Falcons inisider D. Orlando Ledbetter from The Atlanta Journal joined the show. He said the Steelers are getting a guy that will put together a good run game. Orlando talked about the distribution issue in Atlanta and why that didn’t all fall on Arthur Smith. He said the players were fans of Smith and weren’t thrilled when he was fired a few weeks ago. Orlando doesn’t think the Steelers will be a top 10 offense, but that’s due to the quarterback and not the coordinator. 

Is the Arthur Smith hire another example of the Steelers being afraid of the Steelers moving out of their comfort zone? Poni said he is surprised Eric Bieniemy did not get an interview, given what Mike Tomlin has said about him in the past. And it’s pretty clear the Steelers did not cast that wide of a net – how many guys did they actually interview?

Was Arthur Smith always the first choice? The guys noted that Zac Robinson did not officially interview with the Steelers despite them requesting it. Should the Steelers be looking to more young minds than retreads?

The Steelers have hired their next offensive coordinator and it is Arthur Smith. Smith saw success in Tennessee as the Titans OC, but struggled mightily as the Falcons HC for the last three seasons. We looked at the good and bad, the pros and cons of what the Steelers are getting in Smith. 

Hour 1: Fallout from the AFC Championship Game had the guys talking about Lamar Jackson failing in a big game yet again. How does it have you feeling about the AFC at-large? How does it have you feeling about the Steelers? Poni is convinced the Steelers would have beaten the Ravens in the playoffs this year. He pointed out that Jackson is the opposite of what the Ravens used to get out of Joe Flacco in the playoffs. Will Lamar ever win the big one? 

John Harbaugh deserves some heat after yesterday’s loss. He has similar struggles in the playoffs lately to Mike Tomlin. Have your feelings changed with Lamar Jackson getting his big deal with the Ravens last off-season? Who deserves the most blame for what happened in Baltimore yesterday?  

HOCKEY TALK! The Pens head into the break with a 3-point weekend. We looked at the latest odds to make the playoffs. Do you believe in Mike Sullivan and the veterans on the roster to get into the playoffs and win a series? 

Hour 2: We listened to the audio from Art Rooney speaking to the media earlier today. He laid out what he thought of the season, players he shouted out, outlook for 2024 and the latest on the offensive coordinator search. 

The guys reacted to what they heard from Art Rooney today and where the Steelers are now. The big takeaway was around the QBs – why Rooney still believes in Kenny Pickett and how he continued to speak highly of what Mason Rudolph did at the end of the season. Are the Steelers approaching things the right way? 

The Steelers have interviewed Arthur Smith for the offensive coordinator position. Does he have anything on his resume that gets you excited about him? Chris pointed out what Ryan Tannehill accomplished in 2 years with Smith. Could the Steelers model themselves after the Titans of 2019-2020? 

Hour 3: The Detroit Meltdown. The Lions blew a 17-point halftime lead and lost the NFC Championship Game. Did Dan Campbell blow it? Was he too aggressive and believe too much in analytics in weird spots? The guys questioned why there isn’t talk about the Lions not having a very good kicker. If a team doesn’t trust their kicker to add to the scoreboard, what’s wrong with going for it on 4th and short? Chris thinks there should be blame on the players as well for not making plays. Are analytics starting to play too much of a factor? Or were the decisions for the Lions to go for it still the right call? Do the Lions get some slack because they played the aggressive way for the entire season? 

We took calls on the debacle for the Lions and if the analytics are growing too strong in the NFL.

Game Balls from championship weekend in the NFL. 

Hour 4: We revisited the State of the Steelers address from Art Rooney II earlier today. Rooney gave Mike Tomlin high praise for winning double-digit games, winning the final three games and making the playoffs. The guys think Rooney doesn’t back up his words for the future of the organization. Yet again, it’s all about stability. Would you feel better or worse about the state of the team if Kenny Pickett made big strides this season, but didn’t see good things from some of the top rookies? Poni compared things to elementary school classes – the most important thing did not go well, but some of the less meaningful areas looked good. What is the best- and worst-case scenario for the Steelers going forward? 

Will Mason Rudolph be back in Pittsburgh next season? Do the Steelers think Rudolph is good enough to be the starter next season? Is a QB competition a good thing for an NFL team? Art Rooney II said Kenny Pickett got better every season at Pitt, but did he really? 

How is the OC search coming along? It looks like Arthur Smith is a favorite right now. The guys went through his recent resume – good things in Tennessee, but not so good as the head man in Atlanta. It also sounds like the two-headed attack at RB is the way the Steelers will keep going into the future. 

Will Mason Rudolph be back in Pittsburgh next season? Do the Steelers think Rudolph is good enough to be the starter next season? Is a QB competition a good thing for an NFL team? Art Rooney II said Kenny Pickett got better every season at Pitt, but did he really? 

We revisited the State of the Steelers address from Art Rooney II earlier today. Rooney gave Mike Tomlin high praise for winning double-digit games, winning the final three games and making the playoffs. The guys think Rooney doesn’t back up his words for the future of the organization. Yet again, it’s all about stability. Would you feel better or worse about the state of the team if Kenny Pickett made big strides this season, but didn’t see good things from some of the top rookies? Poni compared things to elementary school classes – the most important thing did not go well, but some of the less meaningful areas looked good. What is the best and worst case scenario for the Steelers going forward?