12/27/22 Episode 34: Franco Harris and the Immaculate Reception

The city of Pittsburgh was able to experience a silver lining after losing Franco Harris when they beat the Raiders on Christmas Eve this past weekend 50 years after the Immaculate Reception. Stan is joined by Joe Gordon, the former PR director for the Steelers who was at Three Rivers Stadium for the famous play, and he was a firsthand witness to the remarkable career of Franco.

Yesterday it was confirmed by the Steelers that Matt Canada will return as the team's offensive coordinator in 2023. Matt Williamson joins Stan to debate if he thinks it's the right move for the team to make and how the offense can continue to build on its second-half season success.

The Steelers were on the verge of making it into the postseason but came up just short. This past weekend was the first round of this year's playoffs and Stan recaps the exciting matchups. Stan is joined by Alex Kozora to hear his thoughts on which offseason moves the Steelers should prioritize making in order to improve on this past season.

Stan discusses the upcoming weekend that will feature the first round of the playoffs that the Steelers barely missed out on. Stan is joined by Matt Williamson who breaks down how the Steelers can build on the team from this season, and he shares his picks for the Wild Card round.

The Steelers won their 2022 season finale against the Browns, for the sixteenth straight season under Mike Tomlin they finished over .500, but they came up just short of making the playoffs. Stan is joined by Max Starks to get his final thoughts on the Steelers season, and they discuss the team's postseason hopes for next year.

With the Bengals/Bills game being postponed and the NFL giving no indication as to how the final week of the season will play out, there's a lot of uncertainty for the Steelers and the rest of the league. Stan is joined by Gerry Dulac to discuss how the team rebounded from a 2-6 start and if they could make some noise in the postseason if they make it there.

The Steelers pulled off the upset victory over the rival Ravens in Baltimore this past week thanks in large part to Kenny Pickett leading his second straight game winning touchdown drive. Stan is joined by Brian Batko to discuss the win and gauge how much of a chance the Steelers have at making the playoffs and if they get there, how deep of a run they could make.

It's an incredibly sad day in Pittsburgh as Stan mourns with the rest of the city the loss of Franco Harris. Stan shares some of his fondest memories of Francos' playing career and of their relationship after his retirement. Stan is joined by Jack Ham the Hall of Fame teammate from both the Steelers and Penn State of Franco to hear his thoughts on Franco's life and legacy.