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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 10.01.19
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Ray Fittipaldo
1:56
Let's get the chat started.
CanadianSteelersFan
1:56
I almost forgot Steven Nelson was on the team thus far. So he must be playing well enough. Did you notice Kam Kelly on the field at all last night? Saw Sutton get a few snaps. With the addition of Fitzpatrick, could we be looking at one of our best secondary groups in quite awhile?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:58
Mike Tomlin was asked about Steven Nelson today and he was very complimentary in his assessment of his play through four games. He mentioned how the Steelers put him in some "awkward" situations and he's been impressed with how he's handled that. Kam Kelly hasn't played since Fitzpatrick was acquired. And yes, the secondary as a whole, looks to be coming together. That's a good sign for the Steelers because it's obvious the offense remains a work in progress.
Jeff
1:58
I get these comes on the heels of his strip sack but Dupree is horrible.  Non existent.  I dvr the games, go back and just look at tape of him in the first 4 games.  He gets bounced around, has no bull rush and rarely even around the ball.  What tape are the coaches watching and who is accountable for thinking he was worth 9MM?  give someone else a shot since he's clearly not the future and no way his replacement could be worse.  one strip sack every 5 years...awesome
Ray Fittipaldo
1:59
I'll have to go back and watch him against the Bengals, but that strip sack was a huge play in the game. The Steelers were wining, 7-3, but the Bengals were driving on the Steelers' 18-yard line. Might be a different game if the Bengals go on to score a TD before the half. The Steelers have to play ahead with Rudolph. The recipe is for the defense to continue to turn the ball over and keep scores down. Until Rudolph gets more comfortable that's the only way they're going to win games.
RD
2:00
Defense beginning to gel?... Or just a bad Bengals offense?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:01
Probably both. But hey, you play who's on your schedule. That's the same Bengals offense that threw for more than 400 yards against Seattle. That's an NFL team. The encouraging part about the Bengals game for me was the play of the linebackers. Not only did Watt and Dupree have an impact on the game but Mark Barron and Devin Bush were much better. They seemed way more comfortable. And it showed.
547 Fan
2:01
I'm not complaining about a win and what worked in order to get it, but were all those check-downs from MR to the backs by design, or was he looking downfield, going through his progressions, and just unable to pull the trigger?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:03
Reading between the lines, that was the game plan. For whatever reason the plays down the field are few and far between right now. Either the coaches don't feel like Rudolph is ready to execute those plays or Rudolph isn't pulling the trigger on those throws for some reason. You can't win with gimmicks every week in the NFL. Mike Tomlin acknowledged that today. They did what they had to do to win against the Bengals, but they'll need a better and more conventional offense to continue winning.
BigAl
2:04
What’s the deal with James Washington? I saw Juju open twice on deep crossing routes and Rudolph just didn’t see him I guess, but it seems like WASHINGTON just can’t gain separation for whatever reason. What are your thoughts on why he’s pretty much been invisible to-date? Thanks Ray.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:06
Great question. That has to be a concern for the Steelers. We all know he struggled as a rookie. The thinking was once Rudolph became the starter that Washington would excel because they played together at Oklahoma State and had a lot of success. But Diontae Johnson is getting open more than Washington. When the Steelers drafted Washington Randy Ficthner was asked about the lack of top-end speed. Fichtner said that did not concern him. He said Washington had other qualities that helped him excel such as his ability to win 50-50 balls. But we haven't see that yet in the NFL, and it seems his lack of speed is an issue. Or at least it seems that way. I agree he doesn't get a lot of separation.
Sperl
2:07
Looking forward to the rest of the year. But are the Steelers in good cap position for NEXT year with. ABs contract off the books?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:08
Yes with AB's contract off the books they'll be in good shape.
Franco
2:08
Is Jaylen Samuels going to continue to have an expanded role or will it be depending on game scheming each week?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:09
They game plan in different ways every week, but I think it would be smart to keep Samuels involved. He's versatile and productive. And the Steelers need all the production they can get.
547 Fan
2:09
I didn't notice Ola much and with Chick out that surprises me.  Is he truly a preseason star that doesn't translate to being reliable in the regular season, is he bothered by injury, or was he out there more than I noticed?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:10
I didn't look at Ola's snaps, but I'd be surprised if he had more than five. Watt and Dupree were playing well. No reason to sub them out. Jay Elliott came in for a few snaps, too. But I'm fine playing your best guys in tight games. I actually think they sometimes sub too much on defense.
BigAl
2:11
I was impressed with Vannett’s clutch catches. I was not expecting that. I’m actually a little excited to see him & Vance together on the field. Any word on when he might be expected to return from his injury? Thank you
Ray Fittipaldo
2:12
Tomlin was hopeful that McDonald might be able to return this week for the Ravens. We'll find out more tomorrow and Thursday when they practice. I agree Vannett and McDonald can be a nice combination. Vannett is a good blocker and Vance can make some plays down the field. They have the potential to be a nice combination.
Jg
2:12
It’s good to see outside the box thinking for a change with the Steelers on offense. I hope this becomes part of their package going forward like the no huddle. We need something to allow the deep passes to develop. Your thoughts
Ray Fittipaldo
2:13
I agree it was creative, and yes, it certainly caught the Bengals off guard. But Tomlin acknowledged Tuesday it's a gimmick. And you can't win with gimmicks in the NFL. In order to throw deep you need a consistent run game that makes defensive coordinators creep their safeties into the box. To this point the Steelers haven't had that so that's why the deep balls aren't there.
iowasteelerfan
2:13
Did they ever actually announce what kind of elbow surgery Ben had?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:14
No but it wasn't Tommy John surgery. That's a good thing because that's a much longer rehab than what he's facing.
547 Fan
2:14
Fumble aside, seems like D Johnson is progressing into the type of receiver they envisioned.  Will he stay mainly in the slot, or can he go outside if Washington continues to struggle?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:14
Johnson can definitely play outside. He's someone they can move all around.
iowasteelerfan
2:15
Do the rules of pass interference seem to change week by week, if not play by play?  How are players supposed to know what will, or will not be called?  That challenge Tomlin lost did not appear to be a foul to me - your thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:19
I agree it was a bad call, but I'm not sure if I would have challenged it. Even if you win the challenge it's still second-and-10 instead of first-and-20. And you challenge knowing full well Alberto Riveron isn't going to be consistent. So it's a crapshoot. That play was very similar to Joe Haden putting his hand on Alvin Kamara's back last  year in New Orleans. It's very ticky-tacky, but I'd be more careful with my challenges. In close games ill-advised challenges  can come back to bite you.
TJ in Florida
2:19
What is the point of having PI replay review if they can't get the call on Helton right? Do you think the game situation influences that call? Specifically, if the game was close and late in the 4th quarter, would they have overturned the call? I'm getting tired of watching the NFL blow a call twice on one play.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:20
Honestly, I'm like Tomlin. I have no idea what Alberto Riveron is going to do. There is no consistency with him or the way the game is officiated on the field.
Ryan
2:21
I think people are downplaying this win by making the Bengals sound worse than they are. They only lost by 1 to Seattle, and 4 to Buffalo, they did get blown out by the 49ers. I'd say the fact nearly beat SF and Seattle and now Dominated the Bengals says more about how good we are/can be than how bad the Bengals are. Your thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:22
I get your point to a certain extent. But that is a bad Bengals team. The Steelers did what they're supposed to do against a team like that.
Daniel
2:22
Do you think we have enough offensive power to win some key games? I am not sure if WR corp. can get the job done against top notch teams.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:23
The offense is definitely a work in progress. Mike Tomlin admitted as much today at his news conference. For the time being, it looks like the defense is going to have to lead the way.
RD in VA
2:23
Why won't the Steelers run the QB sneak? If you say "risk of injury to the QB", my follow up question is when was the last time you saw a QB injured on a sneak? My personal answer is never. What say you, sir?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:25
The Bengals gained 3 yards on their one and only QB sneak Monday night. Given the Steelers' issues on third- and fourth-and short I'm all for it.
Thomas
2:25
James Washington, where is he at?   I thought he was going to put up some stats.  He is practically invisible.   Whats up with that?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:26
It's a big issue for them. They were counting on him to be more of a factor. If Moncrief and Washington can't turn it around then you're down to a rookie in Diontae Johnson being a focal point of the offense. Not sure that's how they envisioned this thing working back in the summer.
stiller fan
2:26
3 catches for 15 yards for a number 1?!  Really... I liked what I saw from the team, and this was a definite team win, but Juju has to do something better to get more balls right?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:28
JuJu was open on at least one occasion down the field and Rudolph did not throw it to him. He threw short to Conner or Samuels instead, one in a long line of check-downs Monday night. I'm sure JuJu will tell you that wasn't the only time Rudolph missed him. It's going to take some time, but they have to figure that out sooner rather than later. As you point out, your No.1 receiver putting up that type of production  isn't a recipe for success.
SteelfanSLC
2:28
Do they allow Mason to audible? That failed 4th down play shouldve been Audibled I could tell presnap it wasnt going to work. Terrible play call imo. Why was Conner lined up 15 yards back to start the run? Seemed very excessive.
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