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This is it - the Steelers regular season finale · The Irish Steelers Podcast

0:05
Speaker 1: Head Thugs. Welcome into the Irish Students Podcast, your podcast
0:09
Speaker 1: for Pittsburgh Studers, fans across the island of Ireland and beyond.
0:12
Speaker 1: Michael Quid delighted to be joined by David McKee. Jimmy
0:15
Speaker 1: is away this evening but sends his regards davug My
0:20
Speaker 1: voice is a wee bit raspy from being on the road.
0:22
Speaker 1: But I tell you what I couldn't want. I wouldn't
0:25
Speaker 1: want to speak to anybody apart from you on a
0:26
Speaker 1: Thursday Friday, before a game, before such a big weekend.
0:30
Speaker 1: How are you doing? On A Happy New Year and
0:32
Speaker 1: a happy New Year to everyone listening to the podcast
0:34
Speaker 1: as well.
0:34
Speaker 2: Yeah, happy New Year to you as well, mc and
0:38
Speaker 2: also a happy Christmas. We haven't spoken a while. It's
0:40
Speaker 2: been a couple of weeks and it's probably for the
0:42
Speaker 2: best because we're currently on a three game lost break.
0:45
Speaker 2: If we're gonna we're gonna take a break. Christmas probably
0:48
Speaker 2: was the best time to do it. So yeah, I've
0:50
Speaker 2: been chilling watching a lot of the darts. I have
0:53
Speaker 2: to say, before that three week break, I felt like
0:55
Speaker 2: Stephen Button at the at the Alli Poly singing titum.
0:59
Speaker 2: But for now I'm not seeing a bit less than that.
1:02
Speaker 2: But no, it's been a good time to have off.
1:04
Speaker 2: But yeah, I'm ready to talk Steelers again, and yeah,
1:07
Speaker 2: hopefully it gets a bit better than it has been
1:09
Speaker 2: over the past couple of weeks.
1:11
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's important as well, because you know,
1:15
Speaker 1: when you lose games, you lose games, and I think,
1:16
Speaker 1: you know, people will search for answers or look to see,
1:20
Speaker 1: you know, why we have lost these games, and and
1:24
Speaker 1: that's natural, and it's coming to that point of the
1:26
Speaker 1: season where it's it's obviously very important to win every
1:29
Speaker 1: game that we now have, and we are going to
1:32
Speaker 1: talk through that week, but just just the way second
1:34
Speaker 1: and maybe look over the last couple of weeks in
1:36
Speaker 1: a moment, and I want to firstly, just probably find
1:39
Speaker 1: the stats for the last couple of weeks. I was over.
1:41
Speaker 1: I went to the game dialogue and Christmas, and I
1:45
Speaker 1: know you and Jimmy went to Pittsburgh in October for
1:49
Speaker 1: a game one of fantastic you know, not just a
1:53
Speaker 1: fantastic stadium, but what a great way city it is,
1:57
Speaker 1: and just just props to the staters for that. But
1:59
Speaker 1: it almost reminds a bit of but like it reminds
2:01
Speaker 1: me of like Doublin or Belfast. It's the same sort
2:03
Speaker 1: of size, but definitely a great city, great people as well,
2:09
Speaker 1: though you know, great, great, great people, but that that
2:13
Speaker 1: stadium is something else and that that museum is just super.
2:17
Speaker 2: Yeah, I couldn't have. I couldn't have said a batter Mac.
2:20
Speaker 2: It reminds me a lot of of Belfast in Dublin,
2:24
Speaker 2: which is strange and obviously because of the Ris connections
2:26
Speaker 2: we have. But the people are amazing, the pubs are amazing,
2:31
Speaker 2: the food's amazing, the nightlife is amazing, and the football
2:34
Speaker 2: is amazing as well. So I couldn't have matched the
2:37
Speaker 2: batter myself. It's a great city to be hailing a
2:40
Speaker 2: team from because the Steelers are you know, they're our
2:43
Speaker 2: favorite team at the end of the day, and I
2:45
Speaker 2: couldn't be prouder of them that they put on a
2:47
Speaker 2: great hoax for you, because I know, obviously from our
2:49
Speaker 2: time in October, the Steelers, the Runny family and as
2:52
Speaker 2: a whole are great hosts. And yeah, I'm glad to
2:56
Speaker 2: hear you had an amazing time. Of course, the result
2:57
Speaker 2: didn't go the way we wanted. We're playing the two
3:00
Speaker 2: time defending Super Bowl champions and at the end of
3:02
Speaker 2: the day, that's the standard we have to try and
3:04
Speaker 2: get to. Of course they didn't go our way end
3:05
Speaker 2: the day, but then, yeah, you have something up perfectly
3:07
Speaker 2: there and MEC couldn't set up beat him myself, I'm
3:09
Speaker 2: very jealous. I have to say when I see that game,
3:11
Speaker 2: I'm on a Christmas Day and you were there, I
3:13
Speaker 2: have to say.
3:15
Speaker 1: Here, the game you went to was interesting as well.
3:18
Speaker 1: A few months ago I really liked and I looked
3:21
Speaker 1: at the last one was saying it because I know
3:23
Speaker 1: we need to speak up a football here, but I
3:24
Speaker 1: really liked how close it was to the city center.
3:29
Speaker 1: I thought it was just absolutely superb. But more so
3:33
Speaker 1: as well. I went to two or three games over
3:35
Speaker 1: the last week in the State's dialogue, and the Steelers
3:38
Speaker 1: fans are up there up early, Teal getting on Christmas Day,
3:42
Speaker 1: which says a lot about them. But like the fact
3:45
Speaker 1: that you can literally Teal get outside the stadium is nuts.
3:47
Speaker 1: But yeah, I think we'll all have to get back
3:50
Speaker 1: at some point. That chief statue might be the best
3:53
Speaker 1: statue I ever seen. Genuinely. Yeah.
3:55
Speaker 2: I got the chance to tal Gate as well and
3:57
Speaker 2: meet some incredible people from all over the place, not
4:00
Speaker 2: just Pittsburgh. You know, the Steelers nation goes far. I
4:03
Speaker 2: believe in match somebody from California from I'm not entirely
4:07
Speaker 2: sure what part of California, but he was over sporting
4:09
Speaker 2: the Steelers that day as well. And I'm mad like
4:12
Speaker 2: a few people from other places even I believe what
4:14
Speaker 2: some one person in Mexico as well. You know, they
4:16
Speaker 2: have a massive farmbiast there. So it was great to
4:19
Speaker 2: sort of get it my hands dirty and integrated in there,
4:21
Speaker 2: and I'm sure you did the same and getting the
4:23
Speaker 2: tail gett and as I said, the Chiefs statue incredible.
4:27
Speaker 2: I mean the museum, I don't know. I'm sure you
4:29
Speaker 2: did do it. Seeing a lot of your Instagram stories
4:31
Speaker 2: and stuff like that, and the history that goes into
4:34
Speaker 2: the Steelers. I mean, I'm not gonna lie. I came over.
4:37
Speaker 2: I felt like I knew a lot about Pittsburgh's city
4:39
Speaker 2: and a lot about the Steelers as an organization. The
4:41
Speaker 2: museum and the hospitality and the alumni dinner that we
4:45
Speaker 2: got their attend. I feel like I could do you know,
4:48
Speaker 2: the weakest link question there on a Steelers on a
4:51
Speaker 2: Steelers sort of thing. So I actually came back knowing
4:54
Speaker 2: everything about it and it just really goes to show
4:56
Speaker 2: here but the history of the organization and you know
4:58
Speaker 2: the winning teams during the se Haventies and obviously you
5:01
Speaker 2: know the four Shipper Bowls and all that and stuff.
5:03
Speaker 3: So it was really a blessing. I'm sure you found it.
5:06
Speaker 2: The exact same And as Jay, I can't wait for
5:08
Speaker 2: all of us hopefully next time to go over together.
5:10
Speaker 3: I'll be great.
5:11
Speaker 1: Yeah, I look forward hopefully going over again. I think
5:13
Speaker 1: I think you could. I think just finally you've hit
5:16
Speaker 1: the nail on the head there, and if anybody, whether
5:19
Speaker 1: you're a Staters fan or not in Ireland, go and
5:22
Speaker 1: track it. It's genuinely really cool. And the stadium just
5:26
Speaker 1: for a stadium that's actually only twenty five or so
5:30
Speaker 1: years built from the previous stadium, which is actually outside
5:33
Speaker 1: it where you can stand where the immaculate reception happened,
5:36
Speaker 1: it is so much history. So I would definitely recommend
5:39
Speaker 1: anyone to try it. And yeah, it was it was
5:41
Speaker 1: a bag experience obviously. Yeah, you know you want to
5:45
Speaker 1: get the win, especially in Christmas Day, don't get me wrong,
5:47
Speaker 1: So for me, yeah, I'm owing one and seeing him
5:49
Speaker 1: in person in Pittsburgh. Hopefully I'll change it soon. But
5:53
Speaker 1: in terms of the like, let's just sort of, you know,
5:55
Speaker 1: cut to the chase a wee bit here in terms
5:58
Speaker 1: of Davog of the last few weeks, and I know
6:01
Speaker 1: Steelers fans will be listening to this podcast asking this question.
6:06
Speaker 1: We have not won a game since the December. We've
6:08
Speaker 1: lost against the Eagles, we lost against the Ravens, and
6:13
Speaker 1: we lost against the Chiefs. Now, we have known since
6:16
Speaker 1: we were talking in April doing preview podcasts. We knew
6:20
Speaker 1: how difficult this season is going to be in terms
6:23
Speaker 1: of that final stretch in the last few weeks. We
6:25
Speaker 1: knew it would be. But you know, it's it's still look.
6:28
Speaker 1: Of course, it's hard to take, you know, in terms
6:30
Speaker 1: of you want the team to win as many games
6:32
Speaker 1: as you can. I guess, first off, in a good way,
6:35
Speaker 1: you know, Thank god, we won a number of games
6:37
Speaker 1: there at the start of the year in terms of
6:40
Speaker 1: we got a lot of wins on the board, and
6:41
Speaker 1: we're now seeing that the fact we're in the playoffs.
6:44
Speaker 1: We don't know what position and we're in yet in
6:46
Speaker 1: that sense, but just for you, because it's our first
6:49
Speaker 1: time talking in a couple of weeks. How do you
6:52
Speaker 1: sort of sum up the last few weeks? What would
6:54
Speaker 1: you like to see improved, not just this week, but
6:56
Speaker 1: going forward into the playoffs.
6:58
Speaker 2: You know, Michael, it's very difficult to look at the
7:01
Speaker 2: last three weeks and you know, try and put a
7:03
Speaker 2: positive spinning on it if you like, I mean, you know,
7:05
Speaker 2: not to go overboard, but it does feel like we
7:08
Speaker 2: have I wouldn't They say exposed is the right word,
7:10
Speaker 2: but I believe it really just shows were we sort
7:13
Speaker 2: of match up with all of these great teams. I mean,
7:15
Speaker 2: if you look at the three weeks where we had,
7:17
Speaker 2: you know, the Philadelphia game, the Baltimore game in Baltimore,
7:20
Speaker 2: and obviously Kansas City on Christmas Day, and it feels like,
7:24
Speaker 2: you know, it just feels like they're on a different
7:28
Speaker 2: level right now. And of course, you know, if you
7:31
Speaker 2: look back on it, and we were before the way,
7:33
Speaker 2: you know, we were sort of saying ourselves, look at
7:35
Speaker 2: what you can win two of these four games. Of course,
7:37
Speaker 2: we still have Cincinnati this weekend. We still have our
7:39
Speaker 2: reach outs, you know, set our tongue for the playoffs,
7:41
Speaker 2: come out there with a win. But if you look
7:44
Speaker 2: at where we thought we were going to be before
7:47
Speaker 2: those three weeks, I mean I'll be landing to say
7:48
Speaker 2: if I wasn't disappointed. I mean, of course, we've had
7:51
Speaker 2: some injuries. You have to remember, of course we've been
7:53
Speaker 2: without George Pepkins for at least two of those games.
7:56
Speaker 2: You know, the Baltimore game. I thought it was massively missed.
7:59
Speaker 2: Shaun Elliotti is another one, being another person that I
8:01
Speaker 2: mentioned beforehand. He's a key player on defense. But at
8:04
Speaker 2: the same time, Megal, it's absolutely no excuse. I mean,
8:06
Speaker 2: we've had the deal with injuries, so is the rest
8:09
Speaker 2: of the league. And we mentioned before the garn out
8:11
Speaker 2: of the games we do have to win to four
8:13
Speaker 2: as a founder, So to find ourselves in this spot
8:15
Speaker 2: where we've not slipped on only the division, but we're
8:18
Speaker 2: obviously going up against we're gonna have to face if
8:21
Speaker 2: when we do obviously enter the playoffs, we're gonna have
8:23
Speaker 2: to go on the road and most of the games
8:24
Speaker 2: unless we can actually come out with win and hope
8:26
Speaker 2: the Cleveland Browns can do this a favor at the weekend.
8:28
Speaker 2: So and it doesn't really feel good at the moment,
8:31
Speaker 2: but haven't said all of that. We're probably gonna be
8:34
Speaker 2: looking at an easier game because of it. You know,
8:36
Speaker 2: if we are able to bounce back this weekend. Of course,
8:38
Speaker 2: if you had asked me three weeks to go, Megal,
8:40
Speaker 2: who would I rather face and Jim Harbaugh and the
8:43
Speaker 2: Chargers at Aquasher or the Houston Taxans and Houston I
8:47
Speaker 2: will snap your hand off and said the Houston Taxans
8:48
Speaker 2: because right now they're not looking like a great team.
8:50
Speaker 2: And I believe out of those both teams, it's probably
8:53
Speaker 2: our better shot at the first playoff when once been
8:55
Speaker 2: I think it's seven years. So at the moment, if
8:58
Speaker 2: it is difficult to look on the positive, I know
9:00
Speaker 2: Steelers fans will be listening and thinking, you know, surely
9:03
Speaker 2: it's tam and gloom. But as Mike Tomlin always sayings,
9:06
Speaker 2: you know this team has a standard and at the
9:09
Speaker 2: end of the main thing is we're in the playoffs.
9:11
Speaker 2: We have a chance, whether you like it or not,
9:13
Speaker 2: we have a chance of going on a playoff run,
9:15
Speaker 2: something we haven't done in many, many years. And if
9:17
Speaker 2: we're able to start it off with this weekend with
9:19
Speaker 2: a win against the Bengals, I don't see any way,
9:21
Speaker 2: why we can't sort of put it up to these
9:23
Speaker 2: teams in the playoffs. Of course, these are three teams
9:25
Speaker 2: that we're going to have the face in the playoffs
9:27
Speaker 2: if we are going to have to win a super Bowl.
9:29
Speaker 2: In my opinion, they're three of the top four or
9:31
Speaker 2: five best teams in the league. So if we're able
9:34
Speaker 2: to sort of get set our tongue this weekend and
9:37
Speaker 2: obviously see where we are in wild card weekend, and
9:40
Speaker 2: I don't see why you know we can't go on
9:42
Speaker 2: a long, deep playoffs roup.
9:43
Speaker 1: I think as well, when you've got a situation where
9:45
Speaker 1: this team have won ten games, they know what it's
9:48
Speaker 1: like to when they know what it's like the battle
9:49
Speaker 1: adversity they've won up against some of the best teams
9:51
Speaker 1: in the league. Like we know how good the Ravens are.
9:54
Speaker 1: The Chiefs have been interesting one for me in the
9:56
Speaker 1: sense of they have been grinding our results. I don't
10:01
Speaker 1: think the Chiefs played that well against us on Christmas Day.
10:04
Speaker 1: I think it was just certain players, certain avenues. Of course,
10:06
Speaker 1: you need to keep the ball, you need to keep
10:08
Speaker 1: the ball in your in your offensive hands, and that's
10:11
Speaker 1: something that we're gonna have to work on I think
10:13
Speaker 1: in that I think that's one of the keys to
10:14
Speaker 1: the game this weekend, regardless of who wins that. And
10:17
Speaker 1: we'll talk about the Bengals gaming a weak second, but
10:19
Speaker 1: it's it's keeping the ball, making sure that we get
10:22
Speaker 1: the most out of each offensive drive. And that's so
10:24
Speaker 1: so key. But if you're gonna have a blip, it's
10:27
Speaker 1: better to have that blip now and go for it
10:29
Speaker 1: on whoever we get after week a team we get.
10:32
Speaker 1: That game against the Bengals is actually in the late
10:34
Speaker 1: window on Sky Sports on Saturday night if you're in
10:37
Speaker 1: Ireland or in the UK. Dalbog mentioned Mike Tomlin there.
10:41
Speaker 1: Let's hear from him very quickly on the podcast before
10:43
Speaker 1: we talk a little bit about the Bengals as well.
10:45
Speaker 4: When you play a group that's as hot as this
10:47
Speaker 4: group is and a player that's as talented and hot
10:51
Speaker 4: as Joe is, it's not about individual playmaking, it's about
10:55
Speaker 4: collective play making. It's about Russian coverage, it's about mixing
10:58
Speaker 4: things up. He's great continuity in terms of the people
11:01
Speaker 4: that he works with, not only his eligibles, but from
11:05
Speaker 4: a staff perspective. When you play a guy like that,
11:08
Speaker 4: that's on top of his game, that understands what people
11:11
Speaker 4: are and understands what's asked of him, that understands his
11:14
Speaker 4: schematics inside and out. You better also focus on yours
11:18
Speaker 4: and what you do well and things that you know
11:20
Speaker 4: and understand and can execute under the rest. And so
11:23
Speaker 4: you know that'll be our mentality. It'll be sixty minutes
11:26
Speaker 4: of playmaking. Just like last time, man he made some plays.
11:30
Speaker 4: We made some plays. We better make more if we
11:33
Speaker 4: want this game to unfold in the manner in which
11:35
Speaker 4: we desire. Certainly they're a motivated group trying to play
11:40
Speaker 4: their way into this tournament, but certainly we're motivated group.
11:44
Speaker 4: To be quite honest with you. We got to get
11:46
Speaker 4: the stitch of the last few performances off of us,
11:49
Speaker 4: and there's no better way to do that than a
11:52
Speaker 4: home divisional win versus a formidable group going into the tournament.
11:57
Speaker 4: And so that's our mentality as we stand here today.
12:00
Speaker 4: We have some real good meetings to get things get
12:03
Speaker 4: kick started this morning, and we will continue excited about
12:07
Speaker 4: doing it in act a short prime time on Saturday night.
12:10
Speaker 1: Yeah. Interesting to hear from Mike Tumlin on the Irishi
12:12
Speaker 1: podcast as we look ahead to the Stats' final regular
12:16
Speaker 1: season game of twenty twenty four. Can't believe it's I
12:19
Speaker 1: can't believe we're here already, but we are. Big game
12:22
Speaker 1: against the Cincinnati Bengals. I actually didn't realize that log
12:25
Speaker 1: until I was doing different podcasts this week. The Bengals
12:27
Speaker 1: need a lot more than just to win taking into
12:30
Speaker 1: the playoffs. They need the Broncos to lose as well,
12:33
Speaker 1: but they also need a bit of health in the
12:34
Speaker 1: team face in Miami, so it's not it's not as
12:37
Speaker 1: easy for them, and I guess the one thing it
12:39
Speaker 1: doesn't go against us, But I think if it was
12:42
Speaker 1: Sunday and those games were going on, I think it'd
12:45
Speaker 1: be a bit different. But this game stands out, we
12:48
Speaker 1: will know and we'll talk about the playoff pervitations and
12:51
Speaker 1: just in the week second for us, we will know
12:53
Speaker 1: where we stand by that point in terms of the North.
12:57
Speaker 1: This Bengals team have improved in recent weeks. Joe Burrow.
13:01
Speaker 1: Regardless of how the Bengals have performed all season, do
13:05
Speaker 1: Joe Burrows playing some fantastic football man?
13:07
Speaker 4: He is?
13:08
Speaker 1: It's it's unreal to watch. But again, when you look
13:12
Speaker 1: at our defense, you look at the defense that can
13:15
Speaker 1: go up against them. But it's it's must win, It's
13:18
Speaker 1: Douard Die territory for the Bengals. It's gonna be interesting
13:21
Speaker 1: to see how they approach this game, especially on the road.
13:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, I completely agree with you, Ma, I mean you've
13:25
Speaker 2: you've mentioned it. They're the only thing that does go
13:28
Speaker 2: against us is the fact that the Bengals are desperate.
13:31
Speaker 2: I wouldn't say we are desperate, although of course we're
13:33
Speaker 2: coming off three straight losses. Any team after three straight
13:36
Speaker 2: losses would have to consider themselves desperate. Let's be honest,
13:39
Speaker 2: but Cincinnati are fighting for their season. Just on Joe Burrow,
13:43
Speaker 2: you touched on it. In my opinion, I know everybody's
13:45
Speaker 2: talking to Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. For me, Joe
13:48
Speaker 2: Burrows the MVP. I mean, how his team is eaton
13:51
Speaker 2: is eating Yate up the stage of the season where
13:53
Speaker 2: his defense has been atrocious. He's been dealing with injuries
13:57
Speaker 2: on the O line. The old line itself when it
13:59
Speaker 2: is it has struggled. We've seen it in our game
14:03
Speaker 2: a couple of weeks ago. I mean, TJ. Watt Herbig
14:06
Speaker 2: was absolutely sensational. Cam Heyward caused them a lot of problems,
14:10
Speaker 2: and the fact that I think we put up forty
14:12
Speaker 2: something points against us and they still lost, I think
14:14
Speaker 2: that speaks volumes to how good he has been. But again,
14:18
Speaker 2: coming into it, I feel I wouldn't say we're desperate,
14:22
Speaker 2: but if there is a team looking to come in
14:24
Speaker 2: that in the playoffs at the moment that needs win,
14:26
Speaker 2: it is us because we're coming in here and we're
14:28
Speaker 2: coming off three straight losses against playoff teams and in
14:31
Speaker 2: my opinion, a win here against the division arrival to
14:34
Speaker 2: not only end their season, but in my opinion, it's
14:38
Speaker 2: sas them back massively because you know, you're looking at
14:41
Speaker 2: Jim Archias contract, the T Higgins situation, there's a lot
14:44
Speaker 2: of players that are going to be maybe wanting out
14:46
Speaker 2: if they don't make the playoffs and are not going
14:47
Speaker 2: to be hitting bonuses. So in my opinion, I think
14:49
Speaker 2: they'll be desperate, but we'll also have a certain degree
14:52
Speaker 2: of desperation, so I can feel like it's gonna be
14:55
Speaker 2: one of those teams where it's gonna be high scoring,
14:57
Speaker 2: and you know, if we come out with a win,
14:59
Speaker 2: so be it, and if not, you know, it'll be difficult.
15:02
Speaker 3: Bouncing back, of course in white hardwake, but we'll do it.
15:04
Speaker 1: It's always nice having a leak game on the Saturday
15:07
Speaker 1: night for us in that sense as well, before we
15:09
Speaker 1: make our PEX. Let's year from Russell Wilson, who is
15:12
Speaker 1: looking to bund spock off throughout defeating Christmas Day, he's
15:15
Speaker 1: chotting to reporters on the I Receivers podcast.
15:18
Speaker 5: I think we just got to get focused back on
15:19
Speaker 5: the fundamentals of the game and just play clean football.
15:22
Speaker 5: So be it still be aggressive in our mentality and
15:23
Speaker 5: our approach, not playing not don't play conservative in any
15:26
Speaker 5: way in terms of how we play, but just doing
15:29
Speaker 5: the little things right. And I'm looking forward to the
15:31
Speaker 5: opportunity of what we got, man, we got what opportunity
15:33
Speaker 5: is to play at home last game of the year
15:35
Speaker 5: in front of our fans, and you know, in regular
15:37
Speaker 5: season and then and then here.
15:38
Speaker 1: We go to the playoffs.
15:39
Speaker 5: So we want to finish it the right ways, successfully
15:42
Speaker 5: walk that line being aggressive and not being careless. I
15:46
Speaker 5: think doing what we've done, you know ninety five percent
15:49
Speaker 5: of the season, you know, you can't just look, you know,
15:52
Speaker 5: look at one or two bad plays and then judge
15:55
Speaker 5: the whole season. Off of that, you look at all
15:56
Speaker 5: the collection of all the plays and it's football. It's
15:59
Speaker 5: it's an imperfect game, and you're always seeking perfection every day.
16:02
Speaker 5: And I think that's the thing that we're we're doing
16:04
Speaker 5: a really good job of. We're we're we're finding every day.
16:06
Speaker 5: We're trying to search for that every day. And I
16:08
Speaker 5: think the most important thing is this. You gotta have amnesia,
16:10
Speaker 5: you know, we gotta have amnesia in this game.
16:12
Speaker 1: It's it's uh, it's one of.
16:13
Speaker 5: Those games that they got good players, we got good players.
16:16
Speaker 5: There's gonna be highs, there's gonna be lows throughout a game,
16:18
Speaker 5: throughout the season, through all that and just having an
16:21
Speaker 5: amnesia and that's when the great things are happening too,
16:23
Speaker 5: to be able to move on and move to the
16:24
Speaker 5: next play. And I think that's gonna be key for
16:27
Speaker 5: for for for winning football as we go here and
16:30
Speaker 5: search for what we're all searching for us. So, first
16:33
Speaker 5: Cincinnati game, is that the best you guys did collectively?
16:36
Speaker 5: And is there anything you can take from that experience,
16:39
Speaker 5: you know, to kind of restart with trump start it now. Yeah,
16:42
Speaker 5: I think that's the you know, I think that was
16:44
Speaker 5: a great game for us. I think for four quarters,
16:46
Speaker 5: we battled, we responded early, and when we mean to
16:49
Speaker 5: speak about responding, they they made plays on you know,
16:52
Speaker 5: on their side. We responded again, and like I said
16:55
Speaker 5: to you guys, it's it's you know, some of these games,
16:57
Speaker 5: especially the AFC North, the air heavyweight fights in their battles,
16:59
Speaker 5: and as we go further, it's going to be like
17:02
Speaker 5: that too, you know. And so I mean, I think
17:04
Speaker 5: the best thing that we'd obviously the playmaking and all
17:06
Speaker 5: the things we're able to do. I mean, we threw
17:08
Speaker 5: the ball around the field, and we we also you know,
17:10
Speaker 5: ran the ball well. We did some great things. We
17:12
Speaker 5: you know, scored touchdown crucial situations. We answered and just
17:15
Speaker 5: we didn't blink, you know, we didn't blink. And we
17:18
Speaker 5: can't bling now, can't bling now. And so I think
17:20
Speaker 5: the best thing we can do is, uh, you know,
17:22
Speaker 5: just continue to have you know, focused practices, detail, uh
17:26
Speaker 5: meetings and everything else and and and utilize that the game.
17:28
Speaker 5: And I always tell you guys, every game is the
17:30
Speaker 5: history of its own and you get we were just
17:32
Speaker 5: focused on this next game, and we got a lot
17:34
Speaker 5: of respect and regard for how they play the game
17:36
Speaker 5: and how their coaches and everything else, and so we've
17:37
Speaker 5: got to play our best those seasons. How important is
17:41
Speaker 5: it to get the moment of doctor, I think it's
17:45
Speaker 5: I think it's always great just to stay on a
17:48
Speaker 5: momentum high, you know, I think that's always helpful. But
17:50
Speaker 5: it doesn't determine anything. You know, you know, our presence
17:53
Speaker 5: is going to determine. You know, how we work is
17:55
Speaker 5: going to determine, you know that, and and where we
17:58
Speaker 5: go and so you know, I think the teams that
18:02
Speaker 5: you know, I've been on the been able to go
18:04
Speaker 5: long ways and do some special things and all the
18:06
Speaker 5: playoff games and all the things unfortunately be able to
18:08
Speaker 5: do and be around and be a part of is
18:11
Speaker 5: is Uh, Like I said earlier, a little bit you
18:13
Speaker 5: got to have a little bit amnesia, you know, you
18:15
Speaker 5: got to be able to uh, you know, just embrace
18:18
Speaker 5: the moment so so addicted to the moment that nothing
18:20
Speaker 5: else gets in the way of it. And I'm no
18:22
Speaker 5: matter what people write good, no matter why people write bad,
18:25
Speaker 5: maybe you know for a couple of days or whatever
18:27
Speaker 5: it is, you just stay stay focused on the moment, say,
18:29
Speaker 5: focus on the next place they focus on the next practice,
18:31
Speaker 5: the next meeting.
18:33
Speaker 1: Uh.
18:33
Speaker 5: And that level of obsession, that level of focus, the
18:36
Speaker 5: level of communication, that level of response is everything. And uh,
18:39
Speaker 5: that's what champions do. And I think that if we
18:42
Speaker 5: want to be champions, we got to communicate that way.
18:43
Speaker 5: We got to think that way, We got to believe
18:45
Speaker 5: that way. We can't blink. And and you know, champions
18:48
Speaker 5: don't focus on the negative stuffy, They fix it, They
18:50
Speaker 5: move on and they and they focus on what helps
18:52
Speaker 5: and win. And that's and that's all the things that
18:54
Speaker 5: we have in this locker room.
18:55
Speaker 1: I'm looking forward.
18:56
Speaker 5: To us you know, focusing on that and possibly doing that.
19:01
Speaker 1: Is that an usia?
19:01
Speaker 4: Is that a learned skill?
19:03
Speaker 5: Yeah, it's part of that. I think the mental part
19:04
Speaker 5: of the game. It's I don't know, I got a
19:06
Speaker 5: lot of baseball in me, and so you know, and
19:09
Speaker 5: I think that, uh, you know, you think about baseball,
19:11
Speaker 5: you know, you go, you know, thirty for one hundred,
19:13
Speaker 5: you're you're a whole famer.
19:14
Speaker 1: You know.
19:14
Speaker 5: It's you know, so you got to be able to
19:16
Speaker 5: focus on the next pitch. I think same thing in
19:18
Speaker 5: any sport. Really, I think the best players in the world,
19:21
Speaker 5: they're able to remain neutral. You know, uh, you know,
19:24
Speaker 5: Steph Curry is probably a ninety percent free throw shooter out,
19:27
Speaker 5: you know, something like that. If he misses a free
19:29
Speaker 5: throw in the finals, doesn't mean he's not any good
19:31
Speaker 5: anymore free throws. It just the next free throw, the
19:33
Speaker 5: next moment. And I think that's that's just part of
19:37
Speaker 5: the being neutral, being locked in the communication, the self talk, uh,
19:41
Speaker 5: the self talk within the huddle, you know, the self
19:43
Speaker 5: talk on the sideline, the self talk within your own
19:46
Speaker 5: ears is everything. And how you speak to yourself, how
19:49
Speaker 5: you believe, and how you how you embrace it, how
19:52
Speaker 5: you embrace the challenges. And like I said, every team,
19:55
Speaker 5: and that's gonna be in the playoffs's got great players too,
19:57
Speaker 5: you know, And so how how we respond who's going
19:59
Speaker 5: to respond the best more often?
20:00
Speaker 1: But now we're to hear from QB. Russell Wilson ahead
20:03
Speaker 1: of this game, the final game of the regular season
20:06
Speaker 1: for Pittsburgh Steeters for the twenty to twenty four regular season.
20:10
Speaker 1: That bog let's look at it right here right now.
20:13
Speaker 1: The Staelers are ten and six. They've clinched the spot
20:15
Speaker 1: in the playoffs three weeks ago. That's how good we
20:18
Speaker 1: played for those few weeks. But the position of the
20:20
Speaker 1: postseason and we're that first game will be played remains
20:23
Speaker 1: a question. We know that by the end of the
20:27
Speaker 1: first game that that'll be the end of the Ravens
20:30
Speaker 1: Browns game, so we will know exactly what's going on
20:33
Speaker 1: with Baltimore. The AFC North title remains in the mix.
20:36
Speaker 1: With a win for the Staelers over the Bengals one
20:39
Speaker 1: week A team coupled by a loss for the Ravens
20:41
Speaker 1: against the Browns, the Steelers will win the North title
20:44
Speaker 1: based on tiebreakers. If that happened, the Staders would then
20:48
Speaker 1: host the first round playoff game against the LA Chargers.
20:52
Speaker 1: LA finishes a Vegas against the Raiders and Week eight
20:54
Speaker 1: team if an ass on Sunday. If both the Staters
20:58
Speaker 1: and Ravens Savens are eleven and five win, the Steelers
21:00
Speaker 1: would be the number five seed in AFC playoffs and
21:03
Speaker 1: they would actually travel to Houston to face the AFC
21:05
Speaker 1: South champions and fourth seeded Texans. And just again we've
21:10
Speaker 1: been more confusing for you. If, however, the Steelers lose
21:13
Speaker 1: and the Chargers win, LA would move into the five seed.
21:16
Speaker 1: The Steelers would fall into the sixth seed. In that case,
21:19
Speaker 1: the Steelers would travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens
21:23
Speaker 1: for a third time this season. The wins have been split. Obviously,
21:27
Speaker 1: we beat them in eighteen sixteen at Pittsburgh and then
21:29
Speaker 1: the Revens got that win in week sixteen. We can
21:32
Speaker 1: only really look ahead to this week, and I think
21:34
Speaker 1: for me it's difficult because you get two elements to
21:36
Speaker 1: this novel. But certainly from a fin or an analy
21:41
Speaker 1: from a fin or analyst perspective, I expect the Ravens
21:44
Speaker 1: to win. To be honest, against the Browns. Look, the
21:49
Speaker 1: Browns will be playing for pride. You never know what
21:51
Speaker 1: could happen there, but you would expect based about on
21:53
Speaker 1: how the Ravens have played so far this season, that
21:56
Speaker 1: they should win that game. But regardless of that, we
21:58
Speaker 1: need to focus ourselves. Yeah. I like this team coming
22:02
Speaker 1: out and rewriting the last few weeks against the Bengals
22:06
Speaker 1: team that will want to win. I think this defense
22:08
Speaker 1: is going to put up I think the one of
22:10
Speaker 1: the stop start tight games. I like the Steelers in
22:13
Speaker 1: the close one. But again, I don't think any of
22:15
Speaker 1: us will be surprised to see that Bengals go for
22:18
Speaker 1: it all because the seasons on the line. What's your
22:20
Speaker 1: thoughts in this game?
22:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, I see it very much the same as you've
22:26
Speaker 2: just mentioned. I don't hold my breath for the Cleveland
22:29
Speaker 2: Brands to beat the Battle Ravens and Baltimore. They beat
22:32
Speaker 2: the Ravens earlier in the year as well in Cleveland,
22:35
Speaker 2: and I think Lamar Jackson will be primed to revenge
22:38
Speaker 2: that game. So yeah, I'm the same as you. I
22:41
Speaker 2: see them winning, not and winning at pretty convincedly Steelers game.
22:45
Speaker 2: Of course, you know it's it's another one of those
22:49
Speaker 2: things where it's gonna be a high scoring game. I
22:51
Speaker 2: don't think me or you you know, are then not.
22:53
Speaker 2: I mean, the defense, as bad as they've played, you
22:56
Speaker 2: know they have, they haven't played great in the past
22:58
Speaker 2: three weeks, Michael, let's be honest.
22:59
Speaker 3: But I feel like there's a hinge.
23:02
Speaker 2: Game here where they're gonna want to prove a point
23:05
Speaker 2: before the playoff starts. And I feel that they've been
23:07
Speaker 2: getting a lot of you know, critics, you know, throwing
23:11
Speaker 2: stuff at their way in the past, couple of which,
23:13
Speaker 2: you know, war was the defense counts against Kannadas City,
23:15
Speaker 2: were was the defense against Baltimore war was a defense
23:18
Speaker 2: against hill A. I feel like they're gonna want to
23:20
Speaker 2: come out and put on a stamp on this game
23:21
Speaker 2: and and sort of shut down the Bengals. Of course,
23:24
Speaker 2: it's going to be difficult. Not many play people can
23:26
Speaker 2: do it, not many units can do it. But I
23:29
Speaker 2: feel like we're we're definitely primed to do it. So
23:31
Speaker 2: I'm gonna go for relatively high scoring game. I think
23:35
Speaker 2: it's gonna be one of those games. Though we're in
23:37
Speaker 2: the fourth quarter, the defense comes to life and I
23:39
Speaker 2: feel like it's going to be thirty five thirty two Steelers.
23:43
Speaker 2: Of course, I'm not gonna pack the Steelers lose, of course,
23:45
Speaker 2: not we know right now, but yeah, I feel like
23:48
Speaker 2: it's gonna be a high scoring game right up to
23:50
Speaker 2: the third quarter, and we're gonna all to find them
23:52
Speaker 2: the fourth quarter, Boswell kicks a winning field goal, and
23:54
Speaker 2: you can take off of the bank.
23:58
Speaker 1: And do you have a preference and who you'd like
24:00
Speaker 1: to play in the playoffs if given the chance? Are
24:04
Speaker 1: you very much like me? I'm like, you bring on anyone,
24:06
Speaker 1: bringing all man.
24:07
Speaker 3: Yeah, Like I just have in my head.
24:10
Speaker 2: I just have in my head that will be will
24:12
Speaker 2: be facing Houston Taxings. I just feel like both ourselves
24:15
Speaker 2: are going to do the job, and I think you
24:17
Speaker 2: know I don't as I've said, I mean, is it
24:19
Speaker 2: Dorian Thompson Robinson for Cleveland. I watched them at the
24:22
Speaker 2: weekend against Miami, A Miami defense that's completely obliterated with injuries.
24:28
Speaker 2: I've watched them, and I don't hold my breath for it.
24:30
Speaker 2: I could be proved wrong.
24:31
Speaker 3: Who knows.
24:31
Speaker 2: I hope I am because I feel like if we're
24:34
Speaker 2: I think if we win, we're the third seed, and
24:36
Speaker 2: the third sie is a lot better than the fifth seed.
24:38
Speaker 2: So I feel like a win here and obviously a
24:42
Speaker 2: loss would be great for the Ravens, but I just
24:44
Speaker 2: have in my head that work for face in Houston.
24:46
Speaker 2: I do not, however, want to go to Baltimore in
24:48
Speaker 2: the first round. I have to say, I pop my
24:50
Speaker 2: hands up after what I've seen a couple of weeks ago.
24:53
Speaker 2: Please give us the Houston Taxes, and if we do,
24:56
Speaker 2: I hope we win. That's all I'll say.
24:58
Speaker 1: To be the best, you gotta beat the best. But
25:00
Speaker 1: I fully agree with you. I think let's ease into
25:02
Speaker 1: this again and see the crack. But look, there's so
25:05
Speaker 1: many teams that are playing a game on Sunday that's
25:07
Speaker 1: worth that means not Hunt. That's worth not Hunt, and
25:09
Speaker 1: they're not going to play for another nine months. I'm
25:12
Speaker 1: happy we're here. We're having a bit of crack and
25:14
Speaker 1: the put in the postseason. I'm looking forward and those
25:16
Speaker 1: Steelers fans can watch this game on Saturday night on
25:19
Speaker 1: Sky Sports NFL and the NFL Game Pass, or listen
25:22
Speaker 1: to it on OTB Sports Radio. We'll be watching the
25:25
Speaker 1: game and we'll be back over the next few days
25:27
Speaker 1: after the game day, I know you're going to prag
25:29
Speaker 1: so enjoy that. I'll be joining with Jimmy over in
25:31
Speaker 1: the next few probably Monday, folks, to recap it to
25:34
Speaker 1: talk about the playoffs generally. But for now that look.
25:37
Speaker 1: Thanks so much man, folks. Here we go, have a
25:39
Speaker 1: great weekend and enjoy the game.
25:41
Speaker 3: Here we go.