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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 11.13.23
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Brian Batko
12:01
Hi everyone, chatting a little early on this victory Monday but good afternoon nonetheless
epiballo
12:02
Brian, thanks for the chats! I live out-of-town and didn't see the game. I tracked it, and it seemed that whenever a big pass play happened against the Steelers, Wallace's name was mentioned. How do you rate his performance? Injuries to the D are mounting and that is never good. Oh, and can we sign Big Ben to a one-game contract? He owned the Browns.
Brian Batko
12:04
Well, he was in the “trending down” section of my instant analysis piece at the conclusion of the game, which is never where you wanna be. I thought he had some decent moments against the Titans but yeah, that’s gonna be a problem if opponents just target him whenever he’s in.
62 Stack Monster
12:05
Does this team have a winning record at the end of the year, and will it save Canada's job?
Brian Batko
12:05
Yes. No.
Easley
12:05
The Steeler pass offense's persistent aversion to the middle of the field is maddening. Do you think it has more to do with Canada's scheme or Pickett's fears?
Brian Batko
12:06
Great question. But it might be neither. What if it's Mike Tomlin's directive? Obviously, it's common sense that the chances of bad things happening increase when you throw into traffic. And for whatever it's worth, this team's recipe of not turning it over and winning games is pretty damn consistent.
Michael
12:08
Brian, losing Alexander at linebacker is devastating.  Roberts is a terrific run stopper, but a liability in the passing game.  It would be rather obvious that the opponent’s game plan would be to keep Robert’s on the field with a no huddle / hurry-up on 3rd downs.  Is there anything Austin / Tomlin can scheme or did we just see the season flash before our eyes?
Brian Batko
12:09
There's no question that's another harmful injury, compounded by the fact that this comes one game and two games after the trade deadline. They can try to get creative scheme-wise, maybe personnel-wise too with guys like Keanu Neal or Miles Killebrew once Minkah Fitzpatrick is back.
KJ
12:09
With Kwon Alexander gone for the rest of the season with an Achilles injury, do you see the Steelers looking to add another ILB this next week? How would they go about doing this, with the trade deadline expiring a couple of weeks ago?
Brian Batko
12:11
They could go to another team's practice squad or sign a street free agent. But by Week 11, anyone in decent football shape has probably been snapped up, and ILB isn't like RB or WR or even OL where you can just step right in and join a team mid-stream. I think there are more nuances to knowing the defense, communicating, etc.
Harold H.
12:12
Good morning Brian.  It seems the majority of Pickett’s passing is towards the sidelines.  If/when Pat F. returns, do you think the middle of the field will open up for Pickett?
Brian Batko
12:13
Yeah I think that'll help, for sure. I asked Kenny Pickett about that yesterday and he said in that matchup and given what the Packers were doing defensively, they thought their best opportunities to move the ball through the air were on the outside with George Pickens and Diontae Johnson. That does make sense. But Pat Freiermuth is their best over-the-middle receiver when he's healthy, and Pickett trusts him in tight windows.
Uncle June
12:14
Bad NFL QBs pass for more than 126 yards a game.  It can’t be all Canada.  When are people going to realize Kenny is limited and has a low ceiling.  I can see letting Kenny finish the season but shouldn’t they make him earn the job next year?
Brian Batko
12:15
We'll see, June. You probably want them to trade for Tommy DeVito don't you
Sunner in Orlando from Lebo from Lebo
12:15
Will the Steelers be scouring other team's practice squads for inside linebackers, or will they go forward with what they have?
Brian Batko
12:20
A few names that jumped out as I scan other practice squads are Rashaan Evans, Malik Jefferson and ... Buddy Johnson! All on the Cowboys P squad. Penn State product Brandon Smith in Philly is intriguing too as a 4th-rounder just last year.
Najee
12:21
BB, some are saying that I don’t really like JW that much, but I don’t want to come across diva-like unlike a couple other teammates. Your thoughts, if any?
Brian Batko
12:23
I don't get the sense Najee Harris dislikes Jaylen Warren. I do think there's probably a similar dynamic between Harris and Warren as there is with Johnson and Pickens. It's human nature, to an extent. When you have a prolific offense and you're winning, everyone's putting up numbers, feeling good and loving each other. Keeping players happy is of course harder to do when you aren't producing a lot. At the end of the day, this is a business and it's livelihoods on the line for pro athletes. Yes, easy to say that as long as the team's winning, who cares. But there's always more to it than that.
Hi Bats -
12:24
Do the Steelers have free-agent options at ILB?  Myles Jack?  If not, should they sign another veteran OLB and move Herbig inside?  I'm not sure what we have on the practice squad.  It will be tough to stop the run down the stretch with only Roberts as a proven entity.  Thoughts?
Brian Batko
12:27
Moving a rookie from OLB, where he's spent his entire seven months here learning the scheme and his duties, to ILB just isn't realistic. If Nick Herbig is your best option, that's probably a bit of an indictment of your end-of-the-roster/practice squad scouting in an era when you can keep veteran players around for nothing. Like Mykal Walker! He's been on the practice squad all of a couple weeks, but had 107 tackles last year for Atlanta. That's the Falcons, not an XFL or USFL team.
CDKPE
12:29
On the 8 yard gain by Najee when he went out of bounds, it seemed like Tomlin should have challenged the spot or that he was about to.  Did the officials not allow him to challenge? It was hard to tell on the TV
Brian Batko
12:30
If anything, doesn't Najee Harris need to try to cut back inside for that extra yard? He was good yesterday, don't get me wrong, but still had a couple runs that left me scratching my head.
Gene
12:30
What is the status of Pat Friermuth and when is he eligible to come off IR?
Brian Batko
12:31
Still on IR but he's eligible to be activated and return to the field this week. We'll likely find out by start of practice Wednesday afternoon whether they're going to open his practice window, which wouldn't necessarily mean he'd return to the active roster, but is the first step. Pat was in the locker room this morning and declined interviews because he said he'll have a better idea of his situation mid-week.
Chuck from Michigan
12:32
Brian, I did not see yesterday's game, but from the radio broadcast, announcers made note that Steelers running game employed more toss plays and pitches to Najee and Warren.  It is about time!.  Najee is not Derrick Henry and can just run over people, but need to use his speed outside the tackles!  Warren makes best use of his running and pass catching skills to pull off positive big gainers!  Your thoughts and luv your chats.  Thanks.
Brian Batko
12:35
Thanks, Chuck Use Najee's speed outside the tackles? Not sure about that one. No one can run over people like Derrick Henry, though. I just think Warren does such a good job with small openings, making himself skinny, but always keeping his legs churning, bouncing off guys and staying quick through holes. In the open field with a head of steam, Harris probably still has the edge as a runner, but man, Warren makes the first defender miss a lot, too. Good "problem" to have.
Gregg from Shaler
12:36
Hi Brian, what are options at ILB? I’ve read about the practice squad guys, some experience there but not inspiring confidence. Any street FAs? Myles Jack? Marcus Allen? Also, how’s Neal? Getting thin at safety.
Brian Batko
12:37
Oh, I guess I forgot about Marcus Allen...
Blam Morris
12:37
Give me percentages -- how much of our QB's avoidance to the middle of the field is by offensive design, and how much is because Kenny is just not seeing what's in front of him / afraid of making the throw? 50/50? 70/30? I lean toward it being more a feature of the offense than a KP bug, but regardless, it's maddening. Like, we all saw KP make that throw to Austin for a 70-yard TD, right? It wasn't a mirage, was it? That should be there, especially if we are running the ball well.
Brian Batko
12:39
OK, Blam, let me just enter this into my nifty "Kenny Pickett Referendum Calculator" and see what it spits out. All right...one more data point...and here we go: 61% Mike Tomlin's desire to win the turnover margin and thus the game, 22% Canada's scheme, 17% Pickett's decision-making/field-reading
Leonard
12:40
Brian: From where you sit are the steelers talented enough to make it to and through the playoffs to the divisional round.
Brian Batko
12:41
Not really, but would it shock me? No. By my estimation, if they make it in, it'll likely be as a wild-card team, and can they muck it up enough against the Dolphins or an AFC north foe, maybe even a rematch with the Jags? I wouldn't bet on it, but I can sort of envision it.
dadindebt6
12:42
When Big Ben was in his first couple of years, he rarely threw more than 25 times a game.  The team relied on the running game and defense with just enough passing.  Tomlin is doing the same thing with Pickett.  But did the naysayers notice that when the game was on the line they allowed Pickett to throw in the middle of the field for what should have been the game clinching first down?  Its not Pickett's fault Austin got a penalty and wiped it out.
Brian Batko
12:44
Yeah that's a fair point. It was another situation analogous to Pickett/Tomlin/the Steelers being a boxer who just wants to feel you out for 11 rounds, tie you up at times, take some punches, then knock you out in the 12th. To me, one big difference between young Ben Roethlisberger and young Pickett is that, well, Ben was a bit younger his first two years, 22 and 23 vs. 24 and 25, and significant less experienced based on his college resume.
JoHa
12:45
Hey BB …Did you like not having Pickens announced with the starting offense in pre game introductions   Do you think it mattered to him   Thanks
Brian Batko
12:46
I don't know if it mattered to him, but it seemed to matter to Mike Tomlin. Jaylen Warren said Tomlin told him Friday or Saturday night that "whatever had transpired throughout the team, he was saying that he was gonna announce me" as a starter, because he was deserving. Made me say hmmm...
29342ss
12:47
I'm so confused. Is this a good team? This "formula" isnt sustainable, is it? If not, then we shouldn't consider the steelers to be a good team. It's almost making me think Tomlin is in fact a good coach but then I recall his post season record and lack of coaching tree.
Brian Batko
12:50
Well, we're all confused, aren't we? When you consider the stat about being outgained in all nine games and having six wins, it's literally unprecedented in the NFL. I do think pieces of it are sustainable. The defense is actually really damn good at bending but not breaking. The offense might be finding something with the ground game. But then again, if anyone wants to ask why it matters how the Steelers are winning as long as they're winning, we can literally point to the 2020 season as evidence that process kinda matters too in addition to results. I know that was three years ago, team is different, etc., but the trend lines are similar.
UFA
12:51
I think it is becoming more and more clear that our best offensive player is Jaylen Warren.  It seems like his effort and will far exceed his talent and it is paying off for him.  Are these qualities that the Steelers that need to give more attention on draft day?  Combine numbers measurables can only tell you so much.
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