FIRST TAKE | “Rodgers won’t rest until Shedeur starts” – Stephen A. fires off take on Browns’ decision
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in Pittsburgh. Wster Dor Sanders still waits to see if he’ll be named QB2. He’s throwing his support behind his teammate. We going to make sure we do everything we can to make sure Dylan ready for the game. So, uh, you know, whatever that means. So, each and every day, even when Joe was the start of everything, you know, to prepare the right way and be ready to know that you get out there any point in time. So, um, you know, I’m I’m overly confident within myself. So, I know when I first got here, you know, I’m ready to play. But, um, I, you know, it’s up to the coaches and, you know, whatever decision, you know, they make that then I’m fine with. I think he answered that well. I mean, how what else is he going to say? I hope he doesn’t play. Of course not. He’s going to back up his guy, especially in that um, very crowded QB room that has been that way for several months. But, are we more intrigued to watch Dylan Gabriel or Aaron Rogers this Sunday? because we we talk about this like old school, new school uh quarterback situation. Cam, I’m I’m excited to see Aaron Rodgers, but man, shout out to Shadur, man, for answering that question as he get up in the in the ranking. He’s understanding, hey, you got to keep it polished just a little bit more, man. So, you know, if everybody else ain’t gonna tell you, bro, man, keep doing you. Uh but back to Rogers, uh the Cleveland Browns possess something that Aaron Rodgers are and his Steelers offense are deficient at and that’s producing offense. Uh and I want to see this 3in1 record get tested versus a valuable source versus a valuable defense. You know, when you look at the Cleveland Browns, they’re number one uh or or top three in total defense passing defense uh top five. And then obviously you cannot run the ball on them uh for no stretch of the imagination. All those things are where the Pittsburgh Steelers are deficient at. They’re 31st in rushing. They’re 30th in total offense. And as far as passing, they’re 27th. My biggest question, as we always talk about, you know, Stephen A’s Pittsburgh Steelers is, do they have enough amenities on the offensive side of the football? And the Cleveland Browns have defensively have kept them in most games all year. And I don’t see that changing moving forward with this week. I’m more intrigued with Dylan Gabriel because I want to see whether or not the Cleveland Browns are going to have a quarterback, especially with watching Jackson Dart last night with the New York Giants. Uh where’s your rookie? Where’s your guy? Who’s going to step up? And I’m not talking about just playing. I’m talking about magnetizing the crowd. Jackson Dart was in New Orleans a week ago. He didn’t look that great, but he still has Giants fans incredibly, incredibly excited uh because of his game and the swag that comes with it. Is there anyone in Cleveland that has that? Shador Sanders thinks he does. Uh but we have to wait to see him play to know whether or not that’s true on the NFL level. Dylan Gabriel is one of the more experienced rookies you’ll ever see because he was in college for six years and played about 64 games. Okay. Uh, but what is he going to do on the NFL level? It remains to be seen. I’m curious about that, especially against a Steelers defense that I have not been overly impressed with. I was very impressed with them for three and a half quarters against Minnesota in Ireland and then obviously they almost wet the bed, had me texting Ryan Clark and saying they better not lose this damn game on a Sunday morning. I mean, so I I mean, that’s where I was with that. I’m like, they better not lose this damn game. It really ticked me off. And so I just want to see what Dylan Gabriel does because this is what we need to remember with the Cleveland Browns. You don’t get to just look at 2025. Yo, y’all do y’all know they’ve made the playoffs twice in 23 years. 23 years. They’ve made the playoffs twice. It’s gotten to the point where we have a right to look at the Cleveland Browns organization and ask, “Hey fellas, do any of y’all know what y’all doing? Any of y’all? Could you figure it out?” And I don’t enjoy saying that because I’m unapologetic when it comes to black head coaches and black executives. I’m rooting for him and we know Barry’s in Cleveland and I get that. But you I mean I I got to see something. I got to see something and hopefully I’ll see that before this season is over that you have definitively found a quarterback. That’s why I’m more curious about Dylan Gabriel. Yeah. Um um the first thing I want to say is I’m excited we get to talk about Dylan Gabriel and point out what Cam pointed out. We’re talking about Dylan Gabriel because when asked the question about his quarterback position this week, Shadur Sanders said, “We’re doing everything to get Dylan prepared.” and he answered the question in a way where you couldn’t criticize him, where you couldn’t talk badly about him, where you couldn’t say that he went about anything in the wrong way, which is why he’s not a topic right now. And I think that’s important to note that it is about growth. It is about understanding and it is about understanding and playing your role within the locker room, which Shador Sanders did very well during that clip. And now secondly, hell yeah, I want to see Aaron Rogers. I and this is what I be talking about. Stephen A fake steal a fan, bro. How you like I don’t I don’t get it. Like I don’t you you you like it’s like one of them people that and Cam talked about it last week that every time like it’s always a compliment sandwich or hey I don’t mean no disrespect. I’m f to disrespect you. And then how people be like not to bring up old stuff but I’mma bring up old stuff. Like it’s always that I had to text RC last week because I was asking them not to blow this lead. Why don’t you just talk about them winning? Because if you talk about them winning, then you can say, “Okay, this team is 3 and one. They’re about to face one of the top defenses in football. A defense that’s only given up 147 yards passing the game.” And by the way, Megatron plays defensive in form and his name is Miles Garrett. How are they going to protect Aaron Rogers at the age of 41? How is Aaron Rogers going to get the ball to DK Metaf when Denzel Ward is locked up on them? And you know why it’s important, Stephen A? Because at 3 and one, they are in the hunt. They in the hunt to win the AFC North. Everybody there is terrible. Now the Bills didn’t lost. They show crack. Kansas City ain’t Kansas City. The Chargers losing. And you worried about Dylan Gabriel. I told you, man. You be double dutching. Like don’t you can’t claim us no more. You ain’t no real fan, bro. First, first of all, first of all, first of all, yeah. Yeah. I I’m glad and I’m glad both of y’all here for this cuz both of y’all getting on my damn nerves. He accused me of double dutching last week and then now you choose you accusing me of doing it this week. Y’all ain’t going to get away with this double dutch comment too much. Ain’t nobody scared of y’all. Let me tell you something right now. You said it best. You understand? You are a player. I’m a fan. So, let’s talk about it from the fandom perspective. Since you want to ignore, you want to talk about the player perspective, right? You want to say they won. You want to say they won. You weren’t sitting there watching that game and going like this. Damn, how the hell they come back? How Minnesota coming back? How they on the verge about to win this game? I mean, the Steelers dominate for three and a half quarters going to fly all the way over to Ireland. You understand? Got everybody doing features about the Steelers and their connection to the Irish coach and all of this stuff and they were about to blow this damn game. Okay, this is what we talking about here. Okay, that’s to Carson Wentz. Let’s not forget that. The Garson wins. All right, so that’s number one. Number two, when we sit up there, right, Keith Cam, you could talk about this and the double dutch it. I don’t mind. Damn it. My sisters taught me how to double dutch when I was young. I don’t do it anymore, but damn it, I did it when I was young. I don’t do it on first take. Here’s the issue. Steelers have not won a playoff game since 2016. I get to look at them and go like this. Is that going to beat the Buffalo Bills? Is that going to beat the Kansas City Chiefs? Is that going to beat the Denver Broncos? Is that going to beat the way I’m watching the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars look this year? Are we going to get a playoff win? I get to ask that question because the last time the Steelers, forget the fact that the last time they won a playoff game was 2016. The last time they were relevant in the postseason was when they lost to Jacksonville. We remember that RC 45 to 42 2017 Cam uh the the Jacksonville Jaguars dropped 45 on them led by Blake Bortles. I’mma say it again. Blake Bortles. Don’t talk to me about fake Steeler fandom. I have suffered. Stealing Nation has suffered. We want results. There’s nothing wrong with that. Love Tomlin. You know you love Coach T. You understand Aaron Rogers? They to upgrade from the Mitch Jinskys and the Mason Rudolph. They gave us Mason Rudolph. They gave us Mitchell Jinsky. Last year they tried to sell us on Russell Wilson and Dustin Fields. We have suffered. They kept Big Ben Rothllessberger for two years longer than you should have. Steeler Nation has suffered. And I’m telling you right now, Cam, I’m telling you right now, RC, which also gives me a double dutching, Steeler Nation will double dutch with me all day on this topic. Hey. [Music] [Music] Hey, hey. [Music] [Music] Hey, [Music] hey, hey. [Music]
