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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 12.16.24
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Brian Batko
11:00
Good morning everyone, thanks for hopping on the chat. Not a pretty sight yesterday in Philly. Let's talk Steelers right up until noon when Mike Tomlin hits the podium, shall we?
Pressedham&football!
11:00
How much do you think the Steelers probably wish they had not drafted a geriatric, oft-injured offensive tackle instead of a competent wr in the 1st round in this past draft?
Brian Batko
11:02
Troy Fautanu out here catching strays after a game he had nothing to do with. OK, then. Maybe he would've helped them run the ball better in that game if he hadn't gotten hurt. Oft-injured probably isn't a fair term for him. I think you'll get that WR high draft pick next offseason, first or second round.
Mike from Iz
11:02
That game seemed like a perfect setting to use Washington more. He seems to have disappeared in the offense recently. I don't think the score reflected the game. I would be surprised if Hurts could repeat that little effort.
Brian Batko
11:04
Yeah, zero targets for Darnell Washington. And I was surprised that he played only 44% of the snaps. Easy to say now, but seems like they either should've tried to spread out the Eagles defense more (which would not be ideal for his skill set) or use him more as an in-line blocker when they were trying to run into a brick wall.
Wellington Starbuckle
11:05
Steelers got physically bullied yesterday by a team they aspire to be but do you see an AFC playoff team that can do that to the Steelers?
Brian Batko
11:06
Good question. That's why I'm not putting too much stock into this game. Sure, it wasn't an encouraging showing, but they went in short-handed, the Eagles were at home with a fan base frothing at the mouth for a big win and the Steelers have a division-clinching game next week against their biggest rival. I think the Ravens are probably the closest AFC analog to the Eagles, but we know the Steelers always are ready for that action.
Yinzer Maguire
11:07
Hello Brian, hope you are doing great. Hey, can any player on the field (offense and defense) call a time out? I guess that if players get a pass from MT for bad penalties and bad behavior, I suppose they would get a pass if they call a time out if the coach is caught up in some information, right?
Brian Batko
11:09
Yes, but I don't believe all of them have carte blanche to jump over some of the chain-of-command stuff in place. As for that decision, or lack thereof, by Tomin ... I've got nothing. Seems like he didn't either. Next time my wife asks me why I forgot to do something around the house, I'm gonna tell her I got caught up on some information and I'll just leave it at that.
Stan P
11:10
Can you elaborate on the "pool reporter" interview setup with the referee postgame?   It appears that any relevant explanation is rarely given to the media member, usually just a double down on what was called or a stone walled hollow explanation that's accepted and moved on from.  Is this because they're limited to how many questions they can ask, aren't allowed to push back on obvious inaccuracies, etc?
Brian Batko
11:13
I've been the pool reporter before. Actually, it was with Alan Eck, come to think of it. Last year's Steelers-Jaguars game in Pittsburgh when there was a controversial hit on Kenny Pickett not flagged (and a few other things). The first thing you have to understand is that the reporters who handle these are going into it with a certain sense of professionalism, and there is sometimes push-back as you could see yesterday, but in a respectful way. We can't force the officials to add color or admit they were wrong. And they're extremely buttoned-up in those conversations.
Tomlinism
11:15
How can the media just allow Tomlin to stand at the podium and make such a ridiculous claim about clock management?  Literal to no follow up questions asked after that, but we are supposed to believe this organization values winning?  How?
Brian Batko
11:15
That might happen today, Tomlinism. Stay tuned.
Takoma Tom
11:17
I think we found out that Russ is a little better than average but no where close to a player that can demand a top salary in free agency.  Kenny set the bar really low so Russ looks better than he really is.
Brian Batko
11:18
I get that every week is gonna be a referendum on the QB play. He had some really off-target throws yesterday. But they also were overwhelmed by that Eagles defensive front and from my press box view it looked like their receivers were getting plastered by the secondary. As I wrote, it felt like the Eagles had 12 or 13 guys on defense and the Steelers had zero answers for it.
AtlantaDan
11:19
Thanks for the chat.  Terrible performance yesterday, but with the exception of the injury to TJ Watt, which clouds the rest of the season if he is diminished going forward, the results yesterday were as expected - Ravens won, Steelers lost & Ravens will be favored on Saturday.  Since the Steelers apparently win division tiebreakers if they beat the Chiefs and Bengals at home, do you still anticipate the Steelers to win the division or at least get the first wildcard to avoid going to Baltimore or Buffalo in the playoffs?
Brian Batko
11:21
Correct, and I have no idea what came over me to pick the Steelers. My bad. It's early in the week, obviously, but I don't have a great feeling about them going to Baltimore and winning. The Ravens are rested. Lamar Jackson is playing well. The Steelers are encountering some dysfunction and injuries. And yet, if they get Carson Wentz instead of Pat Mahomes on Christmas, they might still be able to win that game and take the AFC North.
Rick W
11:22
Why did the STEELERS pass on Tyler Boyd when they had a chance to pick him up.  Thank you
Brian Batko
11:23
Tyler Boyd isn't exactly lighting it up for the Titans, Rick. Just 35 catches for 356 yards and zero touchdowns.
Jay M
11:24
Why didn't they at least try one deep sideline pass to Mike Williams?  I mean just give the guy a chance?  They were too busy with ineffective runs straight into a wall.  In games like this you need to throw to open up the run not vice-versa.
Brian Batko
11:25
That's a big loss when you don't have George Pickens. I'm all for the "George is down there somewhere" 50-50 ball as a legitimately viable offensive strategy. But I'm kind of with you that if you're not gonna at least give Mike Williams some of those opportunities, why have him out there?
Dom
11:25
Do you agree with the Steelers in regards to James Pierre being above Cory Trice on the depth chart?
Brian Batko
11:26
James Pierre played well vs. the Browns when he had to come in and he's excellent on special teams. That's what's been blocking Cory Trice. But if Donte Jackson is gonna miss time, or even if he isn't, it's probably time to suit up Trice and see what he has to give down the stretch here when you're gonna see elite QB play to finish the regular season and surely in the postseason.
TX Pressure
11:27
I was surprised the score was that close.  Top D and O line against one of the worst pass blocking units and no Pickens and Steelers last in receiver separation.  I like Russ, great against mid to bad Ds but the Ravens, Philly and Chiefs his stats will suffer because of bad line and WRs and he's older.  Fields is better suited for those type of games he can get 126 yards passing like Russ BUT can actually run.  More Fields less Russ in situations like that.
Brian Batko
11:27
And therein lies the inherent challenge of integrating Justin Fields into the offense. Easy to say after the fact when's a good time and when's a bad time to utilize him. If you have two quarterbacks, you really don't have one, right?
Mike
11:28
Brian, clock mismanagement bites Tomlin again. He consistently receives an F grade when they lose from your colleague Ray, meaning when they lose, coach T contributes mightily to it. Has there ever been a coach of the year candidate who hurts their team so badly when they lose?
Brian Batko
11:29
Probably. But after what the Bills did yesterday, I might have Sean McDermott at the top of my ballot. Probably followed by Kevin O'Connell with the Vikings given what they're doing with Sam Darnold.
Retire21
11:29
Personal fouls turned a 3 into a 7 (FG) and a 7 into 3 (end zone scrum)....was that as big as a coulda shoulda woulda as Najee's fumble?
Brian Batko
11:31
Yeah, a lot of losses have those game-changing moments. I actually think this one was a little closer than the 27-13 final indicated and I feel like the 35-13 loss to the Eagles a couple years ago was not that close. They had a few momentum-shifting moments go the opposite way, no doubt about it. And as I wrote in the instant analysis, I thought letting Jalen Hurts step up and hit AJ Brown on 3rd-down backed up deep into their own side of the field was the ballgame.
Game Manager
11:33
Brian, thanks for doing these chats.  Does anyone from the media challenge Tomlin on these weekly clock management issues after each game?  The questions can be brought up every week.  Why didn't you call a timeout at 1:55 of first half after the sack?  Any answer to that, except "I am not good at clock management" is him living in his fears.  There cannot be any good response for that.  How about punting down 14 at midfield, in the 4th quarter.  Unless he is living in his fears again, there cannot be any good response, so I wonder if they are even asked?
Brian Batko
11:34
Yes, they do get asked. His answers aren't always sufficient for fans, to use his word for the explanation he got from the refs on the skirmish penalties. It's like the chain of screaming from How I Met Your Mother. The refs give insufficient explanations to the coaches, the coaches give insufficient explanations to the media, the media give those insufficient explanations to the fans and then the fans yell about the refs/coaches/media. We all have a place in this ecosystem, right?
artie bridge
11:35
Brian, why didn't the Eagles 15 yard penalty on our punt result in us keeping the ball, getting a new set of downs?  Instead, they were penalized half the distance, which resulted in only about a 4 yard penalty.
Brian Batko
11:38
I trust that the refs know that rule and how it should be adjudicated but I also don't understand that rule. To me it makes no sense why roughing the punter would be an automatic first-down but an unnecessary roughness call before the ball's been punted is not.
Renegade
11:38
Do you think Washington playing on 44% of snaps had anything to do with the penalty for fighting?  Some players seem to feel the wrath of making a mistake more than others.
Brian Batko
11:39
No because watching Tomlin interact with the officials on that play, he did not agree with the call. And I imagine if there's ever been a "rather say whoa than sic'em" situation, that one was it.
Farmtastic
11:39
I won't pretend the officiating lost Pittsburgh this game. The offense was stagnant, the defense was poreous, and Najee's fumble was a disaster, but for the love of sweet baby Jesus how does not one of the referees see at least one of the three or four punches thrown by an Eagles player in that 1st quarter scrum? The league office couldn't have jumped in for that one? They like to insert themselves everywhere else. Sorry for the one of many rants you'll probably receive on the subject but this is almost becoming unwatchable.
Brian Batko
11:41
Certainly was stunned that the Eagles got off completely scot-free on that. I'd say the angles shown on replay weren't as clear-cut as some of the fan video we've seen go viral after the fact, but even Dean Blandino said in the moment that it looked to be a classic case of offsetting penalties, so I'm not sure how the officials and league office couldn't sort that one out in real time. But hey, mistakes happen. They probably just saw Washington's overzealous blocking, then Austin's shove in his defense, and made up their minds that the Steelers incited a riot.
Myah32
11:42
It seems the coaching is unimaginative and very conservative on both sides of the ball.  It makes it easier for teams to prepare for us when we consistently rush 4 and run the ball on first down.  Is this a Tomlin edict, and is he holding back his coordinators from being more creative and aggressive with their play calling?
Brian Batko
11:43
Well I'll say this much about the game yesterday, if Arthur Smith has more creative options in his bag, why bring those out vs. the Eagles as opposed to saving them for the Ravens, Chiefs or even the win-or-go-home games that you're now assured to be in? But hey, the flea flicker worked well.
DannySmith'sGum
11:44
What is the feeling on Pickens playing this week? Going to be a long game if he misses against Baltimore for the division crown... I read they are hopeful that he play, I think everyone in Pittsburgh is hopeful he plays lol
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