Nov. 1, 2022
The Steelers and The Matt Canada Issue
The Steelers woes continued with a torching by the Eagles. Oh, the thoughts crossing Steelers fans minds... we discuss...
The Steelers woes continued with a torching by the Eagles. Oh, the thoughts crossing Steelers fans minds... we discuss...
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Transcript
Sports Porch fans.
Welcome to the porch. Um and I I let the music on a little a little longer guys because I just wanted to get a sip.
You know, of out of my mug, out of my mug. So, Hug you got there. And thank you and I think you guys have one too but Schwab leaves him at my house.
and I switched that around real quick because in the pre show, Steve, I gotta tell you, I was totally the background you got going on there. It's mesmerizing, isn't it? Yes.
Yes. You see that pretty hover? Yeah. Yeah. I got a little hot flavor for this week. Yeah. It is Halloween. And you know, you gotta keep those spirits at bay and you can only do that with a few jack-o-lanterns and ace. Yeah. Yup. Yup and today is my books. My daughter there. Yeah, like my my daughter's it's my daughter's birthday today Halloween. So, happy birthday, Carly. How about that, man? Hey, Mark. How would you like that? Birthday on October 31st, big party. What do you think? I would, I actually wouldn't like it. I I wouldn't want my birthday to be shared with like everybody's holiday.
That's just, that's me personal. But every, every, every birthday is a party.
Yeah. You know? Yeah. It's Steve trying to goad me. He knows exactly what's going on. You know what I mean? What's going on? Um. When I was when I look, I'm totally, I am totally off base here. We're we're so far away from anything sports related but I I I have to in honor of Steve Goading me and my daughter say that when I was because you guys and anybody watching and listening who knows me know this.
You guys when when she was born I said I it could have been Steve actually but it could've been somebody else. Anyway, when she was born, I said you know, she was born on Halloween. I'm not really liking that because the other person said, oh my god, a Halloween birthday. How cool is that? And I said, yeah.
Well, you know, she's gotta turn 21 one day and I know what I did on Halloween when I was 21 and it wasn't my birthday.
Oh. So, So it's all I also remember. So, Chris, it's all about you, huh? As, as, look, I am a at twisting that anything into me. That's true. So, okay.
So, here we go. Sports. Absolutely. I think that's a good idea. DG says happy Halloween right back at you, DG. Thank you for being here. Hey. Uh he skipped out on trick or treating to be here. So, I I don't know. Trick or treating is over at this point. Yeah. It's all about adult beverages and like fairies and stuff Yep. Yep. Yep. Wow. We just really getting off track tonight. So but it's fun. Is there a football game? Was there a football game yesterday? I think there was some football over the weekend. I think there were some playing yesterday. I don't follow tennis. Was there any tennis? Was there any tennis? No tennis.
Anyway. Just football.
Alright. The Steelers lost. Okay? They lost. Yeah. Alright. They did. We knew they were going to lose.
Uh we knew the Eagles, we're probably going to take it to them Um and we'll talk about the Eagles in a little bit. But so many things that just it I it feels like Groundhog Day all over again. Uh so I put out online on our Facebook page and Instagram you know, should we give Canada one more game? or should he be fired now? You know, and once again, disclaimer, I don't know the man. He he could be probably the greatest individual on Earth. I always feel so guilty doing that kind of stuff but you know. It's probably not. Maybe it's a terrible guy. Yeah, it could be but I, you know, give him the benefit. Oscar doesn't like him.
I am not, my goodness. I am not making any.
I I am not making any anyway, you get what I'm saying. But the guy the guy, come on. Uh I have 92% of the of the responses on Instagram and Facebook said fire him now. 92%.
You know, two, who you know, who was like, I looked at the people who were like, yeah, give him one more game and then I immediately judge them.
So, you know, what do you guys think? Oh, I I think I think the guys actually passed his time to be fired to be honest with you. I mean. Yeah. He he never really showed anything. He hasn't showed anything even when he had a hall of fame quarterback that that offense was innovative or exciting and it, you know, we don't have the best wide but we have talent there. I mean, we have first, second, third-round picks that have the ability to catch the ball but the scheming is just set up to to just make that offense look terrible and play terrible.
I mean, they do, in fairness, they do once a game go on a 10 or 12 play drive where they get a touchdown. But they can only do it once. I mean, it's the worst offense in the league with three and outs. I mean, there's just nothing, there's nothing to say to me, give this guy more time. He has a body of work and it's just terrible. And and it's not it's not it's not good against bad It's not terrible against good But the bottom line is it's just overall terrible.
It's time to move on from Canada. What say you Mark? I agree. I mean, if you if you think about Canada, I mean, think about this. I mean, this was a guy who was making excuses last year and his excuse last year was, I can't run my offense with a hall of fame quarterback. I mean, what kind of an excuse is that? Right. I would give it that excuse. It wasn't mobile enough, right? For what? Why? Right.
And and I mean, do you see much mobility being used by the quarterbacks? Uh you know, Maybe maybe Trubisky. A little bit. Uh and Pickett are running but it's usually because they're being rushed. It's not because it's like a design play or anything.
Um so, you know, yeah, the bottom line is, you know, you coached 26 games and you only score 20 points and five of them. That's that's really bad and they were all last year by the way with the hall of fame quarterback.
I think we're in the 92% on this one, Chris. Yeah.
Yeah.
And I I once again, I feel like a genius because I've been calling for that him to fire them since last year. you know. Well, what do you say? I'm just talking. I'm just talking my book. Do you think that you think they actually will fire him? I mean, they didn't come out today. It doesn't look like they're going to. I mean, I I I don't I don't really even know how that would happen.
Like, I guess you would just leave and be like, okay you know, he's not making no calls anymore. I mean, they could keep him and say he's been demoted and he's not he's not calling the offense anymore but you know, Mike Sullivan is. I guess they could do that but I just I just don't know how it would happen. Like, get the get the get the H out, you know? I don't know.
I just don't know how it would happen. Like, it's just never happened before with Tomlin where he just up and fires somebody. you know? Right. Yeah, I know. And and I, that's, what I think the is is it's not, it's not in his nature to do that, and he probably thinks it's more important for the next coach to feel like he's not going to do that to them.
You know, I think he's got more of a long-term vision in mind, and in this case, I don't think the long-term vision has much light at the end of the tunnel to it. So, I mean, Tomlin did signal, Tomlin did signal last week that, you know, if the offense doesn't do well, like, they're going to have to be some changes that are made. To me, that's a clear that the offensive coordinators job is on the line.
And let's face it. I think this satisfies checks the box on that where you know you only score 13 points and you really couldn't even get any, you know, token touchdown at the end of the game. I mean, they could they really just couldn't even do anything in the in the fourth quarter even after the game was completely over. So, they just, they just seem like they, they need a change and that seems to me like the best thing that they got going forward.
They've already pulled the Kenny gourd. So, they're stuck with that for the rest of the season unless he gets injured. I don't know where else you get a spark unless, you know, you do something with Najee but I I don't even know if that's possible.
I'm interested to see, Steve. You said that there were what, 6 minutes and 30 seconds to change the game? Yeah.
Give it to us.
So, this all occurred in the second quarter. We have to go the whole way back to the second quarter where the score was actually right after I'm going to take it right after the Eagles got that long touchdown. The first long touchdown pass to AJ Brown who made it fourteen seven, right? Still a game. It's still a game at that point. In my in my in my view, I'm watching it. There's 12 minutes, 48 seconds left in the second quarter.
Lots of time And what happens? The kick off, the Steelers return to the forty, but there's a penalty. So they end up starting at their own eighteen. So right away, the Steelers have good return. They're in good position. A forty-yard line start is much better than the eighteen. What happens when they get the ball at the eighteen? A penalty. Of course. Yeah. Illegal formation. How many times did we hear that yesterday? So they're back to the thirteen.
Then they actually complete a pass for minus four yards.
four yards to Sims. So now it's second in nineteen and what do they do? They run Najee. They run and he gets a minus one yard run.
So, what do they have? Absurd. I'm starting to, I'm starting to have a panic attack, Steve. Yeah. Did you say that? Don't worry. It it doesn't get better. So, so so, it's certain twenty, right? They do the the typical, let's dump it off. Jaylen Warren gets, you know, 11 yards and it was a nice play but there's no way they're going to get the first down, right? They punt it and what is the defense do? Three and out.
Hey, alright. The Eagles don't three and oh very often. So, you're like, okay, defense is in this game even though the offense can't do anything. They punted, the Steelers get the ball at the at the twenty, 22 yard line. So, they get a net gain of a few yards, right? What do they do? Incomplete pass to Deontay Johnson that actually should have been picked by Slay on the outside.
The next pass, incomplete pass, the Pickens, which was his first pass, the first pass thrown the Pickens and this was with 7 minutes and 36 seconds left in the second right? The first time they tried to throw them and actually made a pretty good grab but his foot kind of got stuck on the other guy's foot and he was out of bounds.
It was really a an impossible catch but he did it. So, two bad passes by by by Pickens and then the third one should have been intercepted.
wide open across the middle to a place where Chris says throw the ball. Friarmuth was wide open and he throws it over his head. It probably should have been picked off by Epps but he was so surprised it hitted him and hit him in his hands. He drops it. So, so three and oh for the Steelers. They punted what happens.
Pass to Goddard eighteen yards. Pass to Devante Smith. 14 yards. Pass A. J. Brown. Touchdown. Game over. So in that in in the in the in the 6 minutes that the Steelers had the ball. They got a total of one yard, one yard in their six plays. And the and and the the Philadelphia Eagles.
Get I think it was about total of 60 yards and a touchdown in about 34 seconds.
And there's the game the ball game. And that's the Steelers.
the Steelers season in a nutshell. Steve I have to step in here and say, I don't care what you say. You can talk to your blue in the face. You are never going to convince me that the are as good as the Eagles.
There's, you know, like, you're right. It was horrible. I mean, it was horrible. They took three plays and they just go right down the field after a three now. What did the Steelers do after a three and oh? Another three and out. At least they didn't get a penalty the second time around. Hey, and for me, it wasn't just that and you you know, when you said you had that 6 minutes together, I I I automatically knew what six minutes you were talking about. 6 minutes and 13 seconds left in the first half.
I didn't have the seconds. Yeah. I didn't have the seconds but you know, because I don't take notes like you. So, I, you know, I I I could not believe what I was seeing. Not, you know, look, if if they go three and out again, you know, blah, blah, blah. I I I get all that but it was the way they were going three and out, okay? Uh how many times was Najee Harris going to catch a ball in the backfield with nobody, this was a funny game to watch with nobody within three or four yards of him and he starts juking.
Yeah. Did you see that we were Steve and I were texting during the whole game because we knew to leave you out Schwaber. You know, like, you're in a, you're in a. Yeah. Bubble. I didn't, I didn't want to, you know, I don't want to pour on or anything. You're right. Yeah.
So so excuse me. But it it was it was one of the roughest.
So bad. Yeah. It was it was bad. So it and I'm going to move right into Najee Harris now. Okay? I'm going to move right into Najee Harris. My my my trademark disclaimer. I love you Naje. You're a nice guy. Like you're a stand up citizen. And your work ethic.
okay what you say because you've that he's a racist. Right. That's right. He's a nice person. He's and he works hard. And he wants to do well. Man I'm telling you this guy does not have it. I'm sorry. He just doesn't. He tries to jump in the air over people. Just because he knows he can jump high. Uh he catches that ball and jukes three yards. Before anybody's near him and half the time he jukes right into somebody. I mean this like, to me, I'm watching it going.
I, does this guy know how to play football? I mean, it's it's so weird. It's, is it not weird to you? And I'm just speaking from a, you know, like, get the ball and even the announcers were talking about it yesterday. Get the ball and dive up field. Go go forward. Even if you gotta go through somebody. So, you know, I won't say anymore about that other than that.
I'm sorry. I I could I Give him one more year. I was texting Steve during the game. Could I give him one more year with another offensive coordinator in the hopes that they design plays? Blah, blah, blah. Yes, I guess I would. You know, because that would only be fair to him. But. Well, think of it this. He doesn't make things happen.
Great facts make things happen.
Well, here's the thing. I mean, Well, look, certainly, coming off last year, he looked like he was an emerging right back and so the talent is there.
That's obvious. Um what what's happened this year is he got injured. He played the first several games with, you know, a, you know, some sort of object on his foot. You know, true. Um so, he's he's been hurt but also, I mean, look, there there's other things too. I mean, like, to be honest, I would say actually the offensive line is probably worse this year than it was last year.
You know, that's a factor.
Um you know, another factor I think is the coaching. You know, he's he's not really being up. I mean, you know, just what you're saying, it's true but like, you know, somebody's gotta be in his ear and just say like, hey, look, hit the hole as hard as you can. You know, we don't have time to jump around right now. You know what I mean? Right. You you have a little time to jump around when you've got, you know, pro ball offensive lineman who you are going to do their job. You know, so, I mean, it would not surprise me at all if he has a very good year next year and he comes back strong.
Um but you know, I I just think he's had a lot stacked against him this year and it's it might sound like a mistake, you know, I'm making excuses but you know, the bottom line is is that you can't go from what he was last year to what he is this year.
You know, on you can't you just can't lose that talent. That's what I'm saying.
Okay. Yeah and my my deal with Naje is I agree that this year he looks different than last year and he seems more tentative. Like last year I thought like he was he was willing to take the contact more. Like he was trying to push guys over. He would still get hit in the backfield just as much I think. And by the way I think him getting hit in the backfield is a big problem and I I blame him for it.
I I blame Canada for that. Not not his not his not his juking skills. But I agree with you that he seems to be stuttering and hesitant more this year as opposed to last year. Last year, he was willing just to take on the guy and knock him over. I don't know if that's his injury or I don't know if something else is going on.
but I agree. He looks different this year than last year. That being said, what do you do? I mean, I would actually like to see if he is truly injured. I like to see him sit for a game. Let's see what Jaylen Warren can do for one game but the reality is is much like when you put Kenny Pickett in there, he's your guy.
not going to pull Najee Harris for for Jaylen Warren. You're just not going to do it unless he gets injured. So, unless he gets injured, we'll never know if Jaylen Warren is a much better bat. It's my position that if Jaylen Warren was running back, he looked great. Probably rushed for, you know, had six rushes for 25 yards. Everybody be like, wow, this guy's the real thing.
And then the seventh rush, he'll run for five yards and it. And then you'll be like, oh god. Yeah, that's right. I forgot. This guy can't hold on to the ball. **** We're in trouble now and and there's there's the row. So, I think what they need to do is they need to use em both and they need to use them them better and frankly, Canada's doesn't know how to do that.
So, get rid of Canada and I agree with you, Chris. I think, I think Najee looks better and and and he'll hopefully he'll look more like he did last year but I also agree with you that the stuttering's gotta go. He's gotta get up field. He's gotta start running guys over, jump over invisible men is not hacking it. Stutter stepping when you have wide open field, not a good look, especially on Twitter.
Google it. Yeah. Yeah. Um you know, it is funny though. If you do play the play, you see that the guys like are pretty quick in there. But but anyway, you know, the the other thing too is, you know, of course, you know, in another week, where Canada doesn't go away from the wide receiver run clay. Now, give him a little. Wait, wait, wait, Mark. Hold on. Hold on. Don't you mean the wide receiver passing play? was the one, that was the one Tony Romo.
That was the one good but you know, but here's the thing, you know, part of the reason why Najee can't run is and part of the reason why Sims has a minus four yard and and all that kind of stuff is the whole league knows it's common. So, you got all kinds of corners on the line. I mean, you know, it's not like it's eight in a box. I mean, sometimes it's like, you know, ten in the box, right? Because you got all those guys playing close.
So, you know, it's still amazes me that they're still running that play. I mean, look, once a game, they'll get 10 yards out of it, you know? but other than that, I mean, it's and most going to get them four yards and half the time it goes negative Yep. Yeah. Completely agree with that. Yep. There's just no creativity in that play anymore. It's it's just old hat. Yeah. Well and and that leads us into you know, I mean, we've been beaten up on the Steelers so hard.
you know, and now, of course, it's Kenny's turn. So, you know, and and we've kind of addressed. If you think about it, it's all kind of flowing rather nicely. We address Canada and the coach in the final. We went on to the running game and the issues and during that, we went back to the coaching and the play calling and then when now we're going to pick it and obviously, he's not looking that great right now but rookies.
We're so used to having the rookie that steps in and it's like bang. You know, most of the time in the it takes a year or two at least. Um but the patience is gone. So, anyway, you know, Kenny doesn't look great but is he being put in a position to not look great at all? Uh I mean, I'll let you guys talk about that and I got a lot to say about that. So, I'll try to keep mine short though.
Well, you know, I'm probably more in the middle. I think Steve is more on the down on picket and you're more on the always seeing the roses. Um so so my middling opinion with Kenny Pickett is the problem is is that at some point you have to do something.
And it seems like week after week. Granted against some good teams and some good defenses. But you know without much help but week after week isn't happening. Um I don't know what the touchdowns, interceptions is. I'm guessing it's maybe like two to eight. Something like that at this point. It's pretty bad. Yeah. I I stopped following it but yeah. Yeah. So that's I mean that's that's pretty bad.
Um you know so he's not really protecting the football. Um You know, the bottom line is we gotta see more from him. We gotta see some progression and I really feel like in the games that he's played, he's had a few nice moments but he really has not progressed from the first game he to the last game he played. So, I I think that that is a concern.
do I think he's got potential to still be good? do.
But I mean I I at this point I would say I'm almost leaning towards less than fifty fifty.
It's kind of where I it's kind of where I am.
How about you? Well so here's the deal with Peckett. I I everybody knows I've said this a thousand times. I'll say it a thousand andone. Probably a 00 2 next week. They put him into early. So now that he's in your you you gotta stick with him and you bring you gotta take all the bad that comes with it. Cuz it's mostly going bad when a rookie quarterback starts in this league. Eight times out of ten, it it's not going to be good.
It it's just not going to be good and and they have to learn. So, what I'm what I'm seeing in progression from Kenny Pickett passing the ball is nothing. But what I am seeing is he's he's starting to understand when he needs to just pick up and run which I think is good but what I'm afraid is, he's going to start relying on his feet too much. He needs to start feeling a little bit more uncomfortable in the pocket.
Wait two or three seconds and then let it fly. He just every time he's in the pocket and he's and he knows he's gotta get rid of it and he can't see a guy and even though the pocket's not collapsed yet, he he wants to he wants to take off and he usually ends up running into a guy or trying to run out of the pocket and then somebody grabs him.
So, that's what what I want to see in in in Kenny Pickett is I want to see him get better being more comfortable in the pocket and if I see that starting to happen, then, I'll start saying, okay, Kenny's starting to get it because right now, he he's not getting it and then, he makes those passes there or you know, maybe a little high.
I get it. They get deflected or whatever and you're only giving the wide receiver a chance to get the ball but the reality is he's gotta start he's not going to drop dimes like Jalen Hertz. Let's let's just put that out there right now but at least he can put it where it's going to hit them in the hands and only they can get it because defenders going to be behind them Not so these gotta jump up and has a chance to maybe tip it so that it gets intercepted.
Then maybe can start throwing the ball over the middle more. Which I think they need to start using more of the field and that will help him get better and and become a better quarterback throughout the year. I agree with you. I don't see his upside as this hall of fame quarterback. But I do see him as a pretty good game manager.
Somebody who can throw the ball deep and and make the plays. Like that in the in the progression of that six minutes and 30 seconds I I said, he could've easily hit Friermuth right across the middle, third and ten and they can keep moving the ball, right? Instead, they they do an incomplete pass and then good like the Eagles are will take advantage of it and then they score a touchdown and then it's over.
So, so that's what I want to see from Pickett. Right now, I'm not seeing it but I think he got put in there too early. So, I think he got four games Again, some really tough teams that I I knew I knew they were going to blow him up. You know, with guy with teams like the Saints coming up, you know, they get to play against Cincinnati again.
He didn't play in that Cincinnati game. So, that's still going to be a tough game for him but you know, you got teams like Atlanta, and teams like that where he can he can do a little bit more and he'll be a little bit better. That's where I want to see him excel. That's where I want to see him be that two hundred and seventy yard passer, three touchdowns, Maybe he still has an interception but he's starting to get it.
And that's what I'm looking for in the second half of the season with Pickett. And and I I think so so I'm optimistic. But I think you you know what the rookie quarterback is going to. It's not going to be it's going to be more bad than good.
I I think that the other thing that I'm noticing is he's really trying these difficult passes You know too much. You know all all these passes where the receivers have to make incredible catches and keep their feet in bounds. And it's either a back shoulder or it's in a place where only the receiver can catch it, not the defensive back. You know, you can only do that so many times and and I think it it might be because of the interceptions that he's been throwing.
He's maybe a little bit more reluctant even to throw it in the middle of the field. Um just because there's more, you know, risk there but I I think he needs to stop trying to make these perfect throws that have a lot of difficulty to them and yeah, Steelers receivers have made some of those catches. And we've said what amazing catches they were. But it's not something that you can count on really every week.
Yeah. Point of view. One last thing before Chris takes over here. They have to stop throwing the ball forty yards down the field on third and two. That's just ridiculous. Like when you have a third and manageable situation Why would you do that? Like second and two they never get a second and two. But if they ever do get a second and two great time to throw it down the field.
Play action it. Throw it down the field deep. Good good you still got a good chance of getting third two. Third and two and you're chucking it deep and you know, it it's always like, oh, some wide receivers feed gets tangled up with some and you're like, oh, that should have been a penalty but it never is because the the ball's nowhere near where it needs to be.
So, that's the only other thing and that's more of a Canada grape than it is a picket grape but Pickett is the one who's throwing it deep on third and two. He's got a he's gotta stop that. Alright, Chris. Let us have it. I think So, I want you to start with your profession of your professing of love for Kenny Pickett.
At least his hair. I love the guy. What can I say? I love. What do you love about him? Now, I I I you know what? What I what I See, that's why this show works. It's because it's extremely unprofessional.
No, I, I, I wanted to get a few comments in. Um, but I'll, I'll just, you know what, now, we're, we, you guys launched me right into it. Cuz there's a lot of comments coming in, you know, and it's mostly wrapped around, Canada, Yo Carey says Claypool for Cuban twenty twenty-three.
Um, you know, here you go. Here's one for Steve. Hockey Jesus for Canada's job. I love that. I love that. I tell you what. You gotta hockey Jesus would do a better job than Canada. I have no doubt. Yup. Yup. I just I just think it's I just think it's nice that you know, hockey Jesus that the good word is So, yeah.
it along. Nightly updates. We'll get into that later. Yeah. So, I, you know what? I'm I'm with you guys a lot. There's one thing about Kenny Pickett that I I'm starting to notice and that is that, he seems to be nervous about making mistakes. One of the comments Schwabber made about maybe he's hesitant to throw it over the middle.
Uh, and he doesn't want to take the risk. I also feel, however, that Canada is calling nothing but out patterns and deep balls on the outside You know, at on to and and screen passes three yards behind the line of scrimmage and it and he, look, if it, I don't, you're crazy if you didn't see this last night or yesterday.
Uh I guarantee you, it was so obvious to me that he purposely avoided the jet and like you could tell, he was like a crack addict.
You know, like, oh my god, that looks like a jet sweep. Wait, it's not. And he's up there, you know, like, sniffing his nose and going nuts like.
I want to call it jet sweep so bad. You know, so anyway, I just think that I just think that what I'm seeing out of Kenny though is I think I'm start, I'm I'm starting to doubt whether or not, not, not my feeling that he could be a good quarterback and he's ready but my feeling that is he go, is he going to be able to be a risk taker? Because look, Brett Favre was one of the rates and boy did that guy make some terrible throws? You know, I mean, they they they at once a game, you could see him just literally, not even look and throw it up in the air and of the time, well, I would say 30 percent of the time was caught by the wrong team, 30%, by the right team, and the other 30% it fell on the ground.
You know, I mean, so, I don't know. It's gone to the hundred there, Chris, almost.
Almost got the what? 30%, 30%, 30%. Oh, I, okay, thirty-three, you guys get. Well, the other 10 is like 10% of the time you'd get sacked anyways. There you go. Well, whatever. Yeah. Yeah. You get my point. So, you know, I would like to see I would like to see Kenny take some more I I I if you're not going to be a risk taker, you know, that's what all of the backup in the league are.
You know what I mean? except your rare occasion where you get a Cooper Rush who for three games, he's like, this is my big chance and he decides to, you know, really put some emotion into it, you know, because it's a tryout for another team. So, you know, I know, people are going to think like, oh my god, is he, you know, is he now saying that Kenny Pickett is a backup quarterback? No, because I think the problem is that he is in the he's got the wrong people around him I'm going to leave you with this.
The old Washington Redskins. See, I'm starting to accept it more because at least now I'm saying the old Washington Redskins. Which means I'm not refusing to drop the name at some point. I just command us. So early. Right. Yes sir. Uh there was a quarterback they they drafted when Steve Spurrier.
And and as soon as you say that name you laugh. You know. Right. When Steve was the coach. His name was Patrick And he was from and when I watched him as a rookie in the preseason Dempsey was on Or Patrick Ramsey, excuse me, I'm sorry. Yeah, you're right. Not Doctor Uh Patrick Ramsey. Yeah.
Not mixed steamy.
Patrick, you guys are making me cough. Patrick Ramsey. And he threw one of the prettiest long balls I had ever seen. I mean, literally, he could throw the ball, you know, 50 yards in the air, on a line. He just had a gun for an arm and he was really accurate. He needed to learn how to read some defenses but long story short, Spurrier put him in there. Spurrier didn't believe in having two tight ends or a tight end in the block because he was all about drawing up plays on the sideline and next thing you know, Dempsey is on his on his back, you know, three quarters the time he's getting hit or sacked.
And by the next year you know, he was he was happy feet. Cuz the guy never knew when he was going to get his clock cleaned. Yeah. And my concern with Canada is and and you know, the offensive line is some blame to this is that like look man, Kenny's on his back.
You know, was it too early to put him in? I I don't know that I would disagree with that or agree with it to be honest with you because I truly think and here we go. It's like back to bacon. I really think that Matt Canada is such a bad fit You know, who knows? Maybe he signs on, works his way up in five years from now. They talk about how bad he was and now he's a genius. You know, that can happen but I'm sorry. This this is this is horrible to watch.
It's horrible to watch.
And I and I just went off and I don't care if anybody hates me. I'm just telling you. You know, it's it's horrible to watch. Um so yeah, let's get rid of him.
Any any follow up to that or at all or did I just blow it right out? Well, it's the it's the first time that you've been down on Kenny this season. But not, I'm telling you, you guys are going to, you know, it's, it's not Kenny's fault. I really don't, I mean, he is not playing well.
No, no, no, he is not playing well. Not playing well at all. Okay, really not. But I don't think there's a game plan for him. That's the point. Hm. That that's what I'm saying. Like he he's playing like garbage, okay? He, he, he has one or two throws a game where you're like, oh look, that was a good throw. That's the kind of Kenny we know we could see. Or one good decision where he runs but other than that, he's like his head's on a swivel.
You know, and that's. You know, I think, I think the problem is where I kind of feel for Steelers fans is that, you know, it wouldn't be so bad if you felt there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
you know, the the light at the end of the tunnel if there is one, is the team's going to get better next year, and because he's going to have better people around him, he's going to play better.
And I don't really know that that's true. I mean, look, look, look at the offensive line from last year to this year. Are they going to draft an offensive lineman in the first round? I don't know. Are they damn well better? Are they going to, you know, sign a pro ball offensive lineman? Um, not. You know, are they, you know, going to get a linebacker in here that you know.
This guy really. Yeah, I mean, see, that that's the problem. The problem is is that I just feel like there's so many weaknesses and so many Um and they haven't been doing well lately with their drafting. Yeah. So, yeah. Well, you're right, Waterstone. No. Yeah. You're right. They they have too many They they're not going to fix it this year. They're not going to fix it next year but they can make steps like progressing picking with a better offensive coordinator this year and next year address the big problems which is getting a little bit more talent on the offensive line.
I will disagree with you. I know you said earlier. You think the offensive line this year is worse than last year. I actually think it's a little bit better this year. Not much. Not not so. But I think it's I think it's a little bit better. Um but when they play against really good defensive teams that that have a bunch of schemes.
They're they're just not going to be good. They just have enough to be able to do it. So, so they have to decide who's to stay and who's the loser and that's what the rest of the season should be.
Are they keeping Bush? Do they think he's good? He's actually been playing okay lately.
he's not been noticeably absent from that defense and I think Miles Jack is helping him. So, maybe they want to keep him just because he's a part and maybe they can get for pretty cheap. So, that they can go get that lineman and maybe go get, you know, a a good and of, you know, Levi Wallace. He's been good in the Just not good enough. You know, so. So, let's do a lot of holes. We're not going to fix this year. We're not going to fix it next year but we have to make progressions towards getting better.
Yeah and and so, you mentioned the D I I I was I was just going to throw it back real quick on Tomlin and say, like look, we we I've talked about this before. We've talked about it before. The the guy inherited a hall of fame quarterback and at the time he inherited that quarterback, he was already pretty good.
So So, I don't, Tomlin's career record of never having a losing season has a lot to do with and his ability to be able to concentrate on on a defense.
Uh you know, had a lot to do with having that hall of fame quarterback and all that is to say that Tomlin has never had to make these kind of decisions as a head coach. He is never had to work. He, the, the number one position on that team.
is it was his his quarterback and that's usually the most important position on any team and he had that totally out of the equation. Look at how many of these other teams all of them that don't have hall of fame quarterbacks that every year have to go through this.
Is this the right guy? Is this that? Is he going to last? You know, and and you know, so, you know, we'll see. That what I'm saying is Tomlin needs to be given a couple years to do this and we know this Steelers have a lot of patience when it comes to head coaches but anything could change and a really bad losing season, you know, every front office, Will Cave to the pressure of the fans and the press when it gets so obvious that somebody's going to lose their job.
So, I think that Canada might actually be fired because like they gotta do something differently and they can't get him to do anything differently. So, yeah. Um okay, Minka and the D. I I let's keep this one kind of short because we want to get to some other stuff here. Um you know, Minka doesn't look like he's playing up the par. Uh is he still injured? They talked about that on the radio. Maybe, maybe not.
you know, the D obviously without Watt, they can have a decent game and then they can totally, you know, lose it and in this game, they totally lost it. Yeah. You know, even with the sacks they got which were basically because Jalen Hertz is so mobile that he accidentally ran into a guy that was there. You know, so. Uh. Well, I mean, as far as Mink is concerned, that first pass to A.
J. Brown. He was he was there all he had to do was go up and get it. Everybody knows if you've ever played defensive back, when you go to intercept the ball, you don't try and catch it like this. You go up and get it at the high point and if he does that, he catches the ball and A. J. Brown does it. Instead, what does A.
J. Brown do? Goes and gets it. And it's the same thing on the on the other one on the outside. A. J. Brown is a number one wide receiver. He's a player. He beats all pros for the ball. He the score. The problem with our defense is nobody wants to be that guy. If Mica wants to be that guy, he should have jumped up and got it.
He shouldn't have waited for it to come to him. He knew it was A. J. Brown that was coming across the middle. He had to know what A. J. Brown was going to do and A. J. Brown probably has three or four inches on it. So, he's gotta make that play. He really does and and that's my only beef with him. I think he's playing. I think he's having a really good year.
I think Tim has a really good point. I think Watt will everything when he comes back. I think that really does that will help the defense. That will help make be better. It'll make it'll make everybody better frankly. Um and for April's point about his Tomlin lost control. No. I don't think Tomlin's lost control. I think just I think I think Chris has hits hits the nail on the head.
I think that he's never gone through this before. And he has right now he has to recognize.
And this is what I pray before I go to bed.
night before I do my hockey Jesus I pray that Tomlin will finally realize God comes down to him in a dream and says you need to go get a real offensive coordinator. This will fix all your my son. And that once Tomlin, once Tomlin hears those words coming from the mouth of God, I think that's when everything changes around for the Steelers. Okay, okay. So, I just and I, think Schwab where I'm going with this. I think we have a first here. Uh this is the first ever sports-oriented show that is actually turned to prayer.
Yeah. To try to help.
The team. No. No. No. No. It's not. Steve, Steve is saying, well, you know, first one you said every night before I do my hockey Jesus update, I swear I thought you were going to say my hockey Jesus prayers.
No. No. I I see my hockey Jesus prayers for the Penguins. I know. I know. But you know it's it's you pray for everybody when you pray. You know what I'm saying? Well sometimes you have to specifically when you have a very specific need like Tomlin has and and this blank spot that he has for the offense. He needs God to come down from heaven and tell him it's time to change the offensive coordinator.
And once they do that everything's going to fall in place for the Because Everybody knows that God roots for the Steelers. I mean how many jokes are there about the Steelers and and and God? Come on. All I can say is is Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Alright. Listen. We we spent 45 minutes of our show on this and we have a bunch of stuff we want to get to and we what what we want to do is remind you that if you're listening to us on American Busker thank you so much.
I heart radio, a 50 million registered users, 2000 devices, two hundred and sixty platforms. We are so pleased to be a part of that. Thank you. Also, catch our podcast on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you listen podcasts, Spotify, Apple. Please subscribe if you like it and also leave us a review. That would be really great. Really appreciate that and you can see our website down at the bottom of the page, The Porch es Live.
com. So, we gotta give, we gotta give Mark some and we'll talk about winning and losing soon. Uh Tim but we gotta give, we gotta give Mark's Eagles some credits because we we got some big news. We got some stuff coming up. We're going to be launching the Sports Sports edition in mid November. Uh it's kind of a shame we do we didn't foresee this.
We could've launched it maybe a month ago and kind of you know right into the World Series and hopefully a Phillies victory. So, excited about that and we got to see the play and I I gotta tell you, man. They scare me this year. They really do. I'm not kidding. They scare me now. You know, I mean, it's like they're they've not, they've won every game.
So, you can't even say they win the games they're supposed to. They win the games they're not supposed. They they won every game and the teams that are clearly bad teams or worse, they beat the **** out of them. I mean, they've got it. They've got it everywhere right now. So, this the I'm I'm not saying sixteen and oh but no doubt.
Playoffs, I think no doubt unless, you know, every team goes through a bad streak. I think no doubt NFC East. I don't, the forget it. They lost this past week. We'll talk about that later. Um so, Schwab, you know, it's looking good for the the birds.
Well, I still say pump the brakes. Uh see, he doesn't want to get too excited. He does. Well.
Well, I mean, all of em all I'm saying is, you know, really just to cater to this audience.
You know, the perfect example of why you can't get too excited is remember a couple years ago when the Steelers were 11 and oh. Mm hmm. Right? You know, and then it all fell apart. Now, I I will say, you know, the the good news is that we knew that this team was a really deep team and the whole season was going to revolve around what kind of a leap could Jalen Hertz make this year.
Mm. And he and he's come through and he's made he's made a huge leap this year. Uh and he's really playing like like a top QB. Um you know, at same time. I mean, look, I mean, you know, right now, it doesn't look like there's anybody in the that's, you know, in in their league right now But you never know. I mean, you know, a team like Dallas, a team like the forty-niners, you know, maybe even.
I mean, you know, there's always a Rams. There's always a team going to, you know, win their last six games and get into the playoffs hot. So, who knows? I mean, I, to be honest, I think the more part of this for me is that if they were to make the Super Bowl which I think is a realistic possibility this year. Uh it's a shame they would have to probably match up against the Bills who just looked completely unbeatable.
Yeah. I don't even know how they lost the one game they lost. Yeah. Um so you know and if it's not them then it's probably going to be the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes. So, you know, it's it's really hard to win in the NFL and I'm I'm really glad that Eagles are a very good team this year. It's fun to watch them. Um but you know long way to go. Not even halfway there. So you know we just hope, you know, hope hope everybody remains, you know, as healthy as possible and you know, we'll see.
It's all I got.
Yeah, I've got. Steve said that, anything? No, I don't have anything to add. I mean, mark it, market right. Um I I think that's the thing about the Eagles team this year is their ability to quick strike. You know, before they were always a kind of a running team and I think that's what's going to help them in the playoffs. I think they're going to they're going to go back to maybe a little bit more running which which will help them actually.
I think win some games. Uh do a little bit ball control but they can they can score from anywhere on the field with with Devonte and A. J. Brown. They they got two guys who can run down the field real quick and and get an eighty-yard touchdown and and that's really what you need in this league. This league is a quick strike lead now.
Now, ball control hardly means anything but it will mean more in the playoffs, I think. But you still have to have that ability to be like, okay, we're down fourteen three. We need a touchdown now to get them within one and we can't take a drive to do it. We gotta just get down the and they have that ability. Plus, your defense is actually better than I thought.
Pretty good. Um. Yeah. Defense is pretty good. I don't know who the defensive coordinator is but he seems like he runs a lot of schemes. I like the way they, I like the way they selectively blitz. I like some of the some of the ways they do the you know, guys rushing his play and then all of a sudden, he's coming around from the other side.
I mean, Pickett just got murdered on one play like that and guy just came on touch and that's really, that's going to be really good. That shows the innovative and they're willing to change up their schemes. So, when it comes to the time of the playoffs, they're going to make the playoffs. When they make the playoffs, they're going to have different schemes that are going to be hard to skiing against.
Um so, they're going to I think that I think what I really like about this Eagles team and and all the other thing I like about this Eagles team is we don't have to play them again. So, that's it. That's a good thing. Yeah. Right. Yeah. I I I think the one thing the Eagles did this this past year and it hindsight getting AJ Brown.
I mean, he's getting more national exposure because the the Eagles are a bigger draw than, you know, the Titans but I I I gotta tell you, I I I did not realize how good this guy really is. I mean, I he really is that good. Think, think about it. He was that good. He was that good. But that that's my point. That's my point.
But is the reason why.
Go ahead, Swabber Right. I was going to say the reason why he didn't realize it is because they hand the ball to Derrick Henry 30 times a game down. Yeah. Yeah. And the other thing too is I and I didn't realize this. I didn't realize that Jalen Hernson had more good buddies going way back. So that's that's really that's really yeah that's that that means everything. I mean when you when you're playing with your best friend and he's got the talent that he has and they both have the talent that they have. That's a really good piece of chemistry right there. You know there's another team that did that I think they're called the Bengals.
So, you know, I mean, that's it's just a sign of a front office and a coaching staff that is working together to put the right players on the field and look, you guys better than anybody. The Steelers Hey, hey, hey, hey, stop. It stops me to say. Steelers, the Steelers have the Watt Brothers. They have the Hayward Brothers. Right. Come on. Yeah. The Steelers are doing the same thing. Yeah, well, actually, maybe the are copying the Steelers. They've just perhaps perfected the formula.
You know. We just prefer just prefer friends not brothers. Bro, yeah, alright. Right, right. Yeah, I mean, maybe, maybe we need the, we need the friends equation, not the brothers equation, maybe. It, it really does. I mean, being a, being a a Commanders fan, I I, I, I grew up and, and still to this day, there's a part of me that just despises the Eagles, which is going to make for a great Philly sports show too, because, you know, that's going to a lot of fun.
Um right now, I will be the butt of all the jokes but you know, I do what Steve does whenever those jokes come up. I say, hey, man. Joe Gibbs, you know, three out of four, first black quarterback and we go down that road but games. We gotta pick games. Let's get to it. We do. Games. Top top to bottom, the Eagles organization looks pretty darn good right now. I'll tell you that much. Uh well, real quick. Congratulations to the Phillies.
We'll get to that, you know, once they the World Series. Oh. Oh. No. I don't know. Hopefully. Hopefully.
Yeah.
At least six. We'll be talking about. We'll be talking about that next weekend. And and in years to come, I'm sure. So, Penguins updates, Uh we can leave that off the table for now because we want to pick some games but just to remind you after every Penguins game, Steve is on the podcast, the Sports Porch on iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Apple Podcast. Right after the game, he does his little update. Uh if it's on the West Coast, the timing is usually first thing the next morning.
So, anyway, thanks. For a while. So. Still the most bad. Doctor Download. He's Doctor Download. Still the most downloaded show. You people are loving those pens updates. So, if you got friends that are Penguins fans, let them know. It's a little bit different take. So, now, we have to pick our games and first thing we're going to do, we're not skipping this. I don't care if we run late or not. We have to talk about last week's picks Yeah because of Kay last week.
I'm just going to get it out of the way. I was three and oh. You know.
Ravens at Bucks. Steven Mark took the Bucks. Chris took the Ravens. I felt vindicated.
felt good about that loss. By the way. What a what a dumb pick that was by us huh? Yeah. Hey. I always pick Brady so that way if they lose then I'm happy. He's about and and he they come out right at they come right out right after the game. He drops the message on social media that they're divorced. So then you go back and you think about the screenshots they did, the close you could see it in his eyes during that game.
Could you not? I could see it in his eyes. Yeah, I know. I called that divorce. As soon as it happened. As soon as the guy unretired, I called that divorce. You can go back and look at the tape. I I 100% verify that. I don't I'm proud of you. I think that was a good move. Just please don't make any predictions about my marriage. Just stay away from it.
That's a promise. That's a promise I can keep. Alright. You it woulda helped in my first marriage. But. No. Sorry. Not I'm done. I'm done with predictions with marriages. It's over. You were not listening to us then. Uh yeah, you're right. Okay. So, Alright. So, Packers at the Bills, we all took the Bills. So, so far, and then Giants at the Seahawks, wow. Uh, what a game.
Uh, we all took the Seahawks. So, Steve is two in one. Mark was two in one. I was three and oh, and Mark and I are not now tied at fifteen and nine. Steve, up a little ground. Well, didn't pick up any ground but made his record look better. 10 and 14. I got a lot of digit wins. Lot of lot footballer play. So. Are you are you sure you added this right? I feel like I was ahead by more than one game last time.
You were not add by more than one game.
Okay, boy. We'll take a look at the pad next time we're together. Alright.
There's so much at stake.
There's so much at stake. Okay, So, this week, Oh, I got it.
Thursday night. Yeah, Thursday night theme is Eagles.
Is Texans? Yeah. Do the Texans shock the world.
I say no.
Chris? Oh, I was actually the one that was supposed to go first and I I was going to take the Eagles anyway so. And I'm taking the Eagles too. Uh the come on. I mean, the Texans, there's there's there's no way. Although the airplane in Houston.
No, I'm taking the birds. Taking the birds. Alright and the Sunday night game, Titans and Chiefs, right? Titans at Chiefs. That's an interesting one. Uh I don't know if Malik Willis is still going to be the QB. I don't know if you noticed. Like he I don't think he threw the ball more than 10 times. Yeah he only threw it 11 times. Yeah. Yeah it was like he handed off the Henry like 32 times or something. Thirty-four times for 2 0 nine yards yeah. That's the old the old Bill Belichick move in the in the freezing cold.
You know. Um. Uh well. Oh wait. Um I'm supposed first. Yeah, yeah, yeah, because that gives you guys a little advantage. So, Titans and Chiefs, I'm going Go ahead, Mark.
who'd you pick? Yeah, it froze up all. Chiefs. Chiefs.
Chiefs.
the Chiefs too. I I you know if there's a backup quarterback there's no way.
And it's a three for Chiefs. Alright. Well, so you know what the, you know what the what's the pick em game? Oh, god. It's Minnesota at the former Redskins.
at the Commanders.
Uh and I gotta go first. Of course.
Heineken. We we picked the right, we the right it's tough because it's at FedEx field, the worst field in the NFL. Um it is. It's been labeled that. Mm hmm. I mean, Snyder's a genius.
Minnesota at the Redskins. Oh man.
I know you guys are going to go Minnesota. See, that's the thing. I know you're going to go Minnesota because of the way things are working out here. Uh I I I gotta I gotta root for my team. I'm going with the I'm going with the Commanders. I gotta do it. I I love Taylor Heineke. He's got grit.
I also am going to go with the commanders. No way.
But now I I swear to God I was going to do that. Okay because there's no way I can pick up any ground on you now.
Or yeah well I asked.
the Vikings are paper champions. Paper champions. Alright. I am taking the paper champions. Of course. Yes. This is the week I get a game up on you guys. That's it. I may go one and two but I'm getting the one. Yep. Yeah.
Yeah.
There's like going to be some backdoor negotiating going on soon, I'm sure.
I'm sure. Alright. So, well guys, I we filled up a whole hour with this stuff but as the last as last thing I gotta say here, is of course, thank you for listening to us. If you are on American Busker really appreciate that. Please follow our follow our podcast. We drop it. I usually drop it within an hour or so after the show. Uh follow our Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, Google, Apple Podcasts, and visit The Porch es com.
Please leave us a review. The best thing you can do for us is tell a friend about it and get somebody else to watch who's you know, a Pittsburgh fan on this one and coming up soon Philly. So, thanks a lot for that guys. Any any parting words here? just the the Penguins, you know, they're playing twice. They're playing another back to back. So, Oh, jeez.
About that. Yeah. They'll be on Tuesday. They'll be on Wednesday, Wednesday in Buffalo, Tuesday at home against Boston. Um if you don't want to take the three hours to watch the game, just download the three-and-a-half-minute podcast and you'll know everything you need to know about the Pens. Yup and that's the Sports Sports Podcast after every Penns game. Get your update with Hockey Jesus Uh or any any parting words here while I try to get our music started.
Winter is coming.
You guys are great. Alright, thanks so much for watching and listening to Willie.
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