Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 10.15.26
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Ray Fittipaldo
10:30
Good morning! Let's get the chat started.
BeaverFallsKid
10:30
How do you assess the Steelers’ lack of edge rush pressure and sacks the last couple of weeks? Is it a simple as playing teams with strong O-line play? Or is more attributable to the Steelers’ personnel and/or pass rush schemes?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:34
That's definitely something Patrick Graham has to evaluate. I know Joe Burrow was getting rid of the ball super quick. Deshaun Watson and Daniel Jones not so much. Watson in particular was back there patting the ball, surveying the field and doing as he pleased to the Steelers secondary. And I know the Colts only scored one touchdown, but Jones dropped back to pass 45 times and was only sacked once. For a team that is built around the pass rush -- and specifically the edge rushers -- that's not good enough. I wrote a story this week on the usage of Nick Herbig. He's off to a slow start as he gets used to a new role in the defense. Maybe it's as simple as getting Herbig back to his old role and scrapping the inside linebacker thing. Patrick Graham said this week he's looking at it so we'll see if he has any adjustments in Tampa.
Tim
10:34
Does Max I look like a long term answer at RT and a homerun draft pick that at the time was a rather unexciting selection on draft night in the host city?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:35
Most definitely. He's a keeper and I think down the road he could easily move to left tackle if they ever wanted to do that.
Mark
10:35
Hi Ray.  I have a rules question.  You will often see OL and DL in the trenches penalized for hands to the face.  Why is it that a ball carrier is allowed to stiff arm his hand to the face of a would-be tackler as long as he wants?  Thanks.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:36
Great question and there is not a good answer other than it's been that way since the game was invented.
BeaverFallsKid
10:36
Are there any available and viable free agent wide receivers that can help the Steelers for the next month or so while they get healthy at the position? Or is there a WR that could be obtained via trade for a late round draft pick?  Or do you think they can be productive with the personnel they have on the roster now at WR and TE?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:38
They're going to elevate Brandon Smith again this week and likely another WR from the practice squad. You're also likely to see a more prominent role for TE Robert Tonyan, who hasn't received a lot of playing time to this point. They'll see how it looks in Tampa and then evaluate whether they need to make a move. Honestly, a lot of it has to do with the health or Roman Wilson, who was playing pretty well before he was injured against the Colts. Wilson did not go to IR so it seems like it's not a longer term injury.
RhinoSteelers
10:38
I have a funny feeling Deshon Elliot won’t play this year?  Thoughts… also if he doesn’t play how does that play out w salary cap and maybe any other indirect benefits or negatives?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:42
The Steelers definitely need Elliott if the defense is going to improve, but something is off with the timeline of this recovery. It's been 354 days since the major hamstring injury that required season-ending surgery. The Steelers had him ramp up slow in camp and he played in the second preseason game. He reported some discomfort and then he was placed on IR. So it's now been almost two full months since he played. His 21-day window to return from IR was opened last week, and he still hasn't been a full participant in practice. The Steelers still have 14 days to decide if he'll be activated to the 53-man roster or revert to IR, but apparently it was quite the setback in August.
Fletch
10:42
Hi Ray. Metcalf's production has been a disappointment and chances he gets better over the remainder of this deal don't look great. The dead money on his deal also makes him untradeable this offseason. Are they going to have to give up a player and future draft capital to move up to take a shot at a top QB to keep their 2nd to hopefully find a WR1?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:43
I suspect they're going to hang onto him and hope he improves. When they restructured his contract this summer that was a sign they view on on the roster long term. He was good in the fourth quarter against the Browns. The Steelers need him to play like that all the time.
Fletch
10:43
In your opinion, why can't this defense perform up to it's expectation?  Thanks.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:46
Good question Fletch. It seems to me Graham is very fond of rushing four and dropping seven into coverage more often than not, but that hasn't been working the past few weeks. When he got the job he talked about stopping the run and getting teams into third-and-longs, which is when he said he can have some fun. But we haven't seen any creativity at all with his blitz packages. When he does call the occasional blitz it doesn't get home. It's easily picked up. He's been a DC in the league for a while now. I would think some adjustments are coming.
Fletch
10:46
The schedule leading up to the bye is favorable, even with the cross Atlantic trip followed by a Sunday home game. Do you see them getting to the bye at 6-2?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:48
Tampa is playing a rookie QB, the Saints are just OK and the Steelers haven't lost to the Browns in forver at home. Winning three in a row and getting to 6-2 seems like a good possibility, but this team hasn't won on the road yet. Until they show me they can play well on the road I'm not going to predict  6-2. Let's see how they play in Tampa.
Fletch
10:49
Good morning, Ray. Thank you for the chat. Do you think MM has realized his players are better at being a run dominant team and he needs to adapt his pass dominant offense accordingly for the rest of this season. His WRs still aren't good enough to get separation, his QB isn't mobile enough to buy time, and his OLine can't pass block. Shouldn't we expect game plans derived around Warren and the TE's with some shots taken down field on occasion to the WRs?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:51
Even last week against the Colts the run game didn't heat up until the second half when the Steelers were able to get a decent lead. It hasn't been dominant at all early in games. I agree with you Warren is their best offensive player, and they need to lean into him more. But I don;t necessarily think it has to be a run-oriented offense. Warren is great as a receiver out of the backfield. I'm OK with throwing short to him and others. And then like the Colts game, let the run game be the hammer at the end when the defense is tiring.
Fletch
10:53
With basically 1/4 of the season in the books, how would you rate the new staff? Also, do you think they've developed an identity yet or are they still searching for it?  Thanks.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:55
The offense has been good the past three games. Let's see if it's sustainable especially with the injuries at WR now. The defense was poor in Cleveland and so-so in New England. Been OK in the wins, but they're far from dominant. I would have thought the defense woudl be better at this point, but there is still time for Graham to make some adjustments.
Mike from Erie
10:56
The reports say that the Cowboys had a players only meeting yesterday. I wonder what JPJ think of the Steelers salary offer now. Thoughts ?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:56
Uh-oh. The dreaded players-only meeting. They're never the answer.
Stairway to seventh seed
10:57
Ray: Do you think the offensive line is ready to play well on the road this week?  The Bucs have the extra three days to come up with new blitz packages and they already have a good run defense.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:58
Vita Vea will be a challenge for Frazier and the guards. They did a nice job on Dexter Lawrence, but that was at home. This game is on the road. They'll have to play better than they did in New England and Cleveland, that's for sure. For whatever reason, the communication in those games was poor up front. Rodgers almost got killed in New England.
Stairway to seventh seed
10:58
Ray:  Are there schematic things that can be done to improve the kickoff coverage?  From what I saw there is just nobody beating a block.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:59
And now Skowronek, their best special teams player, is out. The special teams overall have been pretty underwhelming. If Danny Crossman has some answers Sunday would be a good time to use them.
Tampa Too
10:59
Ray. What is your theory as to why the Steelers have had such poor pass rush for the last several games?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:01
I think they have to look at how they're using Herbig. That's not the only problem, but he's one of your best pass rushers and he's rushing half as much as Watt and Highsmith. Then on the inside the interior rush has been well below average. Keeanu Benton signed that big contract and I've barely noticed him. Heyward has just one sack in five games. Harmon was coming on, but now he's on IR. Graham has to look around and come up with some blitz packages that work.
obxandy
11:01
Is Max Hurleman healthy enough to come off IR? Thanks for your insights.
Ray Fittipaldo
11:02
He's back to practicing, but not sure if he'll be elevated for this game. Aaron Rodgers mentioned three practice squad receivers yesterday and Hurleman was not one of them.
Alan in NC
11:02
Hi, Ray. My two cents…I’m more than disappointed w the new D coordinator. I’m not seeing much difference in schematics, organization, communication or imagination from what we’ve seen in the past. I get injuries and losing JPJ but come on now. Also, toughness, aggressiveness and so on. Very disturbing.
Ray Fittipaldo
11:05
It's only five games so you definitely want to give Graham a little bit of grace, but overall I share your sentiments. I'm sure he had visions of playing with a different secondary, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt there. The lack of a consistent pass rush is concerning. He has the highest-paid defense in the league. The front office obviolusly thinks a lot of the personnel. Graham has to figure out the best ways to use it.
Stairway to seventh seed
11:06
Ray:  The defense got better "grades" than I would have expected this past week.  Through 90% of the game the only time the Colts punted was after they have moved about 40 yards from their own 2.  For all the criticism that Rodgers and the offense gets, don't you think it is the overpaid defense that puts a ceiling on what this year's team can accomplish?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:08
Man, Patrick Graham taking the heat in here today! I defiitely think he can improve, but they did a good job of bending and not breaking against the Colts. My fear is when they play better QBs those field goals will turn into touchdowns. And I'm not sure Rodgers and this offense can win 34-31 games on a consistent basis.
Stairway to seventh seed
11:09
Ray:  The Steelers have $36m of AAV contracts in their current starting defensive tackles (Benton and Heyward).   They are each tied for the 23rd highest paid interior DLs.  Combined they have 1 sack for 1 yard of loss this year.  Cam did bat down a bunch of Cooper Rush passes.  Are the Steelers getting good value out of either of these contracts given an almost complete lack of interior pass rush?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:09
Certainly not in terms of their pass rush. The run defense was very good though against the Colts.
Ryan
11:09
Ray what do you think about the play of Gabe Rubio i think he looked good vs the colts on Sunday
Ray Fittipaldo
11:10
I was impressed with Rubio as a run stopper in camp, and he did the same in his NFL debut against the Colts. He was sent into the game in those short-yardage situations in the red zone and was a big part of the forcing those field goals.
Walnut Bobby
11:10
Good morning Ray.  I believe you alluded to it but we didn’t sign Elandon to stay on the practice squad.  Is Bruener really that special on teams (pun inteneded) that he couldn’t be the one out?  you are as
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