Mike Hilton on Bengals vs. Steelers, DJ Reader’s Injury and More
Mike Hilton on Bengals vs. Steelers, DJ Reader’s Injury and More
Transcript
00:00 So was it not cold out there for you today?
00:02 No, it wasn't. You was cold?
00:03 No, I wasn't that bad actually.
00:05 The sun was shining.
00:06 Beautiful December football weather.
00:08 So the cold doesn't bother Mike Hill?
00:09 No, not at all.
00:10 I actually love playing in the cold.
00:12 It brings out the weakness in a lot of people.
00:17 Every year it's a thing, man, going back to Pittsburgh for you.
00:19 What's that like?
00:20 Oh, it's always fun.
00:21 Obviously going back to the organization I started,
00:23 that gave me a chance to be where I'm at now.
00:25 Like I always say, there's always a lot of love and respect for what they --
00:29 for how far they helped me get.
00:30 But I'm all about winning in competition.
00:33 So we got a job to do Saturday, and that's to walk out with a win.
00:36 You obviously know better than anybody their mentality when times are tough,
00:41 they've lost three straight, things aren't going well.
00:45 What makes them so tough when they circle the win?
00:48 It's no quickness team.
00:49 Obviously it starts with the head coach, obviously Coach Tomlin.
00:51 And his whole career he's just been a winner,
00:54 and he puts that throughout his whole team.
00:56 So we know they're going to come prepared.
00:58 Their playoff lives is on the line.
01:00 So they're going to give everything they got, and we just got to match it.
01:03 You guys have absorbed injuries and obviously played through that
01:06 and have won games despite that.
01:08 How important is DJ Reader to this defense, and how do you try to overcome that?
01:12 A lot of people want to say I'm the heart and soul,
01:14 but no, DJ is really the heart and soul of this defense.
01:16 You know, he's the guy in the middle.
01:18 He disrupts the run.
01:20 He's one of the best at what he does.
01:22 So we're definitely going to miss him, but it's an opportunity for guys to step up.
01:25 Zach Carter, Jay Tufeli, we got a lot of guys that are definitely going to have
01:29 to step up and play even at a better level now.
01:33 Speaking of missing someone, what does that mean to that defense to lose Minka?
01:37 It's big for them.
01:38 That's the quarterback in their defense.
01:39 Obviously one of the best safeties in the league.
01:42 So it's going to be tough on them, I'm sure, but if I know Coach Tomlin,
01:45 he's going to have those guys ready and locked in.
01:48 What you said when you said the first time you went back to Pittsburgh
01:50 you lost your mind in a good way.
01:52 How much do you remember about that game?
01:54 Oh, yeah, that was definitely the game where I waved off the crowd and everything.
01:58 I definitely--that was my first time having some get-back against those guys,
02:02 so it was personal then.
02:03 But now, you know, it's all about competition and going to get a win.
02:06 Did you see what Jake did after the Minnesota game?
02:09 Yeah, he shouldn't have cut me.
02:11 And you know what, from a guy with experience like that,
02:14 I understand where he's coming from and how much that win meant to him.
02:17 So we wanted to get him that one.
02:20 What's that crowd going to be like late December in Pittsburgh,
02:25 playoff game on the line, you know what that is.
02:27 Rowdy, rowdy.
02:28 Like I always say, it's one of the best stadiums to go play in,
02:31 especially around this time.
02:32 It's cold, a lot's on the line, so it's going to be a fun one Saturday.
02:36 There have been question marks around their quarterback position,
02:38 like how close is Pickett to being back, is it going to be--it was Trubisky
02:42 and now it could be Rudolph.
02:44 What's that like watching the film that they've put out there the last few weeks
02:48 but knowing it could be a different position?
02:50 We just got to prepare for whoever.
02:52 Obviously they're not going to do too much different.
02:54 Their system is the system.
02:55 They're going to get the ball to their playmakers,
02:57 but no matter who's that quarterback, number one we've got to defend the run,
03:01 make them one-dimensional,
03:02 and then we'll have our chances to make plays on the ball down the field
03:06 no matter who's that quarterback.
03:08 You've played in this team, Mike, you've played in a lot of big games.
03:11 How big is this game?
03:13 This is big because it's the next one.
03:15 It's an opportunity for us to get another AFC win,
03:17 AFC North win, and better ourselves for the playoff push.
03:22 It's not going to come easy.
03:24 I'm trying to get guys to understand the environment we're going into
03:27 is going to be difficult, but these are the games you live for.
03:30 So be ready and expect to be a four-quarter game.
03:34 Does this have the feel of a playoff game in December?
03:36 Absolutely.
03:37 A lot's on the line for both teams.
03:39 Obviously it's late December, which everybody remembers December.
03:42 We have an opportunity to go into a hostile environment and get a big win.
03:46 So we're confident and we'll be ready.
03:48 This team has been incredible in the month of December the last couple years.
03:51 Why is that?
03:52 Just us playing our best ball.
03:54 We know it's at stake.
03:55 There's pressure on us right now, but that's something I realize about this team.
03:58 When our back is against the wall, that's when we play our best.
04:00 So we go into every week with that on our mind,
04:04 and we've been successful the last couple years, so we're just trying to keep it going.
04:07 You've won three straight, but you still feel like your back's against the wall?
04:10 Yeah, absolutely.
04:12 Nothing's guaranteed.
04:13 I know where we're at in the playoffs position, but it's three games left,
04:17 and a lot still can happen.
04:18 So our number one goal is let's take care of our business
04:20 and let the chips fall where they fall.
04:22 Given D.J. is down and what you guys have done against the run,
04:27 do you just expect them to try and run it down?
04:30 Absolutely.
04:31 I know Coach Tomlin.
04:32 He's standing in front of his guys, and we're going to run the ball right at the Bengals' defense,
04:36 especially without D.J.
04:37 So I want guys to be prepared to get physical, turn that run back early,
04:41 and make them one-dimensional.
04:42 How do you do that?
04:43 How do you get prepared for that making?
04:45 Just knowing it's coming.
04:47 I mean, obviously they're going to run the ball down here.
04:49 They're going to run it probably 20, 25 times.
04:51 And whether they have success or not, we've got to make sure that they have no success.
04:55 We've got to make sure they're one-dimensional
04:57 and we're taking away what they really want to do.
04:59 How aware are you guys that you don't have an AFC North win yet this year?
05:04 No one for it.
05:05 Shit.
05:06 Excuse me.
05:07 I mean, you know, we kind of put ourselves in that situation,
05:09 but we're still in a great spot.
05:12 We still got two AFC North games left that can help us out,
05:15 so we've got to take care of this first one on Saturday.
05:17 You've been on so many games, probably more so than anybody here.
05:19 What's the key when you're playing another team in this division
05:22 in order to play well and execute on game day?
05:24 How physical are those guys?
05:26 Obviously our division is probably the most physical,
05:28 probably really the best division in all of football.
05:30 And how physical our division is, we know that sets the tone for whichever team is playing.
05:35 So we've got to go out there and set the tone early
05:37 and let them know it's going to be that type of game.
05:40 [MUSIC]
05:43 [MUSIC]
05:47 [MUSIC]
05:50 [MUSIC]
05:53 [MUSIC]
05:56 [BLANK_AUDIO]