Big Ben makes Steelers 2026 Schedule Predictions Ep 130

No film-room cop-outs, no “it depends” hedging. Just quick, honest win-loss calls across the entire schedule, including rivalry landmines in the AFC North and that wildcard trip to Paris to face the Saints.

After the picks, we zoom out and talk about what’s actually driving optimism right now: a complete coaching reset under Mike McCarthy, what minicamp and OTAs can reveal about tempo and expectations, and why veteran buy-in matters as much as talent. We also hit key Steelers news and roster pressure points, like the Chris Boswell extension and the growing questions around Joey Porter Jr and how a “hold in” could impact training camp.

We finish by asking the real question behind every schedule prediction: if 12 and 5 is on the table, what does this team have to change to finally deliver in the postseason? Listen, then drop your record prediction and your boldest take. If you enjoyed the show, subscribe, share it with a Steelers fan, and leave a review.

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Transcript

Yinz Guys Vs Yall

SPEAKER_05 0:01

Welcome back to footballing with Ben Rothelsberger. Yin's guys get the whole family. Yay. And for those of you that are watching from all over, because I have been all over the place, and people will say would love the show, you might be a little confused at what I just said. And by that, when I say Yin's guys, understand if you're not from this area, you're not gonna understand what I mean. So for you Southerners, y'all get the whole family. There you go. For regular people, you guys get everybody today, the whole family.

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Good translations. That's good.

SPEAKER_05 0:37

Uh there's probably other ones out there. So please, um, in the in the post, if you have if you have some other way to let us know what it means when you get yin's guys. Yeah. Evan's a yenzer. That's those are what we call those for those of you not in Pittsburgh, those are called yensers. When you hear us say yenzers, my mother-in-law is a yenzer, she says yens all the time, and I laugh every time because I think it's just hilarious when she says it. And then she's like, Oh, Ben, I'm sorry, like whatever. I'm a y'all guy. Yeah, maybe. I'm a yaller.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

Y'all have y'all in Ohio?

SPEAKER_05 1:07

Um, not really, but like I'm more like because of the country and then being down in Georgia a lot. Y'all, I've I don't know. I think my dad went to school in the south. I think a little bit of y'all. I don't think he says y'all, but I say it. Well, I'm you're a y'all guy, right? Nope. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

No, when you think about yins, think of that face. That's yin. That's yin's right there.

SPEAKER_05 1:25

So, anyway, we are um all here today. The whole family is here because we are going to um oh shoot, you know, Benjamin is our as our executive producer.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Benjamin! You up there? Yeah, yeah, all hold on, hold on. Hold on, y'all. Hey, I'm just gonna let you know we are not gonna cut that out um just because that's this show. But we do have, as Ben was saying, we we do have uh the chef is in the house. We we have a seat for him at the bar today, uh, as opposed to standing. Before

Spence Birthday Cake And Chaos

SPEAKER_01 2:00

we start, yes, y'all kids might not know it.

SPEAKER_03 2:04

Today is Spence's birthday. And we are giving a whole cake a number one, Spence, because you are number one to us.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

Oh, number one in the hearts. You are number one to us. That's a legit. Look at like that's a legit. I'm gonna do this with the fire on the candle still. That's a legit. I don't know if you can see. Happy birthday.

SPEAKER_05 2:29

Says happy birthday, Spence. Hey, um That's great. Evan made, I mean, picked that up today from John Eagles.

SPEAKER_03 2:38

John Niggles. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_05 2:39

Good friends at John Igle made that today for you, Spence. Quick little happy birthday. So, Benjamin, our executive producer, thank you for bringing that down. Appreciate it. Thank you. See you later.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

I know you had the suits in the in the studio today. Yeah, yeah, it's the big dogs. It's your birthday, bud. The big dogs. I know you can phone them and that's off stage.

SPEAKER_02 2:56

Every day, dear Spence. Hey! Lung still work, boys.

SPEAKER_05 3:01

Happy birthday, my friend. So that's how the that's how the family does. We celebrate each other, but that's okay. Evan, we'll see you later. That's what all right, good show, boys. Let's wrap this up. No, but um, yeah, what a special day, Spence. Happy birthday to you. Thank you for uh spending it with us. I will and um and obviously you guys were doing this in the morning. You guys will see this tonight, and you are on your birthday going to be editing this, and because you know we yeah, we're gonna have to edit a lot today.

SPEAKER_01 3:29

Yeah, well, maybe Evan might not see it. No, no, no, might not be. No, no, he's got this thing. I don't know if you know, he used to throw he used to play sports, yeah. So the neck isn't you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 3:37

So sometimes I get a little tit tick tip. Um but thank you for for doing this and getting this to the fans on your birthday. We appreciate it. And tell the girls thank you for allowing you to come here for a little bit today. How is that?

SPEAKER_01 3:48

Brother, I know you're not you you're healthy now.

SPEAKER_05 3:51

You're all like I need to be.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

You're all salads.

SPEAKER_05 3:54

So mad right now. He's like, why is that cake so far away? You want some here? Here, um, we are all here today because uh, like we talked about on the last show, we are going to give you oh, he went right in like a smash cake, like a bird.

SPEAKER_01 4:09

No, these are my forks.

SPEAKER_05 4:10

Um we're gonna give you uh some hot takes today, potentially. That's why we have Evan. Uh, because I don't really know I have no idea what's coming. So, what we're gonna do today, honestly, this is this is truly like we're we're winging this thing, but we are gonna give you our um uh prediction of the season. Um, that's why Evan is here. Spence, you can do it too if you want, obviously. I don't even have, as you can see, my paper is blank here. The football notebook is blank. I am going to, you know, I know obviously we we play who we play to a certain extent, but in my head, this is gonna be like Spence is going to give us. You want to start with the schedule thing first? Yeah, let's read it. Okay, so we're gonna start with the schedule. He's gonna give us like week one, and I'm gonna write it down and give a prediction, win-loss. Um, obviously, things can change as we talk about um throughout the season, injuries, people get hot, cold. This is our hot first thoughts. Some of these teams, like when we play them, I'll be like, I don't even remember who's their quarterback, to be honest with some of these teams. Like, it's gonna be hard. So we'll do one now, and then maybe we'll do another one right before the season starts after preseason. So Spence will give us the first game. We'll give a win-loss. I'll have an Evan category, my category. We'll go through the whole season real quick and not long, maybe a couple notes on each one, and then at the end, maybe we'll um hit a couple hot takes, some things that have happened in the last week or two from around the league with the Steelers. Obviously, mini camp wrapping up uh last week.

Setting Up Season Predictions

SPEAKER_05 5:35

I think they're done now. So um we'll kind of uh just hit that and then we'll we'll get on up out of here. So uh anything anyone wants to add? Evan, do you want to add anything?

SPEAKER_07 5:44

No.

SPEAKER_05 5:45

Okay. Evan has notes, by the way, which is so cheap.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

No, Evan is Evan is a well-studied Yinzer.

SPEAKER_07 5:53

Sometimes I get nervous and forget my takes. So I just they're just reference points. Reference points. Just so I rock the memory.

SPEAKER_01 6:03

We just gotta get them going.

SPEAKER_05 6:04

We just gotta get them just get the ball rolling.

SPEAKER_01 6:07

All right, boys. Hey, this is what we're gonna do. We're gonna start in the preseason and we can uh I'm not gonna write these ones. Yeah, you we can just lump these together because I think that and what more we're gonna take on each game. I think the interesting thing about the preseason is we get both of Aaron's former teams, but he is likely not even gonna see the field. Right. Yeah, yeah. So what do you and then we so we have the Green Bay Packers, we have the New York Jets, and then we have the Buffalo Bills in that order.

SPEAKER_05 6:33

All right. Well, I I mean, obviously, we're not you're not gonna see uh high quality football from the quarterbacks during that time. You're not probably not gonna see Josh, you're not gonna see Jordan Love, I wouldn't expect. I think each coach is different. I do think it's what's interesting, it could be, I think I'd have to look back on the past, but I feel like McCarthy's been like kind of notorious at playing some of it. Does he play some of his guys in the preseason? I think.

SPEAKER_07 6:55

Yeah, not for long.

SPEAKER_05 6:56

Yeah, but at least give him in. So maybe we'll see some guys in the preseason. Uh I mean, I would I would, you know, my initial go would say we're we would if it wasn't preseason, if you were to tell me that was a regular season, I'd say we're gonna go one and two. If that was regular season, who's beating us?

SPEAKER_01 7:12

Or I'm sorry, who are we beating?

SPEAKER_05 7:13

The Jets.

unknown 7:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 7:14

I mean, everybody's beating the Jets, to be honest.

SPEAKER_01 7:17

You don't think a Geno Smith over there now?

SPEAKER_05 7:20

Is that the quarterback? Believe so. Yeah, yeah. Again, yeah, yeah. See, that's what I'm saying. This is the guy, this is gonna be really you're gonna get some good in-depth insight here from this guy today.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

You know, you don't think they didn't draft the guy?

SPEAKER_05 7:32

Oh, they not they didn't they didn't draft the guy? Um where did old boy go? Oh, he went to the Rams. Their backup is Bailey Zapi. Zapi? Zappe? Russell Wilson's the third.

SPEAKER_07 7:43

No, he retired.

SPEAKER_03 7:44

He hung up the cleats.

SPEAKER_05 7:45

Yeah, that's yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:46

Yeah, do we think that's for real for real? Do we think it's we'll find out? We'll find out. All right, okay.

SPEAKER_07 7:53

Yeah, I don't I have do you have anything to say about the preseason? No. Really?

SPEAKER_05 7:56

Like the honest preseason.

SPEAKER_07 7:57

Well, I mean, I think it'll be nice to see Howard get some get some time. Aller. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 8:04

Yeah, get some, yeah. Whoever's gonna be, yeah, that you're right. To get Will Howard some reps in the preseason, which he missed last year, will be big.

SPEAKER_01 8:10

Yeah, because we haven't seen anything from him. So I agree.

SPEAKER_05 8:12

I'll give you that.

SPEAKER_01 8:12

That's um I think that's a reason why the preseason is gonna be exciting for us this year. Like, who cares about what's happening on the other side of the ball? I think for us, you know, who cares about it? This show doesn't care about defense. Who cares?

SPEAKER_05 8:23

We're an offensive team now.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

You know, I I think that's that's something that has been been pent up because of, you know, obviously Will's injury.

SPEAKER_05 8:32

So no, I'm excited to see Will.

SPEAKER_01 8:34

Yeah, good call.

Preseason Storylines And Quarterbacks

SPEAKER_01 8:35

Let's go to some real football then. Uh week one, Atlanta Falcons.

SPEAKER_05 8:40

Where is the game?

SPEAKER_01 8:41

Uh it is here.

SPEAKER_05 8:45

Do we know we don't know who's quarterback in that game? Penix was hurt last year, right? But they got um they signed what's his name? The other lefty. They have two lefties, don't they? Don't they have two? Kyler Murray. Kyler Murray. No, Kyler Murray's in Minnesota. Oh, is he? Yeah. Um, I got you. I'm almost positive they have someone else. They they got someone else. That's another lefty, I think. A young quarterback. Tua Tua. Okay. I almost said lefty too. So it'll be interesting who starts that game. Here, uh, Bijan. All right. Uh, my initial. I'm gonna write mine down so Evan doesn't cheat. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 9:18

I will say it on three.

SPEAKER_05 9:19

We'll see who's who wins. No, mine's already written down. I promise mine's down. Okay, Evan, win or loss. Win. Okay, I have a win too. Are you picking that with your heart or your head? A little bit of both. Because I feel like he's gonna be a lot of like there's gonna be a little bit of homer over here.

SPEAKER_07 9:34

No, I'm gonna do my best to not. You can't do that. How dare you? I I think it's we we get a a home a home game for the first game. So the last time we had that was against San Francisco, and we got throttled against the 49ers. But yeah, the 49ers are the Falcons over. That's what I'm gonna do. Yeah, I know. So I I have faith.

SPEAKER_05 9:54

You're right. This is this is uh this is a uh these are just our knee jerkers. We're not going, we're not breaking it down. You're right. So okay, we both we both believe there's a win there.

SPEAKER_01 10:01

All right, week two at the New England Patriots.

SPEAKER_05 10:08

Evan? L. So far, Evan and I are in a twinsies?

SPEAKER_03 10:14

Twinsies.

SPEAKER_05 10:15

We agree. Uh that's gonna be that that could be again a lot of unique things. I have uh there was something I about said, but I didn't because you would have to edit it. Yeah, thank you for saving me time. So I'm saving you more time because it's your birthday.

SPEAKER_01 10:25

Hey, fruit of the spirit, self-control. Good for you, bud.

SPEAKER_05 10:27

All right, next game.

unknown 10:30

Next game.

SPEAKER_01 10:31

Week three uh at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.

SPEAKER_05 10:37

The Bengals.

SPEAKER_01 10:43

I know.

SPEAKER_03 10:43

I'm not supposed to, I'm not we're not supposed to think about it. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 10:46

You get some time. You know what? Not supposed to.

SPEAKER_03 10:48

Eva, you prepared? Yes. What is it? Loss.

SPEAKER_05 10:52

How dare you?

SPEAKER_07 10:53

Wow. Wow. Well, yikes I know. I'm kind of Joe Burrow early in the in the year, so I know they're healthy, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:00

But he but he's he's kind of notorious for just he's taking a couple weeks to wake up.

SPEAKER_05 11:05

I know. They gotta their deep well, their defense is so bad. They got they lost they but they got someone else. They got the big boy from New York, didn't they? The the the Lawrence. Didn't Dexter Lawrence go there? I know. No, you're you're you're just you don't help at all. Man, um Yes.

SPEAKER_01 11:22

Uh Star tackle Dexter Lawrence.

SPEAKER_05 11:23

Yeah, Dexter Lawrence, I thought went there, which I mean you can get them off the field. Just go. Man, it's early in the season. I'm with I'm kind of feeling evident on the early in the season that they're gonna be they'll be healthy. Joe, I think they're still, I think they're I think they're still gonna, I think our offense is gonna outscore them. I'm going W. You think we're winning that one? Yes. I think our offense is gonna outscore their offense. Because we're gonna be high, high fructose corn syrup offense.

SPEAKER_01 11:47

Oh, that bad sugar. Bad sugar.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

You want that bad sugar.

SPEAKER_01 11:51

All right, all right, week four. We're headed to Cleveland to take on the brand. Next. Hey man, Cleveland, hey, Cleveland's making moves over there. This might be a good opportunity to talk about O 95 going to the West Coast.

SPEAKER_02 12:05

Oh, that's right. I did forget about that.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Yeah, they got uh they got a new young buck over there, and hey, he doesn't know the rivalry. They're still keeping uh on our toes with their quarterback.

SPEAKER_05 12:16

Maybe it's good that he doesn't know the rivalry because he doesn't know that they're supposed to lose. Um, okay, and what do you think? Win. Yeah, for sure. We we agree there. Um, even at Cleveland, yeah. Um yeah, what's gonna happen at quarterback? I think that's that's always the mystery over in Cleveland. Um the Miles Garrett thing I thought was was was unique. Um, you know, obviously the Rams want to win right this second. Yeah, obviously, I think that's like uh hey um Matt Stafford, I'm sorry we drafted a quarterback so early. We're gonna help you win another Super Bowl right now. Uh and then what um Aaron Donald talking about coming out of retirement.

SPEAKER_01 12:57

Dude, what's the likelihood of that? No, I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 13:01

I mean, listen, I'm I'm sure he's in phenomenal shape, but it's different.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

There's a few guys that different if you called right now, I'd have no worries about that's him, Debo, I think. Got some stuff, I got some gas in the tank.

SPEAKER_05 13:12

Yeah, um, I I think, but I think the Browns are gonna, I think they're they're trying to figure out what's going on still. They're they're they're doing some good things, I think, but they're not ready yet. So plot twist.

SPEAKER_01 13:23

Aaron Donald comes back but goes to Cleveland. All right, so that's uh win for us.

SPEAKER_05 13:29

Win for both of us.

SPEAKER_01 13:30

Oh, yeah, win for both of us. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Lost for them. Oh, so that's other so one team's gonna win, and then one team's then gonna lose. Okay, cool, cool, cool.

SPEAKER_05 13:38

And then everybody loses.

SPEAKER_01 13:39

Yeah, and then all right, week five. It is going to be at home against the Indianapolis Colts. Interesting game, little revenge game for Michael Pittman Jr. Hmm. But the Colts is one of those teams too, man.

SPEAKER_05 13:53

That's like who's quarterbacking for them now? Is it is is it but oh, the this guy got hurt last year? Daniel Jones. Daniel Jones still? Yeah. That was that was a he was that was a flash in a pan. You think? I do. I like Daniel Jones. I'm not saying it's but like their the success that they had. I don't know if it'll they're not got the same receiver. Evan.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

I'm going win.

SPEAKER_05 14:09

Yep, me too.

SPEAKER_01 14:10

He's got that robotic Achilles now. Is that what happened?

SPEAKER_05 14:13

Two wins. I think they got they've got a great team, but they're different at home and on the road. I think that this is gonna be a I think it's a big win for us.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

All right. Well, week six, we're going down to Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Very interesting. Danny Smith down there now.

SPEAKER_05 14:28

Danny's gonna Danny's gonna have something.

SPEAKER_01 14:29

Got Miles Killer, he took Miles Killerbrew with him.

SPEAKER_05 14:32

Yeah, but uh, what's his name? Um Mike Evans is gone, right?

SPEAKER_07 14:36

Did Mike Evans go to Mike Evans do? Yeah, he went, yeah. Let's see if we're gonna go to the same frame. Yeah, he went to San Francisco, yeah, yeah. I mean, I all I know is Which is heartbreaking. They don't they don't know their quarterback yet either.

SPEAKER_05 14:45

They don't have a quarterback, I know they have they have a lot of issues going. You're right.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

What happened to Baker?

SPEAKER_05 14:49

Baker's

Week 1 Through Week 10 Picks

SPEAKER_05 14:50

their very interesting. Yeah, they're not giving them money though. Yeah. He's holding in. I think he's holding out, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:56

He just had signed 100 million two three years ago, two years ago.

SPEAKER_05 14:59

Yeah, I think he's on the last year, but he just thinks he's he feels uh he feels like he's underappreciated, underpaid. Well Evan uh win. Okay. I actually went my initial gut is um loss. I don't just go to Florida, the heat early. Um their defense is pretty they got a good D. They got D they got enough weapons on offense when they're healthy. When they're healthy, they're a they're a good team. And I think Danny Smith is gonna be the X factor. I do think I think something's gonna happen. All that bubblegum's gonna happen. Someone's gonna someone's gonna get bubblegum stuck in their shoe. They're gonna trip a little, something's gonna happen. I don't know.

unknown 15:33

All right.

SPEAKER_05 15:34

Speaking of Danny Smith before we go on, congratulations, Boz. Signing an extension here. No one wants to uh lose the guy that is our leading point scorer. QB1. He is awesome. Good job, Boss. Congratulations. Uh next uh actually, the rest of the golf rounds for the rest of our life are on you.

SPEAKER_01 15:49

Yeah, there you go. Um, week seven, we are uh going uh to Paris, France to take on the new Orleans Saints.

SPEAKER_05 15:57

At France against Saints. This is one of those ones that, like, okay, you're playing the Saints, it's a it's a win. It's like playing Cleveland, I feel like it's a win. But the Paris-France thing just throws me into like a like a tizzy. Like I don't even know what to think. Do they know? Are they good? Are they good is the foot they have a normal football there? Is it gonna be round? Playing soccer, like what are we playing over there?

SPEAKER_03 16:24

You know what I mean? That's nice. Yeah, croissant would be nice.

SPEAKER_05 16:26

You gonna go to the game? No, no, go eat some croissant. The croissant. No, um, okay, I'm gonna go W. Same. Okay, we're taking wins in Paris. Yeah, okay. We can't call it Paris, we can call it Perry. Perry. Perry. We should drink some dump, not Perry.

SPEAKER_01 16:42

Yeah, what's the most French food we could uh Perrier?

SPEAKER_05 16:45

Perrier. See?

SPEAKER_01 16:46

What's the most French Evan? Let's get it besides the croissant.

SPEAKER_07 16:50

Oh uh most French thing. Maybe some like escargot, some like snails? Oh, yeah. I thought that was uh, isn't that a escargot?

SPEAKER_05 16:57

It's not a scarf. No.

SPEAKER_00 16:59

Oh it's snails. We're from different neighborhoods then, I think.

SPEAKER_05 17:04

You guys are yens are high class around here.

SPEAKER_00 17:06

Don't you get escargot out of the mon? Yeah, you got that in the mon? No, no. You know that in the mon?

SPEAKER_01 17:11

I don't think I've never had him out of the Ohio River Escargo. That's good. I think you can get that in McKee's Rocks. I think that's where they have that. All right, so uh week eight, we're coming back, and luckily for us, we're uh it's it's back the Browns.

SPEAKER_07 17:29

But it's two by weeks. Is that a Thursday night game?

SPEAKER_01 17:33

That is uh November 1st. Let me let me look that uh when it's 1 p.m.

SPEAKER_05 17:38

Okay, so Sunday, Browns at home.

SPEAKER_03 17:42

Okay, that just keep it moving so quick.

SPEAKER_07 17:45

What's that?

SPEAKER_05 17:47

Yeah, that's what I thought. No need to even talk. No, so it's kind of so you definitely get a bye week after the France. So it's nice that the NFL gave us two bye weeks.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

Yeah, because week nine's a bye week.

SPEAKER_05 17:57

Right.

SPEAKER_01 17:57

Yeah, okay. So um week 10, we are uh at Cincinnati. Ooh. And this is a prime timer, 820. That helps us a little.

SPEAKER_05 18:08

Evan? W. Whoa, we switched. I took I I'm going to L. Late season, Joe Burrow. You know, it's not really that late season.

SPEAKER_07 18:16

Well, for Joe Burrow it is, because he's usually out in the fourth week.

SPEAKER_05 18:20

What'd he do to you? These are facts. You don't want James Harrison, wants Joe Burrow to come here. What did Joe do to you? Would you take him here? I mean probably. If next year Joe Burrow is they're like, hey, listen, Joe's gonna be the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers next year after Aaron's gone. Would you you would be mad about that? You'd boycott?

SPEAKER_07 18:39

Hot take here. I'd rather have Baker Mayfield than Joe Burrow.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

Interesting. Why is that? Just I'm The Heart and the Grip. Yes. Yeah. He's he's Pittsburgh. Baker Mayfield would I think.

SPEAKER_05 18:51

Baker is not Pittsburgh at all, actually. He's not from anywhere on Pittsburgh.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

I'm just saying the way that he plays Baker feels like he would he could drink a cup out of water out of the hot river and be fine.

SPEAKER_07 19:01

Yeah, he would be. He'd be okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:03

Joe Burrow's not going anywhere near the.

SPEAKER_07 19:05

He's eating those snails under the McKee's rocks bridge.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

And just not for like a press thing, just for fun.

SPEAKER_07 19:11

That's how he starts the day.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

Yeah. Five-mile run and snails. This is bumming him out so bad right now. Sorry. So you're yeah, that's that's uh well you were trained to root against Baker when he was in Cleveland, so that's just embedded in you at this point. Hands off with this. Look at this Pontius Pilot over here washing his hands of it. So okay. All right. This is where we disagree. This is where this is hey, this is where we start to take our own path here, man. All right? Week 11. Philadelphia Eagles at Philly. 425. Is um can you pick us a little bit? No. He is in uh South Carolina or North Carolina. Exactly. Oh, he's in the Panthers now.

SPEAKER_05 20:04

Um that's a prime time you said? Uh it's 420. 420. 420 on the Fox game. Yeah. Evan? What's in CBS? Two losses. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 20:14

Week 12. Uh, we got the Broncos here Friday night. This is a Black Friday game? Uh 3 p.m.

SPEAKER_05 20:21

NFL final ways to make money. They need to make more money, I guess. Um, here. Broncos. Wow. Yeah. Were they just lucky last year? What did I heard his foot, right? Yeah. Oh, this is not we're not supposed to break it down.

SPEAKER_01 20:38

You can break, you can you can break you can break a little bit. You can do a little shower.

SPEAKER_05 20:41

Oh, we both said loss. Yeah, Denver's really. I know they are.

SPEAKER_07 20:44

I think they're I think they're really good. They've got a good defense, too. They do.

SPEAKER_02 20:49

But gosh.

SPEAKER_05 20:50

We'll have to revisit this one later. Okay. Obviously, revisit it in the sense of when the season gets going. Because I just that one's one. I just how is it's all gonna come down to their quarterback play, obviously. And I like Bonex. I think he plays well.

SPEAKER_01 21:02

Just yeah, I think I mean how healthy is he gonna be. Yeah, that's that's a good question. All right, so week 13 moving forward. It's gonna be a primetime game against the Houston Texans.

SPEAKER_05 21:11

Here? Here CJ got a new haircut.

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Oh, did he?

SPEAKER_05 21:17

Got rid of his dreads?

SPEAKER_01 21:18

The dreads.

SPEAKER_05 21:22

Here, what's that date? That's in November? Yeah, it is December 6th. Oh, December. All right, that's uh all right, Evan.

SPEAKER_01 21:28

I'm taking a win. So am I. Hey, boy. I don't think they can handle the cold. You think that's gonna be the deciding factor? Because they night knighted us in the playoffs. I think there's gonna be a little bit of something coming back there. All right, a little revenge.

SPEAKER_05 21:39

A little revenge game.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

All right. Well, in week four that one. Week 14, we're gonna warm it up a little bit because we're going down to Jacksonville. Uh this is Monday night football. Taking on the Jaguars.

SPEAKER_05 21:52

Gosh, I I I I always felt there was a few places in in the country that you felt like when we were going there, we were gonna win. And it might not Have been pretty. It was there, it wasn't like we're gonna go like Jacksonville. Always felt like a place that I I could be completely wrong, I don't even know what my record is in Jacksonville, but I felt like I won a lot of games in Jacksonville. And it was some grimy type games, none none fun. It just was you wanted to go down there and you wanted to like enjoy the warm weather and just like enjoy that fast turf and blow them out, golf, but you never really did. But I felt like we won a lot, and again, I could be completely wrong, but I'm gonna I'm gonna and so that that's just my like my gut says the Steelers go to Jacksonville and we win because that's what we do down there. It's kind of like Pittsburgh South to a certain extent, but this Jacksonville team feels a little bit different than they have and than they have in the past. Evan, you go first. I'm gonna win.

SPEAKER_01 22:51

Any reasoning behind that, Evan?

SPEAKER_07 22:56

No, I just think getting later into the season, everybody starts to gel a little better, offensive line starts to play better, defense starts to get their stuff together too.

SPEAKER_01 23:04

So or they end up hating each other. Well, or the opposite positive thoughts produce positive results.

SPEAKER_05 23:11

I'm gonna go W just sold Jacksonville.

SPEAKER_01 23:13

Tomlinism, good for you. Thank you. All right, we gotta be someone's gotta do it. Someone's gotta do it. Who yeah, who's now now that Tomlin's uh working for NBC, who's in charge of the sayings over there in Pittsburgh? How are we gonna get our sayings? Not a lot of sayings coming out of Coach McCarthy.

SPEAKER_07 23:29

I think I think it's just gonna be results. Oh, we don't talk.

SPEAKER_01 23:33

Maybe no, you know what? That's too back to back right here. I think just on behalf of the city, everything you're now responsible for the sayings here, but you can do that?

SPEAKER_05 23:43

Maybe the con man.

SPEAKER_01 23:44

Yeah. Because someone's gonna have to come up with Woody Quips. Okay. All right, well, we're that's a clean sweep between you two. Okay. All right. Well, week 15, this is very interesting. It's a one day, it's a one o'clock Sunday game, but it's the first time we see the Baltimore Ravens. Gosh, that's late.

SPEAKER_05 24:00

Yeah. I want to show why you play. At home? At home. I think they're falling apart. I really, I don't think they're the same team. So right now.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

Harbaugh's gone. I'm I'm W. Yeah. Two W's. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 24:16

They just feel different. They feel like they're their window closed.

SPEAKER_01 24:21

Week 16. Ravens again, though. Ravens. Yeah. Um week 16, talking about Kenny Pickett. We are taking on the Carolina Panthers. Here? This is here. The time is to be determined.

SPEAKER_05 24:36

They started to show some life last year at the end of the year.

SPEAKER_01 24:38

Yeah, they got what? Bryce Young over there? They got W. W. Alright. Well, week 17. We're headed down south uh to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans. W. I agree. You guys aren't even getting give them a shot over there? No, they they haven't shown me anything. They got Cam Ward over there.

SPEAKER_05 25:00

Again, they haven't shown me anything.

SPEAKER_01 25:02

New uniforms, guys. Again, they haven't shown me anything. The unis. It looks like the Oilers.

SPEAKER_05 25:06

That's the Again, they haven't shown me anything.

SPEAKER_07 25:08

Those are great uniforms, though.

SPEAKER_01 25:10

Yeah. Okay. All right, week 18. Of course, we are closing the door at Baltimore. Hey, that's stupid. W. You know, you don't have to play this year. You know what I'm saying? So he's so used to seeing that and planning his emotions for the year.

SPEAKER_07 25:27

I unfortunately I think we're gonna lose. Split

Final Record And Postseason Outlook

SPEAKER_07 25:30

the Baltimore series. Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 25:31

But sweeping the Ohio series? Oh, you gave us an L early for the Bengals. Yeah, yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 25:36

All right. So Evan has us, as I figured I'm gonna count these up. Evan has us with two wins. It's interesting. Wow. Two and two and fifteen, Evan has used to those calling your guys.

SPEAKER_01 25:53

Why don't you type in and let us know?

SPEAKER_04 25:55

12 and 5. Ooh, that's good.

SPEAKER_01 25:58

It's a good uh I don't know what I'm saying, but like you didn't know what your choices were. Like you were surprised.

SPEAKER_05 26:09

I have us at 12 and 5 as well. Okay. Great minds. Look at that. Great minds think alike. Amazing.

SPEAKER_01 26:15

Hey, just a couple of things. And we have cake. Yeah, and we have cake. What is this?

SPEAKER_05 26:19

My birthday. And and we have a couple, like, you know, different uh today's the ninth. What month is this? June, right?

SPEAKER_01 26:29

Okay, so this this begs the question then, boys, because you obviously have us in playoff contention, if not clinching. Um what what do you feel that this team that you were so confidently giving 12 victories to um is gonna do in the postseason?

SPEAKER_05 26:48

Can we maintain your positive vibe, positive results? 11-6 last year. I just think one, I just think I like one year better than I think you know, McCarthy. I know sometimes you get new offenses, new coaches, you you struggle. I just think that Aaron's gonna thrive more in this offense that he knows. I think he'll be able to bring the guys with him. I think the line will be a year better, um, knowing each other, playing together, adding some additions, some subtractions. I think the um additions uh at skill positions will be huge. Um I just I just think that I think when you talk about football teams, um, every football team, when you look at the years, like new year, old year, you look at the who did you add, who did you lose? I don't know, and I think that some teams go through this like, okay, we added this, so we got this much better, but we lost this person, so we actually only gained a little bit or whatever. When I look at our additions and subtractions, I just think that our additions were more and and this is not to take anything away from our subtractions. I just think we had some really good additions this year, and I think it'll it'll benefit us.

SPEAKER_01 27:50

Yeah, and you're talking about additions and subtractions. This is not gonna impact the outcome of the Browns games because you guys have a sweeping that. But just an hour ago, NFL.com posted Joe Bitone Bettonio retired, which is crazy. Yeah, that's gonna be weird to see him not out there.

SPEAKER_05 28:05

Yeah, I mean, you know, again, they they've got their line. I mean, that's just issues they've got going on, but but um yeah, I think the biggest one, like because you talk about the AFC North. Obviously, we're as we're looking through this. Um, Evan and I I have us um the Bengals. Where we got the Bengals? What do I got? Oh, Cincy. We spite we have us splitting that, the Browns, we have us both winning that one, and then Ravens splitting. It looks like uh going off this, we have us both winning the division. I think that that's I think at one point we probably thought if you looked at our division, I I think you could probably argue that we're the some people would say that we're the third best team in the division. Last year, you're saying this year, I think. Oh, yeah. I think people still thought that this this year was. No, I think after some of the additional subtractions, like you know, obviously you're not worried about like I know Mike Miles Garrett leaving, that's a big deal, but they were already the fourth team anyway. Like, let's just be honest. Not trying to be be funny or rude, but it is what it is. But I just think like to me, the losing horball, um, you know, you just feel like you know King Henry's a year older, like his body's taking a beating. You just felt like you know, what was going on with with um Lamar last year? He just didn't seem like the Lamar that we that we've been used to seeing. Maybe he was injured. I think he took some shots last year that we didn't think about. So maybe he'll have a bounce back year and be great again. Um since he just as a team, obviously uh I love Joe Burrow. I love their offense, I love what they can do. Their defense was was atrocious last year. Did they make the right adjustments to it? I just think what Pittsburgh did, it just seems like they've made more adjustments and more additions, and they have the better team right now. I mean, Adam Pittman and and some of the different things they the defense, and and I just think that it's you know, you're gonna you're gonna have to figure out, you know, you're trying to keep people happy too, right? It seems like right now Pittsburgh's making keeping people happy. You signed Washington, which Mount Washington, I don't know that he needed to get a new deal, but you did it to help create space. You got Herbuck signed, that's gonna make him happy, play better. Um, you know, obviously there's a big question right there, right now, out there about JPJ, what's gonna happen with him? He's holding in, I believe is the proper term, but wanting a lot of money. Um, you know, he's obviously very deserving quarterback, one of the best in the business. I think he's young, still in this in this business. So I think that is a benefit to him because he's got a lot of years left. You love the physical play of his. Um, but is he gonna, you know, are they gonna sign him before the season? Because you know, Steelers notoriously don't negotiate during the season. You know, if if if training can't come, is he gonna be participating or is he gonna be sitting in, sitting out, sitting in, or whatever you want to call it? Yeah, is he gonna be a little disgruntled? What like what's gonna happen? Like that to me is gonna be one of the biggest questions, I think, going into training camp is what's gonna happen with Joey Porter Jr. And is he going to be um out there?

SPEAKER_01 30:59

Yeah, that seems like a deal that is a no-brainer to to prioritize. You know, I understand when when you get numbers involved that and each party is is trying to make it work for for everyone. That can, you know, negotiations can get muddy, but um, yeah, as you said, man, I think his play is is qualified him to be top priority, at least in this conversation. Like, hey, let's figure this out somehow, some way. Right. Um, yeah, one thing that's interesting, you're talking about moving pieces and all these different teams, hardball going. Uh, obviously, Cleveland got a new head coach, but also Stefansky went to Atlanta. I don't know if having new pieces is you know, for him to play with and having the experience of coaching against us is gonna give Atlanta an edge at all. That's a good point, yeah. Um, you know, you got him down there as well. So you did the old shuffle up. I mean, I think yeah, that's every every every team except for Baltimore, or I'm sorry, except for uh Cincinnati has a new head coach in our division.

Contracts And AFC North Shifts

SPEAKER_05 31:55

Yeah, makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 31:56

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05 31:57

Yeah, well, it'd be yeah, you're right. Atlanta, it'd be interesting that opening week. I mean, you have a great running back, got two two very capable quarterbacks. So it's the fancy is a great coach, so maybe you know, you never know what he can do with that.

SPEAKER_01 32:07

Yeah. A lot to be watching for. Evan, uh, I don't know. You are probably most tapped into the mini camp that was happening. Uh I I get confused in OTA minicamp. Uh, it seems like uh uh there's a lot of just group activities happening, some of them putting on pads, some of them just in the film room. Uh, have you kept tabs on on what they've been doing in the facility in the last couple weeks?

SPEAKER_07 32:28

Um not a hundred percent, but I do have you know some questions about it, or you know, like different scenarios, like like practices, how they differ from when Tomlin was here, and now that these new coaches and Mike McCarthy are here, like are players gonna be kind of like playing out of position like they did with Tomlin, or are these guys gonna be, you know, playing the positions that they were brought up to play in? So I think that might, you know, the scheme might fit the players a lot better this year than it has in the past years, mainly because of the way the the the new coaches are gonna run the team. So I think that gives me, you know, a little more hope for the season, like defensively and scheme-wise. Because I know there was players in the past that complained that you know the scheme wasn't matching up with the team and so on and so forth. Nice round. So thank you.

SPEAKER_05 33:16

Well, I think uh from what I've heard too, um, is that the the new coaching regime has these guys like they're moving and grooving and running and not like there's no slowing down, there's no sitting down, there's no like so it's gonna be, I think it's going to from what I've heard, it is a it's kind of an eye-opening, it's a bigger, you know, it's the change. Yeah, and and change isn't always bad by any means. Um, and so it's going to be interesting to see, um, you know, our guys, I know Tomlin, what one of his big things was always like he he didn't have an issue with guys being in pads, like you know, there'd be times that at least you know, maybe not towards the end, but it you know, during his tenure that we'd be in like pads and the guys would be hitting, and it's like we're in week 12 and we're hitting. Yeah, still like our bodies are beat up. But he but he did do a good, but he always but he did like to protect the guys. Like, I feel like he he could do that because he gave guys like a lot of breaks early, so he felt like he could get away with that. Like from what I'm hearing on this staff, it's like it's go, go, go, go, go. Okay, what's gonna happen on the back end of this? Are guys gonna be worn out by time you know, week whatever comes because they're going so much in um in camp? So it, you know, it'd be interesting to see. But obviously, McCarthy's he's not a newbie, he's not he's he's been doing this for a long time, multiple teams. So he knows what he's doing. So it'll be interesting to see kind of um you know how the players react to all the the differences. Because listen, when you're when you're a veteran guy that's been around a team for so long and you're used to a routine in a certain way, and that and a wrinkle gets thrown in, a lot of athletes are are creatures of habit and routine, right? We like certain things, we like certain ways, and when you throw a wrinkle into those things, it can mess with you a little bit. And so it'll be interesting to see how it gets messed with when you got guys that have been playing for 12, 13, 14, 15 years doing the exact same things, right? All of a sudden it's like, oh, this is a little different now.

SPEAKER_01 35:05

Yeah, that's one of the interesting things that I've kind of been thinking about, but been paying attention to some of these interviews that have been happening. You know, you had um some players coming out talking about how they're moving on the defensive side of the ball and they're moving around a lot and put different, you know, lining up in different places as you're talking about the scheme and fitting the players like when you hear players come out and talking about them moving, and it's been different from last year's and and and knowing that the defensive side of the ball it has the most veterans over there. Is that something that excites you to see them you know implementing some of these things? Or to your point, are you saying, hey, let why don't we just let these guys do what's comfortable for them? And at what point in time is is it like are you frustrating veterans beyond their their me personally?

SPEAKER_05 35:50

I want to I want to know what the players think. Yeah, like I and I want to like I want to I would like grab them off the side, like not in front of them like a camera, right? Because if you get play if you get the defensive players and you talk to them and they're like genuinely excited about what like these like oh I love that what this is going, I love that I'm doing this, I love, or they're like, man, like

McCarthy Era Practices And Culture

SPEAKER_05 36:10

why can't we just do this? You know, like you you knew TJ Watt does not want to drop into coverage. Why is he dropping in to cover anybody? That's not his can he do it? Sure, but that's not his forte. Yeah, get into the quarterback. You're gonna say the right things, but like, and I'm not I'm just using that as an example. I mean, that you maybe there's other guys, you know, everyone, you know, maybe a corner does doesn't want to play man or zone as much, or doesn't like doing I don't know what it is, but that to answer your question, the my excitement would come from the player's excitement. Sure, you know what I'm saying? Like when a player is like, man, we're I'm excited about this new all, like, man, this coach came in, he brought this new, like, these new thoughts on the pass game or these new run games or this new scheme, you're like excited about it. That's something to get excited about as a as a fan watching, you know.

SPEAKER_07 36:52

Yeah, well, to build on to that on that, I think that like you know, the same old play schemes and you know, players doing that that was last year, and you know, that stuff didn't work out very much. Like 6'7, so last year. Yes, yes, and uh the uh this year with the new coaches, I think it'll inject a a new kind of life to these players too, because you know, you're playing for a different coach, and you know, you got new guys on the team too. So I think that a lot of the excitement just comes from seeing what they can, you know, improve upon what they did last year. So having a fresh look with different coaches, you know, changes everything.

SPEAKER_05 37:29

The other thing to remember too is it's not there. I don't think there's any is any of the staff the same?

SPEAKER_01 37:34

Like even like quarterback coach?

SPEAKER_05 37:38

Oh, uh um Tom Arnth? Yeah, okay. But like you're talking about like it's a it's a all like everything is new. Like it's not like even one side of the ball is like, okay, so McCarthy comes in, I'm gonna give new offensive staff. It is it's a it's a it's a slate that has been completely wiped. Now you have a lot of the same players, but um that is that to me, that's one of the most interesting pieces to this whole thing is that it's not like you're gonna be like, well, we're gonna be seeing the same old thing on this or the same old this, or you know, no, this is this is all new. Yeah, so that oh, go ahead.

SPEAKER_07 38:11

I was just saying it it kind of probably like heightens the sense of play for the veterans too, because it's new stuff to them. So excitement, you know, it's like it sharpens the skills a bit more than what they were because they have to be a little more on their toes to you know adapt to these new plays and schemes.

SPEAKER_01 38:25

Yeah, and I'm always looking at just the culture of the locker room because if you get that poisoned, we've seen it time and time again, teams all throughout, even in Pittsburgh, but all throughout the league, man, you get that great talent, terrible culture, it doesn't matter. And so when you have a a coach come in and redo everything, re-change everything, there has a great potential for that to be amazing. But I think the biggest contributing factor is gonna be the buy-in of those people or the veteran players wanting to play for that coach. And something that's been interesting to me to see how this has all played out is McCarthy. I don't know a lot about him, seems awesome, seems like a, I mean, this conversations we've had, total football knowledge guy. He he has credentials, obviously. Um, but Tomlin has been one of those guys that you've heard time and time again, like people players want to play for. That has been the, you know, despite any of his shortcomings that you think he might have for, you know, scheme.

SPEAKER_05 39:17

A lot of that came late too in his career because early on, he was so like hard nose, like cursed, you know, hard arts.

SPEAKER_00 39:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 39:25

That that like people are like, like this guy's, but but I think he had to do that because he was like a new guy. Sure. And he's like, I gotta I like it's got I gotta create a new culture. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Right, but so that but that's what I'm so I'm just saying that that they he he cre he he evolved into a player's kind of coach that people want to play for. You know what I'm saying? That that's so that's the uniqueness about him.

SPEAKER_01 39:43

Um okay, so follow up, then I have a question about that because so the guys on this team have seen him though, and in the back end of his career, uh would be. Yes, yes. So I'm wondering what the jump of that is like. Is is McCarthy not saying he's trying to do what Talman did because I think you have to be your own man there, but is he prioritizing the player coach relationship to a degree that, hey, I know I'm new here, but let me get you to play for me and adopt this entirely new system.

SPEAKER_05 40:08

Yeah, if I had to guess, because McCarthy's a veteran coach, he's not worried about again, Talman came in as a first-time head coach. Yeah, so he had to establish himself as this kind of like, this is the way I'm gonna do my thing. Obviously, that kind of change, like as it as it got later on, people just knew who he was, and that he didn't have to do it. McCarthy comes in as an established head coach. He doesn't need to be like the the the hard arse um trying to do all this. He can like this is now it may be who he is just in general, but um, he doesn't have to like um establish anything with the players have to to kind of know him and and he's gonna do his own thing. And um, so it's a little bit different for him as opposed to a new coach coming in, like a brand new head coach, you know? Yeah, and then follow up because he might be tough, like he might be like, no, this is my way, right? My way the highway. And he but he also because he's been around, he also can there might be a nice balance where he knows how to do that, but still be a guy that like the players like and respect because you know he's been there, done that, and he knows how to to kind of to walk both lines, you know?

SPEAKER_01 41:06

Yeah, okay. So follow up to what you were talking about, Coach uh T coming in harder on the players, and then kind of I don't want to say softening, but being more relational. Which one as a player did you prefer? You get to see the whole thing.

SPEAKER_05 41:17

Yeah, I think I think as a as a veteran guy, you love the the more personal guy, the guy that like you can just have a relationship with, and it's not just strictly like player coach, you know. But as a young guy, you like as a veteran guy, I want to see that coach be, and maybe it's asking too much. As a as a veteran coach, a veteran player, I want to see a coach be harder on the younger guys, like make them earn their stripes, don't just give them uh nicknames, don't just give them um like a like a the the the same privileges privileges that you're getting the veteran guys, you know what I'm saying? Like you've gotta you gotta like coach cower was and and admittedly so on this show and and and talking to him, he was so hard on me, yeah, and and hard on young guys. Like you had to earn the right to talk to Coach Cower, I felt like, you know, but the veteran guys love Coach, and I love and I wasn't a veteran when I played with him, uh played for him, would have loved to have played for him as a veteran guy, but the veteran players, everybody I've talked to, anybody you talk to now loved playing for him because of his passion, because he was hard, but he knew how to be a player's coach as well, in the sense that you could go talk to him and they they just enjoyed him. He had fun with the veteran guys. So I think, and maybe again, maybe that's asking a lot of a coach, but it's it's like, okay, I'm gonna be really hard on guys until you've earned the right to be like in this veteran group or whatever. You know, I don't know. Again, it might be unfair, but I definitely think that um as a veteran player, you love having that coach that you can just almost have a relationship with, you know, um, that you can go talk to and feel free. Like I didn't feel free to go talk to Coach Cower. Yeah, like no wet goals, bolt, bolt lock that door. Um, but Tomlin, anytime I always felt like I could go. I mean, I felt like I could call Tomlin, you know, like and and again, a lot of that is just as a player, too. You have to evolve from a young guy to a to a more mature person that can talk to a coach too.

SPEAKER_01 43:07

Yeah. What about your experience, Ev?

SPEAKER_07 43:10

Well, I don't have much experience, but I was gonna say I I think that, you know, in my opinion, like I think the message was has gotten stale in the last couple years, you know, with the same stuff. And I I would hope that maybe these veterans are, you know, kind of excited to do something different and look forward to, you know, what this coaching staff has to offer, like fresh eyes on the situation, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_05 43:34

And you might be willing as a veteran to take a little bit more of a hardship, like, okay, you know, this is a little tougher to get that, right? To get that new message that that, like, okay, this is fresh. I like this new message. I'm willing to deal with like a little extra of this, a little extra of that to get this.

SPEAKER_07 43:50

Well, and and d I would think too that the the young players obviously look up to the veterans, and if they're not accepting the message, then it probably makes it a little difficult for the Guys, to do the same thing. So if if they see that the veterans are buying into it, it probably makes them want to buy into it, you know, even more because you know you want to build that bond as a team, but you know, you need something to believe in. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 44:13

And if I'm McCarthy, I'm leaning on Aaron for that. Yeah. I mean, it if again, there's been a lot of a lot made of their relationship, both good and bad. You know, we we you hear that there was some fracture there, but then you hear from them there wasn't. And I mean, I think any good any good relationship has issues. I mean, I that's that tension. Yeah, there's gonna be tension. I mean, I can think of my most favorite coaches, or I mean, shoot, I I love my wife, she's my best friend. There's all there's tension sometimes. I mean, there it just happens. I just had tension with you two because you guys don't know what you're talking about, but I just deal with it, you know? Yeah, and so thank you for that. You're quite gross. Um there's going to be that, but I would think that there's got to be some at least some mutual respect there between those two, and that, you know, if I'm McCarthy, I'm like, hey, I need, you know, and Aaron's the leader anyway, he's gonna do it. But um, you know, because he, you know, even last year I'm sure that he was not happy with the with the offense and some of the coaching things, but he, you know, he he did it and he's leading the guys. And so I just think I think that if I'm if I'm McCarthy, I'm really leaning hard on Aaron to get the message across. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 45:13

That's the thing too. Like, they have a chance now to to rebuild the culture of the Pittsburgh Steelers and kind of like put it in stone. Like, this is how you know we attack practice, this is how we do games, this is how we carry ourselves, so on and so forth. So, I mean, I mean, it's a lot to ask for people to buy into, I'm sure, but you know, to nip that in the bud early in the year and kind of try to gel everything together. I'm I'm excited to see how that works out.

SPEAKER_01 45:36

Yep. I think winning will solve it. And I think CBS captured uh Aaron's frustration great last year. Yeah, they do a great job. Uh cut the cut to Aaron's face. Uh he is cussing out someone. He's not happy about something. Uh yeah. Well, hey man, uh 12 and 5 across the board. Yep. I'd love to see that come to uh fruition. Yes, fruition. That would be great. Words. Um yeah, that would be amazing. Um, you got you going to Paris?

SPEAKER_05 46:02

I do not plan on it. I'm not gonna say no, but I'm not planning on it. No, it seems like a long way to go. Yeah. Maybe not. I don't know. Maybe it's not as far as London. I don't know.

SPEAKER_07 46:13

Long way to go for a croissant. I think it is.

SPEAKER_05 46:15

But it might be the most most be the nicest croissant of all time. What if they put it in your mouth they just dissolved?

SPEAKER_01 46:19

Yeah, it's just what if you order it and then you look back and you see him taking them out of like a plastic wrap and microwaving it. You're like, are you serious, bro? One of those little Pillsbury, like it pop the pop the thing over. What if you see that?

SPEAKER_05 46:30

I don't know. It's it won't be as good as I don't know, giant eagles.

SPEAKER_04 46:35

Uh went to Paris. Yeah, anyway. Well, I'll tell you what was what was better over there was that Guinness and Iron. Oh, I know, dude. I hear stories.

Paris Plans And Wrap Up

SPEAKER_05 46:45

Okay. All right. Um, are we do we cover everything? You have anything else on your list you want to cover? Uh you have a lot of things on your list. Holy cow.

SPEAKER_07 46:51

Take a little gander over here.

SPEAKER_05 46:54

Holy cow.

SPEAKER_07 46:55

We covered the contracts.

SPEAKER_05 46:57

That's why he comes on the show once a year.

SPEAKER_07 47:01

We covered the new coaches and schemes. Yeah, we covered new coaches and practices that are different than Tom ones.

SPEAKER_05 47:06

Yeah, see, we cover all these.

SPEAKER_01 47:07

See, I didn't even know you had that written down. I led you right to that door.

SPEAKER_07 47:10

The only the only other thing I had was the Aller and Howard, you know, debate here.

SPEAKER_05 47:15

Well, we'll get to see some of it during the that's what I mean.

SPEAKER_07 47:17

I'm excited for preseason to see, you know. But that's it, really. Okay. Just a small list I threw together. Drew Howard and Will Howard.

SPEAKER_05 47:25

Well, Will Aller. All right. Well, thank you, Spence. Are you good from the front? I'm always birthday boy.

SPEAKER_01 47:31

I'm always good, bro.

SPEAKER_05 47:31

In case you just tuned it in, it is Spence's birthday. Yeah. He smashed cake, a birthday cake that uh giant eagle made for him.

SPEAKER_01 47:38

I'm in, I'm in my uh I'm in my Jerome Bettis year. You know what I mean? I'm in the bus. I'm 36.

SPEAKER_05 47:45

I'll thank you. I say, you don't look as big as the bus.

SPEAKER_01 47:47

No, I'm you know, I thought he was gonna win a Super Bowl.

SPEAKER_05 47:49

Oh, here we go.

SPEAKER_01 47:50

I'm gonna win a Super Bowl in my hometown and get out of here. I hope that'd be great. That's right.

SPEAKER_05 47:54

All right. Well, thank you guys for joining us. Hope you enjoyed the show. 12 and 5. Let us know what you guys think. If we're right, we're wrong. Again, this is just our first initial reactions. Obviously, we'll break down each game as we get closer to the season. Once we get through the preseason, we'll have a better understanding of what's going on with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But for right now, market in your calendars 12 and 5. Go into the postseason, and you know what's going to happen when we get there. See you when we see you.