Drive11.2.26Hr1: Victory Monday

0:07 You're tuned to The Drive on your 24-7 home of the black and gold.

0:11 Steelers Nation Radio.

0:34 Good afternoon, Steeler Nation. It's The Drive on the Steelers Audio Network. Wes Shuler and Matt Williamson with you here for the next two hours on this Victory Monday as the Steelers stack four wins in a row, taking down the Cleveland Browns 27-6 on Sunday on the North Shore. Matt, that was a lot of fun. We should do that more often.

0:55 It was a lot of fun. It really was. And especially the style in which it was delivered. It I think they're the most physical team in the league and maybe the most fun team in the league. If you're into brutality and just moving human beings against their will, the analysis for this game is so simple and easy.

1:19 I don't feel like I can like bring anything extra to the table. Like Steelers, big people just kick the crap out of their big people. And it trickled down to the smaller people, you know, like, Games are one at the line of scrimmage still, and this is a ringing endorsement of both sides of the ball, utterly dominating their opponent. Utterly dominating.

1:39 It was insane.

1:40 Yeah.

1:41 It felt like everyone for the Steelers in the trenches.

1:44 From the start.

1:45 Played well on Sunday.

1:46 Yeah.

1:47 We could talk about the five offensive linemen. We could talk about the guys on the defensive front. I mean, it was, you're right. That's where it all begins, and football changes a lot, right? Football in 2026 looks a lot different than it did in 1996, even 10 years ago in a lot of ways. But Matt, the one way that football doesn't change is if you can, if you can move big people against their will, if you can win in the trenches on both sides of the football, you're going to win more often than not. It was not a perfect game by the Steelers, but it was a dominating one. And that led to what really felt like just sucking the soul out of that Cleveland team, especially when you score there in the third quarter, and

2:26 it really felt like that one was over. I mean, they started fast on defense, forced two turnovers on the Browns' first two possessions.

2:32 They started fast.

2:33 Real fast on defense. And we can't go much longer without mentioning the name Jalen Warren, who might have, on his 28th birthday, might have played his best game in his five-year NFL career.

2:44 Yeah, and he's running through big holes, really well-designed run scheme. extra offensive lineman, fullback. You're seeing old school Chuck Knoll traps, you know, things like that. I mean, every week, Coach McCarthy has a new wrinkle to get his guys, you know, just different blocking angles and his use of Darnell Washington this week. And it's really fun to watch. I mean, it really, really is. They didn't really need much of a passing game. I mean, at all in this game.

3:13 You felt it from the start and there was a portion there, maybe midway through the second quarter. So you're like, this should be even bigger on the scoreboard than it is. I hope we don't come back and reflect on this and be like, man, they were just crushing them. And then they were let a punt go for a touchdown or something goofy. And then all of a sudden you're in a game because it never should have been. And I double checked it today though, too. Like, you know, how next gen stats does it? Like you have a X percentage to win or whatever. Steelers were at 95% at halftime.

3:43 I believe it.

3:44 And they were so much better than the team they were playing that day.

3:48 They were. And for a lot of the balance of the first half, that was clear.

3:52 Yeah.

3:52 But wasn't necessarily reflected on the scoreboard.

3:54 I mean, so that worries you in the back of your head. Like, you see teams come out in the second half and play better, and then a bounce happens.

4:01 And we knew this Browns team had been really good in the fourth quarter.

4:04 Right, right. So it was in the back of your head, but it's like, that would be the biggest heartbreaker ever, because they are just dominating where you... planned on dominating and I planned on kind of open the show. It even took me too long to mention, but this was Omar and Andy's vision. You know, like as soon as they took over, it was getting these type of people, Washington, early picks on offense, D Lyman. I mean, every draft picks big people for this reason.

4:33 Yeah, absolutely. And it really showed up particularly in that second half. Particularly, Matt, on that final drive of the first half. Because at that point, the game is still... Yeah, you're not dominating on the scoreboard. You're not dominating on the scoreboard. Exactly right. It was, what, 13-6 at that point before Friermuth had that one-yard Pittsburgh plunge. By the way, for as frustrating as a lot of the goal line stuff was on Sunday, that's maybe the one negative that we'll have to discuss at some point. And has been, that wasn't the first time we had seen that fish.

5:05 We'd seen that fish before this season. I tell you what, though, the the stones, the gall to there's five seconds left. We have no timeouts. We're at the one yard line.

5:16 Yeah.

5:16 Screw taking the points. We're punching this thing in.

5:18 Because it goes wrong. There's a lot to lose there.

5:21 If it goes wrong, it's still a one score game. And Cleveland has all Cleveland goes into the locker room saying we played like crap in those first three minutes. And it's a one score game where we're OK.

5:30 And it didn't even like put the it wasn't even like. the nail in the coffin either. They, I mean, the Browns were still alive at that point, although the odds people don't tell you that, but still it, it had to be backbreaking, but you're right. I mean, that is a gutsy move.

5:43 It really was. And after, again, like I said, a lot of frustrating goal line stuff. I loved seeing that we need one yard here. We got one play to do it. They're not going to be able to stop us the way we've been moving the ball all day. And they did. And that's what really felt like there was even some. But despite how well the Steelers were playing, there was some angst amongst the crowd. There was some canned tanker.

6:03 Oh, I can imagine.

6:04 Yeah.

6:04 Yeah. Why are we.

6:06 Throwing these goal line fades? Why are we not up three touchdowns at this point? You know, feeling like you had really had a chance to step on their throat, but you hadn't done it yet. That play right before half.

6:16 Yeah, put him away. Quit playing with your food.

6:18 Quit playing with your food and put him away. And then, yeah, and then out of the second half, I mean, Darnell Washington, goodness gracious, he leads all Steelers receivers with 94 yards and, of course, that long 58-yard gain.

6:32 They started to feature him more. Started to feature him. It wasn't like just a dump down to him. I mean, their wheel routes and design stuff.

6:38 Absolutely. He had five targets, three receptions. Matt, I do recall you and I– I don't remember what the exact number was, but we did a bunch of over and unders before the season started. And one of them was Darnell receptions. And I think our number was third. Like, I think it can't be super low, you know, but I think he's on pace to have more than that, especially when you consider how they've been featuring him more.

7:01 I would expect that to continue. Oh, I expect to continue, but you only completed, you only completed 13 passes, but you did so with, with what a, a 13.2, average per reception there for your pass catchers. It was just a complete team performance, I thought. It wasn't any one person kind of putting on the Superman cape and carrying you to victory. You set the tone early. McCormick, Frazier, and Hoffman, they were just killing guys. Just absolutely killing guys.

7:37 I thought Faltano and Mad Max played really well. You limited what the Browns wanted to do with their defensive front. I thought you limited some of what we talked about, making them play a little left-handed with how much they wanted to leave their defensive backs on the field and kind of that static nickel personnel that they love to use.

7:56 Let's start there. I guess we already started. You and I talked about this late in the week over and over, and I made it a point in the pregame show with Tom to try to talk about at least every segment. I thought it was a massive, massive key to the game. And how I prefaced it, if people didn't hear, was the Browns are the least reluctant, the most reluctant team to put only four defensive backs on the field. They want to live in nickel. So going into that game, they played 4% base, four defensive backs. Unbelievably low.

8:31 It's crazy low.

8:31 Unbelievably low. So I, you know, we knew their run defense was weaker than their pass defense for sure. And they had let up their share of explosives. So I thought the strategy, especially after the Paris game where you got Anderson involved was just put as many big people on the field and either they're going to stay in nickel and you're going to be hundreds of pounds heavier than them, or they're going to play left-handed and put, you know, go to a four defensive back base front.

9:00 They never changed. I mean, like I think they played two snaps with only four defensive backs on the field, and it was the tush-push.

9:08 Yeah.

9:09 I think it was two goal line plays. They were at like 98% nickel. I mean, I can't imagine going into halftime at that point thinking that's a good idea.

9:19 And not changing up what you're doing.

9:20 Right.

9:21 Throw a no-sackle on the field and take a safety off or at least change it up because you are not winning at the line of scrimmage. And it's not just because the Steelers are bigger than you. I mean, they were more physical. They were athletic. They were getting to your little guys. You know, there is the logic of, okay, just being bigger doesn't mean that a 300-pounder can hunt down a safety in space. You know, it's hard to catch a chicken. You know what I mean?

9:44 Rocky Balboa trying to catch the chicken in South Philadelphia.

9:48 I just couldn't believe that they were so dedicated to this is what we do. We're going to stay in nickel when you're just getting thrown out of the bar.

9:56 And they sure were.

9:57 You know?

9:59 Patrick Graham made a comment about how he had a depressing bus ride back from– did you see this? A depressing bus ride back from Cleveland on October 1st?

10:09 I'm sure he did, but.

10:10 He said he listened to– I didn't see the Graham. He said he listened to Amy Winehouse the whole ride home because, you know, she's depressed and he was depressed on that day, which, by the way– Shout out to Patrick Graham. He's a little bit of a music aficionado. Like, I kind of fancy myself.

10:23 Yeah, yeah.

10:23 And Back to Black album by Amy Winehouse is... I mean, there's no skips. It's just... It is 10 or 11 songs of just English angst.

10:32 Okay.

10:32 And she's got the voice of an angel, and she had some depression and some drinking problems. And Patrick Graham said he listened to that whole album. She was depressed. I was depressed driving back from Cleveland on October 1st.

10:44 I'm not familiar with it, but you're painting the picture.

10:45 Yeah.

10:45 I'm going to have to send you some tunes later tonight, Matt Williamson. And Steelers haven't lost since. And my goodness, I think it was the Browns. I think it was Jared Verst and company that were making that bus ride home depressed yesterday.

10:58 Oh yeah.

10:59 And milk carton for Jared verse. I mean, we got to mention his name in the first segment.

11:02 Well, you got to mention what McCormick did to him on the extra point. I mean, obviously it was deliberate and yeah, it was dirty.

11:09 Absolutely.

11:10 See though.

11:11 I mean, it was the perfect time to do it. I loved it.

11:15 I think it's the definition of... Dirty's a strong word. Dirty's a strong word. It's a penalty. It's a penalty. But it's also two wrongs don't make a right. Because Jared Verse is using him for leverage and trying to push off his shoulders and his back and his neck. If you go and watch that from the backside angle.

11:31 I didn't look at it in that detail. I just saw someone doing WWE stuff to the other.

11:36 And that's the part that gets on the highlights.

11:38 Right.

11:38 But honestly. Jared verse jumping there. I wouldn't call that dirty either, but he knew what he was doing. He was trying to give Mason a little shove in the air. That's also mind you, that's a similar type of play that Roger Jones sustained that neck injury on last year. If you go back and watch.

11:57 So, Hey, I saw it much differently. I saw it that they probably talked about it. I'm sure that that was a big part of the game. Oh, he's on a field goal block team and he's going to jump up in the air. That's what they do on field block team, and the penalty is just assessed on the kickoff? All right, fine. That seems like a really good time to send the message. First touchdown, he's going on his head.

12:19 Sometimes a tone-setting penalty is not the worst thing in the world, especially if it happens early in the game.

12:23 Was Vers like pregame in the Steelers' side, too?

12:26 Yeah, he was walking around with his... Peacock chest all puffed out there.

12:31 Big bad Jared verse.

12:33 Yeah, this ain't California anymore, brother. And Jalen Warren saying it perfectly when he was asked about it postgame. He said, some talk, some walk. And the Steelers, they let the Browns do all the talking. They did all the walking. I wonder if it was Malik Collins that was jumping like that in front of Mason McCormick. He probably doesn't slam him.

12:52 Oh, I don't think so.

12:54 If it's Mason Graham, he probably doesn't slam him down like that.

12:58 Absolutely not.

12:59 But I think the fact also, again, that Mason McCormick's helmet came off in that kind of– It's like.

13:04 Lambert slamming Cliff Harris or whatever.

13:07 It wasn't a 50-50 proposition, but I don't think Jared Verse was blameless in all of that. But I'll take those 15 yards.

13:14 I'm going to.

13:16 Side on that. Am I wearing too much black and gold right now?

13:19 Yeah, I don't think Broderick Jones' neck injury came into play at all. And I'm perfectly fine with it. Again, set the tone. This is who this team is. How many times have fans, what's this team's identity? pretty damn sure what this identity is.

13:35 I think so too.

13:36 They're bullies.

13:37 You, you want to see, this is, this is not the team that you want to see in the alleyway.

13:41 No, they're feeding off each other and they're loving it.

13:44 As, as, as Billy Hillgrove used to always say, right? Steelers Ravens shouldn't be played in the afternoon or in the evening in a stadium. It should be played in the middle of the night in a dark alley. That's what Billy Hillgrove used to always say about Steelers Ravens. This Steelers team is built for playing in the middle of the night in a dark alley.

14:02 Oh yeah.

14:02 They drag you out to the alley and you have Pull you out of the bar and beat the crap out of you and leave you for dead.

14:07 And then make you pay the tab.

14:09 And take your girlfriend.

14:10 And that, Matt, as we discussed last week, and I think this was another perfect example of it, it doesn't matter if you're in Tampa Bay, if you're in Paris, if you're in Pittsburgh, that style travels.

14:19 It absolutely does. Speaking of Tampa Bay, they're doing it the exact same way. The Steelers being able to do that to the Bucs.

14:27 Raise your hand if you completed as many passes as Baker made yesterday.

14:30 Right, right.

14:30 Class, raise your hand.

14:32 But since the Steelers played the Bucs, these are the two biggest bully teams on the planet right now, on both sides of the ball. And the Steelers bullied the biggest bully.

14:41 Yes, they did.

14:41 Just two weeks ago. I mean, I keep going back to the Bucs game.

14:45 It's like going to prison and punching the biggest guy in the face.

14:47 Yeah, taking over.

14:49 We've got plenty more to discuss from Steelers 27, Browns 6. The voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rob King, will join us when we return to continue the conversation. Just getting started here on a Victory Monday. Yes, if you're watching on YouTube.

15:03 There it is.

15:04 For the fourth straight week, I'm wearing the Victory Donut Monday shirt.

15:07 I guess this week it doesn't have to go through the wash immediately, but. these last couple of weeks, you better be washing that thing pretty quick. Cause no, no, we.

15:14 Just wear it. I used to, I never told you this before. I don't think I used to have that superstition when I was younger. Oh really? Like I wouldn't wash my jerseys until my teams lost a game.

15:26 Not the ones you played hockey in, though.

15:28 No, no, no. Okay, okay.

15:29 I'm talking just as a fan that I'm wearing at the stadium, at the rink, at the arena.

15:33 That's different, with a hoodie underneath it. It's not your hockey socks or something disgusting like that, right?

15:39 I'll tell you guys this. No, no, nothing that I sweat or did physical activity in. That would be disgusting. But that year, Ben Roethlisberger's rookie year, when the Steelers won, what, like 14 straight? And then into the playoffs, the AFC Championship game.

15:52 Mm-hmm.

15:52 My Troy Polamalu jersey was a little stinky.

15:54 By the end of the season.

15:55 I'm just throwing it out there.

15:57 I mean, you're still tailgating. There might be a beverage spilled on it or two.

16:00 A little mustard on the three there. Yeah, the tone was set when Ben Roethlisberger came out for the towel twirl, baby. Cleveland knew that it wasn't their day on that Sunday afternoon. Let's talk to Rob King when we return. Plenty more to get to as we roll along here on a fun Victory Monday. Euler and Williamson just getting started. It's The Drive, Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

16:25 And now a word from our sponsor, Bud Light. There's nothing better than the clean, crisp. There's nothing better than the.

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16:36 Uh, what if we just got out of here and grabbed some Bud Lights? But man, we're on air for four more hours.

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16:55 I used to have cable internet, but I'm a 100% kind of fan, so I switched to Verizon Fios. It's 100% fiber internet that's super reliable. So I streamed 100% of the NFL draft live with ultra low lag. And after what went down in the first round, still getting video calls from my best friend, rubbing it in that he called all the picks.

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17:22 Get that hot dog costume ready.

17:24 Bruh.

17:28 You're tuned to The Drive on your 24-7 home of the black and gold.

17:32 Steelers Nation Radio.

17:49 Rolling along on the drive here on this Victory Monday. Steelers 27, Browns 6. That felt good. And joining us now is the man who narrated the entire broadcast on the Steelers Audio Network. Of course, the voice of your Pittsburgh Steelers, Rob King. Kinger, I know we can be hyperbolic a lot in this industry. We can, you know, this guy's the greatest thing I've ever seen. And that was the greatest catch anyone's ever made and all that.

18:13 But.

18:14 This is your third year, I believe, calling the Steelers games, if I'm not mistaken. Was that maybe the most fun you've ever had in the booth, calling a Steelers victory?

18:22 That was a good one. Hard to rival Baltimore last year at the last game of the season.

18:28 Oh, good call, good call.

18:29 You know, that was a good one. There have been some entertaining games. They seem to have played a bunch of entertaining games at the Bengals, the Commanders, a couple years ago. But just for sheer, you know, complete performance, like, I've said this before. I think the Browns are a lot better than people think. I think nationally they started to get some respect. I'm sure that respect will wane after this defeat. I think they're building a good young roster.

18:57 They've beaten the Steelers the first time around. First place in the AFC North on the line with a bye week coming up. Three-game winning streak on the line. There's just a lot of stuff going on. And I think... you know, the Steelers kind of let the Browns know that, you know, even if they are a team on the rise, that they haven't quite gotten there yet. That was just a complete and dominating performance.

19:19 It has to be near the top of the list of games, just in terms of aggressiveness and physicality by the Steelers.

19:28 Yeah, for sure, Matt. I mean, you know, some of the personal fouls that were called against the Steelers, you know, we're talking about that in the locker room later today, you know, Normally, I dislike those things. I dislike the penalties, but a lot of that is when it occurs. Early in the fourth quarter of a tie ball game, you've made a stop and somebody hits a guy late out of bounds. That's an undisciplined bad penalty.

19:53 It's a poor decision.

19:55 For example. But I think these kind of were tone setters. These let them know, hey, this could be a long day. Todd Monk had talked about this after the game. His team lost their composure later on in the game. And I think part of that early physical style was was there. But then the physical nature, it wasn't just about a statement.

20:15 I think that Stewart did kind of make a statement with some of those things early. But then they just rolled through them. They dominated them in the trenches, which is what they're built to do. And that was a that was a thorough, really kind of a thorough beat down in this game.

20:32 Kinger, I think the birthday boy, Jalen Warren, he turned 28 yesterday. He had himself a heck of a day. We've got to do this birthday thing more often, right?

20:40 Yeah.

20:41 Was it Pat Friermuth who had the birthday in Paris? And then was it, I forget who, one of the defensive backs, I think, had a birthday in Tampa. That was one of the finest performances we've seen from Jalen Warren. He's had some great outings for the Steelers in his tenure, without a doubt. I mean, he was fabulous last year in Detroit. He's had some really good games already this season.

21:01 But that might have been the best game that we've seen 30 play as a pro.

21:05 He's just been, again, I don't know. I mean, he's had such a list of games. I mean, going back to Detroit last year when he also ran for 143. The total scrimmage yards he had a couple of games ago earlier in the season where he set a record that he did not pass yesterday. I mean, he's just a really, really, really good player. and in every possible aspect of the game. He's good and willing in blitz pickup.

21:34 He's a good receiver out of the backfield. He's a tremendous runner. I was asked about it this morning on the Power Hour on DBE. Is there anybody who he's comparable to? I can't think of anybody. I just can't think of a back who runs with that kind of power and balance. and attitude and speed i mean he's you know uh.

22:03 And the well-roundedness as you mentioned too you know it's not just he's not a specialist by any means.

22:08 That's right that's right i think he's put himself on a on a short list of the best running backs in football and i think it's well deserved so.

22:16 You mentioned the bye week and there's a first it kind of dawned on me it's like everybody welcomes a bye You, me, Wes, we're going to enjoy the bye week. You know, I mean, there's no doubt. It's the middle of the season. This profession, whether you're playing or announcing or analyzing, can be a bit of a grind. But I kind of would rather they played tomorrow. You know what I mean? Like, let's keep it rolling.

22:41 Yeah, you know, it's funny. At the conclusion of the show with Max and Willie today, you know, Max was talking about taking the bye off and getting yourself rested and getting ready and getting– you know, getting ready for the game Sunday, you know, the next Sunday in Cincinnati. And I was like, you know, it was like squirrel.

22:57 Like all I heard was Cincinnati. And I'm like, let's go, man.

22:59 Yeah.

23:00 Yeah.

23:00 You know, I can't believe I got away two weeks for that game.

23:03 Yeah.

23:04 I'm fired up. I mean, I think that when you've won four in a row and you've got the momentum going and there's a lot of good things happening, obviously you want to keep it going. But, you know, hopefully Roman Wilson is back. Maybe Derek Harmon is back. Ben Skoranek, you know, they're missing some important players and important pieces to their puzzle. So I guess I think it comes at a good time. But you're right, Matt. I'm ready to go. And I'm sure they're rolling, are ready to go as well, you know.

23:33 Kinger, we rightfully so, you know, Matt and I spent the start of the show kind of just talking about the bully that the Steelers have in both sides of the trenches and how that was part of the vision for Omar Khan and Andy Weidel when they took the reins of this franchise a few years ago. But I think you kind of are seeing... what do I want to call it? The trickle down effect of that, particularly on defense and what that defensive front is doing, because my goodness, we haven't said these two names yet, but we absolutely should. I thought Patrick Queen and Peyton Wilson were outstanding yesterday.

24:04 Yep. Yeah. Again, um, I'll add that, you know, I think there's a lot to unpack just with that, you know? So first of all, I think that, um, They are good players, and they have a lot of skill sets and a lot of gifts, and I think those are being maximized by this scheme that the Steelers are running. I think that they are, and by the work of the defensive line. The defensive line is keeping guys off of them. They're not being blocked into their laps. They're not having to deal with guards coming out because the front has been so dominant that it's freed up these two guys to do what they do best, which is run and hit, you know, seek the ball, find the ball, tackle the carrier, break up a pass. You know, we're

24:52 seeing Patrick queen being utilized more in the blitz game. You know, he had, he had a season with Baltimore in which he had five sacks. And I remember when they got him, I'm, I was thinking, well, he's a, he's coming off a pro bowl year. He's a unique guy. He can cover with his speed, but he can also blitz.

25:08 How are they going to utilize them? Well, they largely utilize them. the previous administration in past coverage. Now we're seeing that there's more to his game. I mean, he could rush the passer. These guys are playing downhill, again, in part because they're freed up, in part because they're capable of it, and in part because the scheme allows them to do it. You know, tackles for loss. These guys are bringing that to the table as well. So there's just a lot to like about what those guys are doing. Yes, I think a lot of it starts up front, but I also think it starts with the scheme.

25:39 Deshaun Watson talked about this team after the game yesterday. You know, one of the things that they did so successfully, you know, you always hear, well, stay in your lane, stay in your lanes when you're rushing, got to stay in your lanes. You know, same thing on kick coverage, stay in your lanes, you know. Well, why does a kick return ever get called, you know, run back? Guys all stayed in their lanes all the time. It's not as easy to say or to do as it is to say, well, these guys, they stayed in their rush lanes yesterday. And that just created, when Deshaun Watson couldn't get that first throw off and he was looking to run, there was nowhere for him to go. That's just a way of expanding a little bit on how important I

26:18 think the scheme is. I think it's all important. And I think these guys are showing what they're capable of doing, both those inside linebacks.

26:25 I'm glad you mentioned Watson because he only had one scramble. I mean, despite being under that much pressure on a called pass play, he only ran once and it was for like three or four yards. I mean, they really did a good job not only harassing him, hitting him, sacking him, obviously, but they also didn't let his legs affect the game, which was something I was a little afraid of.

26:47 Yeah, and I think it is because of the fact that they just stayed in their rush lanes. There was nowhere for him to go. The rush got home. It got home quickly. And when it, you know, even if there was a little bit of a lapse, okay, he looks up, uh, first target's not open. We'll say something about the backend. And again, about the scheme, um, you know, look, that's kind of what the Browns did against the Steelers back in week four. We're going to blitz. We're going to stunt. We're going to try to get to you quickly.

27:13 And we're going to cover fast with man. And we're going to disrupt your timing. And we're going to get to the quarterback. And again, Aaron Rodgers was not only sacked five times, but he was hit 10 times. And in this game, Deshaun Watson was not only sacked eight times, but he was hit numerous other times as well. And so I think that the ability, and look, again, what this is doing, I think, is unlocking the players that are already there. And we've talked about, and I know, Matt, you've talked about Patrick Graham doing less with more in the past and doing a good job coordinating his defenses to sort of play up. Well, he's doing more with more now.

27:57 Exactly.

27:57 I mean, these guys, he's got good, really good players, and he is unleashing those really good players in a way we haven't seen. Now, again, let's see what happens as the season progresses. We're coming off some hot weeks. There's bound to be ebbs and flows, but as far as the way things are trending basically for the team at large, I'm really encouraged by the way things are going.

28:21 And I think there's still upside, which I'm not sure we've been able to say as much about the students teams in the past few years, but they've rebuilt the roster. They've got, you know, young defensive linemen, young offensive linemen, you know, DK Metcalf's had some drops. I don't expect that to continue. I think there's a lot of reasons to believe. And Aaron Rogers said this yesterday, students still haven't played their best football. And I think that's a very encouraging place to be when you're six and two and in first place in your division.

28:51 Rob King with us here, just a few more minutes with the voice of the Steelers on this victory Monday guys, another name that we haven't mentioned yet, Matt and I didn't call in the first segment just yet. And I think sometimes we for so long grew to expect it, but there were a ton of questions about one TJ watt heading into this season and where his best days behind him and, You know, should the Steelers look to move on and just go with Highsmith and Herbig, who were both outstanding yesterday, too, by the way. But, Rob King, I'm looking at the NFL 2026 sack leaders to this point.

29:26 Seven and a half, right?

29:27 Greg Russo has seven. Chase Young has seven. And at the top of the mountain, tied for first, Will Anderson Jr., who was defensive player of the.

29:36 Year he was running away with it last year.

29:38 And tj watt was seven and a half back at the top of the list kinger and i think uh again i just you could take it for granted because for so long tj was not just perhaps the finest defensive player in the world but one of the best football players in the world and my goodness it has meant so much of uh for this defense to have him back in that form Yeah, I mean, he's a.

30:01 Great player who's playing great football, you know. And I think that, you know, when everybody sort of buys into what's going on, I mean, like look at Nick Herbig. You know, Nick Herbig was being used a lot in coverage, you know, the first couple of weeks of the season, right? And so the sack totals are down a little bit.

30:19 What's going on with Herbig? Well, last two games, three sacks, you know. So, you know, a lot is how these guys are utilized. And, again, I think he's being– utilized in a really encouraging way.

30:32 He's unleashed in a really encouraging way. And he showed that there's still a lot of really great football left in him with two sacks yesterday. And the batted– hit Deshaun Watson in the arm. That's another thing too, guys. They came up with two turnovers. Eventually some of these batted passes are going to turn into– Oh, yeah. Into interceptions as well.

30:52 So the last thing I have for you, and I think it's really refreshing and– I didn't know that Coach McCarthy had this in him, but it seems like every week there's a wrinkle we haven't seen added to the offense. You know, last week in Paris, oh, here comes Anderson out there for a dozen snaps or so. Then you basically double that and, you know, let's throw in a little fullback. Let's see all of them together. Let's see some old school 1970s Chuck Noel trapping. You know, I mean, some of the play designs, but nothing is static and it's very innovative.

31:27 I totally agree, and I'm glad you said that, too, because I do think that Patrick Graham is rightly being praised for what he's done for the defense and the styles he's used. But I don't know if Mike McCarthy's getting the praise for it, in part because both guys are very quick to deflect the credit onto the players.

31:48 And look, the players do have to play. We understand that. But I think he's done it. I'm glad you mentioned that, Matt, because I think he's done a tremendous job. you know, look, he's a guy that likes to run a lot of 11 personnel. And sure, he's still going to run a lot of 11 personnel. Now he's got, you know, wide receivers that can block, but you're also seeing, you know, Pony, right?

32:10 Two running backs, which is like a thing of the past. I mean, it's like Franco Harris, Rocky Blyer, man, you know? I mean, you just don't see that very often anymore. Like you said, Anderson and the use of a fullback and different things that they're doing. I just think it shows that um, offensively and defensively, uh, this is a team that's able to adapt from week to week. I mean, the, the, the Titans track trap the heck out of the Browns.

32:36 Why?

32:36 Cause they stunt and they, and they come at you and, you know, um, you know, so here you are, you're a defensive lineman. You're like, ah, hi, whip my guy again. Oh, wait a minute. No, I'm just got earhold. Um, offensive linemen love trap locks. What do they like.

32:49 Those, you know?

32:50 Um, and, and so, yeah, I, I, I'm glad you mentioned that, Matt, because I feel the exact same way. I think they've done a really good job of scheming up offensively and defensively. Do the players deserve credit? Absolutely. Do the coaches deserve credit, too?

33:03 Absolutely.

33:05 I think the voice of the Steelers, Rob King, deserves some credit, at least for joining us here for the last 15 minutes or so on The Drive. Kinger, great stuff as always, man. Enjoy the bye week, and we will talk to you soon. You got it.

33:17 Thanks for having me on, guys.

33:18 There he goes, voice of the Steelers and, of course, the host of In the Locker Room. Noon every single day here on this network with Max Starks and Willie Colon. I bet you those two were having some fun rehashing that.

33:30 Oh, I would think. Doing no-line stuff.

33:33 We mentioned in the booth, you know, Kinger, Max, and I. You know our producer, Dan Quinlan. And then we've got two other great spotters and a statistician, Ryan and Mark, who work with us that are both awesome guys and real pros today. we said probably three times during that second half, when we'd go to a break, we'd be like, that Tunch and Wolf will.

33:52 Be loving this. Oh man.

33:54 This is the Pittsburgh Steelers team that Tunch and Wolf have been waiting to see in both sides of the ball, but especially on the offense.

33:59 He was talking about an ear hole and a D lineman on a trap. I mean, I'm like, Oh, Wolf is probably salivating.

34:05 He'd like, he'd be salivating over that more than the donuts that are out in the break room.

34:08 There were some big holes in the running game. I mean, Warren was awesome, and Rico's really good. They maximized it, but there were some big holes.

34:15 There sure were, and that's when you get the type of day that the Steelers had on the ground. And, Matt, some of those numbers for Rico were really skewed because he had those couple big— Poor.

34:23 Guy had to finish the game.

34:24 Yeah.

34:25 You know, against an 11-man box.

34:27 So he ends up only getting 3.7 yards per carry, but I bet you if we took that last drive out of the game, that number, I think— He had a very good game. It was close to six, I think, before that final drive.

34:36 That adds up, yeah.

34:38 And so, yeah, 200 yards on the ground for the Steelers as a team. That will travel. That will play just about every single week. Some more tees.

34:47 They've outrushed their opponents by like 300 yards over the last two weeks.

34:50 It's unbelievable. I know I have the, if you give me a quick second here, I actually have the Exact number in my notes. 345 to 52 over the last two weeks.

35:01 Yeah, it's nuts.

35:01 And if we did three and four weeks, that would probably even grow because they really limited Jonathan Taylor and Bucky Irving in those two games as well.

35:09 Absolutely. Two guys that are really good players. Outstanding. Outstanding.

35:14 The Bucs just won a game without completing a pass.

35:17 I keep going back to the Bucs. We'll talk about that in the second hour. What the Bucs have done since the Steeler game really paints the Steelers even in a better light.

35:24 Completely agree. I mean, the Bucs just did something that hadn't been done since O.J. Simpson was playing for the Buffalo Bills. That's been a long time ago. One more segment to go here in this first hour. I've got some more things I want to run by Matt, some T's to cross and some I's to dot as we continue to react to the Steelers' convincing win against Cleveland yesterday on the North Shore. Mueller and Williamson, it's The Drive, Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.

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36:22 I used to have cable internet, but I'm a 100% kind of fan, so I switched to Verizon Fios. It's 100% fiber internet that's super reliable. So I streamed 100% of the NFL draft live with ultra low lag. And after what went down in the first round, still getting video calls from my best friend, rubbing it in that he called.

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37:27 Matt, before we get back into some particulars here, I'm kind of staring at the box score from yesterday's contest. And at the top, it says Pittsburgh Steelers 6-2, 4-0 at home. Yeah, how about that? I got to give Steeler Nation some credit. We talked about this with Missy on Friday.

37:44 Okay.

37:45 There was some thought of. Could there be a decent amount of orange in that crowd?

37:48 Tom and I even mentioned it because where we broadcast from, you see people coming and going in the bars. I'm like, there's a fair amount of orange out there. It's not that far a road trip. It's nice out. Relevant game for the Browns. That's rare.

38:00 All those things. The Browns have not been playing a first place on the line divisional game in November in a long time.

38:07 Especially in a place you could drive.

38:08 And as you and I give them credit for, as much as we don't like them, they are a rabid fan base.

38:13 Oh, I respect their fans to no end. I actually kind of feel bad for them, to be honest with you, having spent a year there. Because they deserve better.

38:19 I wouldn't say I feel bad for them.

38:20 That's a stretch, you know.

38:21 But I thought, hey, they're 5-2. They feel like they can finally get one up on Big Brother for the first time in probably most of their lives.

38:28 They got squashed down. I mean, imagine the tone... if this was Browns Nation radio.

38:34 Imagine driving home on the turnpike yesterday. It's a beautiful day, and everything's just dark and gloomy for you, and you're wearing that gaudy orange and that disgusting brown. That's a rough look. Steelers, it says at the top of this box score here, 6-2, 4-0 at home. Not only did the Browns come... not even close to making a mark in that stadium. You had to squint to see any orange in that stadium.

38:58 Really?

38:59 I thought Steelers fans brought it from the jump. I thought they were ready to go 4-0 at home this season.

39:04 The team sure was. I mean, just in terms of initial energy.

39:07 They absolutely were. They announced, I don't know if you heard this for anybody or if anybody tweeted it out. They announced Spencer Anderson as part of the starting lineup, which I thought was kind of a cool tone setting. Like, here comes the beef.

39:17 Did they do that with Tomlin last year once or twice too?

39:20 So what they, what they have done in the past a couple times is yes they would introduce the extra offensive linemen okay or on defense sometimes like they were they would introduce her big as a starter as well too as the 12th guy yeah i knew.

39:33 There was a that something along those lines have happened.

39:35 There were a couple i think tv will probably back me up on this there were a couple weeks where they would announce nausea and jaylen warren when those respect is a as a you know you you are part of this game plan okay you might be the 12th man but you're a big part of what we're doing I thought it was awesome that Spencer Anderson got announced.

39:52 That's cool.

39:52 And you kind of set the tone of like, this is the energy that we're bringing.

39:55 Yeah.

39:56 Big people energy. But 4-0 at home. Shout out to Steeler Nation.

40:00 Without Renegade.

40:01 Without Renegade.

40:02 They didn't even need it.

40:03 I know some people were a little bummed about that because I get it.

40:06 Yeah, I heard both sides. I heard they did it because they played Renegade all in practice all week in Cleveland. So we're not even going to.

40:12 Give you that.

40:13 That's where I was.

40:13 Yeah, I thought that was kind of like rubbing it in a little bit.

40:16 I do too. And I realized there were probably... Uh, I did, I was talking about this with Chad Tyson on the, on the, uh, on the tailgate show on DVE. Cause he was asking me, should the Steelers like remix renegade with Aaliyah or some Donny Iris song to honor Donny Iris? And they actually did a really cool tribute to him at the first time out of the first quarter. They, uh, they played Aaliyah. and showed some videos and pictures of Donnie in Steelers jerseys and terrible towels and stuff over the years and had a nice tribute to him on the Jumbo Tron.

40:46 I'm sure it got a good response.

40:47 Yeah, during the first TV timeout. It absolutely did. I love it from the standpoint of like, hey, Cleveland, you're such a little piece of gum on our shoe. We didn't even play Renegade.

40:56 We didn't even need that, right.

40:57 But I also realize there's hundreds, if not thousands, of Steelers fans that are at their first game every Sunday, and that's part of the experience.

41:03 You're telling your kid, you're like, wait till Renegade comes on. Daddy, Santa never came.

41:10 Well, Santa did come, and he had a big sack of coal from the Cleveland Browns. But 4-0 at home, Matt. That's what, man, they're... And.

41:17 Really, their two losses, too, are weird road games.

41:20 Weird road games.

41:20 In terms of rest discrepancy.

41:22 Yes, the Patriots with that 10-day rest coming off their Wednesday game, and then the weird, always tough Thursday short week on the road.

41:29 Yeah.

41:30 But 4-0 at home, Matt, for a vast majority of my life, probably from the time that I was really old enough to truly be invested in Steelers' outcomes, up until, I think, this kind of recent drought without a playoff win, Hinesfield, Akershire Stadium, heck, even Three Rivers when I was young, those places were fortresses. That's where, if you're an upstart team like the Browns, where your dreams would go to die.

41:57 I mean, I'm old enough to remember Elway walking into Three Rivers and lining up behind the guard. Exactly right.

42:04 That's exactly what I mean.

42:07 Let alone, I mean, I'm not old enough for Franco's Italian army and craziness.

42:12 Young Joe Flacco and his hands shaking as he's getting ready to snap the ball and In shotgun formation, starting to get some of those vibes back again.

42:21 Yeah.

42:21 That North Shore is a fortress of black and gold, and it's going to take a hell of a lot to leave there with a victory.

42:28 There's a lot to be said for that, especially when you start playing with leads and stuff, too. I mean, so this just kind of dawned on me when you were talking about Watt being the sack leader. Dale and I used to talk about this a lot, and it also applied to Miles Garrett at the time because they were like the two best sack dudes. And I used to say, like, how many times in Watt's career, let alone Garrett's, who they were always losing, was it up by 12, at home, eight minutes to go, towels are flying, and the whole planet knows you're not going to run the ball. You know how many more sacks Watt and Garrett would have had in their careers if they had been playing for, like, with huge leads. Like the Steelers

43:08 won a lot of those games, but they were rarely up big over these last five, six years, always close games.

43:13 And a lot of those TJs, what you would call maybe those four or five prime years where he was winning defensive player of the year or was finishing second every, every year. A lot of that was with duck.

43:23 And I would say those are rough.

43:24 You'd be, you know, Kenny, Mitch Trubisky, like absolutely. Yeah, no doubt. I know you've pointed that out before, but it's certainly, and then you see what he's able to do this year when that started to go in the, a little bit of an opposite direction. He's got seven and a half sacks in eight games to be tied with Will Anderson for the NFL lead. Matt, the last thing that I wanted to run by you real quick was just I wanted to give a, you know, there's some names that we've shouted out. I think two more that deserve mentioning here in the first hour. How about Jamel Dean and Asante Samuel?

43:54 I almost brought him up to Rob just because no one's talking about him, but that's exactly what you want a corner to do.

43:58 We spent so much time, rightfully so, talking about those two dynamic rookie wide receivers and KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.

44:05 Yeah.

44:05 Three receptions for 37 yards for KC and the Sunshine Band. six for 37 for Denzel more than a feeling Boston. I mean, those guys had what? 74 yards between the two of them.

44:19 Good Boston reference. My first ever concert.

44:24 That, that I thought was, was fantastic.

44:27 Yeah.

44:27 I was telling all my buddies, take the over on conception completions. I mean, I just figured, you know, all the short passing, he's that guy. Boston's a downfield guy. I thought that pepper him with targets. I just don't think it was available. And, Frankly, Watson didn't play well, and I don't think any less of those receivers. Jamel Dean has been a phenomenal addition. I mean, you can really feel his presence when he was out in particular, too.

44:53 But the fact that you don't bring him up that much says volumes.

44:57 That's the best way to compliment a defensive back, I think, is when you don't talk about them too much. Absolutely.

45:01 Now, Fannin had a big day, but I also think in the list of Steeler priorities, he was down the list.

45:07 And a lot of that was also garbage time in.

45:09 The fourth quarter. There was some garbage time. And I have not, usually on Mondays, we record later, the press conference, blah, blah, blah. Everyone knows, you know, all that. But I haven't got a chance to re-watch the game as much as I'd like or all 22 it. But I got the feeling Fannin was picking on Brisker. But the corners, to me, definitely won their battles.

45:31 100%. 100%. There weren't many Steelers that lost their battles yesterday, but the corners, I thought, did really well and really frustrated a Browns offense that had been starting to find some momentum and find some footing. Matt, before we close down this first hour, we'll open hour number two going around the league and recapping a crazy week eight.

45:51 How about Baltimore?

45:52 A lot of wild finishes. And holy cow.

45:54 And the Bengals, too. I mean, the Ravens are in trouble. It was a big divisional week.

45:58 The Ravens might just need to add Jonathan Taylor and try and score 50 points every week. But we'll talk about that in hour two. From the desk of intrepid video producer, Mr. TV, Tyler V. All-time wins at Heinz Field and Akershire Stadium. Aliquippa, 10. Clareton, 10. Thomas Jefferson, 9. Central Catholic, 7. Pine Richland, 5. Cleveland Browns, 2.

46:22 I saw that.

46:23 It's tough. That's tough.

46:25 You know why?

46:25 Because Aliquippa and Pine Richland and Central Catholic, they don't play there every single year, a guaranteed game. They got to earn the right to get there. Cleveland's played there... What, 20-some times?

46:35 Every season it's existed.

46:36 There's only one twice. Death, taxes, and the Browns can't win in Pittsburgh. Hour number two, when we return here, let's go around the league and recap what was a pretty crazy Sunday across the NFL. Euler and Williamson halfway home on this Victory Monday. It's The Drive, Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.