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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 09.10.19
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Ray Fittipaldo
2:00
Welcome to my Steelers chat. Let's get started.
Pete
2:01
How much more of Butler's (Tomlin's) defensive scheming do we have to endure?  Or Smith's underachieving special teams?  Or Fichtner's terrible play calling?  Or lack of adjustments (Even Tomlin said no adjustments were needed)?  In other words, this could be the worst staff in 25+ years, how much more of this group do we have to endure?  Their approach as a staff is the definition of insanity.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:04
Well, it wasn't a good 2019 debut for any of the coaches you mentioned. I have criticism for all of them. For Butler, how do you continue to have so many miscommunications on defense? We here it game after game, season after season. It might be time to try something new in regards to the way the plays are called in from the sidelines. It cost them two touchdowns against the Patriots. As for Fichtner, the running game has been an issue for a while now. The short-yardage situations screamed for QB sneaks or runs. Instead, we got passes. The excuse was the crowd noise. I don;t want to hear excuses. Other teams execute in loud environments. It's time the Steelers do the same.
Guest
2:05
Reaction to Sally Jenkins’ commentary about AB, including a really cheap shot (from her, not AB) at Ben?  assume you’ve read it since it is linked on the PG website.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:08
I did read it because the comment about Roethlisberger being a "punch-drunk balloon head of a quarterback" caught my eye. Sally Jenkins isn't around this team and obviously has no idea because what she wrote makes no sense. Roethlisberger has actually been sacked fewer times than any QB in the league over the past five years. Get your Steelers commentary from the Post-Gazette, not from an ill-formed writer who never shows up in Pittsburgh.
john
2:08
Edmunds was awful.  Your thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:09
Was anyone good? It was a bad night for just about everyone.
Bob R
2:09
Ray, we've heard the phrase, "communication issues" a lot over the past couple seasons. At what point does this excuse stop holding water?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:09
See above answer.
jds317
2:09
I'm not a Tomlin basher....but as an objective observer, it's hard to imagine how a HC in his 13th season could have his veteran team so poorly prepared for an opening game.  IMO the HC and his assistants were out coached by Belicheck on every aspect of the game.  The offensive game plan was particularly inept.  Do you agree that the coaching staff leaves a lot to be desired in terms of planning?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:10
In that game Sunday night, yes. Absolutely. The short-yardage woes seemed to bother Tomlin the most. I imagine that would be en emphasis this week.
john
2:11
why did Washington run out of bounds on the long pass play he could of scored?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:11
It seemed like he was either off balance or lost track of where he was on the field.
The Standard
2:11
3rd and goal at the one, just called timeout...a fade to Moncrief is the best play we got?  come one man.  What a joke.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:12
I agree 100 percent especially since Moncrief initially turned the wrong way. If he runs the route properly it's an easy touchdown.
The Standard
2:12
Did we learn anything good out of that game?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:13
yeah we learned the Steelers have to defend crossing routes and pick plays much better. We learned the offensive line has trouble run blocking. (But we knew that. I wrote about that at the end of last season.) We learned Donte Moncrief and Ben Roethlisberger might not have the chemistry we were led to believe they did.
Cburg Stiller
2:14
As a longtime NFL fan, can't help but see AB's actions over the last year and especially the last month or so as being detrimental to the league's overall health.  How is it that the league is not going after him for 'conduct detrimental' in light of the Mayock incident or the recorded Gruden phone call (which might be illegal)?  And how are they not investigating what has to be suspicious actions between him/Rosenhaus/Patriots and how he orchestrated his way out of the Raiders contract?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:15
Tampering is difficult to prove, but the conspiracy theories fuel talk radio and such. And when the Patriots are involved it makes the stories even better because of their history of bending (breaking) NFL rules.
The Standard
2:15
What happened to Vance?  He has to be the #2 receiving threat behind JuJu and we didn't target him until garbage time?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:16
I can only assume he was having a hard time getting open. Roethlisberger usually looks to him more than he did Sunday night.
Cburg Stiller
2:16
What will be the biggest problems presented by the Seahawks for the Steelers D to deal with?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:17
First off, they have to stuff the Seahawks run game. If they can do that they'll have success. Secondarily, they can't let Russell Wilson break contain and make big plays by scrambling around or running.
Mark
2:17
Hi Ray, why won’t the Steelers ever run a qb sneak on 3rd or 4th and 1?  Those toss sweeps drive me crazy and never seem to work.  If an offensive line / quarterback can’t pick up one yard, then there’s something amiss somewhere.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:17
Just like the 2016 AFC title game.
Jon Morris
2:18
Do you believe this team is capable of a 2016-esque turnaround when they lost to the Eagles 34-3 then beat the Chiefs 43-14 the following week? Coach Tomlin loves the term “Redemption Sunday.”
Ray Fittipaldo
2:19
Certainly they are capable of that. It's the NFL. Things change drastically from week to week.
Mo
2:19
Why the fascination with Switzer... at least he catches the ball even though it's for 2 yards at a time!
Ray Fittipaldo
2:20
Switzer played 27 percent of the snaps last season. He played 67 percent Sunday night. I can't imagine they'll use him that much all season. James Washington and Diontae Johnson have much more potential to make big plays.
MD
2:21
Is there any chance of lineup changes like benching Moncrief?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:21
Not sure about a benching, but I'm willing to bet he won't play nearly as much.
Tom88
2:21
How many more of the dumb a$$ excuses do we have to put with? Weren't ready, not prepared for that .  No huddle offense, crossing routes, no one's ever done that before.  Newsflash to Art: We're way past angry, approaching indifference.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:22
It's only Week 1, but the pressure will mount for Tomlin if there are other performances like that one.
Mo
2:22
On these 3rd and 1's when will they run the frickin ball between the tackles instead of these pitch outs?? Bring in Nix and slam it up the middle!!! My God already!!! Your take Ray??
Ray Fittipaldo
2:25
Well, we found out today Nix was injured early in the game. I am sure that affected their game plan in those short-yardage situations. Nix probably won't play this week so they'll have to figure that out. Bring in Big Dan McCullers! Actually, the one guy who could become a stopgap FB is on the practice squad. Kevin Rader could handle the job. So maybe there is a promotion to the 53-man roster late in the week for him. Color me skeptical, but I don;t think Xavier Grimble can handle those duties.
MD
2:25
All through camp, we heard that Hilton can't cover and yet there he is out there getting burned with Sutton mostly on the bench.  Why?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:25
Sutton had all summer to beat him out, but Hilton kept his job. Maybe that will change this week. Tomlin has said constantly that Sutton has been playing well.
Scott
2:26
Is the Tomlin/Butler defense too complicated or do they just suck at teaching it? The fact there are still miscommunications and blown assignments is truly mind boggling.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:27
Apparently, they're not very good at communicating the calls. But that's been happening for years. Obviously, it can;t happen.
thanks
2:28
Do you think Tuzar Skipper getting away will haunt the steelers or is it just some nerdy fans (like me) overreacting?
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