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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 01.09.22
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Brian Batko
10:56
OK folks, just cal this our Exit Chat. Season's over with a bittersweet feeling of sorts. No playoffs, but a late surge to finish 9-8, which seemed like a pipe dream at 1-4. Or 2-6. Or 3-7. I can already tell ya I won't be able to get to every question, because we've got a lot of them, but I'll do my best.
And I had a typo in my fourth word. Already off to a bad start...
Tampa Too
10:57
Brian, Best quess as to who the backup QB will be next year?  Dobbs? Mayfield?  Thanks
Brian Batko
10:59
Haven't given it a ton of thought. I think it'll be an older veteran who's been through this before, being the unquestioned No. 2 to a young player. Nathan Peterman would be fun though. All-Pitt QB room.
Uncle Floyd
11:00
In your opinion, why is Pickett so inconsistent?  Is it lack of concentration, lack of experience or some other reason.  He was uncanny yesterday in the second half, especially on third down, but hasn’t shown the same ability during the first half of games.  Very interested to hear your opinion, appreciate all you work!
Brian Batko
11:02
He hasn't logged a ton of NFL snaps yet. For as much experience as he got at Pitt, he was still a rookie in this league. If anything, it's probably encouraging that he got better as games went on and not the inverse of that.
Chris Parker
11:02
Any rumors yet on potential changes in the Steelers coaching staff?
Brian Batko
11:04
Not yet. And I wouldn't expect Mike Tomlin to tip his hand when he has his wrap-up presser at noon. He'll probably say change is a component of this business, but he won't change just for the sake of changing. Or something like that. For reference, when the Steelers let Randy Fichtner go as OC two years ago, it was nearly two weeks after their season ended. Keith Butler waited a similar amount of time last year to officially retire.
mrbig
11:05
Do you think the steelers would've been more competitive had they played the bills in the WC game?
Brian Batko
11:06
Would've been hard to be less competitive than they were in their last playoff game and their last Bills game. So, yeah, I don't think I would've predicted a 20-30 point loss again. But I also don't think they were going to make any real noise in Buffalo.
Furley
11:07
I think Tomlin should be fired, however, he can’t be fired after this year. So when do you fire him? How long does the playoffs win drought have to get - 8? 9? 10?
Brian Batko
11:09
That's impossible to answer based on numbers alone. Yes, it's a results-based business, but also there's nuance that goes into every season. In general, I'd say it might be time for a coaching change if there isn't tangible progress three years into Kenny Pickett's tenure. And by tangible progress, I mean in the win column, in the postseason, etc. But I disagree with your premise that he should be fired now.
Matty C.
11:10
Brian, give it your best semi-educated guess. Am I under the employ of the Pittsburgh Steelers when the cherry blossoms fall from the trees?  Because I'm working up a few new jet sweeps for the upcoming season, and I don't want to waste my precious time if not. Gracias.
Brian Batko
11:10
My guess is no, Matty. I'm sorry.
John in SC
11:11
Hi Brian. Optimistic about next year with the draft situation they are in plus the young talent on the team only getting better. Worried about the FA situation on the team. How do you see that playing out.
Brian Batko
11:14
I wouldn't be too worried. Yes, there are starting spots that will be vacated by free agency, but no one particularly significant. Cam Sutton is probably the biggest one. Two safeties Terrell Edmunds and Damontae Kazee, does one, both or neither come back? Hard to say right now. But the whole OL is under contract for next season. So is every relevant skill-position player on offense.
SW Steel
11:16
Yo Bats!  I hope you come to this chat with news that Matt Canada has been released..
Brian Batko
11:18
My take on the OC situation is that Canada helped the Steelers' young offense take some small developmental steps this season. Good on him. Thank him for his work in that regard. But go get an OC who can actually elevate them from a competent group to a dynamic one.
Jay Daven
11:18
Brian, with limited full contact practices and limited pre-season games, what are NFL teams doing to compensate for this during the off season?  There has to be innovators out there.
Brian Batko
11:19
Teams with continuity and stability likely will organize their own offseason workouts. Even Mitch Trubisky did that with his new teammates back in the spring. Kenny Pickett said yesterday he'll take the lead on getting together with the other skill guys when their schedules allow.
Homer
11:21
Last year's draft class looks very promising and everyone who made the team seemed to have been a contributor this year. What's your opinion on the class given the small sample?
Brian Batko
11:23
Same as yours. It's encouraging to see the strides made by Pickett. George Pickens was a steal from the get-go. DeMarvin Leal showed flashes, as did Connor Heyward. Mark Robinson, too early to say. And Calvin Austin had a lost year but perhaps that will be good for him long-term. It looks like a better haul than 2021.
Lou
11:23
Hindsight 20/20 yadda yadda....but if we could go back in time, I think if Coach T had really let kenny have a 50.50 rep split in camp with mitch and then gave kenny the keys to the car starting at game one, I have no doubt that would have made everything smoother and gotten at least one, maybe two more wins and bingo it's playoff time!  What do you think? Maybe Tomlin had too much time with Big Ben and no experience with QB rookies and a QB "competition"?
Brian Batko
11:25
I don't think he managed it well. Not necessarily because he started Mitch Trubisky, but to your point, that it wasn't more of an open competition. And, once he committed to Trubisky, it didn't make much sense to me to pivot to Pickett at the most grueling portion of the schedule. So, in short, he either went to Pickett too early or too late. But maybe in the long run we'll be saying that baptism by fire was good for his growth.
Chatman
11:26
Do you foresee Flores being back for another season? Or does he get poached for a promotion to either DC or HC?
Brian Batko
11:27
A few of us were just kicking that around here in the media room on the South Side. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he heads elsewhere for a more prominent role. He's almost certainly overqualified to be a position coach. The Steelers took the leap that other teams probably weren't willing to by hiring him at all. If I had to guess, he's not in Pittsburgh next season.
Ed O.
11:27
Hi Brian, thanks for the chats. Do you think the roughing of the passer call on Cam yesterday was to make up for the blown face masking on Watson that occurred earlier?
Brian Batko
11:28
No, I think it just looked worse to that official in the moment than it did on replay. Brutal call, though. Didn't keep the Steelers from winning the game but it did cost Heyward a sack for his 2022 season and career numbers.
KS Stillers Fan
11:29
Hey Brian!  Several weeks ago I would have definitely said O Line in first round.  Could you argue that there is greater need at ILB or D Line (for the future) vs O Line?
Brian Batko
11:30
Yes, you could. If you believe in Dan Moore and Kevin Dotson, specifically, then OL wouldn't be atop your to-do list. You could also argue for cornerback and safety, as it stands now. What I think is unquestionable is that the Steelers need more young talent and more competition on their OL. Journeymen and veteran backups just didn't create a very competitive environment for that unit this season.
J$Money
11:30
As far as the offensive line is concerned, which do you think is the bigger need, tackle or guard?  Or would they possibly move Cole to guard and draft a center? Thanks
Brian Batko
11:32
Tackle. Specifically, it wouldn't hurt to get a high-upside tackle. Worst-case, you have a project to develop behind two capable starters. Best-case, he turns into an upgrade over Dan Moore/Chuks Okorafor. That, to me, is something the Steelers have been missing the last couple years. Moore is more of a high-floor, low-ceiling kind of player in my eyes.
62 Stack Monster
11:33
Brian, Happy for the win!  Although the Steelers finished a season showing incremental improvement, I can't see them sticking with Canada as the OC.  They started yesterday's game kicking field goals; repeatedly stopped in the Red Zone.  Where was the play action pass?  3 runs up the middle?
Brian Batko
11:35
With Canada I don’t have a huge issue with his play calling. You can always second guess those things. But there are too many big picture problems with the offense, the structure of it, the design when you’re only scoring one or two touchdowns every week. It never really felt like he was a step ahead of opposing coordinators when it came to scheming guys open or catching defenses off guard.
Steeltown
11:35
Well its definitely a bummer being out of the playoffs, but I think the age of this group and the improvement over the second half is exciting for the coming year. We should also have decent cap space and the claypool trade was huge, now getting the first overall pick in the second round. So that seems to help soothe the pain a bit. Your thoughts?
Brian Batko
11:37
Yes I think the front office did a good job of thinking for the future at the trade deadline while also keeping this team competitive. Maybe that part is more a credit to the coaching staff, but either way, they struck a good balance between being realistic about where they were while not punting on the season.
Hollywood Rob
11:38
Bats, please tell us this one game with 28 points won't save Matt Canada's job. Too many games with only 1 touchdown demonstrated a slow ancient offense that will never compete with Cincy, Buffalo, KC and the real AFC powers.
Brian Batko
11:40
Kenny PIckett has to have something to do with that too. He needs to consistently prove he can elevate an offense the way those guys do. Now, he might do that in a different way. He probably has to given that he doesn’t have the physical attributes of most of those guys. But I agree that it’s worth a shot to see if a new OC can unlock something with this personnel.
Mark
11:40
what odds would you put on the Steelers picking Joey Porter, Jr.
Brian Batko
11:42
It really does make sense given their roster and the obvious connection(s) to the prospect, not to mention where they’ll be picking and his stock. So, I’ll say 31%.
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