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Rudolph leads the Steelers to a huge win at Christmas · The Irish Steelers Podcast

0:06
Speaker 1: Head folks, Welcome into the Irishlers Podcast. The podcast for
0:10
Speaker 1: Pittsburgh seears fans across the island of Ireland and a big,
0:14
Speaker 1: big merry Christmas, not like holland everybody listening. Michael McCay
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Speaker 1: delighted to be joined on this Christmas Eve as we're
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Speaker 1: recording with the biggest Steelers fall I know in Ireland,
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Speaker 1: mister Jimmy English, who looks like a very very happy
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Speaker 1: man after the Steelers get an early Christmas present for
0:32
Speaker 1: everybody on December to twenty third, early Christmas Eve warning
0:36
Speaker 1: for us by the time it was over when in
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Speaker 1: thirty four and even against the Bengals at home, Jimmy,
0:42
Speaker 1: there's times where it can be, you know, busy, not
0:45
Speaker 1: hard to get in the podcast, but you know you're
0:47
Speaker 1: busy doing different things. I think we were all more
0:49
Speaker 1: than happy with the chump of the podcast and Christmas
0:51
Speaker 1: even talk about.
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Speaker 2: A women absolutely, especially given the results and like you say,
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Speaker 2: it was a bit of an early Christmas miracle last
0:58
Speaker 2: night with the Steelers getting that way. And I couldn't
1:01
Speaker 2: believe my eyes Michael, when we scored that touchdown on
1:04
Speaker 2: the second play of the game. I didn't know what
1:06
Speaker 2: was going on, but I looked fantastic to get the win,
1:10
Speaker 2: and yeah we can. We can take a break now
1:13
Speaker 2: and enjoy our Christmas dinner a little bit more, knowing
1:15
Speaker 2: that the Steelers they're still in with a shot at
1:18
Speaker 2: the playoffs.
1:20
Speaker 1: Still not in no way at the moment a lock
1:23
Speaker 1: to make the playoffs. The destiny is not there, but
1:25
Speaker 1: it's still a round twelve percent by the time that
1:28
Speaker 1: we record on Christmas Eve. We're talking before the games
1:32
Speaker 1: on Christmas Eve, so we'll see what happens. We've seen
1:35
Speaker 1: the Bills one over night against the Chargers, so look,
1:38
Speaker 1: I'm being positive. We know if the team wins out,
1:41
Speaker 1: there's still a seventy seven percent all chance, but we'll see.
1:45
Speaker 1: But just before we hear from coach Tomlin. Jimmy, like,
1:48
Speaker 1: we've seen games this year, and you know, I know
1:51
Speaker 1: you've been watching tape religiously as well, where especially at him,
1:55
Speaker 1: there's been times where the crowd's been in it, but
1:58
Speaker 1: it just seems like the offense just couldn't get clicking.
2:01
Speaker 1: And last night just it just went and I wasn't
2:04
Speaker 1: sure if it was Rudolph a Christmas, but yeah, you
2:09
Speaker 1: had that feeling from the start of it that you
2:11
Speaker 1: know he was able to get the ball down the
2:12
Speaker 1: field and when you were able to get down and
2:15
Speaker 1: we've seen George Pickens and just the yeah they had
2:18
Speaker 1: in the scheme. He sort of knew from end of
2:22
Speaker 1: the first mid second that it was gonna happen. What
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Speaker 1: twenty twenty four unanswered points in the first half.
2:30
Speaker 2: Not that, No, not bad at all. I mean, look,
2:34
Speaker 2: I'll put my hand up and say, coming into this game,
2:36
Speaker 2: I had absolutely zero fight in Mason Rudolph. I will
2:39
Speaker 2: I will own that. I will admit that. But he
2:41
Speaker 2: proved me and I'd say a lot of Steeters fans
2:43
Speaker 2: wrong last night. Let's be honest. It couldn't really gotten
2:46
Speaker 2: much worse after the Coast game. So I think a
2:48
Speaker 2: lot of us were just like, Okay, here we go
2:50
Speaker 2: Mason's they didn't see what he can come up with,
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Speaker 2: and he came up with the goods. And I have
2:54
Speaker 2: to say, like watching him play last night, he was
2:55
Speaker 2: in command of that offense. He stood tall in the pocket.
2:58
Speaker 2: He looked like he'd be running that offense for years,
3:01
Speaker 2: which I suppose he has. He has been embedded in
3:03
Speaker 2: that offense since he came out of college. He's never
3:06
Speaker 2: really been I suppose the starter per se, but he
3:09
Speaker 2: looked like the starter last night, and he did everything right.
3:12
Speaker 2: You know, he relied on his weapons. I mean, he
3:14
Speaker 2: George Pickens. I mean, let's let's look at Pickens for
3:17
Speaker 2: a second as well. My god, four receptions for one
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Speaker 2: hundred and ninety five yards. Just he came out of nowhere,
3:23
Speaker 2: and especially with everything that he was dealing with the
3:25
Speaker 2: past week, and you know the criticism, I think he
3:28
Speaker 2: needed to have a big night, but I was like,
3:31
Speaker 2: it was just it was actually a pleasure to wash
3:33
Speaker 2: the theaters playing last night, which is something that I
3:35
Speaker 2: haven't said in quite a while. So Lookdong may continue.
3:39
Speaker 2: Let's let's take this momentum and let's take all the
3:42
Speaker 2: positive energy and keep rolling and hopefully, yeah we can
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Speaker 2: do that.
3:47
Speaker 1: Take it Rudolf. I've actually put the podcast name as
3:50
Speaker 1: Rudolf the Red zul Reindeer Quarterbacks. We will see if
3:54
Speaker 1: that sticks. But here, look, I'm a happy man. We'll
3:58
Speaker 1: talk about this in a little second.
4:00
Speaker 3: Here.
4:00
Speaker 1: First thing from we had coach Mike Tumman off to
4:01
Speaker 1: the wind on Saturday night.
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Speaker 4: Man, really exciting win. I appreciative the effort and focus
4:07
Speaker 4: of the group. It was a total team effort in
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Speaker 4: all three phases. Made the necessary plays, splash plays, played
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Speaker 4: together and hard. I'm just happy for the guys in
4:18
Speaker 4: the locker room. We're gonna have a merry Christmas. Unfortunately, man,
4:22
Speaker 4: we just with Snake bit a little bit of inside linebacker,
4:26
Speaker 4: and Landon Robbers went down with a peck injury wasn't
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Speaker 4: able to return. We'll have more information, I'm sure on
4:33
Speaker 4: Tuesday when I get back with you guys.
4:36
Speaker 5: Questions would you like about what Mason did?
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Speaker 4: He was Mason. We talked about it earlier in the week.
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Speaker 4: He's got a belief in himself. He's aggressive in his
4:46
Speaker 4: play style, and I thought he did a really good
4:49
Speaker 4: job not displaying a lot of russ for a guy
4:51
Speaker 4: who hadn't played obviously a lot.
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Speaker 6: Did you become more aggressive as the game went long
4:55
Speaker 6: because of seeing.
4:56
Speaker 4: How D's performance. We came in with that mentality all week,
5:00
Speaker 4: talked about scared money, not making money, and and so
5:04
Speaker 4: that's kind of a mentality as we went into the week.
5:07
Speaker 7: Mike, you aren't gonna sit on your lead there at
5:09
Speaker 7: the end of the first half, even though you're pin done.
5:10
Speaker 7: You came out and you just kept throwing. Is that
5:12
Speaker 7: part of the mentality that you wanted to have.
5:14
Speaker 4: Yeah, we had a certain anticipation of what they might do,
5:17
Speaker 4: and when you when you're comfortable with that, then you
5:19
Speaker 4: then you play aggressively and and not anything earth shattering.
5:23
Speaker 4: There is intimacy and divisional play. I'm sure they know
5:26
Speaker 4: us as well, Mike.
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Speaker 3: That scared money, don't make money mentality? Why was that
5:32
Speaker 3: the emphasis going into the suite?
5:34
Speaker 4: It was appropriate.
5:36
Speaker 5: Kind have idea what they were gonna do was part
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Speaker 5: of that.
5:39
Speaker 2: The way you were able to take them pick them
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Speaker 2: apart of the.
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Speaker 5: Middle with five of his last game didn't even go
5:42
Speaker 5: to this and this one you went seem like Pickens
5:45
Speaker 5: right away.
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Speaker 4: They had a lot to do about that. I think
5:47
Speaker 4: some of the schematics today deployed was in reaction to
5:50
Speaker 4: some of the things that move did last time. Again,
5:53
Speaker 4: it's chestnut checkers, man, when you're indivisional play.
5:56
Speaker 8: Yes, this is an early to ask, but to be
5:58
Speaker 8: sticking with me.
5:59
Speaker 4: Says you're right, it is early to ask.
6:03
Speaker 5: How on George's performance here today?
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Speaker 4: Man, he made some splash players that was needed as
6:08
Speaker 4: pedigree showed no doubt you like the way you responded
6:11
Speaker 4: after the things that it was appropriate. A couple of.
6:15
Speaker 3: Weeks ago you said after a loss that will be back.
6:18
Speaker 5: Is this the kind of reforming to envision when.
6:20
Speaker 4: You've been to the sequent We're not paying with a
6:22
Speaker 4: broad brush. We want a game today. I'm thankful for it.
6:25
Speaker 4: I appreciate the efforts of the guys.
6:27
Speaker 5: Being tacklers weren't on the roster one month ago.
6:29
Speaker 2: Can you speak to the performance you got from some
6:32
Speaker 2: guys who stepped up.
6:33
Speaker 4: It's necessary and appreciate it. Appreciate it. It's been a challenge,
6:37
Speaker 4: you know ready in those guys, but kudos to them.
6:42
Speaker 4: It's also you know, a thoughtful you know, acquisitional players,
6:47
Speaker 4: you know, veteran players. The size of the practice squads today,
6:51
Speaker 4: the fact that you can have veteran players on it.
6:53
Speaker 4: We just positioned ourselves to for the attrition component of
6:57
Speaker 4: play and can't say enough about contribute from those guys,
7:01
Speaker 4: specifically Pat Peterson and Eric Rowe stepping in at safety.
7:07
Speaker 4: Obviously under the circumstances that we have a deposition. Both
7:11
Speaker 4: guys played every dawn, did a heck of a job
7:13
Speaker 4: communicating we're solid throughout the week, and both provided some
7:17
Speaker 4: splash plays for us in the form of turnovers.
7:21
Speaker 7: Splash play like you did on a second play with
7:23
Speaker 7: a touchdown. How much does that energize what you want
7:25
Speaker 7: to the offense.
7:26
Speaker 9: Of what you want to do?
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Speaker 4: You know, big plays men eliminate a lot of execution,
7:30
Speaker 4: as we say in this business, and so you can
7:32
Speaker 4: go eighty plus yards and put seven points on the board.
7:35
Speaker 4: It it helps you in a myriad of ways.
7:38
Speaker 2: Filch your thoughts on you're speaking about splash plays.
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Speaker 9: The defense being able to get the proud and get
7:43
Speaker 9: several sacks, including Miles.
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Speaker 4: Jackal sometimes has that is reflective of game circumstance. We
7:49
Speaker 4: believe like we've got a big play defense, but sometimes
7:52
Speaker 4: we're not in game circumstances that allow that to be revealed.
7:55
Speaker 4: And so when you get up on people, we're not
7:57
Speaker 4: surprised by the splash. To be honest with you, when
8:01
Speaker 4: you give up the big play.
8:02
Speaker 5: To Higgins, al Porton was the response in the next drive.
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Speaker 4: You know, nice response by our offense, but that's just
8:07
Speaker 4: complementary football. We turned the ball over, we expected defense
8:10
Speaker 4: to stand up. We give up an easy one on defense.
8:13
Speaker 4: The offense supported them and that's kind of the engineering
8:18
Speaker 4: of the type of day we had.
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Speaker 7: When we take the ball away, I think three times
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Speaker 7: you convert that into seventeen points. So is that kind
8:25
Speaker 7: of what you're refrains. Yes, absolutely, was.
8:28
Speaker 2: There a concerted effort to limit their passing game to
8:30
Speaker 2: their running backs. It seemed like that was a big
8:32
Speaker 2: source for them a reason.
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Speaker 4: No. We talked about it at the top of the
8:34
Speaker 4: week that they had been an emergency of their backs
8:37
Speaker 4: inclusion in the passing game. I think Joe Mixon had
8:40
Speaker 4: caught twelve balls since the last time we played them
8:42
Speaker 4: in Brown's evolution in terms of what they were doing,
8:46
Speaker 4: and so, you know, I think that had been happening,
8:49
Speaker 4: and I think that was one of the reasons why
8:52
Speaker 4: Browning was playing so efficiently and completing passes at such
8:56
Speaker 4: a high rate, because it, you know, very little risk
9:00
Speaker 4: in terms of including those guys in the past game,
9:02
Speaker 4: particularly the way that he.
9:04
Speaker 1: Was good to hear from coach Tomlin Jimmy off of
9:07
Speaker 1: that there. And look, I know we all watch the
9:10
Speaker 1: game in different ways, but on Sky Sports on Saturday
9:13
Speaker 1: nights before the game started, they were very much talking
9:16
Speaker 1: around the team and how Tomlin's bottling different questions. And
9:20
Speaker 1: I heard Jeff sales Sky last night that Thomas very
9:23
Speaker 1: much just focused on his team and focused on the players.
9:26
Speaker 1: He's not listening to outside noises, and you can really
9:28
Speaker 1: see and hear that in his supposed to game Braser.
9:31
Speaker 1: He's obviously very proud of the team's win, but it's
9:34
Speaker 1: very much on the next week as well. You know,
9:35
Speaker 1: it's it's these two final playoff games. You know, it's
9:39
Speaker 1: trying to finish the season. Tennis seven.
9:41
Speaker 2: I think the Steelers have always been good at blocking
9:43
Speaker 2: at the noise, Michael, especially coach Talin, he is a
9:47
Speaker 2: players coach. I mean, he's been the head coach of
9:49
Speaker 2: the Steers for you know, for so many years now,
9:52
Speaker 2: so I think he knows how to handle the diversity.
9:55
Speaker 2: They were facing a lot of adversity the past couple
9:57
Speaker 2: of weeks, and I think I read a quota online
10:00
Speaker 2: earlier this morning from coach Tomlin saying scared money doesn't
10:03
Speaker 2: make money. So obviously they weren't coming into this game
10:06
Speaker 2: playing scared of me. They played for theirs trends and like,
10:10
Speaker 2: I mean, look, let's think about it, right, they have
10:12
Speaker 2: one of the best defenses in the League, which we
10:13
Speaker 2: saw again last night. TJ Watt was just unbelievable, Like,
10:17
Speaker 2: if that man does not get Defensive Player of the Year,
10:19
Speaker 2: I will be shocked. And we also had Eric Rose
10:22
Speaker 2: straight off for practice squad with a beautiful interception, Patrick
10:26
Speaker 2: Peterson defying his age playing safe play out of position
10:29
Speaker 2: at safety with an easy pick of Jake Browning. So
10:33
Speaker 2: I mean, I think everything finally came together the way
10:36
Speaker 2: it should have come together earlier in the season last night,
10:38
Speaker 2: and I think that definitely comes down to whatever coach
10:41
Speaker 2: Tomlin said during the week, and now we just have
10:44
Speaker 2: to keep it up. Look, we have the Seahawks ahead
10:47
Speaker 2: New Year's Eve. They're not going to be a pushover.
10:51
Speaker 2: If we can do exactly what we did last night,
10:53
Speaker 2: I think we're gonna be fine.
10:54
Speaker 1: Though. Just a reminder, if you're listening to this on
10:56
Speaker 1: Christmas Eve Christmas Day, when you're getting the circle ready,
10:59
Speaker 1: fank you, dude. And so you can go on x
11:03
Speaker 1: on post hashtag Pro Bowl vote any of these players games.
11:06
Speaker 1: Jimmy's mentioned it and I'm nearly certain the votes confort
11:09
Speaker 1: double and Christmas Eve. So one guy you could vote
11:11
Speaker 1: for is Alex Heismith. He had a hell of a game. Yeah,
11:14
Speaker 1: And I tell you what we'll do. We'll talk about
11:17
Speaker 1: the some players in detail just for it just in
11:19
Speaker 1: a little second. But let's hear from some of them. First.
11:22
Speaker 1: Let's hear from George Pickens quarterback, missing Rudolph on Alex
11:25
Speaker 1: Heismith after a fantastic win.
11:29
Speaker 6: Really just uh, you know, connection and and a lot
11:32
Speaker 6: of stuff that we did. I practice that you know,
11:33
Speaker 6: came came in, came threw fully, you know what I mean.
11:36
Speaker 10: Caught that first pass and you began to go down
11:39
Speaker 10: and still you hear the end zone was where you
11:41
Speaker 10: were going to end up. I mean kind of take
11:43
Speaker 10: us through your mindset of kind of just a release
11:46
Speaker 10: and getting everything from this week behind you maybe and
11:49
Speaker 10: started off fresh.
11:51
Speaker 2: Uh.
11:51
Speaker 6: I just gave him a good release.
11:52
Speaker 1: Uh.
11:53
Speaker 6: I ran a slant, had a three yard slant, Mason
11:56
Speaker 6: put it on, Toma made the safety mission. Then the
11:59
Speaker 6: rest is history. To be honest.
12:01
Speaker 7: Can you say about Mason and what is it that
12:04
Speaker 7: he does it brings to this offensive made you guys
12:06
Speaker 7: have such big plays.
12:07
Speaker 6: Uh, Mason's always been doing that kind of like I
12:11
Speaker 6: said about Midge about KP when he was behind Mitch
12:13
Speaker 6: you know what I mean. Uh, those guys they always
12:15
Speaker 6: you know what I mean, follow their job and do
12:17
Speaker 6: their role pretty good. And Mason's been doing that the
12:18
Speaker 6: whole time.
12:19
Speaker 8: How is that connection so good between you two?
12:22
Speaker 6: Uh? You know, him just giving me chances? Uh at
12:24
Speaker 6: me trying to make the most out of them.
12:25
Speaker 3: Tomlin said that the mentality going into this week was
12:28
Speaker 3: scared money, don't make money, that you guys were gonna
12:30
Speaker 3: take shots. How much was that something that you feel
12:32
Speaker 3: like you guys just embodied as a team.
12:35
Speaker 2: Uh.
12:35
Speaker 6: I just feel like, like I said, once again, the
12:38
Speaker 6: plays that we had died up, Mason just you know
12:40
Speaker 6: later rip, you know, it's all it's all up to
12:43
Speaker 6: the QB. And I feel like he was taking more
12:45
Speaker 6: shots personally.
12:46
Speaker 7: George, what did he make a supplish play in the
12:48
Speaker 7: second play the game?
12:49
Speaker 4: I just love?
12:50
Speaker 7: How does that energize the offense? Would you guys should
12:53
Speaker 7: give me more confidence or what's the fear?
12:55
Speaker 1: Uh?
12:56
Speaker 6: I'm pretty sure any team in the league, you know,
12:58
Speaker 6: if you have a seventyr splash player where any type
13:00
Speaker 6: of splash play on your offense, they're gonna be pretty happy.
13:03
Speaker 6: So that feeling, like you said, was really guys you know,
13:06
Speaker 6: rally around happy, you know, uh just you know, the
13:08
Speaker 6: effort to win, to be honest.
13:10
Speaker 10: Getting over a thousand yards that check off a box
13:12
Speaker 10: you had And what does that mean personally?
13:15
Speaker 6: I didn't even know to you just said that. That
13:18
Speaker 6: just show you were my mind and I was just
13:19
Speaker 6: you know, happy that everyone Joe Moo.
13:21
Speaker 7: Tron hugging Friar moved after the second log TV on
13:24
Speaker 7: the sideline.
13:26
Speaker 5: Can you share it with us what you guys were
13:28
Speaker 5: talking about?
13:28
Speaker 1: What do you used to tell you?
13:30
Speaker 6: Uh? Nah, you know, just great team communication, great and
13:34
Speaker 6: brotherly love from my tight end.
13:37
Speaker 1: Base.
13:37
Speaker 7: Our rewarding was that performing slash victory for you first
13:42
Speaker 7: for a team I know, but.
13:43
Speaker 9: You personally, yeah, are rewarding.
13:48
Speaker 1: Yeah yeah.
13:49
Speaker 9: I just grateful to to be back on to be
13:54
Speaker 9: back on this team this year and to have a
13:57
Speaker 9: you know, opportunity to play a game. That's all you
13:59
Speaker 9: can ever ask for. And just thankful to God for
14:01
Speaker 9: giving me, you know, for orchestrating it the way he did,
14:06
Speaker 9: and uh blessed me with and us with a great performance.
14:08
Speaker 9: Just just you know, special night and thankful to God.
14:14
Speaker 8: Touched out the second touchdown passed to George, Uh, I
14:18
Speaker 8: saw you looking off to the left of the crowd
14:20
Speaker 8: there kind of walk me through that.
14:22
Speaker 9: Yeah, I was just looking at my parents up there,
14:24
Speaker 9: you know, and where they said, so, you know, just
14:28
Speaker 9: seeing seemed like I would see if they were enjoying
14:31
Speaker 9: it as much as I was. But yeah, that's all
14:34
Speaker 9: that was, was the reaction to the crowd standing your name,
14:38
Speaker 9: Like I said, I think I said that this week.
14:41
Speaker 9: You know, we're we're all human. I'd be lying up,
14:44
Speaker 9: I said, you didn't I didn't enjoy it or I
14:46
Speaker 9: didn't like it, but you know, it's a week to
14:49
Speaker 9: week league. I could. You know, I've been on the
14:51
Speaker 9: other end of it, as I said, so I try
14:54
Speaker 9: not to you trying to try to block it out
14:57
Speaker 9: and play the game. I mean, we still had a
15:00
Speaker 9: second half to play despite the lead, so you know,
15:04
Speaker 9: you can't let that into your mind and let it
15:05
Speaker 9: let's and let your you know, relax for a second,
15:08
Speaker 9: because it you know. So but you know, hey, we've
15:12
Speaker 9: got a bunch of passionate fans and it was just
15:16
Speaker 9: what a joy to play in front of them tonight,
15:19
Speaker 9: you know, last home game. Well, my family in town,
15:23
Speaker 9: so it was it was amazing you.
15:25
Speaker 7: Did to play like that on the second play the touchdown.
15:28
Speaker 9: What does that.
15:29
Speaker 7: Do for you personally? What does that do for the
15:31
Speaker 7: offense to get the splash like that right off?
15:34
Speaker 2: Yeah?
15:36
Speaker 9: I think I mean a fast start. No matter whether
15:39
Speaker 9: you're in high school, college or pro, it's it makes
15:42
Speaker 9: a difference. And especially when we're you know, at this
15:45
Speaker 9: venue at home, gets the crowd into it. To get
15:49
Speaker 9: a guy like George going early and his run after catchability,
15:53
Speaker 9: it's just you know, second to none. So it was
15:57
Speaker 9: it was a pretty cool view as I tried to
15:59
Speaker 9: chase him down for bond.
16:02
Speaker 4: Say that again.
16:05
Speaker 9: Before the play. Anytime there was there's yeah, there was.
16:10
Speaker 9: There was multiple head head butts all night.
16:12
Speaker 1: So but.
16:16
Speaker 9: I just hadn't played in two years. Us said I'm
16:18
Speaker 9: gonna have head butts.
16:19
Speaker 5: Some people made made it feel cathartic patches for you,
16:22
Speaker 5: firstly because of the jerney, you know, but also you
16:24
Speaker 5: got a lot of talented guys that have been frustrated
16:26
Speaker 5: at various points because it's points have been hard.
16:29
Speaker 8: To come by.
16:30
Speaker 5: Did it feel cathartic out there? Did it feel like
16:32
Speaker 5: there was a release almost?
16:33
Speaker 9: I don't know.
16:36
Speaker 1: I don't know.
16:36
Speaker 9: I don't know about you know, prior baggage carrying into
16:39
Speaker 9: this game. I just know that from the start, we
16:41
Speaker 9: we we were.
16:43
Speaker 4: We were rolling.
16:43
Speaker 9: I mean, we read the ball well, aments a line
16:46
Speaker 9: played great all night against a couple of tough pass
16:50
Speaker 9: rushers in Hendrickson and and Hubbard, and yeah, I just
16:54
Speaker 9: felt like we were balanced and and uh just clicking.
16:58
Speaker 7: I like, you guys, three takeaways and maybe more importantly,
17:02
Speaker 7: convert him into seventeen points. How key is that when
17:04
Speaker 7: you pick, when you take the ball that obviously get.
17:06
Speaker 8: The points out. Yeah, it's huge, first and foremost all
17:09
Speaker 8: all Gordy to God, you know, for the win. He's
17:10
Speaker 8: good and you know, just you know, proud of this
17:12
Speaker 8: team in the way you know that we fought the day,
17:15
Speaker 8: you know, and getting those those turnovers was huge, and
17:17
Speaker 8: so you know, just getting back to our culture with
17:19
Speaker 8: what and that's doing that's what that is, you know,
17:22
Speaker 8: taking getting turnovers, taking the ball away, and you know,
17:24
Speaker 8: just really shout shout out to Mason. You know, he
17:26
Speaker 8: had a heck of a game and just coming out
17:28
Speaker 8: and you know, doing this thing. You know, he's he's
17:29
Speaker 8: been working and it showed. And so you know, we
17:32
Speaker 8: you know, we all rally around him, and so you know,
17:34
Speaker 8: he came out and he did his thing today. So
17:36
Speaker 8: he is super proud of this whole team. And you know,
17:38
Speaker 8: this is this is it feels good to get back
17:40
Speaker 8: on the on the wind side. But uh, this is
17:43
Speaker 8: only one game, and you know we got to you know,
17:45
Speaker 8: close out these last two, you know, win these last two,
17:48
Speaker 8: and so you know, we just got to build on this.
17:50
Speaker 4: Yeah.
17:50
Speaker 5: I know, it's just one game, but it's been so
17:52
Speaker 5: tight for you guys, and meanings you'd want for so
17:54
Speaker 5: often for so long, you know, was it almost wasn't
17:58
Speaker 5: like more fun simply being in it environment where both
18:01
Speaker 5: sides that all three phases were sort of contributing what
18:03
Speaker 5: was going on.
18:04
Speaker 8: Yeah, I mean it felt great to like, you know,
18:06
Speaker 8: win win by a lot, you know, and to you
18:09
Speaker 8: know just really you know, handle and control the game.
18:11
Speaker 8: And you know, we I think we were all fourteen
18:14
Speaker 8: to nothing at the first quarter of the game, and
18:17
Speaker 8: you know we I think everyone was just saying on
18:19
Speaker 8: the sidelines, you know, you know, we were just preaching
18:21
Speaker 8: we can't let up, you know, because we were up
18:23
Speaker 8: thirteen zero last week and you know, we let them
18:25
Speaker 8: back in the game, and we know the results what
18:27
Speaker 8: the results were. But you know, we did a good
18:29
Speaker 8: job with just staying on it, you know, and so
18:30
Speaker 8: I think, you know, setting that timp off from the job,
18:33
Speaker 8: you know, helped us, you know, come up with the victory.
18:36
Speaker 1: You lost another key player with the Landon Roberts going down.
18:39
Speaker 5: What kind of challenges that present?
18:40
Speaker 7: What was the key to overcoming it?
18:42
Speaker 8: Yeah, you know, I feel free to Rob, you know,
18:44
Speaker 8: because he swetches. You know, he gives everything to this game.
18:47
Speaker 8: And so I know that that that you know that
18:51
Speaker 8: he's hurting because you know, he loves his game. He
18:53
Speaker 8: loves his game. He lets us play football, and so
18:55
Speaker 8: but I know we got capable guys, you know, are
18:56
Speaker 8: going to come in and you know do the job
18:58
Speaker 8: for us. You know, you know, Miles, Jack and Mike
19:01
Speaker 8: and everyone just played everywhere. Everybody played well today that
19:04
Speaker 8: that they came in, Mark just ever, everybody. You know,
19:06
Speaker 8: it's gotta we just gotta have guys to step up,
19:07
Speaker 8: and you know, we're confident in the guys you know
19:09
Speaker 8: who are gonna do that.
19:11
Speaker 5: Is that been a rough week for George. What is
19:13
Speaker 5: the reaction his response in the game you had today
19:16
Speaker 5: in the world.
19:16
Speaker 8: Yeah, you know, a heck of a game, you know,
19:18
Speaker 8: but then you know that's what he does. And so
19:20
Speaker 8: to see him come out and respond like that was huge.
19:22
Speaker 8: And so you know, he just you know, put us,
19:23
Speaker 8: he put his head dout and work and you know,
19:26
Speaker 8: those those those results showed today.
19:28
Speaker 5: Did you guys had a different air about practice that
19:30
Speaker 5: week this week that led to these results?
19:32
Speaker 8: Yeah? I mean, I I just think you know, we
19:33
Speaker 8: were you know, you know, tired of being you know,
19:36
Speaker 8: the three game los the street. You know, it hurts,
19:38
Speaker 8: you know, especially you know when you work hard and
19:40
Speaker 8: you know, you you you pour everything into this game.
19:42
Speaker 8: And so just to be able to come back and
19:44
Speaker 8: win and get a statement win against the division team
19:46
Speaker 8: was huge for us. And so you know, we just
19:49
Speaker 8: gotta make that consistent. We just gotta build on it
19:51
Speaker 8: next week. You know, like I said, this is only
19:53
Speaker 8: one week, and so we just gotta build on building
19:55
Speaker 8: that next week. We gotta go in and analyze the
19:58
Speaker 8: film and see which ways we can be better. You know,
20:00
Speaker 8: I know he won the game today, but there's a
20:01
Speaker 8: lot of ways that we could be better. And so
20:03
Speaker 8: myself included, and so we just got to continue to
20:06
Speaker 8: get better.
20:08
Speaker 5: New safeties out there. The way there's kids played.
20:10
Speaker 8: I mean, you know, they they they they did a
20:12
Speaker 8: great job out there for us, you know, and you know,
20:15
Speaker 8: just having those guys, you know, pad Nero coming out there,
20:18
Speaker 8: you know, doing what they did all game. You know,
20:20
Speaker 8: it just shows to you know, how selfless you know
20:22
Speaker 8: this team is. You guys just coming out and doing
20:24
Speaker 8: whatever it is, you know, to to help us win.
20:26
Speaker 8: And so you know, just shout out to those guys,
20:27
Speaker 8: you know, for for doing their thing.
20:29
Speaker 4: So you TJ and the other outside life packers having
20:32
Speaker 4: a compensate in any way or even additional communication because
20:35
Speaker 4: of all these new inside guys.
20:37
Speaker 8: Yeah, I mean I think you know we've we've you know,
20:40
Speaker 8: emphasized this communication just all around, you know. I think
20:43
Speaker 8: you know, those guys have done a good job in practice,
20:45
Speaker 8: and that's what we know we we emphasize on practice
20:47
Speaker 8: is communication. You know, they do a good job of
20:49
Speaker 8: you know, pourting crowd noise during practice to help you know,
20:51
Speaker 8: create a game day environment. And so that's has really
20:54
Speaker 8: helped those guys. I thought, you know, they did a
20:56
Speaker 8: good job.
20:56
Speaker 7: With that today.
21:00
Speaker 8: Uh that's hard, I mean, but I do, I do,
21:02
Speaker 8: I do like ticks because you know, they don't don't
21:04
Speaker 8: come very often.
21:06
Speaker 5: He was talking to us earlier in the week about
21:07
Speaker 5: how the way that Mason's going about his shop the
21:09
Speaker 5: last few years has been resonates at least to the
21:12
Speaker 5: offensive side of the ball. You're on the other side
21:14
Speaker 5: of the locker room, on the other side of the ball.
21:15
Speaker 5: I mean, does that do you guys notice the way
21:18
Speaker 5: that he goes about this and does it almost make
21:19
Speaker 5: it that much sweeter watching him sort of have the
21:22
Speaker 5: data he has today.
21:23
Speaker 8: Yeah.
21:23
Speaker 4: Absolutely.
21:24
Speaker 8: You know, I'm just so happy for him because I
21:25
Speaker 8: know how hard he works, and you know how committed
21:27
Speaker 8: he is, and you know he he he prepares like
21:30
Speaker 8: he's the starter every week. You know, he's one of
21:32
Speaker 8: those guys you know who's staying extra, you know, uh,
21:35
Speaker 8: get taking care of his body, you know, doing things,
21:37
Speaker 8: you know, watching films. So you know, he's someone who's
21:40
Speaker 8: been working. You know, he got his opportunity and he
21:42
Speaker 8: you know, he ran, he ran with it and so
21:44
Speaker 8: you know, just proud of him, you know, just seeing
21:45
Speaker 8: how he just continued to get better throughout this year.
21:48
Speaker 1: A great to hear from those guys, and Jimmy you
21:50
Speaker 1: mentioned the defense. It's like, let's be clear, as far
21:53
Speaker 1: as I'm concerned, this is the best defense in the league.
21:55
Speaker 1: Like there was a play where heights of pressure that
21:57
Speaker 1: ended up going on his high dad where it was
21:59
Speaker 1: there option you know, TJ look dements as well, but
22:05
Speaker 1: even like almost secondary players coming out and showing as well.
22:09
Speaker 1: It's scary and it shows you momentum. Like for me,
22:14
Speaker 1: I feel as if if the Sailors got to a
22:16
Speaker 1: wild card game, now one out and it went and
22:20
Speaker 1: get the odd stocked in their favor and they got
22:22
Speaker 1: a wildcard game. Sometimes when you're not at home, it's
22:25
Speaker 1: difficult to really get the momentum up. I feel that
22:29
Speaker 1: if you've got that defense, you know that the Steelers
22:31
Speaker 1: fans are going to show up anywhere, and you could
22:33
Speaker 1: really sense and we weren't even in the stadium, but
22:36
Speaker 1: you could sense thousands of miles away that will made
22:38
Speaker 1: a huge difference and really spurred the offense on. And
22:41
Speaker 1: there's been times a season where that just had not happened,
22:43
Speaker 1: you know, So it was great.
22:44
Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, the defense has really been carrying the team
22:47
Speaker 2: all season. Their back must be in bits at this
22:50
Speaker 2: stage from carrying the offense all season, and we saw
22:53
Speaker 2: it again last night. I mean, Alex Heisman and TJ
22:55
Speaker 2: Well have to be the best pair of edge rushers
22:57
Speaker 2: in the league at this stage. I mean, he made
22:59
Speaker 2: we could see Jake Braining was under dress all all night,
23:03
Speaker 2: made some made some crucial mistakes on the back of
23:05
Speaker 2: that pressure. Even even the even our depleted inside linebacker
23:11
Speaker 2: corps was able to largely shut down the Bengals run
23:13
Speaker 2: as well. So that that was that was something that
23:15
Speaker 2: was sorely missed last week against the Coast. That was
23:18
Speaker 2: great to see. And then look, Joey Porter Junior, I
23:21
Speaker 2: mean has to be a candidate for our defensive Rookie
23:23
Speaker 2: of the Year. Just I mean the guy he's He's
23:27
Speaker 2: in his first season out of conne Jenny has literally
23:30
Speaker 2: legit become a shutdown corner in the NFL. And I
23:33
Speaker 2: think if Jamar Chase hadn't been playing, Let's not be mistaken,
23:37
Speaker 2: that was definitely a factory in the in the victory,
23:40
Speaker 2: I think joe Joey Porter Junior would have been responsible
23:43
Speaker 2: for him. So that that already kind of tells him
23:46
Speaker 2: that the trust that the Steelers have in him as
23:48
Speaker 2: their number one corner. So look, it was just a
23:51
Speaker 2: complete team performance last night and it was great to
23:55
Speaker 2: see that everyone playing to their to their best.
23:57
Speaker 1: I just gotta wait that for us the season with you.
24:00
Speaker 1: We've got two more weeks left. We've got a tough
24:02
Speaker 1: matchup that we'll talk about against the Seahawks in a
24:04
Speaker 1: few minutes, and then we've got a tough matchup as
24:07
Speaker 1: it's always a tough matchup in the division that the
24:10
Speaker 1: Ravens in Week eighteen. In the fact the Steelers now
24:13
Speaker 1: do not play at home again in the regular season.
24:16
Speaker 1: That was the home season finale on December to twenty third,
24:20
Speaker 1: which is an haven't think as well. You almost forget
24:22
Speaker 1: sometimes how short the season is. Jimmy, it's mad going
24:27
Speaker 1: to see Attle next week and we'll talk a little
24:30
Speaker 1: bit about Christmas in the second. But this is going.
24:32
Speaker 1: This is barring the Markle. This will be our last
24:35
Speaker 1: podcast Decide of twenty twenty three because you know, it's
24:40
Speaker 1: time to die and watch a bit of football am
24:42
Speaker 1: react with family. So I appreciate you Jimmy coming onto
24:45
Speaker 1: this podcast, and just the big thanks everyone just listening
24:47
Speaker 1: now and has listened over the last few months. Dave
24:50
Speaker 1: would love to be here as well. A minute, but
24:51
Speaker 1: he can't be the game against the Seahawks and where
24:54
Speaker 1: you know, we are not sure the time recording if
24:56
Speaker 1: it's going to be on television, but it potentially might
24:59
Speaker 1: be Baus on the fact this in the nine o'clock window,
25:01
Speaker 1: it's got a decent chance in that window. We'll see
25:05
Speaker 1: what happens, but it'll definitely be a gone off the
25:07
Speaker 1: ball for the audio on the Island of Ireland. I
25:11
Speaker 1: watched the game against Philadelphia for the Eagles on the
25:14
Speaker 1: Seahawks in Week fifteen, Jimmy, and we're sitting there now
25:20
Speaker 1: talking about the medentum that the crowd in Pittsburgh have.
25:23
Speaker 1: I mean, the crowd'll get behind their team so well also,
25:28
Speaker 1: and that was really a defining factor on Monday Night
25:31
Speaker 1: last week. I guess it's hard to preview a game
25:35
Speaker 1: too much when we're so far outside of it, when
25:37
Speaker 1: we don't know, for example, you know, how they go
25:40
Speaker 1: on in Week sixteen. But I think one thing that
25:43
Speaker 1: we do know is the Seahawks will be ready to go.
25:46
Speaker 1: They'll but they'll be trying to push down, push down
25:48
Speaker 1: on the limit on the NFC West as this season
25:51
Speaker 1: reaches finale, and no matter if you're facing the Seahawks
25:54
Speaker 1: team with five wins, with two wins, with ten wins,
25:57
Speaker 1: it's always difficult going in Seattle. Look, there's two massive
26:02
Speaker 1: games the end of the season. But you feel, Jimmy
26:04
Speaker 1: that if the Stailers can go to Seattle and get something,
26:08
Speaker 1: you go in the weekend team with a lot more optimism,
26:10
Speaker 1: depending of course, on hy the Ravens approach this game
26:13
Speaker 1: and gil On on Christmas Night, because I feel that they've
26:16
Speaker 1: definitely got more of a chance on what some people
26:19
Speaker 1: are saying, well in the San Francisco So let's see
26:22
Speaker 1: what happens. It's it's gonna be an exciting five to
26:24
Speaker 1: ten days anyway.
26:26
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean you're dead right about the the effect
26:28
Speaker 2: of the crowd up in Seattle there, Michael the twelve
26:31
Speaker 2: mad I mean, it's famous around the world for for
26:33
Speaker 2: their for their noise, for their support, and you definitely
26:37
Speaker 2: you have to appreciate the energy and the momentum that
26:41
Speaker 2: that the energy that the that the crowd brings to
26:43
Speaker 2: a game. So I think that's gonna be challenging for
26:45
Speaker 2: the Steelers and a challenging environment for them to come into.
26:50
Speaker 2: I think as well that there that I've forgotten the
26:54
Speaker 2: quarterbacks may for the the Seahawks for gave me.
26:58
Speaker 1: See, that is the thing. So on Monday night before
27:02
Speaker 1: the game against the Eagles, it was expected that Gino
27:05
Speaker 1: Smith was going to play, and he was active, but
27:07
Speaker 1: he never we never went in the field and we
27:09
Speaker 1: did not know the kick offf it was going to
27:11
Speaker 1: be Drew Locke. So I really feel that again, depending
27:14
Speaker 1: on what happens in Week sixteen, it could be a
27:18
Speaker 1: whole different thing. But we've seen Drew Locke faced a
27:21
Speaker 1: lot of criticism in the league over the last few years,
27:23
Speaker 1: and he looked rejuvenated off of that game. Yeah, I
27:26
Speaker 1: think no matter who plays it is Gino or Drew Lock,
27:28
Speaker 1: it's going to be a hard game. And absolutely guys
27:31
Speaker 1: have got a few days not the rest up and
27:32
Speaker 1: get ready for any though.
27:33
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean they're both that Jim mcquarterbacks, I mean
27:35
Speaker 2: Gino Smith has had a career resurgence up in Seattle,
27:38
Speaker 2: I mean in the Northwest there. He's a fantastic quarterback.
27:41
Speaker 2: He was a great player in college and it's great
27:43
Speaker 2: to see him continue to have success in the league.
27:46
Speaker 2: And you can't forget about Dk Metcalf. I mean we
27:49
Speaker 2: have our big, our big target and George Pickens. They
27:51
Speaker 2: have the most jacked receiver in the league. So I mean,
27:55
Speaker 2: there's there's there's there's gonna be challenges against the Seahawks,
27:58
Speaker 2: but I think if we can continue the I mean, look,
28:01
Speaker 2: there was such a great moment energy, momentum from that
28:03
Speaker 2: game last time. I mean, it was fantastic, and I
28:06
Speaker 2: think all the Theeds fan base and the players dealt it.
28:09
Speaker 2: So I think if they can rest now over Christmas,
28:11
Speaker 2: bring them and bring that momentum with them. And I've
28:14
Speaker 2: said momentum so many times that I'm gonna stop saying it,
28:17
Speaker 2: but I think that's the key to the I think
28:19
Speaker 2: that's the key to the game against the Seahawks is
28:21
Speaker 2: just keep up the energy, keep up the good vibes,
28:23
Speaker 2: and see what happens, and then worry about the Ravens
28:26
Speaker 2: after that. And I have to agree with you regarding
28:28
Speaker 2: the Ravens. As much as it pains me to say it,
28:31
Speaker 2: I think it's I think they're going to beat the
28:32
Speaker 2: forty nine ers, and I think it's going to be
28:35
Speaker 2: a Super Bowl rematch between the Ravens and the Niners
28:39
Speaker 2: in Vegas come February that's my prediction there.
28:41
Speaker 1: Anyway, Oh, I'll keep saying the Sedars until mathematy is
28:46
Speaker 1: not possible. But yeah, like there, look they're health football team.
28:49
Speaker 1: I guess for us it's more a situational well come
28:53
Speaker 1: we get the wiki team of Yeah, and that's the reality.
28:57
Speaker 1: I look at the end of the day, if they
28:58
Speaker 1: would to get the number one seed, depending on how
28:59
Speaker 1: the almost follow over the next few weeks, they might
29:02
Speaker 1: not want that, but they could pretend to get two
29:04
Speaker 1: weeks off they needed it. I don't know if coach
29:06
Speaker 1: Harbor is the sort of guy that would do that,
29:08
Speaker 1: and just the way a way of his organization works,
29:10
Speaker 1: I'm not sure if they would do that, But certainly
29:13
Speaker 1: for us, we want to be going into M and
29:16
Speaker 1: T with the best of chances, and hopefully we're running
29:19
Speaker 1: to M and T not just for pride, but with
29:22
Speaker 1: the chance. And if we go in there with a chance,
29:24
Speaker 1: there's there's an even better chance of games on television
29:27
Speaker 1: on Ireland. So the time will tell. It's been really weird, Jim,
29:30
Speaker 1: we just to end on this. It's been It's been
29:32
Speaker 1: a good season in the sense of for fans. There's
29:34
Speaker 1: been a lot of games on TV, which has been
29:36
Speaker 1: awesome across the island of Barnon and long may not continue.
29:39
Speaker 1: And just finally on that Seahawks game. You know, we
29:42
Speaker 1: are recording this ahead of we sixteen Sunday after the
29:44
Speaker 1: Steelers game on the Saturday. Kenneth Walker is expected to
29:48
Speaker 1: play for the Seahawks, but he's not one hundred percent,
29:51
Speaker 1: So that's gonna be a really interesting one to check
29:53
Speaker 1: out over the game week ahead of New Year's even
29:57
Speaker 1: it'll fly in as well Christmas coming up, Jimmy, over
29:59
Speaker 1: the next twenty four hours, will will be the one
30:02
Speaker 1: gift that you'd like as a Steelers fan, merchandise or
30:05
Speaker 1: otherwise this Christmas I'm going today or.
30:09
Speaker 2: As a Steelers That's it's a good question, I'm it.
30:13
Speaker 2: Sent me a picture of some lovely Steelers branded whiskey
30:16
Speaker 2: glasses yesterday, which not quite appealing. So I was a
30:18
Speaker 2: bit jets a new jersey only I only have the
30:22
Speaker 2: one stitch jersey at the minute, so a throwback Ben
30:26
Speaker 2: Roethlisberger jersey would be would be nicely there. But the
30:29
Speaker 2: big block letters, ah, yes, something something like that. You know,
30:33
Speaker 2: I'm not one for clothes, Mick, but I never say
30:35
Speaker 2: no to Steeters merchandise.
30:38
Speaker 1: And for people Little bodcast he's wearing something like a
30:42
Speaker 1: statch white jerseys. We we won't. Also, playoffs will be
30:45
Speaker 1: great as well, would be great.
30:48
Speaker 2: I mean yeah, to be honest with you, that win
30:51
Speaker 2: last night was not almost enough of a Christmas present
30:53
Speaker 2: for me. I was I was dreaded, being in a
30:55
Speaker 2: bad mood and Christmas Eve the Steelers have lost and
30:58
Speaker 2: so I look, I mean, like like we said earlier on,
31:01
Speaker 2: it was an early Christmas present and miracle rolled into one.
31:04
Speaker 1: I think it's a bit like the Premier League soccer,
31:07
Speaker 1: with teams that are fighting towards the end and sometimes
31:11
Speaker 1: teams that don't expect and that they come up and
31:13
Speaker 1: they do it with see it in the GA as well.
31:14
Speaker 1: There's no reason we have to keep hoping over the
31:16
Speaker 1: next few weeks. And it works more importantly toim me
31:19
Speaker 1: to you, yourself, your family, bits, everybody and Dave and
31:23
Speaker 1: more importantly than not, everybody listening to this podcast will
31:26
Speaker 1: hope everybody is a very very Christmas not like chnogal Layer,
31:30
Speaker 1: and just have to see if Christmas I'm a very
31:34
Speaker 1: very happy New Year. We'll be back not too long
31:37
Speaker 1: after in the year. I'm not going to bring these
31:40
Speaker 1: lands on the podcast in the year's eve, we'll see.
31:42
Speaker 1: I'll be here ready to go. Have you any final awards.
31:45
Speaker 2: Man, Yeah, just to echo what you said next. Look,
31:49
Speaker 2: it's been an absolute pleasure and a privilege doing this,
31:52
Speaker 2: having the opportunity to do this Theeers podcast throughout the year,
31:55
Speaker 2: and so thank you so much to yourself and today
31:58
Speaker 2: for having like having the Rack weekend weekend, because that's
32:01
Speaker 2: what we do is we we come on and we
32:03
Speaker 2: have fun and we talked Steelers football. A massive thank
32:06
Speaker 2: you to all the up to all the listeners. Mean,
32:07
Speaker 2: we wouldn't be here without them if there was no
32:09
Speaker 2: you know, if there was no listeners, no audience, to
32:11
Speaker 2: be no podcast. And thank you to everyone yet and
32:15
Speaker 2: to the to the Steelers organization for giving us an
32:17
Speaker 2: opportunity as well. Yeah, Merry Christmas. Everyone enjoyed the field
32:20
Speaker 2: and enjoyed the football.
32:22
Speaker 1: Yes, sir, the main football. The main course has already
32:25
Speaker 1: been served. But folks, I actuate your sayd jin me
32:27
Speaker 1: thank you. But everyone have a great great Christmas. I'll
32:30
Speaker 1: finish with this.
32:30
Speaker 2: Here we go, ho h, here we go.
32:33
Speaker 1: Rudolph the Red Noose QB starting to see next week folks.
32:36
Speaker 1: Thank you,