Steelers Face the Commanders: Midseason Team Analysis

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00:00The Steelers get ready to face Washington at the dump in Landover this week.

00:08So what are this week's words of wisdom?

00:10Well, coach was asked about how he perceives his team at the midway point of the season.

00:17Let's see what coach Mike Tomlin has to say.

00:19Is the team enough of an indicator to determine what you are, what your identity is?

00:26I think that, you know, that's a slippery discussion because oftentimes your immediate

00:31identity is affected by current circumstance.

00:35When there's a lack of player availability in certain areas, oftentimes it affects how

00:38you go about business.

00:40For example, for a large part of that eight games that you mentioned, we only had TJ and

00:44we didn't have Alex Highsmith or Nick Herbick.

00:47And so that might affect, you know, how you rush, particularly in one dimensional moments.

00:52And so broadly, yes, but there's some complexities if I'm legitimately answering that question

00:58because oftentimes your day-to-day decisions in the short term are affected by current

01:06circumstance.

01:07And so the larger body of time that you look at, the more true that statement is.

01:11And oftentimes eight games can be or cannot be enough of a sample size to legitimately

01:19address that.

01:20Wow.

01:21That was overwhelming.

01:22I just like how he tries to work so many of the big words in, in and out, you know, business

01:33and, you know, he tries to work everything in as he moves forward.

01:38Before I give you the numbers for this Sunday, several other Steeler items for you.

01:42Number one, do the Steelers regret not picking up the Najee Harris 50-year option at only

01:49$6.7 million, especially when we're starting to see some of these other guys around the

01:54league get extensions and new deals in the, you know, $8, $9, $10 million per year range

02:01at the running back position.

02:03Do they regret that?

02:04$12 million for Barclay, look, I do think it's something that they probably regret because

02:12he's actually having his best year.

02:15In my opinion, I know the year he had 1,200 yards, but he ran it straight up the middle

02:19that year and got 1,200 the hard way, right?

02:22This time he's having multiple hundred yard games in a row.

02:26What's it three in a row now?

02:28I think that the Russell Wilson factor has opened up the running game for him.

02:33You have to worry about the Steelers.

02:36They're spreading the ball around.

02:38They're throwing it to six to eight receivers a game and you got to guard them.

02:44And then that leaves the holes at the trenches for this guy to bounce through and get big

02:50games.

02:51He's been looking terrific.

02:52$6.7 million is cheap.

02:54They should have done it.

02:56I don't know what's going to happen.

02:58I don't think it's something that they won't regret.

03:03I guarantee you if they lose him, they'll rue the day that they didn't give it to him.

03:08I think that they have to figure out a way to keep him.

03:10I think he's a really good back.

03:12And in fact, I got to say like everyone in Pittsburgh thought that Warren was better

03:17and that he's, you know, more explosive, faster, all the rest, but he's had the injuries, right?

03:25And he's been banged up and hasn't done anything.

03:28Warren has done nothing on the Steelers this year.

03:30Am I right?

03:31Najee's done it all.

03:34So the guy that they thought that would supplant him has been all banged up.

03:40And the guy that's actually getting it done is the guy that they wouldn't give the deal

03:43to.

03:44All they had to do was pick it up for that.

03:45See, that's how cheap they are.

03:47That's how cheap the Roonies are that they don't think he's worth $6 million.

03:51And he is.

03:52He's worth $6 million.

03:53In fact, in my opinion, the last three weeks, he's been worth $6 million.

03:58He's had three straight hundred yard games.

04:00They've never had that in years.

04:02So to see him producing like that, they should have given him the money.

04:06Probably should have at this point.

04:08Pickens could see some more targets this week.

04:10That's because Pickens is targeted almost 35% of the time when his routes, when the

04:16defense gives blitzes.

04:17That's the second highest rate at wide receiver in the NFL.

04:20The commander's blitz, the eighth highest in the NFL.

04:24So you could see more up top and downtown to George Pickens this week, who already has,

04:30as you know, the most 30 plus yard catches in the league.

04:35So look out for that.

04:36This guy is a problem.

04:39And that's why the commanders went out and got Lattimore, because they have an issue

04:43in their secondary.

04:45So he's not playing with his hammy.

04:48So this guy Pickens is going to get his, and then just like McLaurin does on the other

04:53side.

04:54But the reality is, is that the Steelers have a really good secondary that can give McLaurin

04:58problems hopefully.

05:00And I think the guy that's going to stretch that commander D the most is Williams with

05:04his size and ability to climb the ladder.

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