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December 5, 2025 - Season 16, Episode 59 of The Terrible Podcast is now in the can. In this Friday morning episode, Alex Kozora and I get right to talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers as they prepare to play the Baltimore Ravens on the road on Sunday afternoon. We open this show by going over the latest regarding former Steelers CB Darius Slay, who was waived by the team this past week. We discuss him not reporting to the Buffalo Bills after they claimed him off waivers and whether he will now just go ahead and retire. We make sure to tackle a few things that Slay said about the Steelers and HC Mike Tomlin during his Thursday night podcast interview with Emmanuel Acho. Alex and I move forward in this show by looking at the Steelers' most recent transactions made and the team's Thursday injury report. We talk about the team likely not having backup T Calvin Anderson this week due to a knee injury and how it's looking like rookie CB Donte Kent won't make it back from the Reserve/Injured list this season. We also discuss the Steelers secondary seemingly being dinged up heading into Sunday's road game against the Ravens. The Ravens are dealing with several key injuries this week as well and so Alex and I recap what their Thursday report said and how there are really just three players to watch closely on Friday's report. We discuss Ravens QB Lamar Jackson likely playing through his ankle injury on Sunday. On Thursday, we once again heard from two of the Steelers' coordinators, Arthur Smith and Teryl Austin, so Alex and I recap the main talking points to come out of those media sessions. We discuss whether the team will finally start playing TE Pat Freiermuth more than TE Jonnu Smith based on what Smith had to say about the two players on Sunday. A few comments made by Austin concerning the team's defense get our attention in this show as well. Steelers S DeShon Elliott and OLB Alex Highsmith are both in the news this week for their off-the-field community activities, so we recap those items. New Steelers WR Adam Thielen talked to the media on Thursday, so we go over a few things that he had to say. We discuss the level of potential impact that Thielen might be able to make on Sunday against the Ravens and which wide receivers might lose some snaps should the newest Steeler indeed be active against the Ravens. We welcome Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Banner back to the show on Friday, and he helps us preview the Steelers-Ravens game. Shaffer has covered the Ravens for many seasons, and he certainly knows that team inside and out. We get his thoughts on several things related to the Sunday afternoon game in Baltimore and his recap of the Ravens' season to date in addition to his outlook for the team moving into Sunday. If not already doing so, make sure to follow Jonas on X/Twitter at @jonas_shaffer and make sure to read his work here: https://www.thebanner.com/author/jonas-shaffer/. After finishing with Shaffer, Alex and I provide our own preview of the Steelers-Ravens game. We break down what we are looking for out of each team on both sides of the football Sunday afternoon. Alex and I then give our picks against the spread for the remainder of the Week 14 NFL games provided by show sponsor MyBookie.ag. We also give our final score predictions for the Steelers-Ravens game. This 131-minute episode also discusses several other minor topics not noted above and we end this episode by answering several emails we received from listeners. steelersdepot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
December 4, 2025 - For Episode 1,736 this Thursday afternoon, Josh Carney says the Steelers shouldn't delay the inevitable with Teryl Austin. steelersdepot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo have a practice report from the team's facility ahead of its NFL Week 14 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. What should we make of the Steelers coordinators' comments on Thursday? Does Arthur Smith have the correct level of urgency? Have we reached the point of the season when he should focus on getting his best players on the field — i.e., Pat Freiermuth, Jaylen Warren, DK Metcalf, etc. — rather than focusing on situational football? What role will Adam Thielen play, and what can they even get out of the 35-year-old wide receiver? Is Teryl Austin's run defense ready? Or should we expect another performance like the one we say Sunday vs. Buffalo or in last season's wild card game against the Ravens? Will they be able to stop Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry? How can defensive backs like Joey Porter Jr. help the run defense? And is Yahya Black up to the challenge? Our duo answers those questions and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Austin's Answers – What did Teryl Austin say to the media earlier today? Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray said the final 5 games matter a lot in the future of Mike Tomlin, but it would take them losing almost all of them for Ray to put the percentage at like 30% of Tomlin being let go. What has better chances – Aaron Rodgers back at QB or Marcus Freeman as the new head coach? Ray isn't sure how much we see of Adam Thielen on Sunday, but doesn't think it would take all that much juggling. Ray said Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek would see less playing time if Thielen cracks the lineup. Ray is one of the many that are curious as to why Jonnu Smith still gets more snaps than Pat Freiermuth. Poni asked Ray about the failed attempts of building the receiving corps in the last few seasons. Ray gave a little look at the injury report as of today. How bad of a signing was Darius Slay? Ray thinks it is simple for Will Howard seeing game action this season – injuries to both Rodgers and Mason Rudolph. The only caveat could be the team completely falling out of the playoff picture. Ray can't bring himself to picking the Steelers on Sunday. Total Request Thursday.
Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's the future of defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, whose unit has under-performed all season and is in the final season of his contract. It seems very unlikely that Austin will be back for 2025, but there are plenty of good reasons that Mike Tomlin shouldn't want to wait until the end of the season to make a chance at defensive playcaller. Alan breaks it down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the Saturday episode of The North Shore Drive podcast presented by Edgar Snyder & Associates, Steelers insiders Christopher Carter and Brian Batko give the final look at Sunday's game against the Bills. How can Teryl Austin and Mike Tomlin dial up the right defense to stop a man they say can go into "Superman" mode in Josh Allen? And the AFC playoff race is getting tighter and more desperate. Where do the Steelers fit in? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
November 28, 2025 - Season 16, Episode 56 of The Terrible Podcast is now in the can. In this Friday morning episode, Alex Kozora and I get right to talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers as they prepare to play the Buffalo Bills at home on Sunday afternoon. With the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens both losing on Thanksgiving, Alex and I discuss the importance of the Steelers beating the Bills at home on Sunday. We talk about how a loss to the bills could potentially limit the Steelers' Wild Card spot chances down to one spot, assuming they don't ultimately win the AFC North division. Alex and I move forward in this show by looking at the Steelers' Thursday injury report, and specifically what the current outlook is for QB Aaron Rodgers, CB Joey Porter Jr., and WR Ben Skowronek when it comes to Sunday's game. We discuss the likelihood of OL Andrus Peat being the starting left tackle on Sunday with T Broderick Jones sidelined for this Week 13 contest. The Bills are dealing with several key injuries this week as well and so Alex and I recap what their Thursday report looked like and how it seems Buffalo is likely to be without their two starting tackles on Sunday. We also talk about the Bills recently signing veteran WR Bradin Cooks and the role he might have against the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. On Thursday, we once again heard from two of the Steelers' coordinators, Arthur Smith and Teryl Austin, so Alex and I recap the main talking points to come out of those media sessions. We talk about what Smith had to say about hunting for more explosive plays on offense and what Austin had to say about some of the woes the team's defense has had. We welcome Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com back to the show on Friday, and he helps us preview the Steelers-Bills game. Parrino has covered the Bills for many seasons, and he certainly knows that team inside and out. We get his thoughts on several things related to the Sunday afternoon game in Pittsburgh and that includes his analysis of QB Josh Allen, OC Joe Brady, and the several injuries that Buffalo is dealing with this week. Parrino gives us his outlook for the 2025 Bills moving forward this season and while he doesn't give a final score prediction on Friday morning, he gives his early thoughts on how he sees the Sunday game in Pittsburgh going and which team he's leaning toward picking as the winner. If not already doing so, make sure to follow Matt on X/Twitter at @mattparrino and make sure to read his work here: https://www.syracuse.com/staff/mparrino/. After finishing with Parrino, Alex and I provide our own preview of the Steelers-Bills game. We break down what we are looking for out of each team on both sides of the football Sunday afternoon. Alex and I then give our picks against the spread for the remainder of the Week 13 NFL games provided by show sponsor MyBookie.ag. We also give our final score predictions for the Steelers-Bills game. This 129-minute episode also discusses several other minor topics not noted above and we end this episode by answering several emails we received from listeners. steelersdepot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's if the team can learn from its failures on defense against the Chicago Bears, whether those lessons apply this week to the Buffalo Bills, and if Teryl Austin and company have an answer for Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Alan breaks it down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to the Steelers Afternoon Drive, our new daily podcast featuring all the latest Steelers news and analysis. Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, Brendan Howe fills in for Smitty, as the guys discuss the team's Thursday practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, and what both coordinators Teryl Austin and Arthur Smith had to say, specifically about the team's deep passing game on offense and defensive playcalling. Let's go for another Steelers Afternoon Drive and discuss all this! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's why the defense went back to a Cover 3-based scheme against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, after running two-high safety looks successfully the last few weeks. The Bears run the ball a lot and also play with two tight ends, necessitating additional coverage in the middle of the field, and not double covering the outside receivers as Teryl Austin's unit had been doing. That works in principle, but the Bears were able to attack the weaknesses in the Pittsburgh scheme, and Austin and company never adjusted. Alan breaks it down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the Tuesday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel, host Noah Hiles and Post-Gazette Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo analyze the team's current losing skid of four losses in six games. Can coach Mike Tomlin turn things around midseason as he has in the past? What lessons can he stars including Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Jalen Ramsey learn from those turnarounds? And could a midseason firing of a coordinator like Arthur Smith or Teryl Austin be a potential solution like it was with Matt Canada in 2023? Our duo tackles those questions, then analyzes the remaining schedule and what the Steelers will need to do to make the NFL playoffs. Is at least one win in the next two games against the Bills and Ravens necessary? How can they match up with Josh Allen and Buffalo in NFL Week 13 or Lamar Jackson and Baltimore in NFL Week 14? And are the Browns and Dolphins the only opponents this team may have a clear advantage against? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Live around 5 p.m., Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise reacts to Steelers legend James Harrison's scathing criticism of the coaching staff following the NFL Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears. Was Harrison right to call out coach Mike Tomlin, OC Arthur Smith and DC Teryl Austin on his podcast with former Steeler Joe Haden? Is TE Darnell Washington being used correctly? And how much truth is there in his "soft" label for the defensive front that includes names like T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Nick Herbig, Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton? Paul tackles those questions, plus headlines from coach Mike Tomlin's news conference, which included an injury update on QB Aaron Rodgers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
November 21, 2025 - Season 16, Episode 53 of The Terrible Podcast is now in the can. In this Friday morning episode, Alex Kozora and I get right to talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers as they prepare to play the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. Alex and I start this show by looking at the Steelers' Thursday injury report and specifically, what the current outlook is for QB Aaron Rodgers, RB Jaylen Warren, and OLB Alex Highsmith. We discuss the contraption that Rodgers wore on his injured left wrist on Thursday and he reportedly looked as a limited practice participant. We move forward from Pittsburgh's injury report heading into Friday to look briefly at the injured players that Chicago is currently dealing with. On Thursday, we once again heard from two of the Steelers' coordinators, Arthur Smith and Teryl Austin, so Alex and I recap the main talking points to come out of those media sessions. We discuss Smith possibly adding a wrinkle to the team's version of the tush push, how he feels about using RB Jaylen Warren and RB Kenneth Gainwell in any situation, and what it would take for rookie RB Kaleb Johnson to get more touches moving forward. As for Austin's Thursday comments, we discuss what he had to say about CB Cory Trice Jr. now being out for the rest of the season. We also talk about what Austin had to say about OLB Nick Herbig and OLB Jack Sawyer. We also go over Austin's thoughts on preparing to defend against Bears QB Caleb Williams on Sunday in Chicago. We welcome Adam Hoge of All City as a first timer to the show on Friday, and he helps us preview the Steelers-Bears game. Hoge has covered the Bears for many seasons, and he certainly knows that team inside and out. We get his thoughts on several things related to the Sunday afternoon game in Chicago and that includes his analysis of Williams and new HC Ben Johnson. Adam fills us in on the Bears' injuries, how CB Jaylon Johnson might be back this week and the impact that could potentially have. We also get his thoughts on Rodgers potentially playing on Sunday against the Bears, a team that he has a lot of history and success against dating back to when he was the longtime quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. Adam talks about the Bears' offense and defense quite a bit in this interview, and we get his not-yet-set-in-stone prediction for the Sunday game at the end of the interview. If not already doing so, make sure to follow Adam on X/Twitter at @adamhoge and make sure to read his work here: https://allchgo.com/author/hogejahnsauthor/. After finishing with Hoge, Alex and I provide our own preview of the Steelers-Bears game. We break down what we are looking for out of each team on both sides of the football Sunday afternoon. Alex and I then give our picks against the spread for the remainder of the Week 12 NFL games provided by show sponsor MyBookie.ag. We also give our final score predictions for the Steelers-Bears game. This 135-minute episode also discusses several other minor topics not noted above and we end this episode by answering several emails we received from listeners. steelersdepot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's episode: Teryl Austin makes plain what really changed in the Steelers' defensive approach Hear award-winning columnist Dejan Kovacevic's three Daily Shot podcasts -- one each on Steelers, Penguins, Pirates -- every weekday morning, plus the all-new DOUBLE SHOT show that follows up at 4:00 p.m. Eastern! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Austin's Answers – What did Teryl Austin say to the media today? Steve Palazzolo from the 33rd Team joined the show. Steve said he would rate Aaron Rodgers a 5.5/10 right now and Mason Rudolph a 4.5/10 – answering the same question Poni asked Pomp in the 3 pm hour. Steve isn't convinced Rodgers is playing better football than Ben Roethlisberger did in his last couple years. Steve described Rodgers as ‘a tick off' in his last few games. How good has the Steelers offensive line been in protection of Rodgers? Steve isn't sure why Darius Slay would go right back into the Steelers lineup. Does Steve think the Steelers should have regret trading George Pickens? The guys asked Steve how good Darnell Washington has been and what kind of potential he has at over 300 pounds. Steve picked the Steelers to beat the Bears, sighting how lucky Chicago has been. Donny Football Debrief – Why did CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens get disciplined on MNF?
November 14, 2025 - Season 16, Episode 50 of The Terrible Podcast is now in the can. In this Friday morning episode, Alex Kozora and I get right to talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers as they prepare to play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium Alex and I start this show off by looking at the Thursday injury report released by the Steelers. We discuss the few players to watch closely on the Friday report and whether CB Darius Slay will be able to play on Sunday due to him being in concussion protocol this week. Will WR Ke'Shawn Williams be active again this weekend as a returner? If he isn't, will rookie RB Kaleb Johnson be given another chance to return kickoffs? We address both of those questions early in this show. Alex and I also discuss the possibilities of both WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling and CB Asante Samuel Jr. being elevated from the practice squad on Saturday. On Thursday, we once again heard from two of the Steelers' coordinators, Arthur Smith and Teryl Austin, so Alex and I recap the main talking points to come out of those media sessions. While not a lot of pertinent information came out of those two media sessions, we address a few of the things both of the coordinators said. We welcome Jay Morrison of Sports Illustrated back to the show on Friday, and he helps us preview the Steelers-Bengals game. Morrison has covered the Bengals for many seasons, and nobody knows that team better than he does. I get his thoughts on several things related to the Sunday afternoon game in Pittsburgh. Jay fills us in on the Bengals' injuries, how QB Joe Flacco has fit in on offense the last several weeks, and the state of the Cincinnati locker room on the heels of their last two losses prior to bye week. Jay talks about the Bengals' offense and defense quite a bit in this interview, and we get his score prediction for the Sunday game at the end of the interview. If not already doing so, make sure to follow Jay on X/Twitter at @ByJayMorrison and make sure to read his work here: https://www.bengalstalk.com. After finishing with Morrison, Alex and I provide our own preview of the Steelers-Bengals game. We break down what we are looking for out of each team on both sides of the football Sunday afternoon. Alex and I then give our picks against the spread for the remainder of the Week 11 NFL games provided by show sponsor MyBookie.ag. We also give our final score predictions for the Steelers-Bengals game. This 108-minute episode also discusses several other minor topics not noted above and we end this episode by answering several emails we received from listeners. steelersdepot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's how the Pittsburgh defense can handle the star Cincinnati receivers. Last time around, JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins torched them for over 250 yards, with Andrei Iosivas and Noah Fant piling to make it fan even 350 yards for the top four receivers combined in a 33-31 Cincinnati win on Thursday Night Football last month. This time around, there are different personnel available to Teryl Austin, Mike Tomlin and company, but is there a schematic answer? Alan breaks it down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss Alex Highsmith missing a second consecutive practice and Nick Herbig being in line to start against the Cincinnati Bengals. We talked about Teryl Austin talking about having to be careful to not overcorrect in the same way they did in their first matchup when Chase Brown got going on the ground. We also touch on playing inverted Cover-2, different ways to use personnel and much more. Let's go for another Steelers Afternoon Drive and discuss all this! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Live around 5 p.m., Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise evaluates the Steelers' coaching staff amid the team's recent funk of three losses in the past four games. Does coach Mike Tomlin deserve the most criticism for the team's performance? Or some credit for the defense's recent turnaround? What is OC Arthur Smith's level of blame as his unit has regressed? With stars Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf suffering the biggest dips in performance? And where does DC Teryl Austin fit into the equation? With T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and the pass rush surging. But Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay and others creating questions in the secondary? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This week's Mike's Beer Bar pregame show podcast with Tim Benz previews the Steelers trip to Los Angeles to play the Chargers. He's joined by Nick Herbig, Brandin Echols, Teryl Austin, Joe Rutter and Mike DeCourcy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
November 7, 2025 - Season 16, Episode 47 of The Terrible Podcast is now in the can. In this Friday morning episode, Alex Kozora and I get right to talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers as they prepare to play the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night. The Steelers made a few more transactions since our Wednesday show so Alex and I go over the Addition of DT Brodric Martin-Rhodes and the waiving of OLB DeMarvin Leal. We also go over the fact that the Steelers now enter Friday with just a 52-man roster. Will Martin-Rhodes see action on Sunday night against the Chargers and how does he fit with the Steelers? Alex and I attempt to answer those two questions early in this show. We also discuss whether the Steelers will activate QB Will Howard from the Reserve/Injured list prior to the Sunday night game. Alex and I go over the injury report released by the Steelers on Thursday as we attempt to get a better handle on who might be out this week. On Thursday, we once again heard from two of the Steelers' coordinators, Arthur Smith and Teryl Austin, so Alex and I recap the main talking points to come out of those media sessions. As part of this conversation, Alex and I discuss how QB Aaron Rodgers has fit in with the Steelers so far and how it looks like he has a great relationship with Smith. Will the Steelers ultimately sign free agent CB Assante Samuel Jr.? We talk about the visits that he has taking this next week and his potential fit in Pittsburgh should he ultimately sign with the Steelers. With no opposing team beat writer to talk to this week, Alex and I provide our own preview of the Steelers-Chargers Sunday night game. We break down what we are looking for out of each team on both sides of the football Sunday night. We start by looking at the Chargers offense before talking in-depth about their defense. Several key stats and rankings for both the Steelers and the Chargers are mixed in throughout this preview as well. Alex and I then give our picks against the spread for all of the Week 10 NFL games against the spreads using the lines provided by show sponsor MyBookie.ag. We also provide our own score predictions for the Steelers-Chargers game. This 109-minute episode also discusses several other minor topics not noted above and we end this episode by answering several emails we received from listeners. steelersdepot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Gerry Dulac and Ray Fittipaldo give their practice report ahead of an NFL Week 10 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. This show is presented by FanDuel. How much credit do coach Mike Tomlin and DC Teryl Austin deserve for adjusting to a simplified defenses for the win against the Colts? With safeties Jabrill Peppers, DeShon Elliott and Chuck Clark out injured? Did it help Kyle Dugger's integration into the defense? And could similar adjustments help T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Jalen Ramsey, Payton Wilson and Alex Highsmith this week as they face a tough challenge from Justin Herbert, Quentin Johnston, Ladd McConkey and the potent Chargers passing attack? Our duo tackles those questions; emphasizes the need to slow the Chargers' running game; and checks in on Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Jaylen Warren and the offense as they look to extend drives. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss the latest on the injury front with both Alex Highsmith and Darnell Washington returning to practice. We also discuss what Teryl Austin had to say about Kyle Dugger jumping on the train and Artie Smith had to say in regard to Roman Wilson's fumble. We then discuss where exactly this team should sit in the pecking order of the AFC and if we believe they have their offensive line of the future. Let's go for another Steelers Afternoon Drive and discuss all this! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 31, 2025 - Season 16, Episode 44 of The Terrible Podcast is now in the can. In this Friday morning episode, Alex Kozora and I get right to talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers as they prepare to play the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night. We discuss the Steelers' injury situation heading into Friday and other miscellaneous items related to the team that have happened since Wednesday. On Thursday, we once again heard from two of the Steelers' coordinators, Arthur Smith and Teryl Austin, so Alex and I recap the main talking points to come out of those media sessions. We discuss Austin on talking about how he mostly does the play calling on defense and how HC Mike Tomlin has the liberty to call some plays as well. We go over several key stats related to the Steelers defense as the team enters Week 9. We also talk about the Steelers moving two players to the Reserve/Injured list on Friday and if the offense will stay committed to using a sixth offensive lineman on Sunday should G Isaac Seumalo miss the Week 9 contest with his pectoral injury. We welcome the Indianapolis Star's Joel A. Erickson to the show on Friday, and he helps us get started with a preview of the Steelers-Colts game. Erickson has covered the Colts for many seasons, and nobody knows that team better than he does. We get his thoughts on several things related to the Sunday game in Pittsburgh against the Colts. Joel fills us in on the play so far of the 2025 Colts based on what his preseason predictions for the team were. We also discuss the amazing seasons that Colts QB Daniel Jones and RB Jonathan Taylor are both having to date. Joel talks about the Colts' offense and defense quite a bit, and we get his score prediction for the Sunday game at the end of the interview. If not already doing so, make sure to follow Joel on X/Twitter at @JoelAErickson and make sure to read his work here: https://www.indystar.com/staff/2647522001/joel-a-erickson/ After finishing with Erickson, Alex and I provide our own preview of the Steelers-Colts game. We break down what we are looking for out of each team on both sides of the football Sunday afternoon. Alex and I then give our picks against the spread for all of the Week 9 NFL games against the spreads using the lines provided by show sponsor MyBookie.ag. We also provide our own score predictions for the Steelers-Colts game. This 122-minute episode also discusses several other minor topics not noted above and we end this episode by answering several emails we received from listeners. steelersdepot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this hour, Adam Crowley and Jason Mackey react to some comments made by Steelers' defensive coordinator Teryl Austin this week about who calls the offense. Also, Chris Carter from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette comes on The Fan Hotline. And the Penguins lead the NHL in points! October 31, 2025, 8:00 Hour
Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss what Teryl Austin had to say about the addition of Kyle Dugger and the challenge of defending Shane Steichen's Indianapolis Colts offense. We also discuss what Artie Smith had to say about getting away from the run game and plans for the Jumbe package. Let's go for another Steelers Afternoon Drive and discuss all this! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Other teams are minimizing the Steelers' best players with quick passes. Hokie thinks DeShon Elliott's absence is huge, but he was also there for the Flacco game. Hokie thinks there is a lack of focus and guys are taking bad angles. "It's little things popping up TOO OFTEN."
Teryl Austin said that Mike Tomlin is in all the meetings and very involved with the defense. Teryl Austin calls the plays, but Joe says that he's just the figurehead. Gerry Dulac also confirmed this is Mike Tomlin's defense and that Tomlin does call some of the plays. It's "under the Tomlin framework."
Hour 2 with Bob Pompeani and Joe Starkey: Other teams are minimizing the Steelers' best players with quick passes. Hokie thinks DeShon Elliott's absence is huge, but he was also there for the Flacco game. The defense needs to play much, much better. Chris Hoke is very concerned with the Steelers' ability to cover man defense.
Hour 4 with Bob Pompeani and Joe Starkey: Teryl Austin said that Mike Tomlin is in all the meetings and very involved with the defense. Gerry Dulac also confirmed this is Mike Tomlin's defense and that Tomlin does call some of the plays. Jeff thinks the veteran players were trying to send a message to the team by practicing on Wednesday when they'd usually not. Mason Heintschel is a very mature freshman quarterback.
Teryl Austin gave a little look into how the sausage is made with the defensive play calling. He confirmed that he calls the plays, but Mike Tomlin has plenty of say in it as well. The notion that it's a myth about Tomlin calling the plays isn't true. It's Tomlin's defense, but Austin gets to simply ‘call' most of the plays. We discussed differing reports from people who cover the team.
Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray said he hasn't had much time to dig in on why Darius Slay missed practice today due to ‘personal reasons,' but thinks we could very well see his snaps go down on Sunday afternoon. Why do the Steelers have so many issues with communication on defense? Ray helped the guys break the tie when it came to defensive play calling conspiracy theories – it sounds like Mike Tomlin has the ultimate control and will call plays on the ‘weighty downs,' but Teryl Austin still relays most of the plays. Ray expects a high scoring game on Sunday, but acknowledges that it's a really bad matchup for the Steelers defense. His prediction was Colts 41-30.
Teryl Austin gave a little look into how the sausage is made with the defensive play calling. He confirmed that he calls the plays, but Mike Tomlin has plenty of say in it as well. The notion that it's a myth about Tomlin calling the plays isn't true. It's Tomlin's defense, but Austin gets to simply ‘call' most of the plays. We discussed differing reports from people who cover the team. KDKA TV legend Bob Pompeani joined the show. Bob wishes he could have been there last night for the Poni Pierces Cancer event. He gave props to Mario Lemieux and Pat Freiermuth for stepping up too. Pomp said he has to see it to believe it for the Steelers, but he doesn't rule out them winning the game on Sunday. The guys asked Pomp about how things are divvied up on defense with the play calling. What does Bob think of owners wearing headsets on the sidelines? The guys asked Bob a couple Halloween related questions. Bob's prediction was Colts, 31-23. Power Rankings – Top 5 favorite 2005 Steelers.
Will the Steelers hold off the Ravens to win the division? Donny doesn't think that dream will even make it beyond Thanksgiving. In this next 5-game stretch for both teams, Donny thinks the Ravens go 5-0 (taking them to 7-5) and the Steelers go 2-3 (taking them to 6-6). Would make for a fun finish to the season, but the Ravens will have taken over 1st place in the AFC North. Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo from the PG joined the show. Ray said he hasn't had much time to dig in on why Darius Slay missed practice today due to ‘personal reasons,' but thinks we could very well see his snaps go down on Sunday afternoon. Why do the Steelers have so many issues with communication on defense? Ray helped the guys break the tie when it came to defensive play calling conspiracy theories – it sounds like Mike Tomlin has the ultimate control and will call plays on the ‘weighty downs,' but Teryl Austin still relays most of the plays. Ray expects a high scoring game on Sunday, but acknowledges that it's a really bad matchup for the Steelers defense. His prediction was Colts 41-30. Total Request Thursday.
Doug Whaley said there is no substance in Mike Tomlin's press conference and no substance in the team's defense. Mark said that Teryl Austin is calling the defensive plays but Mike Tomlin can overrule. The schemes are all built by Mike Tomlin.
In this hour, Adam Crowley wonders who's really calling the plays for the Steelers' defense and who should be held most responsible for the struggles of late. October 29, 2025, 7:00 Hour
Live around 5 p.m., Post-Gazette sports columnist Paul Zeise gives his thoughts on the state of the Steelers' coaching staff following losses to the Bengals and Packers in NFL Weeks 7 and 8, respectively. Should DC Teryl Austin be on the hot seat as his star-studded unit that includes names like T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Nick Herbig, Alex Highsmith, Jalen Ramsey and Patrick Queen has struggled? Would firing him actually change anything? Or does blame for the unit's performance ultimately rest with coach Mike Tomlin? And what are realistic expectations for a midseason turnaround? Paul tackles those questions and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Alan Saunders and Zachary Smith discuss all things Pittsburgh Steelers. On today's episode, we discuss Mike Tomlin coming to the defense of Teryl Austin, why his answers don't add up in regard to what's going on with the secondary, if it's time to completely ice Darius Slay out of the rotation and where to go from here. Let's go for another Steelers Afternoon Drive and discuss all this! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hour 2 with Joe Starkey: Nick is getting closer to the point that Teryl Austin should be fired. Nick thinks the Steelers need to decide if it's worth it to trade draft picks to help a unit that has been so poor. The World Series has been epic and had an 18-inning thriller. The Pirates have hired Bill Murphy as their next pitching coach. The Penguins are off to a fast start.
Hour 1 with Joe Starkey: Teryl Austin's days as the Steelers defensive coordinator are numbered. By firing Teryl Austin, everything with the defense is in Mike Tomlin's hands. Tomlin's fate beyond this season would be linked back to the defense. Teryl Austin has never finished in the top 10 in defense. We hear from Steelers fans on the state of the defense. The Steelers signed wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Nick Farabaugh would play Payton Wilson more on run downs. He thinks Jalen Ramsey will play more safety. Nick is getting closer to the point that Teryl Austin should be fired. There are not a ton of obvious trade options. Nick thinks the Steelers need to decide if it's worth it to trade draft picks to help a unit that has been so poor.
Teryl Austin's days as the Steelers defensive coordinator are numbered. Teryl Austin has never finished in the top 10 in defense. By firing Teryl Austin, everything with the defense is in Mike Tomlin's hands. Tomlin's fate beyond this season would be linked back to the defense.
Mike Tomlin addressed defensive woes, Teryl Austin's status, red zone problems, offensive threats in Indianapolis, injury problems. Tim Benz and Joe Rutter discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost their second straight game, and their defense has given up nearly 1,000 yards of offense. Jarrett Bailey recaps the Steelers loss to the Packers, and advocates for new leadership in Pittsburgh. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Welcome to Steelers Morning Rush, our new daily short-form podcast with Alan Saunders, giving a longer perspective on a single news topic surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers or the National Football League. Today, it's the complete meltdown of the Pittsburgh secondary and what can be done about it in time to salvage results for the 2025 season. Last year, the Baltimore Ravens made a bold move mid-season, bringing Dean Peas out of retirement to help turn the tide of a struggle defense that ended with the Ravens running down the Steelers for the AFC North title. Should the Steelers be open to a similar change -- or even a more drastic one like firing Teryl Austin? Alan breaks it down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On the Saturday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, presented by FanDuel and Edgar Snyder & Associates, Post-Gazette Steelers insiders Christopher Carter and Brian Batko ponder which defensive problems the Steelers most need to fix ahead of an NFL Week 8 matchup with the Green Bay Packers. Are coach Mike Tomlin and DC Teryl Austin too focused on stopping the run compared to the pass? How can they get DBs including Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay Jr., Joey Porter Jr. and others on track when facing a tough matchup against QB Jordan Love? And where do front seven members like T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Nick Herbig, Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton and others fit into that equation? Our duo tackles those questions, plus Aaron Rodgers' matchup with his former team. How many points will he be able to put up with options including DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Jaylen Warren, Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith surrounding him? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
October 24, 2025 - Season 16, Episode 41 of The Terrible Podcast is now in the can. In this Friday morning episode, Alex Kozora and I get right to talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers as they prepare to play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night. We discuss the Steelers' injury report heading into Friday and other miscellaneous items related to the team that have happened since Wednesday. On Thursday, we heard from two of the Steelers' coordinators, Arthur Smith and Teryl Austin, so Alex and I recap the main talking points to come out of those media sessions on this longer week. There is a lot of talk from us in this segment about what transpired in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals and how the team is preparing for the Packers. We welcome Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel back to the show on Friday, and he helps us get started with a preview of the Steelers-Packers game. Silverstein has covered the Packers for many seasons, and nobody knows that team better than he does. We get his thoughts on several things related to Sunday's night game in Pittsburgh against the Packers. Tom fills us in on the Packers' trade for OLB Micah Parsons and how he has played for Green Bay since arriving. We also talk to Tom a lot about Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers as he prepares to play his former team. Tom talks about the Packers' offense and defense quite a bit, and we get his score prediction for the Sunday night game at the end of the interview. If not already doing so, make sure to follow Tom on X/Twitter at @tomsilverstein and make sure to read his work here: https://www.jsonline.com/staff/4804382002/tom-silverstein/ After finishing with Silverstein, Alex and I provide our own preview of the Steelers-Packers game. We break down what we are looking for out of each team on both sides of the football Sunday night in Pittsburgh. Alex and I then give our picks against the spread for all of the Week 8 NFL games against the spreads using the lines provided by show sponsor MyBookie.ag. We also provide our own score predictions for the Steelers game against the Packers. This 144-minute episode also discusses several other minor topics not noted above and we end this episode by answering several emails we received from listeners. steelersdepot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's episode: Teryl Austin essentially echoes Mike Tomlin's stance that run-defending's to blame for pass-defending. Hear award-winning columnist Dejan Kovacevic's three Daily Shot podcasts -- one each on Steelers, Penguins, Pirates -- every weekday morning, plus the all-new DOUBLE SHOT show that follows up at 4:00 p.m. Eastern! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 15, 2025 - Season 16, Episode 37 of The Terrible Podcast is now in the can. In this Wednesday morning episode, Alex Kozora and I get right to talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers as they prepare to play the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night. We discuss the Steelers' injury report heading into Wednesday, the free agent visitor the team brought in on Tuesday, and other miscellaneous items related to the team that happened since Monday. On Tuesday, we heard from two of the Steelers' coordinators, Arthur Smith and Teryl Austin, so Alex and I recap the main talking points to come out of those media sessions on this short week. There is a lot of talk from us in this segment about Steelers ILB Patrick Queen and TE Darnell Washington based on comments made by both coordinators on Tuesday. With the all-22 from the Steelers Week 6 game against the Cleveland Browns now fully digested by both of us, Alex and I go deeper into our recap of that home win this past Sunday. We discuss how the Steelers were able to minimize the impact of Browns DE Myles Garrett on Sunday and how that unit ran the ball more effectively in that contest. Steelers T Broderick Jones is a big conversation topic coming out of the game against the Browns, so Alex and I discuss his play and future outlook with the team now in Week 7. Alex and I go over the play of the Steelers' defense against the Browns and how the depth on that side of the football performed well overall after a few starters were pulled from the contest in the fourth quarter. I welcome Jay Morrison of Sports Illustrated back to the show, and he helps me get started with a preview of the Bengals-Steelers game. Morrison has covered the Bengals for many seasons, and nobody knows that team better than he does. I get his thoughts on several things related to Thursday's night game in Cincinnati. Jay fills all of us in on the trade that the Bengal's made for veteran QB Joe Flacco and how he played in Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers. We talk about the status of Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson headed into Wednesday and how the Bengals might get a few other injured players back for the game against the Steelers. Jay talks about the Bengals offense and defense quite a bit during his time with me and I get his score prediction for the Thursday night game at the end of the interview.If not already doing so, make sure to follow Jay on X/Twitter at @ByJayMorrison and make sure to read his work here: https://www.bengalstalk.com After finishing with Morrison, Alex and I provide our own preview of the Bengals-Steelers game. We break down what we are looking for out of each team on both sides of the football on Thursday night in Cincinnati. Alex and I then give our picks against the spread for the Thursday night game between the Steelers and the Bengals using the line provided by show sponsor MyBookie.ag. This 118-minute episode also discusses several other minor topics not noted above. steelersdepot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
October 10, 2025 - Season 16, Episode 35 of The Terrible Podcast is now in the can. In this Friday morning episode, Alex Kozora and I get right to talking briefly about the Thursday night game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles and how it was a huge coming out party for both QB Jaxson Dart and RB Cam Skattebo on the main stage. Alex and I move on to discuss the Pittsburgh Steelers' injury report heading into Friday. We talk about Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey and WR Calvin Austin III both trying to return this week from their respective injuries. We also discuss what the early inactive list for the Sunday home game against the Cleveland Browns is shaping up to be. The Steelers brought in a few free agents for tryouts this past week, so Alex and I go over that list of players and the return of ILB Jacoby Windmon to the practice squad. On Thursday, we heard from two of the Steelers' coordinators, Arthur Smith and Teryl Austin, so Alex and I recap the main talking points to come out of those media sessions. Will Steelers OL Spencer Anderson factor into the receiving game on Sunday against the Browns? Alex and I go deep into trying to answer that question on this Friday. We also talk about the roles of Steelers outside linebackers Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig on Sunday and if either have a shot at making huge plays against the Browns. Alex and I welcome Scott Petrak of The Chronicle-Telegram and Medina Gazette back to the show, and he helps us get started with a preview of the Steelers-Browns game. Petrak has covered the Browns for many seasons, and nobody knows that team better than he does. We get his thoughts on several things related to Sunday's game at Acrisure Stadium. Scott fills us in on the two trades that the Browns made this past week and if the loss of veteran QB Joe Flacco might impact the upcoming game against the Steelers from a preparation standpoint. We talk about the Browns on offense and defense and how Cleveland's rookie class seems to be impacting the team in a lot of positive ways so far in 2025. At the end of our talk with Petrak, he gives us his score prediction for the Steelers-Browns game. If not already doing so, make sure to follow Scott on X/Twitter at @ScottPetrak and make sure to read his work here: https://www.brownszone.com After finishing with Petrak, Alex and I provide our own preview of the Steelers-Browns game. We break down what we are looking for out of each team on both sides of the football on Sunday at Acrisure stadium in Pittsburgh. Alex and I then give our picks against the spread for all of the Week 6 games in the NFL using the lines provided by show sponsor MyBookie.ag. We also give our score predictions for Steelers-Browns to end that segment. This 112-minute episode also discusses several other minor topics not noted and we close out this show by answering a few questions we received via email from listeners. steelersdepot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices