Latest / The Irish Steelers Podcast / Merril Hoge joins us from Dublin and Steelers-Jets Preview
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: Irish airline aer Lingus will proudly serve as the presenting
- 0:03Speaker 1: partner of Steelers Ireland twenty twenty five. Airlingus's growth in
- 0:07Speaker 1: North America continues in twenty twenty five as the airline
- 0:09Speaker 1: prepares to fly to two new US destinations, Nashville and Indianapolis,
- 0:14Speaker 1: using its new Airbus eight three twenty one xl or aircraft.
- 0:18Speaker 2: This brings the number.
- 0:19Speaker 1: Of transatlantic routes operated by the airline from Dublin, Shannon
- 0:22Speaker 1: and Manchester to twenty four. Steelers fans traveling to Ireland
- 0:26Speaker 1: for the big game can enjoy a relaxing journey when
- 0:28Speaker 1: they fly.
- 0:28Speaker 2: With air Lingus. Air Lingus, You're very welcome, everybody.
- 0:41Speaker 3: You're very welcome to the Irish Theeeters Podcast presented by Erlingus.
- 0:44Speaker 3: Here we go, folks, here we go. What's week one
- 0:47Speaker 3: of the season. Can you hear the excitement in my voice?
- 0:50Speaker 3: It's going to be hard for me to calm down
- 0:51Speaker 3: here because I'm I know, I'm like a lot of
- 0:54Speaker 3: NFL fans across Ireland. Here, across the island of Ireland,
- 0:57Speaker 3: in the UK and Europe and around the world. We
- 1:00Speaker 3: are so so back. The Steelers play a football game
- 1:04Speaker 3: that means something this weekend, but Steelers Nation before that,
- 1:07Speaker 3: it is time to take flight with aer Lingus and
- 1:11Speaker 3: official airline partner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the founding
- 1:14Speaker 3: partner of Steelers Ireland. There's never been a better time
- 1:17Speaker 3: to book your trip to Dublin. With nineteen North American gateways,
- 1:21Speaker 3: including flights from nearby Cleveland, you can get ready for
- 1:24Speaker 3: warm Irish hospitality and plenty of room on board for
- 1:28Speaker 3: your customized Irish Terrible tyle, whether it's game there or
- 1:31Speaker 3: a getaway. Airlinkness looks forward to saying you're very welcome
- 1:35Speaker 3: to the players and fans of the Pittsburgh Steeters. You
- 1:38Speaker 3: can book now on airlingus dot com and folks, we
- 1:41Speaker 3: are so here. It's going to be Steelers, It's gonna
- 1:44Speaker 3: be Jets on Sunday, and we're going to talk about
- 1:47Speaker 3: that in a second. Some huge news on this week
- 1:50Speaker 3: one preview podcast, Folks, we are so backed. Steelers Nation
- 1:53Speaker 3: is coming to Dublin. If you haven't seen the announcement,
- 1:56Speaker 3: the Steelers are going to make history obviously in a
- 1:58Speaker 3: few weeks, hosting the first ever that regular season game
- 2:01Speaker 3: in Ireland. When Epheus the Minnesotavikings at Dublin's iconic historic
- 2:06Speaker 3: Crow Park on Sunday, September the twentieth, and to mark
- 2:09Speaker 3: the occasion, the Steelers are going to roll out what
- 2:11Speaker 3: is known as a Blockbuster, a week of black and
- 2:14Speaker 3: Gold celebrations. Folks check out Steelers Ireland across social media
- 2:19Speaker 3: for this. We're going to have appearances from Steelters legends
- 2:22Speaker 3: at a tailgate with the unique Irish twist, including flag
- 2:25Speaker 3: football clinics. Official Steeters merch Max Starks is going to
- 2:30Speaker 3: be touring Ireland to soak up the atmosphere and handout
- 2:35Speaker 3: iconic Terrible Tiles. It's going to be incredible and folks,
- 2:38Speaker 3: Fitzsimon's Bar in Temple Bar is going to be the
- 2:41Speaker 3: official Steeters Pub. But as a fan of the NFL
- 2:44Speaker 3: first and foremost, I had a chance today to go
- 2:46Speaker 3: to something very very special, the Steelers Pro Shop, which
- 2:50Speaker 3: is launched in Dublin City Center on forty Clardon Street. Folks,
- 2:54Speaker 3: it's going to remain open not just for the game,
- 2:56Speaker 3: but throughout the season. I picked up a couple of
- 2:59Speaker 3: Terrible Tiles miss today and actually really decently priced as well. Folks,
- 3:05Speaker 3: get down check it out, because if you're in around
- 3:08Speaker 3: the area, I would recommend you check it out now
- 3:10Speaker 3: before the whole thing does kick off. Loved it today.
- 3:13Speaker 3: Check it out. There's a real sense of excitement in
- 3:16Speaker 3: the air. There is a real sense of this is
- 3:20Speaker 3: very special. And I actually wasn't just at the pro
- 3:23Speaker 3: Shop today. I was at an event in Kingsburg Community
- 3:26Speaker 3: College in Dublin with the NFL and one of you,
- 3:30Speaker 3: a real real legend was there for the Pittsburgh Staters
- 3:34Speaker 3: in Meryl Hodge and obviously MARYL. Hodge, a real legend
- 3:40Speaker 3: for the Staters team twenty one years working in media
- 3:44Speaker 3: as well. Before we look at the Week one game
- 3:47Speaker 3: against the Jets, let's hear from Meryl, who joined us
- 3:49Speaker 3: today on the Irishooters Podcast presented by our Lingus. Irish
- 3:55Speaker 3: Theaters Podcast presented by ur Lingus. Delighted to be here
- 3:58Speaker 3: with a guy who has done the black and gold.
- 4:00Speaker 3: We're in Dublin, We're in Kingsley Community College for an
- 4:02Speaker 3: NFL flag event. Merrill Hodge, Maryland, You're very very welcome.
- 4:05Speaker 3: What's the crack Heighten.
- 4:06Speaker 4: I'm doing great, bro, Just feel like I'm versions of
- 4:10Speaker 4: Pittsburgh here.
- 4:11Speaker 5: Yes, very cool. It's very awesome feelings.
- 4:13Speaker 3: You still this morning and spoke to kids in the
- 4:15Speaker 3: Assembly hall have been playing football.
- 4:18Speaker 5: I've been.
- 4:18Speaker 3: I've been very, very lucky to do this podcast for
- 4:20Speaker 3: two or three years and obviously work with his theaters.
- 4:22Speaker 3: I live up north. That got me when you were
- 4:24Speaker 3: talking about mister Rooney, talked to us about what he
- 4:26Speaker 3: meant to you and the relationship you had with him.
- 4:29Speaker 4: You know, I think anybody the knew mister Rooney. It
- 4:33Speaker 4: didn't matter what the environment was. He just he was
- 4:36Speaker 4: a special man and it just couldn't help. But when
- 4:40Speaker 4: I got on stage and I see all those kids,
- 4:42Speaker 4: I'm like, oh my gosh, his.
- 4:43Speaker 3: Vision, yeah, of what he wanted to do here.
- 4:46Speaker 5: You know, it's really come to light.
- 4:48Speaker 4: You know, I mean not just the game, but kids
- 4:51Speaker 4: playing flag football, you know, kids playing flag football and
- 4:55Speaker 4: loving flag football and wanting to build on that game.
- 4:59Speaker 4: Just is what's gonna make the vision grow is these kids.
- 5:05Speaker 4: And for him to start that and see that, he'd
- 5:07Speaker 4: just be so happy.
- 5:09Speaker 3: What was it like playing for the theaters, actually running
- 5:11Speaker 3: night on to that field.
- 5:12Speaker 4: Well, I mean I told the kids that in there,
- 5:15Speaker 4: the Pittsburgh Steelers are my favorite team as a kid.
- 5:17Speaker 4: When i'm I see these kids are twelve years old,
- 5:19Speaker 4: I'd be sitting there twelve years old, going, oh my gosh,
- 5:22Speaker 4: that's my favorite team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. So to get
- 5:25Speaker 4: drafted by the Steelers. And this is actually within the
- 5:29Speaker 4: first few days of getting drafted. Okay, all I'd ever
- 5:32Speaker 4: done is watch them win Super Bowls in my pajamas
- 5:35Speaker 4: on Sunday. Okay, So now I walk in the locker room.
- 5:39Speaker 4: The first I sit in my locker, Tony Precis, the
- 5:43Speaker 4: equipment manager, came over and asked me whose locker that was,
- 5:47Speaker 4: and I thought I'd sat in the wrong locker. So
- 5:49Speaker 4: I looked up and I saw my name up there,
- 5:51Speaker 4: so I said, what's mine? He said, no, it's Frankel
- 5:53Speaker 4: Harris's Oh okay, so sitting there, and then Donnie Shell
- 5:57Speaker 4: comes in and sits next to me, so he's my
- 5:59Speaker 4: high locker. Shortly after that, like here comes me and
- 6:05Speaker 4: Joe Green walking in. Who's our defensive line coach at
- 6:08Speaker 4: the time. My roommate was Mike Webster. Our first meeting
- 6:14Speaker 4: was with the chief, which is mister Yes, mister Rooney's
- 6:18Speaker 4: dad and really the guy of the founding father, you know,
- 6:22Speaker 4: of building, of where the Steelers are and who they
- 6:26Speaker 4: are today. And the chief was a wonderful man. And
- 6:32Speaker 4: Chuck Noll I.
- 6:33Speaker 3: Was gonna ask you about him because he obviously had
- 6:35Speaker 3: him as a coach.
- 6:36Speaker 5: What was he like?
- 6:36Speaker 3: Because you hear from different players different.
- 6:39Speaker 4: He's not the greatest man I've ever met. And I
- 6:42Speaker 4: here's what I'd give myself some credit. I was twenty
- 6:44Speaker 4: one years old and I knew this. I would probably
- 6:48Speaker 4: never come across another man like that in my life,
- 6:51Speaker 4: and I have not.
- 6:52Speaker 5: He was He wasn't just a great coach. He was
- 6:54Speaker 5: a great leader.
- 6:55Speaker 4: He's a great mentor, he's a great challenger. And you
- 7:00Speaker 4: talk about true, I mean integrity. He coached with integrity,
- 7:05Speaker 4: he lived with integrity, he modeled integrity. And I've just
- 7:10Speaker 4: I've learned so much from him and so glad that
- 7:12Speaker 4: I got to play for a guy like that, because
- 7:16Speaker 4: he did so many things for your life's work for me.
- 7:19Speaker 3: And Week one coming up the Steters Jets, Well, what's
- 7:22Speaker 3: your thoughts with a team this season? Like you obviously
- 7:25Speaker 3: you're working with ESPN, You're still still involved very happily
- 7:27Speaker 3: in the league.
- 7:29Speaker 4: Well, this is gonna this is actually what I'm gonna
- 7:32Speaker 4: say next is probably not that far off of a
- 7:35Speaker 4: lot of teams because there's not I know of no
- 7:40Speaker 4: team that can win without it. But let's talk about
- 7:44Speaker 4: the two things that are most important to win consistently
- 7:46Speaker 4: in the NFL. And this is historically true. These two
- 7:49Speaker 4: stats are the only things that matter in football. Or
- 7:52Speaker 4: one stat you gotta win the turnover battle every Sunday.
- 7:57Speaker 4: That right there gives you your margin of air wins
- 8:00Speaker 4: losses right there if you can predict that. But if
- 8:03Speaker 4: you don't turn it over, man advantage you. Then if
- 8:07Speaker 4: you can control the tempo of our game. And by
- 8:09Speaker 4: controlling the temple of the game. There's two implement or
- 8:11Speaker 4: too many things you got to implement that people talk about,
- 8:14Speaker 4: and I think that they are always said, and you
- 8:17Speaker 4: know it passes over people's heads, but the importance of it,
- 8:21Speaker 4: the ability to stop the run and be able to run, yeah,
- 8:25Speaker 4: allows you to control the temple of the game. So
- 8:27Speaker 4: if you can win in those two areas, you have
- 8:30Speaker 4: a chance to a ninety nine percent chance of winning
- 8:33Speaker 4: each and every Sunday. And so in the first week matchup,
- 8:37Speaker 4: do the Jets want justin fields. Do they want justin
- 8:40Speaker 4: fields to throw it forty five times a game? I
- 8:41Speaker 4: think every football fan knows that's not going to happen.
- 8:44Speaker 4: Why that's that's not his strength or his forte What
- 8:47Speaker 4: is their strength? They're good, good offensive line, they got
- 8:50Speaker 4: good backs, and their quarterback strength is running the ball. Okay,
- 8:54Speaker 4: our quarterback is obviously superior. However, just because he's superior
- 8:58Speaker 4: doesn't mean you throw it at forty five times. Yes,
- 9:00Speaker 4: you know they haven't even played together, so you don't
- 9:03Speaker 4: really know how that chemistry will come. So our ability
- 9:06Speaker 4: to run the football effectively and be dominant in that aspect.
- 9:10Speaker 4: If we are there, then Aaron Rodgers will be the
- 9:13Speaker 4: elite guy he is. But if you're sitting there going
- 9:15Speaker 4: forty five times a game, you gotta throw the ball
- 9:17Speaker 4: more likely you're probably gonna Probably you're struggling.
- 9:20Speaker 5: If that's what you have to do.
- 9:22Speaker 3: We will see what happens. Thank you. If your analysis are
- 9:24Speaker 3: just finally, what does it mean to have this team
- 9:26Speaker 3: come to Dublin leak four? It's pretty cool, isn't it.
- 9:28Speaker 4: We all to go back to, you know, some of
- 9:29Speaker 4: the vision of mister Rooney and that one right there
- 9:33Speaker 4: is going to be like his Super Bowl to see.
- 9:35Speaker 4: I mean he'd be looking on he would let he's
- 9:37Speaker 4: going to be looking down because I said, if he's
- 9:39Speaker 4: looking down and watching that game, because that that's something
- 9:42Speaker 4: that just watching these kids here in this assembly and
- 9:46Speaker 4: the excitement of flag football and the excitement for you know,
- 9:49Speaker 4: the Steelers and the Vikings to come over here and play,
- 9:52Speaker 4: and his vision years and years decades ago and it's
- 9:56Speaker 4: coming to fruition.
- 9:57Speaker 3: Thank you for having you done for the game here, Marl.
- 10:00Speaker 3: Really appreciate you coming on the podcast. I'm going to
- 10:01Speaker 3: chat to you against it well.
- 10:03Speaker 5: Thank you brother.
- 10:07Speaker 3: Great deal from Earl on the Irish Eavers podcast presented
- 10:10Speaker 3: by Erlingus. And we have a football game coming up
- 10:13Speaker 3: this weekend, Steelers heading over to met Life to face
- 10:16Speaker 3: the Jets and for NFL fans across Ireland, this game
- 10:19Speaker 3: is on sky Sports NFL. It's not just on sky
- 10:22Speaker 3: Sports NFL. I can tell you my friend, our friend,
- 10:25Speaker 3: Neil Reynolds and the team are heading over to MetLife Stadium.
- 10:28Speaker 3: Neil flies out on Friday morning with the team. They're
- 10:31Speaker 3: going to be live from met Life Stadium for this game.
- 10:34Speaker 3: And look before we go, we're going to have a
- 10:36Speaker 3: full team back in the podcast next week. But my
- 10:38Speaker 3: keys to the game we all know about Justin Fields.
- 10:41Speaker 3: I had the chance to meet Justin Fields throughout the
- 10:43Speaker 3: summer and when I asked him about this game, he
- 10:45Speaker 3: looked at me smiled. He's ready to go, folks. He
- 10:48Speaker 3: wants to win this game, and we need to be
- 10:50Speaker 3: able to contain him.
- 10:51Speaker 6: Well.
- 10:51Speaker 3: We know him well. He's not the most prolific passer
- 10:54Speaker 3: in the NFL, but we know the ground is where
- 10:57Speaker 3: he can do really, really well. He averages six shards
- 11:00Speaker 3: percari over his career so far, and if we can
- 11:04Speaker 3: make him through the ball, I think we're going to
- 11:06Speaker 3: be in good ship. So that's one key to the
- 11:08Speaker 3: game for me. Got to keep an eye on Guart
- 11:10Speaker 3: Wilson unbelievable past cut. He's an unbelievable pass catcher. But
- 11:15Speaker 3: we know that that wide receiving core for the Jets
- 11:18Speaker 3: doesn't have too much going past them. And for us,
- 11:20Speaker 3: we need to run the ball. We need to find
- 11:23Speaker 3: a way to get Jialen warn involved early and often
- 11:26Speaker 3: we know na he's not here anymore. And I want
- 11:28Speaker 3: to see Caleb Johnson. I want to see what we
- 11:30Speaker 3: can do with different guys, and I know when we
- 11:32Speaker 3: have Aaron Rodgers coming in, one of the keys to
- 11:34Speaker 3: the game as well is to be getting that ball
- 11:36Speaker 3: down the field. We've got to let Aran Rodgers play
- 11:40Speaker 3: to his maximum standard. And remember as well, yes we're
- 11:43Speaker 3: going up against Justin Fields. Yes we're run up against
- 11:46Speaker 3: the guy that's been with the Steelers roster before, but
- 11:49Speaker 3: Aaron Rodgers will want to prove a point in Matt
- 11:52Speaker 3: Life Stadium in Week one. It's one of the main
- 11:55Speaker 3: games in the early window, and we know that he's
- 11:58Speaker 3: one to go. We know that he is one to
- 12:01Speaker 3: have to go into the stadium and put a performance
- 12:05Speaker 3: against his old team. Now on that side of the ball,
- 12:07Speaker 3: on the other side of the ball, on the defense,
- 12:10Speaker 3: this defense needs to really put a marker on this week.
- 12:13Speaker 3: We've got to get pressure on fields. We've got to
- 12:15Speaker 3: make big plays. We know TJ is back. We want
- 12:18Speaker 3: to see turnovers, we want to see dominance on the
- 12:20Speaker 3: on the field because the longer we can keep Aaron
- 12:23Speaker 3: Rodgers out there and the less time that the Jets
- 12:25Speaker 3: have on the field means we can get more points
- 12:27Speaker 3: on the board. It's really really important that this can
- 12:29Speaker 3: happen and ma, I'm just so excited to see this
- 12:33Speaker 3: defense on the field this weekend. Just before we go
- 12:37Speaker 3: here on the Irish Theaters Podcast, Let's hear from a
- 12:39Speaker 3: few players ahead of this game. Let's hear from Yeah
- 12:41Speaker 3: How Black obviously recently drafted announced in Dublin, Darius Slay,
- 12:45Speaker 3: Troy Fantona, and Alex Heismith here on the Irish Theaters Podcast,
- 12:49Speaker 3: presented by Earning.
- 12:51Speaker 6: With the emotion like, you're heading into your first NFL game?
- 12:54Speaker 6: What are the nerves are the generals like right now?
- 12:56Speaker 7: Oh, be honest with you, is just I'd probably come
- 12:59Speaker 7: game day a little more butterflies, but right now it's
- 13:01Speaker 7: just practicing.
- 13:02Speaker 5: You know, I'm getting it right.
- 13:03Speaker 6: What is the D line hoping to show here in
- 13:05Speaker 6: the first game, especially given you have such a mobile
- 13:08Speaker 6: quarterback in Justin Beals cross the line it starts.
- 13:11Speaker 7: Up front, so you know, I just want to show
- 13:13Speaker 7: dominance and that that we're here.
- 13:15Speaker 5: What do you take from the preseason?
- 13:17Speaker 7: What do you take for those.
- 13:18Speaker 5: I've been saying that they're opportunities.
- 13:21Speaker 7: You know, I got to got to show a little
- 13:23Speaker 7: bit of my skill set and really just starting to
- 13:25Speaker 7: work on my craft.
- 13:25Speaker 8: Did he give you answers for more confidence or police
- 13:29Speaker 8: looking toward this level?
- 13:31Speaker 5: I had the confidence.
- 13:32Speaker 7: I mean I was brought in for a reason and
- 13:34Speaker 7: you know, confidence is there. You can't let it, can't
- 13:37Speaker 7: let it lack.
- 13:38Speaker 6: What kind of challenge is the Jets run games specifically
- 13:41Speaker 6: with just the tandem of backs they have no call
- 13:43Speaker 6: it is that part of the this week, I feel
- 13:47Speaker 6: like I have a hurdle of them.
- 13:48Speaker 5: A lot of specifics from anybody this week.
- 13:50Speaker 2: You guys trying to not give any bulletin boar material or.
- 13:53Speaker 5: Hey you got it?
- 13:56Speaker 9: How much do you know of the last two games
- 13:59Speaker 9: or two Lester gave last year? They played Blood of
- 14:01Speaker 9: Russian Yorks again obviously they dropped you and there and
- 14:07Speaker 9: he signed to find a cup d Lineman, how much
- 14:09Speaker 9: are you aware of.
- 14:09Speaker 10: That run defense and the proud the pride of the
- 14:12Speaker 10: stopping in Pittsburgh.
- 14:13Speaker 5: Over the year.
- 14:14Speaker 9: Uh.
- 14:14Speaker 7: You hear from the Vets all the time that it
- 14:18Speaker 7: starts where we are, you know, hands in the dirt,
- 14:20Speaker 7: and really the dominance that they show and really starting
- 14:24Speaker 7: to gain that that knowledge that they're they're really impressing
- 14:29Speaker 7: on the guys that came here.
- 14:30Speaker 5: Do you have your work shirt ready for tomorrow. They
- 14:32Speaker 5: could you about that tradition?
- 14:34Speaker 6: Yet?
- 14:35Speaker 5: What the collared shirts? No that is you got me?
- 14:38Speaker 5: Didn't hear anything about that one? Why did you switch numbers?
- 14:42Speaker 5: College number?
- 14:42Speaker 3: Why not?
- 14:46Speaker 6: Do you anticipate having maybe a bigger role on Sunday
- 14:49Speaker 6: just because Derek's out and hurt Cam's kind of up
- 14:52Speaker 6: in the air.
- 14:53Speaker 3: I mean, what do you kind of anticipate about how
- 14:55Speaker 3: much you could be in the game.
- 14:58Speaker 7: Just get the rest when you when you have the chance,
- 15:01Speaker 7: when you're out there, you play to your best ability,
- 15:04Speaker 7: to your nickname.
- 15:05Speaker 5: Do you thinke sexy? What do you think? What the words?
- 15:09Speaker 5: I like it?
- 15:10Speaker 11: I like it?
- 15:10Speaker 12: Yeah.
- 15:11Speaker 6: What's the anticipation excitement level to get out there Sunday
- 15:14Speaker 6: hit someone in a different jersey?
- 15:16Speaker 10: Uh?
- 15:17Speaker 5: It would be great, man.
- 15:17Speaker 13: I'm looking forward to I always looking forward to the
- 15:19Speaker 13: start of the season. Saw another great opportunity to go
- 15:22Speaker 13: out here and uh, you know, add to your your
- 15:25Speaker 13: resume as a player and uh another chance to go
- 15:28Speaker 13: out here and uh attack what you do. Teammates and
- 15:31Speaker 13: you know, the guys that you go in the world with.
- 15:33Speaker 13: Finally that's going to count against the record.
- 15:35Speaker 5: So uh so gonna be fun.
- 15:37Speaker 6: What makes the TV group so special in your eyes?
- 15:39Speaker 5: Uh, just a good group of men. You know a
- 15:41Speaker 5: lot of guys just have fun and genie like being
- 15:43Speaker 5: around each other.
- 15:44Speaker 3: Uh.
- 15:44Speaker 13: So that's the big issue. That's the big part about
- 15:46Speaker 13: it is the fact that the guys like to hang. Uh,
- 15:49Speaker 13: we get to know each other a lot better.
- 15:51Speaker 11: Is Uh.
- 15:51Speaker 13: I'm always a guy that's more bigger than football. You know,
- 15:54Speaker 13: I'm more of like trying to build bond, trying to
- 15:56Speaker 13: be a you know, I had to extend my family
- 15:59Speaker 13: and you know, these are great group of men. So I'm
- 16:01Speaker 13: appreciative of them guys. So looking forward to just you know,
- 16:04Speaker 13: sharing a field with him too.
- 16:05Speaker 6: What's the biggest challenge with this Jets offense?
- 16:07Speaker 5: Uh?
- 16:08Speaker 13: Right, the biggest challenge right now basically is trying to
- 16:10Speaker 13: understand them. You know, new staff, new everything, so uh,
- 16:14Speaker 13: seeing how it's going to attack us. So we got
- 16:16Speaker 13: to I mean, of course you got your ideas of
- 16:18Speaker 13: what they are capable of doing, but of course you're
- 16:20Speaker 13: going into a little blinded.
- 16:21Speaker 5: But uh, it's just fun.
- 16:22Speaker 13: So at the end of the day, man, they put
- 16:23Speaker 13: the ball down, if you will compete play ball, you know,
- 16:26Speaker 13: justin what he's capable of doing. You know, I played
- 16:28Speaker 13: against him while he was in Chicago as a young kid.
- 16:30Speaker 13: Great talent, tremendous talent. You know, he does great job
- 16:33Speaker 13: with his legs. So uh, you know, I know for
- 16:35Speaker 13: a fact, make sure you gotta contain it. It doesn't matter.
- 16:37Speaker 13: Shout out to Joey. You know what I'm saying, Joey
- 16:40Speaker 13: to goat.
- 16:42Speaker 5: Rich Man? Richman?
- 16:44Speaker 6: What up?
- 16:44Speaker 8: Want you guys itching to kind of get out there
- 16:47Speaker 8: with just a series in the preseason.
- 16:49Speaker 13: Now you guys get man, it's fun, Like I like
- 16:51Speaker 13: what the season get here because it's it started going
- 16:53Speaker 13: by fast.
- 16:55Speaker 5: Uh it is.
- 16:57Speaker 13: It's always a purpose to you know, to play this
- 16:59Speaker 13: game as and just football. But in training camp, of
- 17:01Speaker 13: course you see every day every day going to eat
- 17:03Speaker 13: your guy. But now every time you get rewarded to
- 17:06Speaker 13: show what you're worth, your work has put in to
- 17:08Speaker 13: go against another opponent and you know, and go out
- 17:10Speaker 13: and compete.
- 17:11Speaker 5: So that's the main job is go compete, have fun
- 17:13Speaker 5: and try to get wins. He said, you guys like
- 17:15Speaker 5: to hang the dbs.
- 17:16Speaker 8: What do you guys do when you're not hanging in
- 17:18Speaker 8: the locker room?
- 17:19Speaker 5: Is there? Oh man? We're going to We're going to
- 17:21Speaker 5: the Shan house to night. You know what I'm saying,
- 17:23Speaker 5: to watch the game tonight. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
- 17:25Speaker 13: I've told everybody to be at his house to night.
- 17:27Speaker 13: He knows it though, and I said, make sure you
- 17:29Speaker 13: ask some good food. So go kick it, watch the
- 17:31Speaker 13: game and hang out for a little bit.
- 17:33Speaker 14: Man.
- 17:33Speaker 13: Just you know, like I said, it's always bigger than football.
- 17:35Speaker 13: You know, I know, this game, you know, help feed
- 17:37Speaker 13: our families and everything, and uh, but to have a
- 17:40Speaker 13: great relationship on and off the field, it's always a
- 17:43Speaker 13: great blessing because it just shows how tight you are
- 17:45Speaker 13: on the field.
- 17:46Speaker 6: So it's it gonna be like for you tonight to
- 17:48Speaker 6: watch that game, banner raising ceremonial.
- 17:50Speaker 5: It gonna be crazy. He can be lit.
- 17:52Speaker 6: Man.
- 17:53Speaker 5: You know, I'm thankful I'm at the day.
- 17:54Speaker 13: But of course, you know, as a player that you know,
- 17:57Speaker 13: contribute to help win that Super Bowl, it'd be nice
- 17:59Speaker 13: to see it just fall down and then I just
- 18:01Speaker 13: magically appear back here, you know what I'm saying. But
- 18:05Speaker 13: you know that's not possible. But man, I'm just and
- 18:08Speaker 13: I'm so thankful for that organization as a you know, uh,
- 18:11Speaker 13: the Lger organization hit me, you know, uh win the championship.
- 18:14Speaker 13: They put me in a lot of great positions to
- 18:16Speaker 13: be successful in the championship. So I'm always will be
- 18:19Speaker 13: thankful for the affiliate. And uh yeah, man, you know
- 18:21Speaker 13: so I still don't like the Cowboys either, So it's
- 18:23Speaker 13: still cool. We're still cool with that.
- 18:24Speaker 5: You wear your Super Bowl ring tonight you watching the game?
- 18:27Speaker 13: Remind them I lowkey when as the banner going down,
- 18:30Speaker 13: I low key already got my ring ready just to
- 18:32Speaker 13: put on my finger. I might shed a little tear
- 18:34Speaker 13: and then I'm back to reality.
- 18:37Speaker 10: When people talk about run defense, they usually don't think
- 18:39Speaker 10: they tag TI tackles whatever, don't think of the secondary personally.
- 18:43Speaker 10: You take pride in that aspect of the game, and
- 18:45Speaker 10: as the secondary, how can that help with great man?
- 18:48Speaker 13: Because one thing I do understand, I've been playing with
- 18:51Speaker 13: TA for a long time, you know, definitely when I
- 18:53Speaker 13: was in Detroit and a lot of dcs, I had
- 18:56Speaker 13: believe as and to be a great run defense, you
- 18:57Speaker 13: gotta have great corners that could tackle.
- 18:59Speaker 5: And thankfully I'm a like and you know I'm a
- 19:03Speaker 5: good tackle.
- 19:03Speaker 13: I'm gonna say here saying saying I'm like a Shawn
- 19:05Speaker 13: Ellie just want to take folk's head off every play.
- 19:07Speaker 5: But I can get a guy down easily, you know
- 19:10Speaker 5: what I'm saying.
- 19:10Speaker 13: So, but uh, that's the strength of about being a
- 19:13Speaker 13: great run defense is the fact that your corns can tackle.
- 19:15Speaker 13: And uh, you know that's a big burden on me,
- 19:17Speaker 13: So I don't like to be the eyeball, so I
- 19:19Speaker 13: make sure I'm prepare to ready to tackle.
- 19:22Speaker 8: Well, they talked about not knowing what they're gonna do
- 19:24Speaker 8: that and how how's long two different guys you have
- 19:27Speaker 8: in your secondary? If you guys so many different options,
- 19:30Speaker 8: is the way you can play a team. Like some
- 19:32Speaker 8: some units they can only play one way because that's
- 19:35Speaker 8: all the guys they have. But for you guys, really
- 19:36Speaker 8: they're trying to figure out what they do is important
- 19:38Speaker 8: because you got a lot of different options.
- 19:41Speaker 13: Yeah, I mean that's a that's a beautiful just having
- 19:42Speaker 13: a you know, tremendous back end of the guys or
- 19:45Speaker 13: the guys that's very versatile here, Like you know, of
- 19:47Speaker 13: course Ramsey he's a guy that's very versatile, that can
- 19:49Speaker 13: play anywhere on and off the field. So uh, you know,
- 19:52Speaker 13: the Shawn he could play that I've not seeing him
- 19:54Speaker 13: back in his days plays a dime package as middle linebacker, Like,
- 19:57Speaker 13: we don't know. That's the good thing about our beauty
- 19:59Speaker 13: is the fact that we are very versatile and uh,
- 20:01Speaker 13: and we both all like a lot of smart guys.
- 20:04Speaker 6: You know.
- 20:04Speaker 13: These guys can play multiple positions and so they could
- 20:06Speaker 13: tell you how smart and intelligence they are.
- 20:08Speaker 5: So uh, that's.
- 20:09Speaker 13: The beauty of it, man. So we're gonna continue to
- 20:10Speaker 13: keep trying to use that as a strength, you know,
- 20:12Speaker 13: and keep going.
- 20:14Speaker 8: Tom talks about the importance not beating yourselves up, like
- 20:17Speaker 8: not beating each other, Mike, Tom talk about the important
- 20:20Speaker 8: stuff like just beating yourself and then playing clean and
- 20:22Speaker 8: everything like that.
- 20:23Speaker 5: Communication before this guy is a big part of that.
- 20:26Speaker 2: How do you feel like you guys are clicking when
- 20:28Speaker 2: it comes to communicating before your snap and practice.
- 20:31Speaker 13: Going and oh great, man, that's the that's the biggest
- 20:33Speaker 13: thing for sure, is communication. Making sure everyone's on the
- 20:35Speaker 13: same pace, because if we all say the same thing,
- 20:38Speaker 13: we could be wrong, but if we're all wrong together,
- 20:39Speaker 13: it is right. So that's the that's the main issue
- 20:42Speaker 13: we go I mean, the main thing we go by
- 20:43Speaker 13: with in the defense of just making sure we're all
- 20:45Speaker 13: on the same pace so our guys can play faster,
- 20:47Speaker 13: because if somebody't on the same page, they be slow.
- 20:50Speaker 5: We don't like that.
- 20:50Speaker 13: Because I'm on the back end. I need a TJ
- 20:53Speaker 13: to get that fast. I need him to know what
- 20:55Speaker 13: he's doing right now.
- 20:57Speaker 5: Today, this week I mean last year.
- 21:00Speaker 2: Obviously we know the injury.
- 21:02Speaker 5: When you look at this weekend, is it kind of
- 21:04Speaker 5: like a do over?
- 21:04Speaker 9: They get started on the good way?
- 21:06Speaker 14: And I wouldn't say so, no, really an extra like
- 21:12Speaker 14: just can't wait?
- 21:14Speaker 5: Oh yeah, and that yeah, that part, yeah for sure.
- 21:17Speaker 14: I mean, only playing one game, it's tough, but yeah,
- 21:21Speaker 14: I'm just I've been so ready, putting everything into my preparation,
- 21:27Speaker 14: knowing that once I get there on Sunday, I'll be
- 21:30Speaker 14: ready to go.
- 21:31Speaker 12: Where do you feel most at home with your skills?
- 21:33Speaker 12: Like it's sort of like when something that's the most
- 21:34Speaker 12: instinctual part of your game.
- 21:36Speaker 5: Is it when you're blocking in space or run blocking?
- 21:38Speaker 5: Is it protect? I think he's being out of space.
- 21:40Speaker 14: I mean whether that's run or pass or screens or
- 21:43Speaker 14: stuff like that.
- 21:45Speaker 5: Something about the space.
- 21:48Speaker 14: Helps me for some reason, I don't know, just coming
- 21:52Speaker 14: from an offense and college where that's all we did,
- 21:56Speaker 14: past block screens, all that type of stuff, and then
- 21:59Speaker 14: kind of integrated into this offense where we're running the
- 22:02Speaker 14: ball up but also knowing that I have the skill
- 22:04Speaker 14: set to block out in space, whether that's on past
- 22:07Speaker 14: blocking or anything like that.
- 22:08Speaker 5: So I would say that, how excited do you put
- 22:10Speaker 5: that on tape?
- 22:11Speaker 8: You didn't do a whole bunch of that in the
- 22:13Speaker 8: preseason by design, of course.
- 22:16Speaker 14: I mean it's a regular season playbooks wide open, So
- 22:19Speaker 14: I mean I'm excited to finally be able to run
- 22:23Speaker 14: a lot of the plays that we've been practicing.
- 22:24Speaker 8: So yeah, is it any different blocking for right handed
- 22:28Speaker 8: quarterbacks and that right tackle when you played with Pennix
- 22:30Speaker 8: for so long at Washington?
- 22:32Speaker 2: Is that any different for how you approach.
- 22:34Speaker 5: It or No, not at all.
- 22:37Speaker 14: I got to block the guy regardless of what side
- 22:39Speaker 14: I'm on, if the quarterback can see him, if he can't.
- 22:42Speaker 14: My job is to make sure that I'm in front
- 22:44Speaker 14: of my guy and keep his space between him and
- 22:48Speaker 14: in the quarterback.
- 22:48Speaker 5: So I don't think so.
- 22:50Speaker 3: You mentioned things he likes to do.
- 22:52Speaker 8: How much is his skill set putting stress on the
- 22:55Speaker 8: edge guy?
- 22:56Speaker 5: Specifically?
- 22:56Speaker 11: It is first step.
- 22:58Speaker 5: Yeah, it's Creasey.
- 22:59Speaker 11: He's kind of can get to the cross uniquely. You know,
- 23:01Speaker 11: he's definitely one of, uh one of the best in
- 23:04Speaker 11: the league when it comes you know, getting out of
- 23:05Speaker 11: the pocket and making plays and in the run game.
- 23:09Speaker 11: And so we just know that we got to be
- 23:11Speaker 11: disciplined in our rush lanes because you know, whenever he
- 23:13Speaker 11: finds those downhill escape plans, so you know, he's gone,
- 23:15Speaker 11: he's out of there. And so we just can't you know,
- 23:17Speaker 11: we obviously we can't rush scared. We got to be
- 23:20Speaker 11: a continue to rush every single snap, but we just
- 23:23Speaker 11: got to be disciplined in our rush lanes and the
- 23:24Speaker 11: games that we run. So we just can't be rushing
- 23:27Speaker 11: high or rushing in front of him. He's gonna he
- 23:29Speaker 11: can see and then get out of there. So I
- 23:31Speaker 11: think we just it comes down to us being disciplined
- 23:33Speaker 11: in our rush lanes.
- 23:34Speaker 5: He said, it's unique.
- 23:35Speaker 3: How different is it from the way Lamar is.
- 23:37Speaker 11: As a runner? Yeah, I mean two or three times
- 23:39Speaker 11: in a year and every but similar. So you know,
- 23:41Speaker 11: like I said, we get that experience again Lamar gets
- 23:43Speaker 11: La Marsh. I think it definitely help us. Oh this
- 23:45Speaker 11: wee against Justin.
- 23:45Speaker 12: Not to give away the game plan, but you have
- 23:47Speaker 12: to maybe think about him as run first kind of guy.
- 23:49Speaker 12: Do you have to kind of spy him?
- 23:51Speaker 11: I mean, I think there's definitely that is. His running
- 23:54Speaker 11: ability definitely adds, you know, a unique aspect to the
- 23:57Speaker 11: game plan. And just like we're talking about with with Lamar,
- 23:59Speaker 11: you know, we have certain schematics around that, and so
- 24:02Speaker 11: I know we're gonna have to do do that as well.
- 24:05Speaker 11: And so just because he's very dangerous with his legs
- 24:09Speaker 11: and so we just got to make sure he doesn't
- 24:10Speaker 11: get out of the pocket. So that's what it would be.
- 24:12Speaker 12: You played him last year. But can you take anything
- 24:14Speaker 12: away from that game last year at all? Or is
- 24:16Speaker 12: it totally different you kind of like rip everything up.
- 24:19Speaker 11: You're talking about the.
- 24:20Speaker 12: Jets just general the offense.
- 24:22Speaker 11: Yeah, yeah, I mean I think you know, it's a
- 24:24Speaker 11: little bit different of a offense. I know they got
- 24:26Speaker 11: new coordinators there now from last year. Obviously a lot
- 24:28Speaker 11: of new personnel go from Aaron to Justin and so
- 24:31Speaker 11: I think we've just been watching some Detroit film as well,
- 24:34Speaker 11: because that's where the coordinator came from. And so we
- 24:37Speaker 11: just got to do what we do we just got
- 24:39Speaker 11: to handle us and go out there and play fast. Ultimately,
- 24:42Speaker 11: you know, we decided to outcome with the game by
- 24:45Speaker 11: how we make plays.
- 24:45Speaker 12: You're anxious to finally this thing started here.
- 24:48Speaker 11: I'm very excited. So I'm very excited. I can't wait.
- 24:50Speaker 6: With so many changes on defense in so many additions,
- 24:52Speaker 6: what are you guys hoping the identity of this defense
- 24:54Speaker 6: is this year? Any change anything different from last year?
- 24:57Speaker 10: Yeah?
- 24:57Speaker 11: I mean I think just for us as a defense,
- 25:00Speaker 11: obviously we got to play fast and physical. But for us,
- 25:02Speaker 11: I think it just comes down to communication, and that
- 25:04Speaker 11: starts in the week one. We're playing great of the defense,
- 25:06Speaker 11: we're communicating well, and so I think it just starts
- 25:09Speaker 11: here in practice. You know, we got to have that
- 25:10Speaker 11: communication locked down so that when we're out there on Sunday,
- 25:13Speaker 11: we're not guessing, we're not playing slow, We're communicating and
- 25:15Speaker 11: we're playing fast.
- 25:16Speaker 6: Do you feel like that's improved over the course of
- 25:17Speaker 6: training camp.
- 25:18Speaker 11: Yeah, absolutely, especially you know with the new guys who
- 25:20Speaker 11: are coming in. I mean, obviously, you know, when guys
- 25:22Speaker 11: first get here, you know they still want to the
- 25:23Speaker 11: defense though, are in the culture, and so but as
- 25:25Speaker 11: time has passed, you know, all the new guys who've
- 25:27Speaker 11: come in, all the rookies had done a good job
- 25:29Speaker 11: of just buying into our culture and really our communication
- 25:32Speaker 11: has only got better since training camp started.
- 25:34Speaker 8: It was Mike through it all there during the summer
- 25:36Speaker 8: that this defense has a chance to the expression as
- 25:39Speaker 8: a player.
- 25:39Speaker 5: Do you enjoy having those expectations, you know, rest upon you.
- 25:43Speaker 3: On your shore?
- 25:43Speaker 11: Yeah, mean absolutely. I think we just got to go
- 25:45Speaker 11: out there and deliver. And we know we have a
- 25:48Speaker 11: bunch of great players on this defense. You know, a
- 25:50Speaker 11: bunch of guys who are able to make a lot
- 25:51Speaker 11: of players, and so we also have a lot of
- 25:53Speaker 11: depth in all positions as well, and so I think
- 25:56Speaker 11: just overall is a defense. We just got to go
- 25:58Speaker 11: out there and just do what we do and let's
- 25:59Speaker 11: go out there and make plays, play fast, play physical,
- 26:01Speaker 11: communicate well and so ultimately the results of in of themselves.
- 26:05Speaker 5: Can you do that as a method for him putting
- 26:06Speaker 5: that out.
- 26:07Speaker 11: Yeah, I mean on time that we, like I said,
- 26:08Speaker 11: I know we've got the players to do it. So
- 26:10Speaker 11: we just got to go up there and uh play
- 26:12Speaker 11: like with the best defensive league.
- 26:13Speaker 3: Think about the two backs, talk about justin lot would go.
- 26:16Speaker 5: To the Deer Reps.
- 26:17Speaker 11: Yeah, I mean it's it's very unique. It's kind the
- 26:18Speaker 11: same thing that you see in Detroit on that they
- 26:20Speaker 11: have with it gives the Montgomery. But you know, b
- 26:22Speaker 11: Reese Hall's really good running backs. It was Braylen Allen,
- 26:25Speaker 11: but you know, you kind of have a unique personality
- 26:28Speaker 11: about their game. You know, Briess Hall is more of
- 26:29Speaker 11: a perimeter guy and you know Raylan's more of a
- 26:32Speaker 11: downhill guy. So I think, you know, whenever those guys
- 26:34Speaker 11: are in, it's I think, you know, just trying to
- 26:37Speaker 11: see what type of run they're going to have, Uh,
- 26:39Speaker 11: depending on the back. I think it's what we're game
- 26:41Speaker 11: playing around. And so I know both those guys are
- 26:44Speaker 11: good backs, and so we just ultimately, I think the
- 26:46Speaker 11: main game part the game playing stopping then we got
- 26:48Speaker 11: stop the run, and so I always got to get
- 26:50Speaker 11: out there, and uh, once we stop the run, then
- 26:52Speaker 11: we can get some pass you get out to.
- 26:53Speaker 12: Justin is cam to this defense and you worried at
- 26:57Speaker 12: all that he might not play.
- 26:58Speaker 11: I mean, he's he's our leader, and so I'm confident
- 27:01Speaker 11: that he's going to play, and so he's he's an
- 27:03Speaker 11: all program for us. And so, like I said, I'm
- 27:05Speaker 11: confident that he's going to play because we all know
- 27:08Speaker 11: the type of player he is and what he needs
- 27:09Speaker 11: our defense, and so from coffee that he'll play.
- 27:12Speaker 12: Has that situation been a distraction at all for you
- 27:14Speaker 12: guys preparing for this.
- 27:15Speaker 11: I think so, like I said, because he's been out there,
- 27:17Speaker 11: I'm still practicing with us as well, still getting reps
- 27:20Speaker 11: and stuff, and so you know, we know that the.
- 27:25Speaker 3: Great podcast this week. Great to hear from Marlo, great
- 27:27Speaker 3: to hear from the guys. Week ones. On top of baby,
- 27:30Speaker 3: We're ready to go. We're under three weeks out on
- 27:33Speaker 3: Sunday from this NFL game in Dublin, and we need
- 27:35Speaker 3: the Steelers to start well to get that one on
- 27:38Speaker 3: the board. Let's go, Folks. Enjoy the game on Sunday
- 27:41Speaker 3: wherever you're watching it. Remember you can watch the sky
- 27:43Speaker 3: Sports NFL, but you can also listen to the game
- 27:45Speaker 3: on OTB Sports Radio if you are out in the bout. Folks,
- 27:48Speaker 3: whatever you do, hope you have a good weekend and
- 27:50Speaker 3: sit there, lie back and smile and enjoy the fact
- 27:54Speaker 3: that the NFL is back.
- 28:10Speaker 1: Irish Airline aer Lingus will proudly serve as the presenting
- 28:13Speaker 1: partner of Steelers Ireland twenty twenty five. Airlingus's growth in
- 28:17Speaker 1: North America continues in twenty twenty five as the airline
- 28:20Speaker 1: prepares to fly to two new US destinations, Nashville and Indianapolis,
- 28:24Speaker 1: using its new Airbus eight three twenty one excel Or aircraft.
- 28:28Speaker 1: This brings the number of transatlantic routes operated by the
- 28:31Speaker 1: airline from Dublin, Shannon and Manchester to twenty four. Steelers
- 28:35Speaker 1: fans traveling to Ireland for the Big Game can enjoy
- 28:37Speaker 1: a relaxing journey when they fly with air Lingus.
- 28:40Speaker 2: Air Lingus, You're very welcome.