After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 1

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Man, as much as I want to revel in what was a tough, physical, hard-nosed battle that seemed to go on forever, but that had a little bit of everything, it was kind of nutso. The defense for the Pittsburgh Steelers deserves a ton of accolades, and we will talk about TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith and Elijah Riley and Larry Ogunjobi and Minka Fitzpatrick and other facets of the defense. This was a game that featured pretty much everything you could want in a football game on national TV, unless of course you're a fan of either team, because then it was a little bit gut-wrenching and also tough to handle in stretches for both teams. And I love the fact that the game itself was so compelling and entertaining, and that it was two teams real familiar with one another, the atmosphere was electric, we had history, but for the second straight week, we start with an injury to one of the NFL's best. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. Week 2 is now in the books.

Wow. Life comes at you fast during NFL season. We had a doubleheader on this Monday night, and there'll actually be a doubleheader next Monday night as well. Don't ask me why, I didn't take the time to research it, maybe somebody else out there knows, it doesn't really matter to me, I just watch the games and talk about the games whenever they happen to be on the schedule.

But this was a good one. Four lead changes, six total turnovers, four of those coming in the first half, actually coming in the first quarter, and a battle that goes down to the wire, fairly typical of the AFC North. And we will talk to Steelers sideline reporter Missy Matthews. It's been a while since we've had Missy on the show. That is about 30 minutes from now here on CBS Sports Radio. She says she'll be wired for the rest of the night.

So we'll talk to her. But most importantly, that moment in the first half that Browns fans and maybe the Browns in their locker room are going to replay in their minds over and over. Browns first and goal with their own eight. Chubb gets the handoff up the middle, and he gets inside the five and wrestled down at the three yard line. DeMonte KZ with the hit and he has the football and the bad news is that Nick Chubb is down on the field.

Horrible news for the Cleveland Browns as their Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb has been carted off the field and up the tunnel after he took a helmet to the knee. He did take a helmet to the knee and it happened to be the helmet of Minka Fitzpatrick. We see this fairly routinely in the NFL.

I don't think it's intentional. There were people who wanted to jump on Minka right away for a dirty hit trying to injure Nick Chubb. It's part of football.

It really is. I don't think anyone. Okay, I'll qualify that I don't believe the majority of NFL players are attempting to hurt anyone else. The vast majority of NFL players understand and respect. The incredible effort, determination, commitment and competitiveness that is required to reach this level and to stick. Especially for guys who have longevity and have had success over an extended period of time. The average NFL career isn't even four seasons long. The average NFL player does not make $50 million a year, like the highest paid quarterbacks. These guys are working their arses off to break into the NFL and then to stay and to stay healthy is yet another challenge.

I don't believe these guys are trying to hurt each other because they understand it could be them next. The angle that we saw on TV isn't the one that showed you what happened to Nick Chubb's knee. But right away, he grabs his leg, his knee and even over the broadcast, even with everything else that's happening there.

Down on the goal line with the players from both teams all gathered around and Mikovits-Patrick also down on the field at that point. You can hear Nick Chubb yelling, which just crushed me. He's in obvious pain and you can hear that over the noise of the stadium in that moment.

And even with the fans becoming hushed and the players stopping what they were doing and the play itself being dead, still it's loud down there. And to hear him, that to me was the worst part. I felt so bad for him. I still feel real bad for him. My heart hurts for him. And while they were taking him out on a cart, Steelers fans giving him a hand, supporting him, which is significant when it comes to this rivalry. In Pittsburgh, they can still appreciate Nick Chubb and that, of course, the first question for Kevin Stefanski, for Deshaun Watson, for anyone who stepped to the microphone tonight. Nick's got a very significant knee injury, which is, you know, you feel for the person. He's a great football player, as we know, but he's an even better person.

So we will support him every step along the way. Tough. I mean, I just sent all my prayers to him. I mean, at that moment, it was tough once we saw the replay and exactly what happened. It is just a lot of flashbacks to, you know, the previous one he had in college. You know, it's just. Yeah, it was tough, honestly. That's our brother.

That's my brother. And I've been together for a long time. And I mean, it's a blow for the whole team. And we don't want his injury to be in vain. We've got to push on. You know, that's what he wants to do. And if he had any choice in the matter, that's what he would do.

So I just got to continue to fight and use his motivation. First, Kevin Stefanski, then Deshaun Watson and then Myles Garrett. That offensive line is still really good for the Browns, and they end up with nearly 200 yards rushing. But it feels different and it will be different moving forward because of the loss of Nick Chubb. Myles Garrett went on to say it bleeping hurts. Amari Cooper just kept shaking his head. Really didn't have a whole lot to say. It is as devastating as the Jets losing Aaron Rodgers.

That's the impact. On the field, off the field for Nick Chubb with the Browns. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. You can find me on Twitter, ALawRadio.

Also our Facebook page After Hours with Amy Lawrence. If you haven't yet voted for Monday MVP, I suspect you could add TJ Watt as a write in or the Steelers defense, which was dynamic. Or if you want to vote in the poll that we have up, I'm actually going to retweet it now. We've got some pretty incredible candidates, too, though, as I say, we still take your write in vote, whether it's Twitter or Facebook. And if you're a Cleveland Browns fan or Steelers fan and you want to weigh in on the game tonight, there was a lot to unpack.

Our phone number is 855-212-4227, 855-212-4CBS. Kevin Stavanski did say after the game he expects Chubb to miss the rest of the season. That may be obvious, but the question had to be asked. In addition to dislocating his knee, the reports out of the Browns locker room indicate the team believes he also suffered torn ligaments. Whether that's ACL, whether it's MCL, it's going to require surgery. And Nick Chubb has been through this before. He already knows what's ahead. Same one, same knee that he had completely rebuilt after he tore three separate ligaments during his time at Georgia.

This goes back now eight years. John Watson did reference that after the game with his remarks. There's a lot we can say about the impact of Nick Chubb, but right now I just feel terrible for him. On his tenth carry of the night, coming off a career high 1,500 plus yards last season. Lot of people right away asking the question of Kareem Hunt. In fact, I even saw Kareem Hunt trending on Twitter for a little while. He was the running mate, so to speak, for Nick Chubb last couple seasons and real good himself. Of course, his career starting back in Kansas City, and then he got into legal trouble, ended up getting suspended, and the Browns were able to pick him up and actually waited out his suspension. And the two of them were very complimentary as a tandem, the best running tandem in the NFL. Though Nick Chubb has always been the bell cow. Well, Kareem is available and he certainly knows the personnel on the field.

So we'll see whether or not the Browns reach out to him. Right after Nick Chubb was lost, the Browns still had to regroup and had to finish out that drive. They were right there on the goal line. And it reminded me of what happened with Aaron Rodgers and the Jets last week. Remember, it was the fourth offensive snap of the game for New York. And right away, Zach Wilson has to trot onto the field and try to get the team moving forward.

Find some rhythm, at the very least finish out that drive, which he didn't do a great job of, though there were some positive moments. But really, I was more impressed with the mental toughness of the Jets from the players to the coaching staff. Because in that moment, that was worst case scenario. Well, I would say the same thing about the Cleveland Browns. In that moment, this is worst case scenario for the Browns, and yet they had to keep going. They had to finish out that drive. It's hard.

It's hard. Now, it's no excuse for performance. Nick, if he was here, would be telling that team there's no licking wounds. You've got to move on.

And move on they did. Jerome Ford stepping in, and he was no slouch. Watson with a quick snap.

He rolls right. He keeps the play alive. He throws it to Jerome Ford, who is coming for jump for the touchdown. And amidst the misery of losing their Pro Bowl running back, his replacement has scored the first touchdown for the Browns tonight. Jerome also had a 69-yard scamper that set up another touchdown. And so he was 16 for 106, meaning 16 carries for 106 yards, more than half of what the Browns accumulated on this night. So they were able to get out there to finish the drive, despite losing Nick Chubb.

But yeah, the questions remain now. What happens the rest of the way? How do they move forward?

How do they compensate? There's no replacing Nick Chubb, just like there's no replacing Aaron Rodgers. No, he don't have the C on his jersey, but he's a captain. He's a leader. He's the definition of this team, of this city, of this organization. And we've got some holes to fill for him. But I think Jerome and those guys are going to step up and take the challenge. And you've got to really bring along, not just from the running back position, but my position as a leader, as a quarterback, and just as a whole as a team. We've got a lot of holes to fill while he's away.

So it's even tough to even speak on it. I just want to keep praying for him and his family, and just hopefully we get the best outcome for him. Once again, the big news. Nick Chubb likely lost for the season in game number two for the Cleveland Browns, one that would have been extremely compelling and entertaining without the injury, but it definitely leaves a bad taste on the calls, by the way, on the Browns radio network.

So coming up, we have to talk about that Steelers defense, dynamic, dominant, downright nasty at times, history for T.J. Watt, and yet he wouldn't do an interview, at least one specific interview without his other half on the defense. So we'll get to that coming up on Twitter, ALawRadio, on our Facebook page too. Good to have you with us.

Hope you survived your Manic Monday. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. The Steelers on the first play of the game.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Wow, as in wow, nine seconds into Monday Night Football. There's already a touchdown courtesy of the defense. The crowd was whipped into a frenzy even before kickoff, and then the electricity ratcheted up nine seconds into the game. Off the hands of Harrison Bryant, a tipped ball that's intercepted.

It gets bobbled around. I think Minka Fitzpatrick hit it first. It gets hauled in by Alex Highsmith for the 30-yard score. That's the call with Kevin Harlan on the Westwood One radio network.

Yeah, Alex Highsmith along with, in fact, I'm watching it right now again. It's one of the top plays of the week for sure. Alex Highsmith along with T.J. Watt, they were destructive. They were obtrusive.

They were all up into Sean Watson's grill. But how important that pick six to start out the game, Alex. It's always important to start fast, and that's one thing we preach on.

We've got to start fast, you know, because in game. Imagine you're looking at a balancing scale with everything you do for other people on one side and everything you do for yourself on the other side. If it isn't balanced, maybe it's time to spend a little more time on you. And therapy is a great place to start. BetterHelp connects you with a licensed therapist online who can help you find that balance and stick to it. Visit betterhelp.com slash positive to get 10% off your first month.

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Ask your doctor or pharmacist to learn more and schedule on the CDC's vaccines.gov. Sponsored by Pfizer and BioNTech. We don't start fast. You know, last week we didn't start fast enough. You know, they came and they scored a touchdown on the first drive. You know, they ended up putting up more points.

And so starting fast is huge. So we just got to start fast like that every game. It was one of four turnovers in the first quarter alone between the two teams to go along with a missed field goal. So that was your first quarter. A defensive touchdown, nine seconds in. Four turnovers, two for each team. And then a missed field goal by the Browns.

It's after hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Forge Radio. The defense was far from done. In fact, T.J. Watt was just getting warmed up. Six in the secondary, third and seven Cleveland at the Pittsburgh 30. Watson and the gun five wide. Shotgun snap. They rush four.

They get the block. He breaks one tackle. Watt got him. Watt brings him down.

Back at the 38. And with that, Zach becomes the all time Pittsburgh Steeler. Zach leader passing Jerome Harrison. Watson staggers to his feet and trudges back to the middle. With Pittsburgh Steeler history right before our eyes.

Fourth down, the Browns will try for three. The Browns are the only team that can stand the individual awards of football because there's just I mean, Debo himself helped me so much my rookie year. He didn't have to.

No one asked him to, but he wanted to help me and I appreciate him for that. So many of my teammates, coaches, mentors, my brothers, my wife's support, my parents. I mean, there's just so many people that go into it that it's not myself out there making the plays. Debo, of course, being the nickname for James Harrison, who had the record for not even 10 years. TJ Watt in 89 games, 89 games.

He has 81 and a half sacks. That's insanity. It's also extremely productive.

Hashtag Captain Obvious. Yeah, pretty incredible. So congratulations to TJ, though. At 28 years old, he still has a lot to accomplish.

As long as he stays healthy, which is the challenge. But in this game, not only was he healthy, but he was active and he was nightmare inducing for the Browns offense. He wasn't even done after grabbing the sacks record after being part of a couple of huge stops. The Browns went through a series of drives where they could only get three and out.

That's the most that they could manage. I'm surprised they even managed to stay on the field for the three because they really were inept, especially after losing Nick Chubb. Not that the Steelers offense was much better. And don't you worry, we'll get to the Steelers offense.

But yeah, this was one of those games in which it was as lopsided as, say, the Niners defense against the Steelers offense last week. Watson under center. Steelers showing blitz.

Long count. Play action fake. He's back. The Steelers take the lead, their second defensive touchdown of this game. Shotgun for Watson on fourth and 10. His team down four, he empties the set. The Steelers bring four.

Pocket collapses. He throws it down the field. Out of bounds and complete. What a great job by Joey Porter Jr. on Donovan Peoples Jones. Ball over on downs. Pittsburgh has it with a minute left and they've got the lead.

Bill Grove on the Steelers radio network. And by the way, Missy Matthews, who's the sideline reporter for Steelers radio, will join us following the update. It eventually boils down to the defense. Listen to these numbers. I'm going to put these on Twitter because these are, well, these are the types of numbers that make up a championship caliber defense. If they can play like this, even remotely, not even racking up these kind of numbers, but play with this intensity and this impact every week. The Steelers will be a force that you have to reckon with in the AFC North, the AFC overall. Six sacks of Deshaun Watson, 11 other QB hits, three force fumbles, an interception and a pair of touchdowns.

Again, Deshaun Watson is going to be seeing these guys in his dreams. It's a big component. It is.

It probably always is a major component when these two groups come together. This familiarity and, you know, kind of our edge guys have done what they did tonight, to be quite honest with you. Splash.

I mean, I think that's what we talk about is creating splash as a defense. I mean, Alex Highsmith played his absolute tail off tonight. Guys inside got incredible pressure. Larry O had a great game. I just think we really fed off the crowd and I still think we can do a better job of executing in those moments when the crowd is going absolute bananas like they were tonight. But it wasn't pretty, but a win is a win. Hats off to our defense, but unbelievable. You know, we got the best player in the world, in my opinion, in 90 and 56 is close behind.

You know, he's unbelievable. So those guys did a hell of a job and, you know, happy that they're on our side. When you get a defense like that, they make plays and put points up on the board and get those.

When you need to know what's happening, it's time to get hit. In The Huddle. And nobody's picking the Colts to win the Super Bowl, so let's just go learn, right? Well, this is always going to happen. Jim Irsay is calling all the shots there.

And the hunky-tonk man didn't draft this kid where they drafted this kid to have him look great in practice and look awesome running the scout team. You know what I mean? But yeah, let's play this Minshew cat or whatever on Sunday.

No way. Listen and subscribe to In The Huddle, available on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Oh, it gets smoother. It's getting delivered tomorrow.

Visit Carvana.com or download the app to get pre-qualified today. Turnovers, it's unreal as an offense to have that. You know, we want to return that favor though.

You know, I feel like we let those guys out there way too long. There's things that we got to do a lot better offensively to also help those guys out. Yeah, it definitely was a game that the Steelers could easily have lost if not for the defense.

You look at the box score in terms of the points and how they were spread out. Pittsburgh only managed three offensive points in the second half. Of course, getting the defensive touchdown that gave them the lead back. And then the defense had to protect the lead that the defense had earned for the Steelers.

But they did it. And as TJ points out, you take the win because a win is a win is a win is a win. And Kenny Pickett and the offense, it's back to the drawing board. So neither offense was real happy and certainly neither coach happy with the offense.

We'll get to more of the reaction. But straight ahead, Missy Matthews, fresh off the field there in Pittsburgh, will join us to talk about a wild night for this AFC North battle that is just so typical. And I think if you are one of those people that believes the North is this is the toughest division, the most competitive division in football, well, this game certainly gives you evidence, right? It's exhibit A for what we see, though right now it's the Ravens who are on top of the division with the 2-0 mark.

So much still to come. You can find me on Twitter, ALawRadio, on our Facebook page, too. Thanks for hanging out with us on this Monday night. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence.

You are listening to the After Hours podcast. 1-0 in the AFC North, man, we don't take that for granted. We're appreciative. I'm appreciative of the effort of the men.

I'm appreciative of their fight. Their no-blink approach obviously wasn't easy tonight, but we didn't expect it to be. It's kind of a signature of AFC North ball and particularly these two teams. Off the field, on the money, and after hours, it's time to talk football with Amy Lawrence. A little bit of everything in this AFC North battle on Monday Night Football, including a devastating injury to Nick Chubb. You'll hear more from the Browns about losing their all-pro superstar running back as we move forward. But from the Steelers' perspective, picking up the first win of the season now 1-1.

As you hear Mike Tomlin say, 1-0 inside the division. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. I was listening to Kevin Harlan lose his mind on the Westwood One Radio Network on that very touchdown.

I actually tweeted about it so you can find me on Twitter there. But Steelers Radio Network is where we turn for tonight's guest. Missy Matthews is the sideline reporter right in the middle of the action. Made a lot to digest after this one.

So Missy, thank you for a couple of minutes. When someone asks you about this game, what will you remember the most? I think the turnovers, the craziness, the fact that the first quarter became the second quarter, then went back to the first quarter of two penalties by a quarterback.

TJ Watt, of course, breaking the record. Just two defensive touchdowns. You know, that's something I haven't seen before in a single game. Typical AFC North football. It's kind of hard to put into words what we all just witnessed. It's interesting because I heard an interview on Westwood One after the game with Alex Highsmith, and he was asked about AFC North football and what characterizes it, and he even struggled to put it into words.

But since you've been a part of a bunch of these games, can you describe it? I think you always have to just expect that it's going to be close. It's never usually lopsided. It always comes down to the end, and there's always something where you're like, man, Kota shoulda woulda.

If this happened, then this would go in their favor. It's almost like you have to be anticipating something crazy happening every minute of the game. What was the atmosphere like on the field, especially when nine seconds in, Highsmith ends up with interception return for a touchdown? Well, you know, it was a great crowd, and it's Monday Night Football. They did a lot of stuff with the stadium lights going down before introductions and fireworks. You know, just the whole pomp and circumstance that I just love about football. So the crowd was just so energized. And if you weren't looking up, you missed it. That's how quick it happened.

And that just sent the towels waving, the fans going crazy. You could tell it just really lit something, especially under that defense. They didn't have Cam Heewer tonight, and they're not going to have him for a number of weeks.

He's on IR, unfortunately, after undergoing that surgery this week. And he's just kind of the heart and soul of that defense. You knew going into this game they were going to run the ball with Nick Chubb. So it was a good way to set the tone, I think. And it also just speaks to, like I said, the craziness of AFC North football.

You bring up Nick Chubb. That may be the only black mark of the game and devastating for the Browns to lose him. But personally, really hard to hear him over the TV broadcast, even yelling in pain.

What was your perspective, Missy? From where I was on the Steelers sideline, I did not see the actual, like in real time. It didn't really like hit me what had happened because Minka was more so like blocking it in a way from where we were. But they did replay it on the video board and the entire crowd just did the like, oh, you know, because you didn't realize it because Minka went down at first.

So, you know, everyone's watching Minka in terms of Steelers fans. And then Nick Chubb finally sat down and then you're like, oh, man, they must have collided. And then it was played and you're like, wow. You can just tell every single player from both teams are trying to be supportive to him in every which way. And he's just one of those. He kicks the Steelers butts a lot in terms of just being able to run the ball and being really tough to bring down and stop. And it's one of those guys that you like to watch because he's so electrifying and so good at what he does. So it was definitely crazy. I mean, the Browns responded amazingly after watching something like that happen during the drive. So good for them on that.

But, yeah, it's very heartbreaking when you see something like that happen. And then after the game, Kevin Stivanski confirming that, you know, it's season ending and extremely significant. We're spending a few minutes with Missy Matthews, who is fresh off the field in Pittsburgh as part of the Steelers radio network, the sideline reporter.

It's after hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio. Late in the first half of this game, T.J. Watt becomes the Steelers all time franchise leader in career sacks, sitting on eighty one and a half. This is an unfair question. I'll just qualify it that way. What does he mean to the franchise?

A lot. I don't even know if you can put it into words. He wasn't even able to put it into words what this moment meant for him.

I think last week he tied James Harrison. It was an ugly loss to San Francisco. I actually interviewed him right on the field after the game.

And you could just tell it was kind of like, I don't even care. I need to go watch film. We need to get back in the meeting room.

We need to go lift. His brain was already going on. We have to get better.

We have to fix our mistakes and we have to start getting ready for the Browns. But today, I think because the outcome was positive for the team, he was able to just take it all in. And T.J. is a very he's emotional when he's on the field, but he's also like even killed in a weird way. But as soon as he broke the record, he found the sky camera that ESPN used and kind of went towards it and started going crazy.

That's not very T.J. what like. So you could just tell that, you know, he was jazzed up about it. So it was really cool to see. He's somebody that, as you can imagine, is a hard worker, great teammate, always there for everybody and anybody, always working to get better.

Never slacks, always comes up with something he can do differently or better. So to see him get that in eighty nine games, a pass, James Harrison, this record he had since 2016. It was just really cool to see. And it was also the same team that James Harrison broke the record against. I'm sure the Browns are thrilled with that.

Right. What did he have to say about his first career touchdown? Again, this is another thing that you love about T.J. what he was picked by ESPN to do their postgame interview. And he was like, nope, Alex Highsmith is coming with me like we're a package deal.

We work together. And that's just kind of who he is. It's never just about him. It's about the team. And when he went to the podium for all the local media, it was just, you know, I'm so excited about what Alex was able to do, you know, and being this awesome tandem and watching film together and we knew what this play was going to be.

It's just great to see guys who work hard, get rewarded for their efforts. OK, so that's the defense, which was not just flexing its muscles on this Monday night, but certainly a fantasy bonanza as well. I have them on my fantasy team. But Missy, let's talk about the offense a little bit, because there definitely were some some struggles again. First, the run game. What did Mike Tomlin or anyone associated with the offense have to say about the lack of a running presence? Yeah, I mean, you know, last week against the 49ers, they only had 10 rushing attempts. And that was a big sticking point this week. Obviously, the offense wasn't able to do a ton in that week one. You think, OK, you had a great offseason, great preseason, clean things up.

You're also going against the 49ers defense, which is probably the best defense you're going to face all year, along with every other team that has to face them. But then it was kind of the same slow sledding again and not being able to find a rhythm for them. There were some big runs towards the end. Najee had, I think, a 17 and then a 21 yard run, but it was not able to go. And I don't know if it's, you know, there's some moving parts on the offensive line. Some guys weren't able to practice this week due to injuries. But it just felt like they weren't as cohesive as we had seen prior to the regular season starting. And it's definitely something that worked so well for them at the end of last year when they really turned things around, especially offensively. After Penny Pickett became the starter, they got through their bye week after an ugly loss to the Eagles. They were really able to get the run game going, relying on Najee and Jalen Warren.

And it just seems like that's not happening just yet. And you can kind of see the frustration on everybody faces from offense, not just on the run game, but even before it was dropped balls, throws that weren't exactly where they needed to be and just coming to the sideline and trying to regroup and looking at the surface and figuring out what's happening. Luckily, they were able to get some stuff going, but they all pretty much said, like, hey, man, shout out to our defense.

You know, they saved us. Knowing what you know of the offense, what tells you that they can figure this out and turn it around? I think because they're a young group and we saw a majority of them with even better pieces added in, too, as well. Do it at the end of last year. And just the bond that we saw them build throughout the off season.

Kenny Pickett pretty much was like all the skill players. You know, before OTA started, I'm going to Miami. You guys are coming to you.

We're spending four days together. They worked with his personal quarterbacks coach. They did nothing but football and bond.

You know, went to Topgolf, things like that. And you saw it translate into practice and you saw it translate into training camp and you saw it translate into the preseason. I understand the competition. The intensity is not the same, but they had this confidence and swagger about them. And we're just really not seeing that right now. When you think about Kenny Pickett and where he was a year ago, comparing him now versus then, where have you seen the greatest growth? I think a lot in terms of his game per se was just the zip on his ball. The velocity is something that, you know, his quarterbacks coach has talked about. He's a baseball player first. So sometimes he kind of has that in terms of his arm.

And that's something that they worked on a lot. But I think off the field, even though it's technically on the field, it's just the leadership. He's so calm. You know, like I said, if you look on the sideline when things aren't going great, there's a lot of guys you can read their face of what they're thinking.

Kenny Pickett, you don't you don't read it. You can see him doing and trying to change things and talk to certain guys and go up to coaches and whatnot. But he just has this leadership ability that it factors. Mike Tomlin likes to always call it where guys just gravitate towards him and know that he's going to lead them in the right direction. He also, you know, they built him basically a makeshift office in the coach's wing of the practice facility that he let make up Fitzpatrick come in sometimes because they're, quote unquote, Jersey boys.

But that way he can watch film. He can be around them. He attends some of their meetings. It was just a lot of stuff that started last year because he jumped on the so-called moving train and it's carried into this year of just trying to always be outworking everybody in terms of knowledge and watching things and trying to get better. The Steelers put Deontay Johnson on I.R.

as one of their pregame moves. So who would get the catches or the targets that are intended for him? Well, George Pickens definitely, you know, saw the majority of those tonight. I thought that Calvin Austin, the third who is just a shifty speed guy who unfortunately his rookie year last year was injured, never even played in a preseason game and just really came on in his second year, quote unquote, or first year this year. And we didn't see, you know, four targets for him tonight.

I was surprised, too. Pat Fryer moves somebody that just has built this natural bond with Kenny Pickens even last year when he took over as the starting quarterback. Same thing with him. So I don't know if it was just because they were kind of in the funk and not being able to get things going.

I think George Pickens makes sense, but you also want somebody else so that they're not always keying in on Pickens as well. And that's kind of what Deontay brought in terms of just, you know, what he was able to do in his route running. So Deontay will certainly be missed.

It was great, though. He was here at the game helping warm guys up. He was on the sideline the whole time. So he's still trying to be as much a part of the team and this offense as he can. Wow. Does it feel like you need to recover after a game in an atmosphere like that? No, this is the bad thing.

I will be completely wired for like the next three hours and then be so mad tomorrow when my alarm goes off. But that's okay. I love football. Yes, it's totally worth it, which is why we can only handle it once a week, really, because otherwise we would be spent.

Yes. Well, you can find Missy on Twitter at MissyM-I-S-S-I underscore Matthews as part of the Steelers Radio Network as a sideline reporter. It's great to catch up with you again. Happy football season and thank you for a couple of minutes. You got it.

Thanks, Amy. I'll be listening to you next week when we're getting home from Las Vegas in the middle of the night. So you'll keep me up on my drive home from the airport. That's what we do. We like to hear that from a lot of traveling broadcasters.

Also, athletes and coaches will say the same thing, that they are able to catch the show late at night when they've landed after a road trip, or sometimes when they're out of their regular routines and leaving early for a road trip or another obligation. So it's good to know that we've got people listening who are also part of the business, but who. Well, I shouldn't even think about it that much. I was going to say it's good to know and I do appreciate that. But sometimes if I think about it too much, it makes me nervous and that I worry about what I say. But I can't do a radio show if I'm worried about being my own V chip. It just has to be my spaghetti plate brain and my stream of consciousness. So, yay, yay for listeners, yay for you. It's After Hours, CBS Sports Radio.