Drive9.21.26King: Rob King on Sunday's Loss

0:25 A little bit of a commiseration Monday here on the drive as the Steelers, a tough one to swallow yesterday, 20-13 there in Foxborough against the Patriots. Joining us now to discuss is the man who is on the call for the Steelers every Sunday. And Monday and Thursday and Black Friday and whenever else we play NFL games. Now it is, of course, the king in the castle, Rob King. Kinger, thank you for taking the time to join us here.

0:50 And obviously a lot to get into. And Matt and I kind of in our opening segment, I think, set the scene of a lot of the woes that ail the Steelers currently. But it feels like you got to start with the offense. It feels like you got to start up front. You know, still plenty of conversation about the quarterback and the running backs and the wide receivers today.

1:08 But when you can't get those five up front on the same page, when you're struggling consistently like they have been, you're going to have a failure to launch in a lot of other facets.

1:17 Yeah, there's some interesting next-gen stats out there. I think in the first game, it was negative 1.3 yards per contact for the running backs. So they're getting the ball and they're being hit on average in the backfield, the yard and a half in the backfield. That does not bode well.

1:36 Rob, by the way, though, that got better. They got hit exactly at the line of scrimmage yesterday. So it was at 0.0.

1:43 That's progress. I don't know. What would be considered good in that category, Matt? I don't know.

1:51 Anything over a yard, I think, is a nice runway. I think Saquon, that year that he went insane, his was like 6.

1:59 It was nuts.

2:01 Yeah, I mean... I mean, I'm, you know, again, I'm not a mathematician, but I know negative is not good in that category. Zero is not good in that category either. You know, and, and, and look different things you're running into Atlanta did a lot of run blitzing. You know, the Patriots did more blitzing and passing downs. The Falcons didn't seem to do a lot of blitzing and, and passing downs, but you know, it didn't hold up in, in either regard. And again, I'm not enough of a– I mean, looking at it live, it didn't feel like there were a lot of open guys. It didn't feel like, oh, they're bringing six. Let me just pop this pass out over here. Mike McCarthy's talked about it in the postgame.

2:48 He welcomes blitzes. He thinks it's an opportunity for offenses. You want to come? Okay, I got a great quarterback, a veteran who's going to read things and he's going to get rid of the ball. It didn't happen for whatever reason. I just think the whole thing's out of sync. I do believe it starts up front. and they've got to find a way to, um, you know, create better holes.

3:07 And again, uh, you know, are the, are they, are teams bringing more numbers in the seat? Others can block. I don't know. Um, I don't think so. I think they showed some, a lot of stuff and backed out of a lot of stuff in passing downs. They did bring a lot of pressure. I do think it comes back to, they've got to, they've got to find a way if they aren't going to run the ball, um, early in the game, they've got to be able to protect Aaron Rogers enough to throw the ball so that you back the defense off so you can then run the ball. I don't care which comes first, running the ball or throwing the ball. The problem is that neither has happened really through two games. Yeah.

3:42 And Rob, we've been working together now for a while and Wes, I think kind of knows how my strange mind works for these, these weeks that I'll be honest. I'm not, the best analyst on Monday, you know, Monday, I'm trying to scramble and gather information and, you know, but, but usually by Tuesday or Wednesday, I.

3:59 Started also not the best analyst. Yeah.

4:02 Then I get worse, but then I started to kind of gather some ideas of, well, maybe you could try this or maybe this approach makes more sense. And frankly, it's kind of worked for my career, but now I look at this team and I think I would love to say, let's break this down to the studs. in a very Chuck Knoll manner, find two or three running plays that you're bread and butter and start there and eat some clock. But I'm not sure where that is.

4:32 You know, I mean, I don't love that they're passing the football at the, the, the percentage they are. I don't think that's a winning formula for how they're built long-term, but if they showed me more in the run game, I think you could kind of counter it by saying, well, let's start there at least. And I just don't know what that answer is, partially because it's just a Monday and it's fresh to me.

4:52 Yeah, and it just hasn't looked good. I think that's the other problem. I mean, in Atlanta, out of the Falcons game, I think you could say, well, if they hit some of those plays down the field, Roman Wilson makes a tough catch in the end zone, maybe some interference there. DK makes a tough catch in the end zone, maybe some interference there. Maybe they get the interference call on the pass up the sideline. They're close to hitting some big plays.

5:19 Yeah.

5:20 And so and I loved when I heard Mike McCarthy in the postgame press conference yesterday say, I don't want to dink and dunk the ball down the field.

5:27 I loved hearing that, too. I hope that's not the answer.

5:30 I'm not interested in that style of football because we've become a little accustomed to that sort of offensive approach. I love the idea of pressing the ball down the field. It just didn't happen in this game at all. I mean, in the Falcons, you come out and say, well, you know, it just it didn't work, but it was there in this game. It just nothing worked. Now, I'll also say this.

5:49 You're going against an elite team. You're going against an elite team that's smarting from a difficult week one loss. And I said this a couple of times, like I watched that game three times and I couldn't believe in any of the three that they were going to lose it. You know, like the Patriots, I thought I think the Patriots should have beat the Seahawks. I'm sure they felt that way. Home opener can't start. Oh, and to, you know, brutal schedule to begin. So there's a lot of things, a lot of factors pointing in the Patriots favor. And, you know, the Steelers. one of the things Mike McCarthy did say, Matt was exactly what you're saying. I got to simplify this thing, find what works and then, and

6:25 then start it from there. Now, whether that means personnel changes or whether that just means, uh, schematic changes, um, or again, just simplifying, um, I don't know, you can change scheme, but you might, you know, kind of what you're, you know, what, like you said, what works and what doesn't work. So I think take some chapters out of the book, so to speak, you know, Yeah. Yeah. And you know what, Matt? I just I have a hard time believing that this offense isn't going to get a lot better than it is now. Yeah. And, you know, I just look, you know, talking earlier with Willie on in the locker room and Willie said, I think the mistakes are correctable. You know, it wasn't like, wow, the Steelers made mistakes and the mistakes can be corrected. It's

7:12 not like I'm suddenly looking at this after this loss. And saying, well, we've got a 3-14 football team on our hands. You know what I mean? I think better days are coming. It just hasn't looked good through two games. And I think if it hadn't been the first game, it might have been easier to say, ooh, that was just a bit of a stinker. But coming off the first game when you weren't able to run the football as well, you're hoping this isn't a trend.

7:35 Yeah, I don't think they have bad coaches and players that are uncorrectable. And you kind of touched on it, and you said it better than I did. I'm glad that, because I haven't got a chance to hear it either, that the fact that McCarthy said words like simplify it and things like that and get back to basics, I'm glad that he's taking that approach. And he certainly has a better idea of how to handle that approach than I do.

7:58 Yeah, he wanted to take, he wanted to deflect the criticism of his team. And, you know, I still, looking back at it, so usually I watch the game back on Monday or Tuesday. I haven't watched it back yet. Watching it live, I mean, you know, it was a strange experience way to win time of possession. It's weird that the Steelers won time of possession in that game.

8:18 Let it at halftime, you know, and when you think about, you know, you could isolate a play here or there. Now, again, I'm sure the Patriots can isolate some plays. Well, if Hunter Henry hadn't fumbled early, you know, maybe we win this game going away. But I mean, I think, you know, DK Metcalf has had two weeks that I'm sure he'd love to have back. And I'm sure that He's got better days ahead of him. You know, said, you know, maybe he's I don't know if he said it or somebody asked whether he was pressing a little bit. I don't know. Maybe he is. He's human. But he's their number one guy. He's going to continue to get the ball.

8:54 But he has a drop. You have that bizarre fumble play that takes you out of field goal range. I mean, little things happen here and there, but usually that's what happens. You know, little things happen. And they wind up looming large when you're playing good opponents. I mean, you go back to the Seahawks and the Patriots. The Patriots are outplaying them. And they hit a fourth and one. And not only did they hit a fourth and one, it goes for a touchdown. And all of a sudden, the entire complexity of the game changes in a game in which New England was getting the better of them. So there were a few plays here or there that got left out. But The root problem still, that could have made it more competitive, let's put it that way, made

9:35 us maybe feel a little bit better. The root cause is still the offense needs to be better. The defense has been good enough. The offense needs to find a way to be better.

9:45 Kanger, how about some more targets, some more touches for Darnell Washington? Matt and I were kind of going through the numbers on this in our open. The Steelers have thrown the ball 80 times through two games, 79 of those Aaron Rodgers and the one Mason Rudolph passed. Only four targets for Darnell Washington, a guy you invested in this offseason, made him a top 10 paid tight end in the league, and a guy that we all know is just a matchup nightmare, one of those type of players that defensive coordinators hate preparing for. Could that maybe be part of just simplifying things, is getting the ball to the big man and letting him work?

10:18 Yeah, it's possible. I mean, I think everything and anything is out there, Wes. And like you said, you know, now I don't see him ripping downfield for 30 yarder. Sure. Right. And running a long seam route. And, you know, Mike McCarthy says he wants to, you know, he doesn't want to dink and dunk it. But, you know, maybe look, I also think in a game like this against Cincinnati, you know, just simply moving the chains is a really good thing. Winning time of possession. You know, we've been kicking around. this morning and this afternoon, different, hey, how do you slow down Joe Burrows? Well, keep him off the field would be a really good way to start.

10:55 So I think this is a game where, you know, looking forward where, and again, looking forward to the future, but in this game in particular, getting, you know, getting Darnell involved for a little short, hopefully easy passes might be a good way to go. Now, I don't know how much he was kept into block with all the blitzing that the Patriots did. Maybe that hindered him from going out. And those are the plays that have to be called, and those are the plays that have to be defended a certain way. You know, Aaron Rodgers had a really good answer last week. Somebody was asking him about targets. And, you know, he got a little, you know, hey, I don't, you know, bleep that, whatever, on targets. But

11:33 the point is that he said, look, I throw the ball to the open guy, you know? So that player has to be out of the route. he has to be in a place where Aaron Rodgers can diagnose the play long enough, which he didn't have a lot of time against the Patriots. And then that guy's got to be open. So break, those are the ways that a guy gets the ball. I mean, it's, you know, it's whether you have to call his number and then he has to be open. So yes, I understand what you're saying.

12:02 You know, look, I think Darnell Washington is a playmaker in his own right. I think Jalen Warren coming out of the backfield, You can throw him short passes. We've seen him make big plays. They need guys to start making some plays. They need to take the pressure valve off a little bit. And whether that is schematics by simplifying things or, as you're suggesting, finding some other guys that you can throw it short and they can run it long or at least longer might be another way to solve it as well.

12:32 You mentioned Jalen Warren, and I feel like I have this conversation every year he's been in the league. I think he's been one of the absolute brightest spots of the offense yet again, and rarely is spoken in that light. I mean, yards after contact, receiving ability, pass protection. He's a better player than I think maybe even our listeners, let alone a national audience, realizes.

12:57 Yeah, Matt, I'm ready to... to pick up my book and join you, my jail and Warren book and join you in the chorus and sing right next to you. I feel the same way about him. I think he's a terrific player. Um, I, I love, you know, I, I think that there, because he plays so hard, I, and he's not a huge guy. I think they worry about.

13:22 Yeah, I'm pretty sure they do.

13:24 Yeah. I think that's the, that's the concern, the workload. Um, But he doesn't have a history of breaking down.

13:32 I just think that that's a fear.

13:36 Yeah, deep into the season, I think there was a– he hadn't carried the ball more than 18 times ever in a game. I'm not sure if that streak is still alive because I'd like to see him get it 25, 26 times one week and just see what happens.

13:49 Especially when the offense is struggling like it does. Maybe you just do that this week against the Bengals and then you ease back and get us back on track, Jalen, you know?

13:58 Yeah, I mean, I think what we're seeing with some of the plan here is that I think it's been really effective on defense, you know? Yes. I think that you keep the three linebackers out there. And it's interesting that we were kind of wringing our hands or how are we going to get all three outside linebackers on the field at the same time? And Patrick Graham's like, give me the dry erase board here and I'll figure it out. And they've gotten them out there. And I thought all three, once again, for the second consecutive week, played excellent ball games. And I think that you're hoping that the benefit is intra-game and inter-game, right? That within the game itself, these guys are kept fresh. That makes

14:43 them better in this game. But hopefully it makes them better week to week and particularly in in December and January where hopefully you're getting into the playoffs and able to make a run that those guys have had less wear and tear because the snaps have been distributed. And by the way, there are also three tremendous players. Yeah.

15:04 It hasn't worked on the offense yet because nothing's working on the offense. And we're all searching for answers. And I'm sure Mike McCarthy is searching for answers. I am like you. You don't have to convince me that more jail and warn is a good thing. I do think there are there is a long game to be played here.

15:23 And I just and your plan going in. It's like, you know, look, people are talking about personnel changes. Well, you went through OTAs and you went through. you know, preseason and camps and all this other thing. And you decided this guy's your guy. Now, there's also, there's different, and I'm just saying player X, right? There's different ways to look at that. It might be really close between X and Y. You might be going with X for different reasons, say Y's hurt or whatever. But generally speaking, if you've evaluated a guy through all that and made a decision, Are you pulling them right away? These are all decisions. So are you pulling that player? Are you pulling your plan back? Hey, here's our plan. Now, it

16:06 hasn't worked yet, but why hasn't it worked? Is it not worked because the plan's not good, or is it not worked because something else is going wrong that's causing the plan to fail? So I think those are the things, Matt, that the dealers, I'm sure, are evaluating right now.

16:22 And it's funny because they have changed a ton from things that have been not changed very much for a very long time. And to your point, the plan is definitely working on one side of the ball and it just isn't working on the other side of the ball, you know?

16:37 Yeah, exactly. And so, you know, how, how do you get, well, I mean, at Friermuth, I think in week one had more snaps than he had in any game last year. Pretty sure. Something along those lines. And, and as many catches as he had in the game all last year, he didn't have, he had five catches. I think once or twice in a game last year, he had five catches in week one. So we're already seeing some changes.

16:59 What we're not seeing is the traction and, Look, this will be this will be, you know, like last week was a Sunday. Yesterday was a big game for the Patriots. This is a big game for the Steelers coming up right now. They're at home. First AFC North opponent. They want to let everybody know, hey, we're still the defending AFC North champions. The defense has been very good is going to be tested against, you know, look, I think the world of Joe Burrow and all the weapons he's got.

17:27 They've got a great offense. Their defense looks way better. um dexter lawrence i think it's had a huge effect on them it's.

17:34 Gonna be their defense looks way better kinger um i'm telling you right now yeah yeah way better yeah way better.

17:40 I mean that you know i don't like hearing that no yeah they had some good personnel like their corners i i already you know yeah their corners were already good right um but you added dexter lawrence now he's collapsing the pocket and and all of a sudden your edge rushers are showing you something and it just everything looks that that would that Right now, the early return job, that was a great trade for the Bengals. Now, we'll see if it holds up, but right now, I think he's had a massive impact on that team. And, you know, you think one guy can have a trickle-down effect, right?

18:09 Like a T.J. Watt can help multiple players around him, right? He helps the secondary because he's getting pressure so quickly. He helps the guy next to him who's rushing because you've got to chip him, which also helps your outside linebacker or your inside linebackers in coverage.

18:24 Like Rob, not even to get ahead of ourselves in the Cincy, but through two games, Cincinnati's playing with much lighter boxes than they did all last year. Well, because Dex is there and the run defense is unbelievable.

18:38 Yeah, I think he's having that trickle down effect on them and allowing, you know, they drafted athletes in some instances more than football players. I haven't dived into them completely, but those athletes I think are playing better. You just look at the box scores, and they're getting production all over their roster. Anyway, I think it's a big test for their defense because you know how good that is, and it's a big test for the offense. They know they've got to do their part. week one, not great stuff, but stuff was close. Week two, you played an elite team and you didn't make plays when you needed to.

19:11 You got to be better than five for 25 through two weeks on third down. There's some stuff to clean up and I'll be very interested to see what they look like coming out of a week of practice where it sounds like they're going to be more focused on a smaller plate here of of, of plays and that sort of thing on offense. It is a big game for the Steelers on Sunday. Yeah, it is.

19:34 It certainly is. And you guys know, it'll, it'll go one of two ways. If the Steelers bounce back, all is good.

19:39 Here we go. Superbowl Steelers.

19:41 If the Bengals have their way, then all of a sudden it's, we're going to pick in the top five and fire up the mock drafts, right? It's going to be a, lot of black and gold eyes on that one Sunday afternoon on the North Shore. Rob King, voice of your Pittsburgh Steelers, kind enough to join us here on this busy Monday. Rob, before we let you go, I need a simple answer from you. On a scale of 1 to 10, rank the press box clam chowder yesterday at Gillette Stadium for Matt Williamson. Oh.

20:10 Oh, well, I'm no connoisseur of clam chowder, but I would give it high marks. I mean, I'm going to give it a 10. The only way for me you can ruin clam chowder, the only way you can ruin it is if you don't have enough clam in there. They have plenty of clams. And if it's runny. Oh, runny's bad. Yeah, runny's bad. And other than that, if you could do that, then every clam chowder is a 10 for me. Right.

20:38 So rumor has it, Max put a stamp of approval on it. He, he, he had a little bit.

20:43 Max is more of a, Max is more of your connoisseur. Yeah. Right. He's more of your connoisseur. I'm more of a, Hey, it tastes good.

20:50 I don't think he shied away.

20:51 Another half a bowl. No, you're right. Yeah, that's right.

20:56 Pouring his soup in his coffee cup just so he can get a few extra ounces. Rob King, voice of the Steelers. Make sure you are listening to him and Max and Willie every day at high noon here on.

21:06 The Steelers Audio Network. Kinger, great stuff. Thanks for the time. As always, partner, and we'll talk to you soon.

21:11 Thanks, guys. See you.

21:12 The King exits the castle.

21:15 Good stuff there from Rob always thoughtful always has a unique perspective you know from calling the games and preparing for the games and he's right I mean if we thought we think I don't think I know the reaction from this one has been palpable Matt oh it's.

21:30 Been harsher than I can remember on Twitter and I've gotten called out how could you think this old line could ever be good in the history of the world you're the dumbest person I've ever met blah blah blah like things like that it's nuts but along those lines you said one thing I just wanted to mention Just in the big picture world, you said something along the lines of, if the Steelers lose, they're going to be picking the top five, burn the place down. If they win, they're going to win the Super Bowl. I urge everyone to think, just remember, at this time last year, much as they are now, the Cincinnati Bengals started the season 2-0.

22:00 They ended up in the 10th pick in the draft. There's a lot going on between now and the end of the season.

22:08 The Raiders are 2-0.

22:09 Raiders are 2-0.

22:10 Super Bowl Raiders.

22:11 Again, the Texans are 0-2. They ended up Going deep into the playoffs, yet again.

22:16 I understand it.

22:18 That is not to say that yesterday was acceptable or excusable by any means.

22:22 Nobody's happy about it.

22:23 But it.

22:26 Is still very early in the season. And while, especially on offense, it hasn't been varsity. We don't need to sugarcoat that. All it takes is one week to get that moving in the right direction. And it's a big week for the Steelers in that regard, because, yeah, if you think the reaction was palpable last night and today, don't drop one at home to Cincinnati to move to one and two and let them be three and oh and losing a division home game that early in the calendar.

22:52 But we will have plenty more on the Bengals as the week rolls along. We need to get back into some more conversation from yesterday's game here. We also need to go around the league and look at a pretty wild week two a lot of a lot.

23:03 Different than week one a lot of crazy certainly in terms of scoring a lot.

23:06 Of crazy results a lot of lower scoring games and some real significant injuries.

23:10 There's also a lot of weather around the league everyone just forgets about that kind of stuff but that matters i'm sure it mattered in new england yesterday.

23:16 It did i mean i don't think it was not why they lost yeah yeah i don't think it was like detrimental to what either team was trying to do but it felt more like a uh game around Halloween, you know, than it did a, a, a September game there.

23:28 Certainly.

23:28 And my goodness is my first drive of the year with a jacket on a little chilly.

23:32 I was glad I packed the quarter zip to, uh, to, to Boston this weekend. Cause I needed the, I needed the long sleeve quarter zip yesterday. It was a little chilly.

23:41 Yeah, Matt.

23:41 Uh, let's, let's get into all that more, uh, as we roll along here.

23:45 Uh, speaking of weather, my goodness, how about what happened down in Tampa? Nuts and Browns win. We were joking with everybody in the broadcast booth.

23:52 Matt, you know how unhappy you'd be.

23:54 That is my nightmare.

23:56 I thought about you guys. Like, imagine being on the road on the road.

23:59 At the two minute warning. The game's almost over.

24:01 Yeah.

24:02 And you got to sit there for an extra two hours to wait for the weather. Just watching it pour.

24:06 And right.

24:07 That is Wesley nightmare fuel.

24:09 Right.

24:09 And you're losing to the Browns.

24:11 Nightmare.

24:12 Imagine those soaked players in the locker room with this drenched socks. And now what do we do?

24:17 You know, like, yeah.

24:19 Nightmare fuel. That's scarier to me than The Exorcist. Let's close down the first hour on the other side. Euler and Williamson, it's The Drive, Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.