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OPPOSITION TERRITORY: Pittsburgh Steelers · The Philadelphia Sports Table | Philly Sports News & Views

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Heylor everybody, it's Jeff. Wanted to let you know that we recorded this
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podcast episode on Tuesday May fourteenth, twenty twenty four. By the time you
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hear this, some things may have changed her there, but we hope you
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enjoyed the show. All right, Friends of the Philadelphia Sports Table podcast show,
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thanks so much for joining us here on this Opposition Territory podcast. We
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are the longest running weekly Philly sports podcast show in the world, eleven years
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strong. We got a great Opposition Territory pod and discussion coming your way this
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week. We have not dove into the state of the Pittsburgh Steelers in quite
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some time, but that ends right now on this podcast because we're going to
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talk about this AFC North team, what they're twenty twenty four offseason has looked
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like, and what may happen with this team once the season starts. We
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have got a great guest coming your way. Let's get right to it.
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It is great to have back on the podcast to get into this Pittsburgh Steelers
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team and what is gonna be happening with this team in twenty twenty four.
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We have from fans first, the Steel Curtain Network. They're doing great work
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over there. You know, you gotta subscribe to their podcasts and we're gonna
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talk a little bit more about what they're doing. In just a second,
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we got mister Dave Schofield, Dave Buddy, thanks so much for jumping on
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the pod. Well, thanks for having me back every time I'm on.
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I'm like, gee, I hope I did well enough that it'll have me
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back again because it's a whole lot of fun. Absolutely, it's great talking
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to you and again the Steel Curtain Network, you guys have really been building
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some momentum in terms of your online presence. Let our audience know what's been
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happening with you and your your online digital presence. Yeah, well, we
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launched through Fans First Sports Network. We launched our own website last July,
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yep. So that's been growing and we are not the only team that's covered
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there. We are, Actually, I'll be honest with you. If you're
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listening and you're and you're a fan and you're a writer, you can reach
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out to even contribute at for the various pages at Fans for Sports Network.
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But we had a whole team that came in with part of our Pittsburgh Steelers
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coverage we were we were at a previous website together, we came in and
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kind of flagship that that's continuing to grow where we're we're doing everything we can.
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On the podcast side, we're bringing three podcasts a day during the week
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and generally two on the weekends. So if you want Steelers content, we
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have it for you. And it's also helps whenever you get a really nice,
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juicy inside source that sometimes you can break the information that others are not
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and we've been able to do that over the last six months or so and
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that's really helped things take off. Awesome. You guys are building some good
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stuff over there again. Folks, the fan first Fans, First Sports Network,
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and follow Dave on the Twitter slash x STLR super fan Daddy is a
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fantastic follow. And let's get into this. Let's get into the Steelers team
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here and what we're going to see in twenty twenty four. So last season,
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Dave, as we all know, the Steelers went ten and seven.
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They clinched a wild card spot in the playoffs. It was a it was
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a very crowded AFC North playoff picture with the Browns and the Ravens also making
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the playoffs. Of course the Steelers, they won their last three games of
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the regular season, but they, of course, as we know, also
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sputtered against the Bills in the first round of the playoffs. I'm wondering what
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kind of successful momentum can the Steelers take from the end of last season to
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help carry them into twenty twenty four. What does that look like for you
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in Steelers Nation. That's a tough one because the Steelers have made some major
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changes, Yes, major changes. Part of the issue of the Steelers,
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the reason they had to creep into the playoffs was because of their quarterback situation
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that when they went with I mean, bottom line, is any game,
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any game Mitch Trubisky appeared in, the Steelers lost. Yes, whether he
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started, whether he came in at any point, any game he played in,
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if he took a snap, the Steelers lost. And that almost cost
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them a season. There were times we were as the Steelers are heading into
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December, it was looking ahead, they had a favorable part of their schedule
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coming up, and then they faced Baltimore the last week of the season.
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We're like, that could even still be for the AFC North Yeah, yep,
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And then the Steelers just bottom line, is Kenny Pickett gets injured,
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they can't be They can't finish that game against the Cardinals. They dropped the
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next couple and it's like they're outside looking in and it took calling on the
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number three guy to come in and salvage things. Yes, so the Steelers
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I don't think they have ever. I mean in the modern NFL, they
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have never had a complete turnaround at the quarterback position where not one player from
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the roster is on there the next season. So there's a lot to there's
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a lot of question marks here. But when it comes to rolling on,
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they made the playoffs and there were some times there. Yes, the Steelers
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technically lost by two touchdowns, but when they cut it to one touchdown,
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those Bills fans they started toe a little bit nervous. They were nervous.
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They've been burned on a little bit too much. But the biggest thing with
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that game is TJ. Watt did not play that game. And he's not
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just a game changer, he's a game plan changer. You have to change
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your game plan so much and so much of what the Steelers wanted to do
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on defense, and so much of what the Bills felt they could do on
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offense really hinged on the fact that TJ. Watt was not available for the
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game. Yeah, it's really interesting to see how they concluded last season and
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really how some of the positive momentum that they did have, because there certainly
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was positive momentum can translate into this season. But you said something, Dave
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is a great great segue into the next topic, which which is the quarterback
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position. And like you said, the first time ever where there wasn't necessarily
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a real concerted plan of action as to where the quarterback position was going to
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go in Pittsburgh. I mean, the Steelers picked up Russell Wilson and Justin
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Fields, and believe it or not, we've actually not talked about this quarterback
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situation for Pittsburgh on this particular podcast platform. First time we're talking about it
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here. You know, one quarterback is kind of on the downslide of his
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career, the other is looking at a possible fresh start to help jump start
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his career. How do you see this quarterback situation playing out during this twenty
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twenty four season. Well, it's going to be very interesting because it was
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crazy how it played out to even get to where we are now, right
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right, I mean, we got we got a call from our source to
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about two weeks before Russell Wilson decided to come to Pittsburgh. It said,
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hey, Steelers, they're out on Justin Fields, but pay attention, they're
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in on Russell Wilson. Yeah. And then that played out. Then Russell
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Wilson comes in kind of raises the floor of what you would expect from quarterback
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play. I mean, because the backup was Mitch Trubisky. That's part of
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their issue. So they raised the floor of what it would take to be
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the guy in Pittsburgh. Can He Pickett gets upset because the veterans, like
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you know, reached out to Russ and wanted them to become and he just
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he seemed really upset. I mean, you've got to think about it.
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When you're talking about taking the first snaps in camp, Who's who would deserve
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them? How about a multiple Gothics, seven time Pro bowler, you know,
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super Bowl champion. It would make sense for that person they take the
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snaps, But other guys gotta you gotta catch him. Yep. Can he
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Pikett wanted nothing to do with that. He has to get traded. Now,
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he's your all problem in Philadelphia and then we hear from our sours as
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soon as that trade went down, He's like, look for it. Justin
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Fields is back in back in the equation. The Steelers didn't want to two
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guys finishing up their rookie deals that were first round draft picks. They're very,
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very similar situations that would be that's really hard to grow on, so
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they basically replaced can he pick it? With Justin Fielix. Now it makes
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sense that Russell Wilson should be the guy that he's going to step out there
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first. And I think that's part of the reason why he decided to come
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to Pittsburgh because he's given that opportunity because based on what the room that Steelers
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had that he was coming into. Yeah, I mean, can you through
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six touchdowns last year? Okay? Russell Wilson on what was it considered a
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down year, through twice as many touchdowns as all the Steelers quarterbacks combined last
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year, right, So it kind of you know, shows that, hey,
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this is what it's going to be to be the quarterback for the Pittsburgh
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Steelers. Yes, how's that going to play out? Is Justin Field's a
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player that could surpass Russell Wilson. That is the million dollar question in Pittsburgh.
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That's what fans would love to know. We're excited to see what's going
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to happen, how it's going to play out. But really the bottom line
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is your hope of one of these guys can show that they can really be
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the guy. Absolutely, and it's I think it's a good position for not
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just the team, but both players too. Needing a fresh start in an
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area of the country to where football is king and the fan base is gonna
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get behind you if you are able to produce, and I think that's that
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bodes well I think for the organization. I think it bodes well for both
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Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. But you know, it makes me think about
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this offense in general as well, Dave, because the offense is coming into
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this season this year, I think with something to prove, you know,
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it's not just at the quarterback position, but the offense overall. I mean,
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last year they were twenty eighth in the league in scoring, twenty fifth
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in total yards. What does the offense need to do this year to prove
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the skeptics wrong? I mean, perhaps maybe focusing more on running the ball
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or passing the ball. Perhaps, I don't know, what are your thoughts
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on what they need to prove this coming season. Well, there's a really
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simple solution that the Steelers fans could cond tell this right now. This was
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this is a bigger deal that it's a change than even at the quarterback position.
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Okay, and that is the Steelers had basically an all time almost embarrassing
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offensive coordinator for the last time. I mean, the Steelers don't fire coaches
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mid season. And I've got a good buddy who is a Steelers fan,
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and I have had to hear about the offensive coordinator for quite some time.
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Yes, I mean, and it's so crazy because people other Steelers fans are
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like, I'm not buying into anything that the Steelers do in preseason. Look
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how good they did last year. Right, You've got to understand the offensive
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coordinator. I mean, I've got to mention by name, Matt Canado's who
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it is. And she were wondering we're talking about he doesn't have the system
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to he doesn't have the ability to adjust. He's, as Mike Tomlins would
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say, he's playing checkers when you should be playing chess. Yes, he
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can, he can go against the vanilla defense. When a defense is out
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there doing what they're supposed to do. When they show something the offense does,
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great, that's the preseason. But as soon as a defense starts game
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planning for what the Steelers would be doing, they got nothing. I mean,
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there's so many different red flags of things that you know, rumblings that
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we heard that. Then we would hear players say something like wow, you
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could really read into that. I mean when players offensive players are saying,
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well, what happened on this play? Well, we had a play called
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because we thought they were going to be in zone and they ended up being
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in man. You're like, well, how does that happen? Right,
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Well, when you don't let your quarterbacks change the play exactly, that happens.
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So to adjust to be so now you're completely guessing, expecting the defense
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to do something they're not. You're not allowing anything to make an adjustment.
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It's just ridiculous. And then the Steelers went out and hired a proven offensive
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coordinator in Arthur Smith that sometimes I like to say this, sometimes the best
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coordinators are ones that didn't make it as a head coach. They were such
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a good coordinator they got the job to be a head coach, but they
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just weren't really a head coach when it came down to it. We've seen
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his time and time legendary one and Dick Lebo Yes, I mean time and
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time again legendary. So we're hoping we could catch that spark again this year
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and that Arthur Smith can bring more of you know, bring what he did
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in Tennessee in twenty nineteen and twenty twenty where both Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill
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had the best seasons of their career in those two years. Then you know,
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forget that Atlanta stuff. He had too much on his plate, That's
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what we'll say. So the hope there is you bring in Arthur Smith likes
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to run the football. The Steelers invest in the trenches, all that stuff.
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Get the running game going. Use the running game to open up the
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passing game. Because the last couple of years, teams have just been daring
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the Steelers to run against hi. Yes, stacking the box because when they'd
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come out, when certain telegraphing their plays as soon as break the huddle,
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when you see a certain personnel and a certain formation, you know if it's
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a runner a pass right, Yeah, When teams know that what's coming,
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they can adjust to it. So I just want to see some you know
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what I don't expect based on the formation of the personnel. That's what Steelers
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fans want to see. I think that's the best thing their offense can bring
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this year. That can you know, how can you play in the NFLF.
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You're not keeping teams, you know, on their heels. That's what
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you really need. It's not going to be a Canada offense. Yeah,
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it's not going to be a Canada offense. I think that's good for Steelers
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Nation for sure. It's going to be interesting for US football fans in general
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when Steelers games are on our screen. So again, folks, we're talking
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to Dave Schofield from the steel Curtain Network over at fans First Sports Network.
13:45
Check out everything they are doing over there. And as we're moving along here,
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I wanted to shift directions and talk about this Steelers defense because, look,
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the Steelers have massively overhauled their offensive line over the past year. Desperately
13:58
needed, for sure, But from every thing I've seen and read with what
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the team has been doing, it appears that there have been little investment in
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one of the areas this team has been very dominant over the past five ten
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years against defensive line in particular. Of course, there's TJ. Watt Cameron
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Hayward dominant players there. But I'm wondering why you think there hasn't been that
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investment into the defensive line from this Steelers' front office that we've essentially seen in
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the past. Well, I think part of it is how much does Cam
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Hayward have left. People were worried because he missed so many games last year
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and all, we didn't have great individual stats, But sometimes team stats can
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tell you as much, if not more, as individual stats. For example,
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Cam Hayward first first eight weeks of the season, he played sparingly before
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he got hurt in Week one. Even when he came back, he was
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still hurt, he had to have surgeries. Who the season was there right
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right, But he came back and got it through. But those first eight
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weeks of the season, the Steelers were give up one hundred and thirty seven
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point one rushing yards per game. Then when he came back, their average
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from weeks nine to eighteen ninety nine point six. They went from ranked twenty
15:11
seventh in those first part to rank eleventh in the second part. Now,
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overall for the season, they finished nineteenth, which just looks like O hum,
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right, but it was so much better. Even though he's not the
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guy making all the tackles and everything, it changes things. So I know
15:26
some people were worried that he's at the end. And yes, sometimes when
15:30
you have a great player, I mean, Cam Heyward, I've been a
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Cam guy for a long time. He's a great player, fantastic. I
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mean, yes, I have to admit it. I have to admit there
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were tiers. When he won Walter Payton Mann of the Week year, I
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would admit that, yeah, because that's that was a huge moment for him
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and I was so happy for him. But I still think he's got more
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in the tank. I don't know that the Steelers are are it's not ready
15:54
for the overhaul as much as the offensive line was. But believe it or
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not, some people are missing that the Steelers did make a pretty pretty good
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move and that is their best defensive lineman last year. Now this isn't outside
16:08
linebackers because that's TJ. Watts. They locked up Alex Heis, but they
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drafted Nick Herbig, who is who last year played very sparingly as a rookie,
16:18
but when he did, he was electric. You talk about that three
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man rotation on the outside linebackers, I'm good there, that's great. Well,
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you're talking about the defensive line. They had a rookie last year.
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They drafted in the second round. Now, a lot of people think of
16:30
the Steelers second round draft pick as Joy Porter junior. That's because they had
16:34
the Bears pick for where they traded to Chase people had that first pick in
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the second round, but the pick in their spot was Keanu Benton and he
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was their best defensive lineman last year. Yeah, people might not realize it,
16:47
but he was. He was their best defensive lineman last year. The
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Steelers gave Larry Ogan Jobie a decent sized contract last offseason that I don't think
16:56
they're ready to cut loose from that yet, just because there's two years left.
17:00
There'd be a lot of dead money. But he needs to play better
17:03
than what his contract was last year, So it might be that it's one
17:07
of those We've got a lot invested. He needs to he needs to come
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through. So they didn't The Steelers didn't use another high draft pick. They
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did they did pick up Logan Lee in the sixth round this past year the
17:18
defensive line, but they didn't invest there. They did also bring in another
17:22
veteran that dealt with injury last year and Dean Lowry, so that's another guy
17:26
that they got to go into the rotation. So it's it's not that they've
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ignored it. They just haven't made the big splash that you would think otherwise,
17:34
especially when you're when you're looking at a draft class and you're like,
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Okay, you drafted this position, then this position, oh, then defensive
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line right now. Just so happened. That was a pretty I can tell
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you from what I've been told the steel If Joey Porter Junior would not have
17:48
been there picked thirty two, the Steelers would have taken Keanu Ben in that
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pick right and then they still got him later. So that's that was a
17:56
nice draft for them last year. So they've been investing in it. So
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they've thrown some young players in there each year. They had a third round
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pick I think three years ago. This will be his third season into Marvin
18:10
Layout and he ended up being inactive for him for a lot of games last
18:12
year. So they've tried to do some of those somewhat high picks. Yeah,
18:18
you know, an end of Day two, beginning of Day three picks
18:22
and they haven't all necessarily worked out and some of those guys that it's really
18:26
going on. So fans thought that this is one that they could really invest
18:30
in high this year. I'll tell you right now, based on age,
18:33
I would not be shocked if the Steelers' first round draft pick next year would
18:37
be a defensive lineman. That would not surprise me all exactly. Yeah,
18:40
well like you, okay, So definitely investments have been made, but not
18:44
the big splash. That's what we'll not really take away from the defensive line.
18:48
But in terms of the secondary now, as we're moving along with the
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conversation here, hoping to get your thoughts on what's happening here, because looking
18:55
on the outside as an Eagles fan with one of the worst secondaries in the
18:59
league last year, I'm like, Okay, the Steelers have some pretty good
19:02
players, but you know, as we were talking about earlier, it's a
19:04
tough division. Look, Joey Porter Junior, I think is a really good
19:07
quarterback. Yes, still getting his feet wet uh. Dante Jackson, he's
19:12
a veteran, yet he's had some issues with tackling for a lot of his
19:15
career. You know, you've got Minka Fitzpatrick back there, always a solid
19:18
player, Darius Rush. He could potentially be an interesting piece to the defensive
19:25
backfield. I don't know about that. You know what's crazy is that you're
19:27
this far into it. Darius Rush exactly like he could play I think so
19:36
yeah, yeah, yeah, he could play Nickel, you know, and
19:41
that maybe the third safety in some of those sub packages. So I'm just
19:45
wonder what's your level of concern heading into the season when it does come to
19:48
the Steelers secondary here. Yeah, there's a good bit of concern. But
19:52
I'm also I'm also wondering if that's where the move is still to be made
19:56
for the Steelers. Okay, yeah, because especially corner now safety, I'm
20:02
feeling much better the Steelers have Minka Fitzpatrick, did not utilize him last year
20:07
like they had in years past when they let Torrel Edmonds go on, who
20:11
ended up in Philly then gets traded to Tennessee. I wouldn't be shocked at
20:15
the Steelers still would if he ends up back with Pittsburgh. If he doesn't
20:18
land anywhere else between now and Drea and Camp wouldn't shock me, but this.
20:22
I mean, the Steelers had Demante Caysey, but he got suspended last
20:25
year for that hit against the receiver for the Colts. So's he's one like
20:30
that. But you gotta get Minca back and we're away from the line of
20:33
scrimmage and back there making the plays like he had in previous years. He
20:37
last year was the first year I think he didn't have an interception. Yeah,
20:41
so that that was concerning, but the Steelers made it. They made
20:45
another low profile signing that I think could really come in and do something,
20:51
and that's safety Deshaun Elliott. Oh yeah, with the Ravens for a while.
20:56
Then he was with the Dolphins. Is that where he was. I
21:00
remember when he was at the Ravens. Yeah. Yeah. So that's an
21:04
interesting piece. But as the Steelers had to learn last year, they had
21:08
to bring They were signing guys off the couch coming in and making plays.
21:11
So they have some options there. But corner to me, they don't have
21:18
right now what I would call a bona fide nickel, someone that could really
21:23
do that. I mean, my goodness, Dante Jackson played a lot of
21:26
snaps last year. But had no interceptions and only five passes to the ever
21:32
nine hundred snaps. So that coming in new not knowing really what he is.
21:36
That's a little bit leary of that because when the Steelers bring in a
21:40
player that they coveted before and now they're getting older. They traded for William
21:45
Jackson the third a couple of seasons aging they ever played a snap for him.
21:48
Yeah, so that's why. So we're kind of burned by that a
21:51
little bit. But they don't have a lot of other options there, but
21:52
would not be shocked to see them. They have the cap space now,
21:57
they have more money out than they've than they usually have this time of year.
22:02
They freed up some stuff with an alex heismit restructure before the draft in
22:06
case they even had the opportunity to go there. People keep thinking it's going
22:10
to be a big wide receiver. I wouldn't be shocked if the if it's
22:14
actually corner because that might be just as big of if not a bigger need
22:18
for the Steelers this year because there's a lot of question marks there. They
22:22
had a seventh round draft pick, Corey Trice last year. They really liked
22:26
him. He got hurt on the first day of full contact and training camp,
22:29
bad knee injury. So can he come back? You've got a lot
22:33
of young guys. It's almost like you got five or six of them and
22:36
you're, you know, throw them off the wall and see which one is
22:38
just gonna say. But that's that's a lot of hope and a prayer going
22:44
into a season like that. And uh, I will say one thing,
22:48
I don't think he's the answer. I think it would be more of a
22:52
mentor and sub package situation. But Mike Tomlin said at the coaches meeting that
22:59
the door isn't shut Patrick Peterson. He just had a pretty big cap hit
23:02
for the time and he's not a guy that needs to be there for OTAs
23:04
or anything else either. And they didn't give away his number, so I
23:08
wouldn't be shocked if something like that there and another player that had some problems
23:17
blown up. You know, I can't even still get the whole right story
23:19
with what was going on with Cam Sutton, the former Steelers pah that was
23:22
with the Lions last year. It sounds really bad, but then it might
23:27
not be. I mean, charges will drop down to a misdemeanor, might
23:30
not be as bad. As what it was. That's that's something I wouldn't
23:34
be shocked if the Steelers kicked the tires on. And there's still some pretty
23:37
big names out there at the cornerback position that's available that I wouldn't be shocked
23:41
if they still make a signing. There's going to be interesting for sure to
23:45
follow. And as we're running out of time here, Dave, just one
23:49
last topic, I guess real quick here because I wanted to just really talk
23:52
about this AFC North with you that when you look at the division, you
23:56
know I'm wondering, you know what's concerning you most because there's a lot of
24:00
good teams here. Joe Burrow is going to be back for the Bengals.
24:03
Ravens are obviously hoping to get back to the AFC Championship this year, if
24:07
not even go further. So what's your biggest concern within the division this coming
24:11
season? My biggest concern is could we just play all divisional games? Because
24:18
five and one in the division last year, you know, the hardest division.
24:22
I mean, they came in third place because of their overall record,
24:23
but they're in division record was five and one, So now granted both comes
24:30
they played the Bengals. It wasn't Joe Burrow. And I think Joe Burrow
24:34
is a fantastic quarterback. I think Lamar Jackson is a very intriguing quarterback that
24:41
the Steelers have figured out. I mean, do you realize that the Steelers
24:45
are seven and one of the last eight games against the Ravens. That's incredible.
24:48
They meet them five times in a row in Baltimore. I mean,
24:53
I mean, and the Steelers have just been they've you know, they've been
24:59
mid you know for the last several years. They were hanging right around or
25:03
they make it in the playoffs? Are they not? You know? But
25:04
yet they have done fine against their all, and it drives Ravens Stains crazy.
25:08
Yes it does, It really does. So the Steelers. I'm with
25:11
the Ravens. That's just one of those things. But those are hard fought
25:15
games. You never know what's going to happen in those. And honestly,
25:19
I thought last year was the Ravens year because it was the first time Lamar
25:23
Jackson made it through a full season and they had him, and their only
25:27
major injury was Tamark Andrews, who came back, and then they still couldn't
25:33
get there so that's got to be the flat. I mean, the Steelers
25:37
have one of their one, you know, grabbed one of their young defenders
25:41
in Patrick Queen and signed them this offseason. So, uh so that's really
25:45
interesting. Those are You never know how those are going to go. And
25:49
then the Browns, does Sean Watson even want to still play football? It's
25:55
amazing what that team gave up to get him, and it really doesn't seem
25:57
like I love it. I loved it as a Steelers fan because I'm like,
26:03
you're going to give up that much for that player. I'm really hoping
26:07
this comes back to night you And I mean that that team, I mean
26:11
they're a defense that's phenomenal at home but can't stop anybody on the road last
26:15
year. Yeah, So, I mean, the biggest thing that the Steelers
26:18
have in the AFC North is familiarity. And I don't know if it's a
26:23
Mike Tomlin thing or because he's been around so long and knows what's going on
26:27
with these teams for so long, but the Steelers they hang tough in those
26:33
division games. So honestly, if it comes down to it and the Steelers
26:40
need help from an AFC North team, losing. I'm hoping that the Steelers
26:44
play them right because that's more likely because other teams definitely haven't figured them out
26:48
along the way. Yes, with a lot of things. Well, it
26:52
was a great conversation with you, Dave. Best of luck to your Steelers
26:55
as we're moving through twenty twenty four. And again, folks, Dave's go
27:00
field from steel Curtain Network over at fans First Sports Network and check out everything
27:06
they have going on over there. Dave Man, it's great talking to you,
27:08
buddy, as it always is about this Steelers team and organization. I'd
27:12
love to talk to you down the road again, my friend. Well,
27:15
yeah, well, hopefully with them we talk next time. We Steelers fans
27:18
can party like it's nineteen sixty five. Oh, there you go. That's
27:22
the fast time they beat the Eagles in Philadelphia. There, you have to
27:25
go there. This year they do, they do, It's gonna be an
27:26
interesting game for sure. Maybe we could do the pregame, you know,
27:30
maybe we could do the pregame show and you love me there. I would
27:34
love it, my friend. Thank you again for your time. That's going
27:37
to do it for us here on opposition Territory this week. Please share our
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