:14] the day to day, but there's a camaraderie of the, the locker room, the, you know, the flights,
[00:41:20] the, the, the, the buses.
[00:41:22] Like, there, there is a, a level of brotherhood with your fellow players.
[00:41:29] Right.
[00:41:32] If you're playing an individual sport, maybe that makes it a little bit easier because
[00:41:37] you don't have that.
[00:41:38] Right.
[00:41:38] Like, as a tennis player or a, or a golfer, like maybe walking away from playing professionally
[00:41:44] is a little bit easier because you don't have that brotherhood.
[00:41:49] But I think from a team sport standpoint, like, it, it is extraordinarily difficult.
[00:41:55] To walk away from it.
[00:41:56] Right.
[00:41:56] Right.
[00:41:57] Especially at a professional level, especially at when you're somebody who played at a high
[00:42:04] level, like, it's got to be like, man, like, what do I do with myself?
[00:42:07] I'm, I'm only 38.
[00:42:09] Right.
[00:42:10] You know, I'm only 35.
[00:42:14] Like, what am I supposed to do with myself for the rest of my life?
[00:42:17] Right.
[00:42:17] I think that's a very hard thing for people like that to figure out because it's, your
[00:42:24] life has been so dominated by, I get up, I have breakfast, I go to the facility, watch
[00:42:35] film, I hit the training room, we go on the field or on the ice, on the court, like all
[00:42:41] of that.
[00:42:42] Like, your, your, your day is regimented.
[00:42:45] Right.
[00:42:46] In a way.
[00:42:47] And so that's taken away from you.
[00:42:50] You're, you know, every, you know, it's.
[00:42:54] It's just that thing that, that cannot be easy at all.
[00:42:57] No, it can't be.
[00:42:58] No.
[00:43:00] But.
[00:43:01] Yeah.
[00:43:02] They're making the money.
[00:43:03] We're not.
[00:43:03] Exactly.
[00:43:06] Speaking of making money though, did you see pits seven though?
[00:43:11] No.
[00:43:11] Yeah.
[00:43:12] They played Thursday night.
[00:43:14] They played Syracuse.
[00:43:16] Oh, I did see that they destroyed Syracuse.
[00:43:19] Three pick sixes in the first half.
[00:43:21] Oh, wow.
[00:43:22] Five interceptions total.
[00:43:24] Wow.
[00:43:24] Their D's that good or Syracuse that bad?
[00:43:27] Their D rose up.
[00:43:29] Yeah.
[00:43:30] Like.
[00:43:32] Their defense has been good.
[00:43:33] It's not great.
[00:43:34] Right.
[00:43:35] But, um, but if Syracuse came in with the, I think it's Cade McNamara was his name.
[00:43:41] I can't remember if that's right or not.
[00:43:43] Mm.
[00:43:43] But like, he was considered like the top, the best quarterback in the country.
[00:43:46] Okay.
[00:43:47] Like, even though Syracuse was foreign too, like he was considered like, you know, the
[00:43:51] best quarterback in the country.
[00:43:52] And it was like, wow, this kid's just going to tear Pitt apart.
[00:43:55] And he threw five picks.
[00:43:57] Three of them got taken back for touchdowns.
[00:43:59] Right.
[00:44:00] You know, that was, that was kind of like Pitt trying to introduce themselves in prime time.
[00:44:06] Right.
[00:44:06] Like, this is who we are without like, even like their bet.
[00:44:09] Like, if you look at, if you were just to look at like offensive yardage and time of possession,
[00:44:15] you would have thought Pitt got their asses handed to him.
[00:44:18] Yeah.
[00:44:19] Because Pitt's offense hardly had the ball.
[00:44:21] Okay.
[00:44:21] Especially in the first half.
[00:44:23] Yeah.
[00:44:25] Like Pitt, I think ranked up less than 200 yards of total offense and held the ball maybe
[00:44:29] for 10 minutes.
[00:44:30] Wow.
[00:44:30] But their defense, like, you know, you kept giving the ball back to Syracuse because you
[00:44:39] scored 21 points on defense.
[00:44:40] Yeah.
[00:44:41] You know, not too shabby, you know?
[00:44:43] Yeah.
[00:44:44] So like Eli Holston and the offense didn't even get a chance to shine.
[00:44:51] That's okay.
[00:44:52] Yeah, it's okay.
[00:44:54] But Pitt can make a run here.
[00:44:59] Like, I'm sure there are those of us who, you know, worship at the cult of Happy Valley
[00:45:05] who are laughing at me right now.
[00:45:07] But if you look at their schedule, the next time they play, they play next Saturday against
[00:45:14] SMU at SMU.
[00:45:16] SMU's ranked 22nd.
[00:45:17] Pitt's ranked 19th right now.
[00:45:19] Okay.
[00:45:19] So if SMU wins, I mean, that could be two ranked teams.
[00:45:22] That could end up on prime time.
[00:45:24] Yeah.
[00:45:24] Um, I can't remember who they play after that, but then they have, um, number nine,
[00:45:31] Clemson at home.
[00:45:32] Hmm.
[00:45:34] We've done that before.
[00:45:35] Yeah.
[00:45:36] Yeah.
[00:45:38] Being much less.
[00:45:39] Yeah.
[00:45:39] You know, but, um, and then they, they, they finish off.
[00:45:43] Um, I don't know.
[00:45:46] It goes SMU, Virginia, Virginia's at, at home, Clemson's at home.
[00:45:54] And then they have two away games.
[00:45:56] I know one of them's at Boston college.
[00:45:58] Okay.
[00:46:01] Now as a pit fan, I'm looking at that schedule and I am saying at some point pit is going to
[00:46:10] pit.
[00:46:11] Yeah.
[00:46:11] Like they're going to lose a game to a team they should beat.
[00:46:15] Yeah.
[00:46:16] Virginia scares me.
[00:46:18] Okay.
[00:46:19] Like that just feels like that's the game that pit would blow.
[00:46:23] Right.
[00:46:24] At home, an inferior opponent.
[00:46:29] This should be a, a big win for pit, but instead they struggle and they end up losing
[00:46:37] by five.
[00:46:38] Like, you know, like something stupid where you're just like, how the fuck did that even
[00:46:42] happen?
[00:46:43] Perfect.
[00:46:44] And then I won't be surprised if they lose to either SMU or Clemson.
[00:46:53] Like I'm, I'm a realist.
[00:46:55] Okay.
[00:46:55] Like, do I think they can beat SMU?
[00:46:57] A hundred percent.
[00:46:58] Do I think they can beat Clemson?
[00:46:59] A hundred percent.
[00:47:01] But I would not be surprised if they lost to Clemson.
[00:47:05] Yeah.
[00:47:05] Like SMU is at SMU.
[00:47:09] That could be a, a, a very hostile environment.
[00:47:13] Yeah.
[00:47:14] Cause SMU hasn't been good since like 1984.
[00:47:17] Yeah.
[00:47:18] You know, like, like since the death penalty was brought down on them.
[00:47:21] This is the, the best team they've had since then.
[00:47:24] Yeah.
[00:47:25] Um, but it is like, you just have that feeling of like, there's, they're, they're going to
[00:47:33] lay an egg at some point.
[00:47:34] Right.
[00:47:35] Like, but I mean, if they win, if they're a 10 and two team, that is a massive turnaround.
[00:47:43] They go to a, you know, whatever's left of the bowl system.
[00:47:46] I don't even know.
[00:47:47] Yeah.
[00:47:48] But it's still, it's a massive win for them just because they were, they had, they were
[00:47:54] a four win team the year before.
[00:47:56] Right.
[00:47:56] You know, that's a huge turnaround and you hope they can keep going and you hope that Eli Holstein,
[00:48:02] who's a red shirt freshman stays for another two years.
[00:48:07] Like that's the thing of concern is he was like, man, Holston's looked really good.
[00:48:12] I can see teams coming in and offering him all sorts of NIL money.
[00:48:16] Yeah.
[00:48:17] And he leaves to go somewhere else.
[00:48:20] So you kind of hope like he left Alabama, he came to pit, he made a name for himself.
[00:48:25] Hopefully he stays at pit.
[00:48:26] Yeah.
[00:48:27] And you know, you don't have to play that shuffling game of like, well, who can we find
[00:48:32] the transfer portal this year?
[00:48:34] You know, but outside of that, otherwise it has been college football chaos.
[00:48:46] I mean, we, Alabama lost to Vandy.
[00:48:52] Then they lost again.
[00:48:54] Yeah.
[00:48:54] That's unheard of.
[00:48:55] Yeah.
[00:48:56] What's going on down there?
[00:48:57] I have no idea.
[00:48:58] Huh?
[00:48:58] No idea.
[00:49:01] What's happening with those guys?
[00:49:04] Losing their shit.
[00:49:05] I don't know.
[00:49:07] Nick Saban leaves and this is what you get?
[00:49:09] Yeah.
[00:49:10] I find that crazy.
[00:49:14] But like all sorts of like, it's just, it's weirdness because you're seeing games at this
[00:49:19] time of year you didn't used to see in the past.
[00:49:23] Right.
[00:49:23] Like, you know, Ohio State traveled to Oregon.
[00:49:29] Right.
[00:49:30] For a game.
[00:49:32] Yeah.
[00:49:33] That's just weird.
[00:49:37] It is.
[00:49:38] Like, I mean, it's weird.
[00:49:40] Yeah.
[00:49:40] Like, that should not be a Big Ten game.
[00:49:43] Yeah.
[00:49:44] But it is.
[00:49:47] I mean, Penn State traveled to USC.
[00:49:50] Yeah.
[00:49:52] And escaped.
[00:49:54] Yeah.
[00:49:55] So you have to wonder how much of a massive advantage is that?
[00:50:00] Because Ohio State goes to Oregon and loses.
[00:50:02] How big of an advantage is the travel going each way?
[00:50:09] Right.
[00:50:09] Like, if you have to go to USC or Oregon or Washington, how big of an advantage is that
[00:50:19] to the home team and vice versa?
[00:50:23] Like, I know that today Washington's playing in Indiana, undefeated Indiana.
[00:50:29] You know, a team hasn't been like undefeated this late since like 1970 something.
[00:50:33] Right.
[00:50:33] You know, how big of an advantage does Indiana have playing a West Coast team at home?
[00:50:43] Right.
[00:50:43] You know, and at some point, like, I think next year Pitt has to go to Stanford.
[00:50:56] Oh, yeah?
[00:50:57] Yeah.
[00:50:57] Because that's Stanford and Cal joined the ACC.
[00:51:04] Right.
[00:51:06] Well, how hard is that going to be for Pitt to make that trip?
[00:51:11] Right.
[00:51:11] You know, how hard was it for – they played Cal earlier this year.
[00:51:17] And how hard was it for Cal to come to Pittsburgh and play like a 3 o'clock game?
[00:51:24] Right.
[00:51:24] You know, like, these are the questions that you kind of have to ask.
[00:51:28] And this is like why originally, like, these conferences were divvied up regionally.
[00:51:34] Now, I mean, you could say what you wanted to about, like, Pitt being in the ACC, but at
[00:51:39] least they were on the East Coast.
[00:51:40] Yeah.
[00:51:40] You know what I mean?
[00:51:44] Like, I think the biggest disadvantage would be, like, Boston College having to travel to
[00:51:49] Miami.
[00:51:51] That's a haul.
[00:51:52] Yeah, that is.
[00:51:53] But other than that, like, you know, it was the same thing with the Big Ten.
[00:51:57] It was the same thing with, like, the SEC.
[00:51:59] Like, it was all regional.
[00:52:02] So, like, the groupings made sense.
[00:52:06] Right.
[00:52:07] But now, like, it's just so crazy how college football is.
[00:52:14] And it's created some odd matchups where you're just like, they're playing who?
[00:52:21] This late in the season?
[00:52:22] Right.
[00:52:22] You know, or this early in the season?
[00:52:24] You know.
[00:52:25] Like, so.
[00:52:27] It's been a while to see.
[00:52:28] You know, I do think, in a way, the travel has caused some problems for some teams.
[00:52:36] Yeah.
[00:52:38] Well, that's.
[00:52:41] Especially when you're going cross coast.
[00:52:43] Right.
[00:52:43] When you're going coast to coast like that.
[00:52:46] Like, I'm sure somebody would be like, well, what about bowl games?
[00:52:49] Like, well, but you're there for a week.
[00:52:51] Right.
[00:52:52] You know what I mean?
[00:52:52] Like, you don't just go there, like, the day before the game.
[00:52:56] Right.
[00:52:57] Or two nights before.
[00:52:58] You're there for a week, so you acclimate.
[00:53:00] Right.
[00:53:00] You know what I mean?
[00:53:01] So, it's not like you're, you know, I went to class on Thursday, got on a plane, and then flew to Los Angeles.
[00:53:08] Right.
[00:53:09] You know?
[00:53:09] Like, no.
[00:53:10] You honestly, like, you know, you spend a week there.
[00:53:14] You know, so it is a little bit different from that standpoint.
[00:53:18] But.
[00:53:20] It is still kind of.
[00:53:26] I don't know.
[00:53:28] I heard Kirk Signetti, who's the head coach at Indiana.
[00:53:30] I guess they had to go to.
[00:53:34] UCLA.
[00:53:37] And he had analytics.
[00:53:38] People were telling him, like, oh, we should leave on Thursday.
[00:53:42] And he's like, no, we'll leave Friday late.
[00:53:44] We'll get there around eight o'clock.
[00:53:46] Have a bite to eat.
[00:53:47] Have a meeting.
[00:53:47] Wake up and kick their ass.
[00:53:49] Yeah.
[00:53:50] And that's what they did.
[00:53:51] Yeah.
[00:53:51] Yeah.
[00:53:51] So, I don't know.
[00:53:53] I don't know what the magic formula is.
[00:53:54] But somebody's got to figure it out.
[00:53:56] Yeah.
[00:53:56] You know.
[00:54:00] A lot of football, though.
[00:54:02] A lot of football.
[00:54:02] A lot of sports.
[00:54:03] I got nothing nerdy.
[00:54:04] I didn't even watch anything.
[00:54:05] I did watch.
[00:54:09] Last time, I watched Godzilla vs.
[00:54:11] Bailante.
[00:54:12] Nice.
[00:54:12] Yeah.
[00:54:13] I was in the mood for a Godzilla movie and picked that one.
[00:54:16] And that was fun.
[00:54:19] That's good.
[00:54:19] Yeah.
[00:54:21] I like when they do different things with Godzilla.
[00:54:23] Like, this one, they developed, like, a hero head for, like, close-up shots.
[00:54:30] So, he had, like, his features moved and stuff.
[00:54:33] Oh, yeah.
[00:54:34] And it was, like, kind of a nice little, like, oh, okay.
[00:54:37] That's kind of cool.
[00:54:38] Okay.
[00:54:39] You know.
[00:54:39] I like stuff like that.
[00:54:41] Like, I.
[00:54:43] You look at, like, Shin Godzilla and you look at Godzilla minus one.
[00:54:46] And those were done with computer-generated graphics.
[00:54:49] Yeah.
[00:54:49] But I still adore the man in the suit a little bit.
[00:54:55] And when they do neat things, like, with the technology of the man in the suit, you know, it's, I like that a lot.
[00:55:01] Right.
[00:55:02] It gives Godzilla personality.
[00:55:05] Okay.
[00:55:10] And again, another movie where Godzilla is kind of like the villain.
[00:55:14] Yeah.
[00:55:15] Well, because what's funny is, like, it takes place immediately after the return of Godzilla, which I watched a few weeks ago.
[00:55:22] So, Godzilla's still the bat.
[00:55:23] Like, he's not, like, the savior of Earth.
[00:55:27] Yeah.
[00:55:27] Defender of Earth.
[00:55:28] He's still Godzilla.
[00:55:29] You know, the.
[00:55:30] Yeah.
[00:55:31] The atomic reckoning of, you know, to mankind.
[00:55:34] And, like, Biollante is, like, a plant with a human and Godzilla DNA meshed with it.
[00:55:45] And it's kind of wacky.
[00:55:46] I kind of dug it.
[00:55:48] But it was just that thing of, like, I like.
[00:55:52] Like, the only reason Godzilla and Biollante fought is just because they had to.
[00:55:55] Like, Godzilla could feel Biollante, like, went to it.
[00:56:00] The fight.
[00:56:00] Right.
[00:56:01] And.
[00:56:03] I dig.
[00:56:04] Like, I dig that.
[00:56:05] Like, when Godzilla's still kind of like the villain.
[00:56:08] Like, everything that the humans were doing was like, well, we got to stop Godzilla.
[00:56:13] Right.
[00:56:13] We are fucked if Godzilla gets here.
[00:56:15] You know.
[00:56:15] Right.
[00:56:16] We have developed these super weapons in case Godzilla ever escaped from that volcano.
[00:56:20] Yeah, yeah.
[00:56:20] I was like, oh, this is badass.
[00:56:23] So.
[00:56:25] So, yeah.
[00:56:26] I dug that.
[00:56:30] That is it.
[00:56:31] Like, I haven't watched.
[00:56:32] I haven't watched anything since I was watching all those animated shows last week.
[00:56:38] Yeah, I haven't watched anything either.
[00:56:40] Yeah.
[00:56:41] Well, you're a busy man.
[00:56:42] Yeah, I've been busy.
[00:56:43] You're doing things.
[00:56:44] Yeah.
[00:56:48] I know, I'm tired.
[00:56:51] Yeah.
[00:56:52] I think we're going to wrap up.
[00:56:53] I think it's going to be a shorty.
[00:56:54] Okay.
[00:56:55] Anything you'd like to add to the proceedings then, sir?
[00:56:57] Well, I'm good.
[00:56:58] All right.
[00:56:59] Hold on.
[00:56:59] Hold on.
[00:57:00] Let me double check Thad's email.
[00:57:02] There might have been something in there that was readable.
[00:57:07] Let me pull that up here.
[00:57:12] Um.
[00:57:19] No.
[00:57:21] No.
[00:57:27] Damn, Sean.
[00:57:28] Thad's gaudy lights.
[00:57:30] Wait till next year when I add lasers to the show.
[00:57:32] What will you call that?
[00:57:34] Extra gaudy.
[00:57:35] That's just unnecessary.
[00:57:47] Sean, will you dress for Halloween this year?
[00:57:51] Nancy?
[00:57:52] Or will that bum Ian be back?
[00:57:54] Well, that bum Ian is back.
[00:58:00] I don't want to be dressing as anything.
[00:58:01] I'd be working.
[00:58:02] Oh.
[00:58:03] Yeah.
[00:58:04] Well, I think Halloween's on a Thursday.
[00:58:06] Yeah, I'm working.
[00:58:07] So.
[00:58:07] Yeah.
[00:58:10] I'm 52.
[00:58:11] I don't feel the need to dress up anymore.
[00:58:13] No?
[00:58:13] You don't want that?
[00:58:14] Yeah.
[00:58:14] Okay.
[00:58:15] Yeah, I was having that a long time ago.
[00:58:19] I think the last time I dressed as anything, I had a, I think I dressed as a joker.
[00:58:27] Oh, I see.
[00:58:28] Yeah.
[00:58:30] That was a long time ago.
[00:58:31] I was still working at a dish.
[00:58:32] Oh, really?
[00:58:33] Yeah.
[00:58:33] Yeah.
[00:58:35] Um, I'm guessing you will not be dressing as anything.
[00:58:38] I don't think so.
[00:58:39] No.
[00:58:39] Okay.
[00:58:42] Um, what is more impressive?
[00:58:45] Seven and O in fantasy or O and seven?
[00:58:49] I would say O and seven is a feat.
[00:58:51] Not just because you're O and seven, Thad, but because, I mean, you stink.
[00:58:56] Like, I can't wait to play you because you are the ultimate slump buster.
[00:59:01] Right.
[00:59:02] Like, if I, I will at least get the three wins and once I play you.
[00:59:07] Right.
[00:59:12] I mean, your team stinks.
[00:59:19] Uh, he says he should have a haunted house review or two for us next week.
[00:59:22] Well, that's always exciting.
[00:59:23] Yeah.
[00:59:24] Yeah.
[00:59:25] So, that's it from Thad.
[00:59:28] Um, so, uh, with that, uh, you can send us an email like Thad does each and every week.
[00:59:35] And sometimes we read it.
[00:59:36] Most of the times we don't.
[00:59:37] All right.
[00:59:37] And that email address is PittsburghNerd at Yahoo.com.
[00:59:41] You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter.
[00:59:44] Just search Pittsburgh Nerd.
[00:59:45] We're very, very easy to find.
[00:59:47] You can also find us on most podcasting net on, on some.
[00:59:52] Jesus.
[00:59:53] You can find us on the following podcasting networks.
[00:59:56] You can find us on the Tangent Bound Network, the Weeby Geeks Network, and the Podbreed Network.
[01:00:01] Uh, just give them a Google search.
[01:00:03] You can find all the other great podcasts they have to offer.
[01:00:06] And lastly, as always, we want to thank you, uh, for your support.
[01:00:11] We can't, uh, tell you how much we appreciate that.
[01:00:14] I am all fucked up today.
[01:00:15] Yeah.
[01:00:15] Yeah.
[01:00:16] And on that note, the Dreamer has awakened.
[01:00:20] Peace.