Steve Smith Sr. previews Steelers-Vikings TNF matchup, Big Ben, coaches on hot seat | NFL | THE HERD By The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Joining us now. Steve Smith NFL Network 60 years five-time pro bowler.

All right, Steve, by the way, here. This is interesting as a player ages. We had him for a second Steve, when a player ages, obviously, a player, when you are getting to the end of your career. So, it looks like to me about every two out of three weekends. Ben Roethlisberger looks like he should retire, but it’s interesting. So, last weekend he’s good. And he does have five game-winning Drive Steve which are tied for the most in the league.

So, as you get to that last year, I can see a receiver quarterback saying, hey, I still got it. I just don’t got it every Sunday when you watch Ben, when you watch, Banning, maybe go back to your career. It feels like to me two out of three weekends. I feel like he’s just too old and I looked this morning and I’m like, he’s got five game, winning drives. What do you do if you’re the Steelers with Big Ben?

Well, if you distillers with big band, you know, what you have is a guy that is aging, that’s the fact. Does he bring something to the table? He has five game-winning drive. So yes, he does. However, they must at some point, start to find the guy that can step in. And by doing that, they must have all their criterias in which they want a new franchise.

Quarterback and they can’t compromise on those standards. And criteria is that have they may compromise in. He may not be the right height?

But you can’t compromise in on strength. Can they process information fast enough? When you’re playing a AFC North team that has in a division, where the Baltimore Ravens where they have Wink Martindale. Who’s gonna Blitz you? He’s gonna line up everybody at the line of scrimmage and then Bell lap, so, Howard quarterback processes information, you. You can’t fudge that? Yeah, and you have to look at the court, the guy who ever will.

Place. Been next year, that person must be the same Criterion, which how they choose coaches. Yeah. Coach Tomlin has been there for 15 years because they saw some him at a young age that says he will, he will be able to endure the test of time, right. And that’s what we’re saying. What coach Tomlin and you need to find that in your franchise quarterback and somebody listening to this can say, we’ll see. That’s easy to say, absolutely.

It is easy to say but that’s the Dilemma, they’re in, they can’t compromise because if they do, they find themselves like the Carolina Panthers, my home town team where you’re trying to figure it out. You have three guys now who all have good attributes, but their deficiencies are glaring. Yes, so glare. So glaring.

Better offensive coordinator has kind of been exposed and also relieved of his duties because his system doesn’t fit the playwright. Yeah, you know, it is interesting. The AFC is so jammed. So close that, I the Steelers play tonight. And if I said to you Raven, Steelers bingle’s Browns, if I said to you this morning and there’s, there’s not a right answer. May be on this Baltimore. Feels like the

Best team to me who feels like in that the because right now, they could all win it and make it all finish fourth and the Steelers tonight. This is the. It feels like a massive game for Pittsburgh tonight. Yeah, it is who they say. Who’s the best team in your opinion in that division? And why?

See, here’s the here’s the answer and I’m not avoiding it. But this is something that you have to think about which I’ve been looking at. And I have my paper here because I’m sitting here, I am. I’m nervous for Pittsburgh and here’s why the remaining schedule they have, obviously the Vikings tonight that I’m doing, then they have tended, the Titan to whether their camera is there. They’re going to run the ball. You have the chief, the Chiefs. That’s

Me. So that’s going to be a big game. Then you have the Browns they’re going to be running the ball and then you finish with the Baltimore Ravens who is going to be running in the ball. So you go into the playoffs. If you get in beat up, bruised battered, because five out of five of the games that you’re having for out of them, run the ball. Yeah, they run the ball to their blind. So they are saying look, whether you want to be physical or not. You’re going to be in a physical.

Yeah, so the Vikings are gonna run the ball, Titans are going to run the ball. Then you get a then you get the flag football game with the Kansas City Chiefs and all those, all that speed, and then you’re back to the mini car crashes with the wind Brown. Yeah, they your back with the mini card, the big, many Karkat crash, and the emotional high that you have to deal with with the Steelers and pinched with the Steelers and the Ravens. Like you should also to have all these games that literally are going to go.

Down to the wire because of how much they possess the ball and run. It is going to be emotional, gain physical game, and you’re supposed to be going in the playoffs feeling excited and take it a level up where you’ve had literally four playoff games. And now you got to have a fifth, which is the actual playoffs. I kind of see this as a no-win for the Pittsburgh Steelers, even if they get the playoffs, some things are going to show that they just emotionally will not be able to withstand and sustain that type.

Of physical game play at the end of the season. Now, it’s fair it by the way. So you’re studying for this game NFL Network. So they play the Vikings and it’s interesting, like sometimes you just know it’s time to fire a coach and any get to Mike Zimmer and you’re like, he’s a little conservative as the league gets more offensive. He doesn’t have great relationships with players, but I never feel like Minnesota’s losing because they have a bad coach, but if they lose tonight,

Steve I could argue. He’s on the hottest seat outside of Matt Nagy in the NFL. When you look at the Vikings is it time to inject? I mean, I loved Andy Reid, but I understood Philadelphia going. We just need new juice. Yes, Pete Carroll’s great. I think Seattle needs a new voice is if my camera loses tonight. Is it kind of time for a new voice? I don’t know if it’s time for a new voice, but it certainly seems fly.

Things as planned when you have a guy like a defensive coordinator who was brought there to improve the defense and the defense has not improved. Yeah, right. That’s like hiring a caterer to cater a big event.

and they bring,

Chicken fingers for Chick-fil-A, bad stuff. Like, all you getting this nugget, man. I understand you’re bringing me to Polynesian sauce and I love it. But I, I got. So, I got some different folks. Here, date. They want some, you know, they, they want some calamari. They want some different things and you’re bringing finger foods with State prices, Mmm. Yeah, that doesn’t bode well for the paying customer called the fans. Yeah, they have an expectation.

Taoiseach and the other part that I don’t like is Kirk Cousins being blamed for not playing. Well, he’s playing well, yeah, this defense is letting them down. Yeah. And so and so now the well Kirk Cousins could play better. Well, how much better do you want a guy to play when he’s at? He’s a tier 2 quarterback with tier one statistic. Yeah.

No, no. No, I’d listen you, I don’t disagree on this Kirk Cousins is not the issue. This is my problem with Pete, Carroll and Seattle. It’s a defensive coach and the trend for both defenses is down. When kings Barry goes to Arizona the trend for the offense goes up. So I totally agree with you. On this is that the head coach, his side of the ball can never be the liability. If you’re Sean McVeigh, I can’t be losing because of the offense if I’m losing because of the shouldn’t be, that’s right.

You shouldn’t be by the way, all these young receivers out there. You’re going to see Justin Jefferson. Chase Claypool. I mean, there’s a lot of them in tonight’s game, if there was one receiver in the NFL right now. Just one young guy, one young guy, Steve that you really liked his toughness. You were a tough guy, his route running, what y’all, what young guy is it for you?

It’s interesting. You said Claypool because Claypool is a like them. He’s an he’s a nice talent. But he’s also a guy that at times seems to have only a few routes and jump ball. Seems to always be yeah in the in that route. So I believe that the Steelers also besides the quarterback. They need to get a veteran wide receiver to help some of the, you know, deante Johnson. He’s dropping some passes and he always does something that

Just go. Ah, he’s turning a corner, but he does something that you just makes you scratch your head. Right? And Claypool is this guy who’s coming off the scene, but people are starting to figure them out. If you take away the Deep ball, if you take away the jump ball, he kind of get. He kind of disappears in a gang. Yeah, and that’s just that’s just me looking at him and saying I need more from him, right? Justin Jefferson is one of those guys. He’s leading the league 20-plus passes by. Oh, yeah occurred.

Cousins. Who is a guy that is risk-averse. Yeah. He’s throwing the ball down the field. Hmm. So what I really love is I love Justin Jefferson because he’s doing a lot of his work.

Everywhere, but he’s not being here in the slide and playing running routes against linebackers. He’s really only playing 20% in a slot. So 80% of his work is on the outside. So he’s dominating outside where we’re seeing generally. A lot of these big guys are playing inside. Yeah, Davante Adams lines up everywhere. He’s not Davante Adams because he doesn’t play with the Aaron Rodgers, but he is adjusting Jefferson that you need to be aware of you. He keeps defending

of coordinators up at night, right? Got those coordinated sleeping in their office because they have to draw a place to neutralize to to limit the damage he can do. And when I look at these wide receivers, there’s no job for Justin Jefferson on the Pittsburgh Steelers because he Claypool does it. Keep you up at night? Because if you take away the Deep ball, he’s nowhere involved.

Beyonce is getting there but he’s not there yet. Juju isn’t playing James. Washington is still a guy. I like to call him a bull in a China closet. He needs to understand where it is. So having a veteran like an Adam thielen on a team like Justin sees Adam may not be coaching up Justin. But Adam puts enough work in there that Justin just needs to watch and I believe that’s what he’s doing it and I’m just using Adam Adam thielen as example of

When you have a veteran that knows how to go about his business.

That better doesn’t have to coach that young player that better and just needs to be himself. And look what just is receiving by watching Adam thielen and on top of his natural ability that he has his willingness to be a dominant wide. Receiver. He he’s teachable. All right, Steve. We gotta run named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. Good seeing you buddy. Good luck tonight. Viking Steelers on Fox. It is a great one. Thanks, bud. Hi everybody. Thanks for watching. Subscribe here, too.

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