On Last Word On Steelers Podcast Week Eight, host Patrick Gelesh and co-host Brian Harker discuss numerous topics. Harker leads off with Wednesday’s injury report which evolves into a review of the Pittsburgh Steelers week seven win over the Cincinnati Bengals. They included the performance of Le’Veon Bell, who could be on pace to be only the sixth running back in NFL history to rush for more than 400 carries, as well as a dissection the defensive line’s dominance. They then move onto Artie Burns‘ stellar performance against wide receiver A.J. Green.
Last Word on Steelers Podcast Week Eight
Breakdown
They reviewed the statistics from key players in the game and analyzed how the defense as a whole has become more and more impressive. They created havoc in the Bengals backfield and were able to come up with two interceptions. Gelesh segued into a thorough discussion of the separate units in each phase, starting with the defense. They both highlighted some performances that were particularly impressive. That included Tyson Alualu‘s play while Stephon Tuitt was inactive. They touched on Vance McDonald‘s continued progression within the offense and compared his game to that of Jesse James. They also analyze the development of the secondary, and compare where it is now to where it is was at this point in the 2016 season. They acknowledge the continued success in the Steelers run defense and briefly touch on the fake punt that led to a 44-yard completion from Robert Golden to Darrius Heyward-Bey.
Gelesh and Harker move on to talk about the offense before moving on to the drama created by Martavis Bryant. They discuss the way he’s handled the situation and Mike Tomlin‘s choice to bench him. They also discuss what Bryant’s absence means for the Steelers matchup against the Detroit Lions.
Lastly, the two hosts discuss the final topic: a preview of the Steelers week eight match up with the Lions. They discussed Alejandro Villanueva and Chris Hubbard‘s need to control Ezekiel Ansah and Anthony Zettel while speculating on what the receiver situation could look like with Bryant inactive. Lastly, they emphasized the need to contain Lions punt returner Jamal Agnew. They talked about the importance of ball protection and winning the field position battle, especially in this game with the Lions’ opportunistic defense. Finally, Gelesh and Harker both reveal their predictions for week eight’s outcome.
Patrick Gelesh– A third generation Steelers fan with a Masters in sports management and leadership specializing in football. My mom was lucky enough to witness the immaculate reception live. To me, hard hitting defense is “the beautiful game.”
Brian Harker– Born and raised in Johnstown, Pa, Brian currently lives in Wheatfield, Indiana with his wife and two kids. He Has been writing about the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2007 for such entities as Pittsburgh Sports Tavern, Pittsburgh Sports Forum, and SteelerZone, which he created in 2015. He believes that Paige and Walter O’Brien make Team Scorpion the best it can be.
