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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 10.19.20
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Brian Batko
1:59
Hey everyone, let's get started. Who's excited for this double-header of Monday night football? I know I am. In the mean, let's talk Steelers/Browns, NFL, whatever you have on your mind.
DALTER
1:59
What's next after the Bush injury?
Brian Batko
2:00
Well, DALTER, I just wrote about Robert Spillane, which will be up on post-gazette.com/steelers very soon. Early indications are the team will ride it out with him at inside linebacker, which is interesting. He's more of a run-stopper than a coverage guy, I think, but maybe that's not the worst thing when you have Derrick Henry, the Ravens and Ezekiel Elliott as the next three games on your schedule.
RJT
2:02
Losing Bush is huge. Do you expect them to platoon Spillane and switch up coverages?  I don’t expect them let him play every down and have the same responsibilities as Bush.
Brian Batko
2:04
No, I don't think he'll play 100% of the snaps like how Bush was doing (very few off-ball linebackers around the league do, for that matter). I think there are a few routes they could take, between getting Ulysees Gilbert and/or Marcus Allen more involved, or just doing more to get their best 11 on the field - which probably means using more DBs.
iowasteelersfan
2:04
For ILB - stay in-house, or look outside for either a starter, or even depth?
Brian Batko
2:05
I think they'll stay in-house. Although, with expanded practice squads, there are more guys out there and in football shape than ever this time of year.
Krugerrand
2:05
I seem to have misplaced my 'Fire Tomlin' talking points.  Have you seen them anywhere?
Brian Batko
2:06
Due to fantasy implications, I was intently watching Rams-49ers last night, and some of the coaching decisions made by Sean McVay were head-scratchers. Stuff that made think if Mike Tomlin made those moves, I don't even want to know what this chat would look like the next day.
Tampa Too
2:07
Brian, as always thank you for the chat. I understand the Steelers do not have enough money to keep both Ju Ju and Bud. Assuming they can keep only one which one would be the greater loss?  I think that the defense would suffer more than the offense would because of our depth of receivers. What say you?
Brian Batko
2:09
Tough call. Normally, franchise tagging a WR would be more expensive, but tagging Dupree a second year in a row would actually make him about 2 mil pricier than JuJu, I believe. Yes, the emergence of Chase Claypool makes me lean toward keeping Bud, in a vacuum. Although Diontae Johnson's ability to stay healthy is becoming a bit of a concern, at least for me.
Jeff
2:09
Thanks for the chats B.  Hard to find fault in any aspect of that game.  I thought Spillane filled in nicely and hopefully will continue.  Any Minkah like trade options out there?
Brian Batko
2:12
A name that I keep seeing get thrown out, by Steelers fans but also other fan bases, is Avery Williamson. He plays for the Jets, so of course we're all just assuming a fire sale there is imminent. Williamson has played in 3-4 defenses his whole career and, from what I can tell, is better in coverage than you'd expect from a 6-1, 246-pounder. Has been super productive with the Titans and now Jets.
Jaxon
2:12
Hey Bats, great game yesterday. Horrible news about Bush. Any thoughts on Robert Spillane for the rest of the year?
Brian Batko
2:13
Thanks, I thought I played pretty well. Spillane has been a tackling machine everywhere he's been, and in every phase, be it defense (in the preseason and college) or special teams (last year with Steelers). His athletic profile is why he didn't get drafted, much less signed right away out of Western Michigan, but the Browns weren't able to exploit him yesterday. That's a good sign.
Chaconutz
2:14
Bush’s injury is a huge loss for the Steelers’ D, but will it be as catastrophic as it was when the Steelers lost Shazier?
Brian Batko
2:14
No, I don't think so. Bush is still a second-year guy who continues to develop and get more comfortable at the NFL level. Shazier was well on his way to becoming an all-timer for this franchise, which is saying something.
Tony
2:16
The Steelers looked really good Sunday but they have a big challenge ahead of them this Sunday, do you think they will have to have 8 men in the box to stop D.Henry.
Brian Batko
2:17
Pretty much. Henry has faced a stacked box more than all but six rushers (including Benny Snell) this year and yet he still leads the NFL by almost 100 yards. Just an absolute monster.
Shawn
2:18
Brian, let's address the injury that everyone has been fretting over since midway through yesterday's game. How are your teeth after eating that press box apple?
Brian Batko
2:18
They're fine now. Definitely got some blood on the core, though. But I'm resilient.
T. Edmunds
2:18
Is this the moment that I become a hybrid backer?  I never made one exciting play at safety, perhaps I can find my niche in this troubled world. Your thoughts?
Brian Batko
2:20
I actually kind of chuckled at that question. Anyway, it's gonna be tricky to try to transition you at this point, Terrell, moving train being what it is. In a perfect world, perhaps you'd have gotten some reps in the spring at a hybrid spot, but we know what happened there. Like I said up top though, if Mike Hilton and Cam Sutton are in your best 11 on defense, it's worth getting creative to have them out there more.
Jeff Z. South Side
2:21
Can Bobby Spills hold it down? Even with help from Ulysses S. Linebacker and Marky Allen i just dont see how these guys will get the job done. Which could leave the Steelers Vulnerable from here on out. And the fact Colby rolled the dice and now is kicking himself. I hope he's trying to upgrade or im afraid the opposition will take advantage and attack the middle at will
Brian Batko
2:23
Bobby Spills? Marky Allen? These are some high quality nicknames, Jeff. Anyway, this is a good time to revisit the Steelers' decision to not fortify their ILB depth in the offseason, right? I said at the time they should've addressed that position when they drafted Anthony McFarland, who has played a whopping 15 snaps over the past two weeks after flashing some potential on the ground against the Texans. I still don't get that one.
Ralph
2:24
It seems like Terrell Edmunds woulds be perfect to take snaps for the injured Bush.
Brian Batko
2:25
Except he really hasn't played that spot much, if at all, in his three seasons. Plus, Edmunds hasn't looked bad in coverage much through five weeks, so he seems to have improved from last year. Might not want to mess with what's working.
tomorrow
2:25
Great game! In the post game interviews did Baker Mayfield say if he uses Icy Hot, Ben Gay, or Blue Emu after leaving Heinz Field? He's not the real deal; Cleveland hasn't found their Qback of the future. When I watch rookies Burrows and Herbert, they play like 10 year NFL veterans- very poised. Mayfield doesn't show any maturity.
Brian Batko
2:27
He didn't give me his elixir of choice, no. Obviously, he stunk yesterday, but I'll give him a bit of a pass due to him being pretty banged up. And his OL didn't give him much of a chance. But yes, if I'm ranking those three right now, Baker's probably a distant third. I'll still put Burrow at the top.
Guest
2:28
Coach15: What do you think of current group of Steeler WRs-?  To me, I think they have to work something out with JuJu-bc to often DJ is not available, & Washington is not impressive--& Claypool would be double-teamed consistently-
Brian Batko
2:29
Yeah, I see what you're saying there. Washington has looked pretty good this year when the ball comes his way. I thought he was the weakest link coming in, but if Johnson can't stay on the field, that's a whole other issue. But here's the thing about paying JuJu big money, or even tagging him for a year: Look how good the Steelers have been at finding that next guy at wideout. There will be a plethora of exciting prospects in the draft again next year.
Allen Richards
2:31
We will only go as far as Ben will take us when he doesn't turn the ball over we win.
Brian Batko
2:31
Hear, hear.
denver pirate
2:32
Brian, any rumors on the direction the Steelers will take at inside linebacker?
Brian Batko
2:32
Only that some guy who doesn't know his butt from his elbow is telling people in a Steelers chat that the team will probably stay in-house with their replacement(s).
Elwood P Dowd
2:33
I don’t see any urgency in giving JuJu a bunch of money. Way easier to find a receiver who can step in immediately than a high quality pass rusher. I try to find a way to keep Bud.
Brian Batko
2:33
Right. But failing that, you also used a third-round pick on Alex Highsmith for a reason. I thought he had a quietly solid day Sunday, both on special teams and in his limited defensive snaps (other than his illegal formation penalty).
Hank
2:34
Steelers D will miss Bush, no doubt. But I don't see this as being a Shazier-like loss for the Steelers. From a depth and talent standpoint, this version of the Steelers D is much better equipped to handle the loss of a player like Bush. What say you?
Brian Batko
2:35
Agreed. I mentioned earlier about Spillane not being an obvious liability, but how much of that is due to the DL and edge rushers living in the pocket all day before Baker could even look downfield? "It all starts up front" is a football cliche, but it's true, and this Steelers defense is making opponents look like overmatched high school teams at times.
Benson DuBois
2:36
How about Jarrad Davis from Detroit as a rental at ILB? Speedy first-round talent, but the Lions are struggling to find a role for him.  They have already declined his 2021 option.  It may not take much to get him.
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