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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 10.9.17
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Ray Fittipaldo
11:56
Let's get started.
Face_reality
11:56
It has to be time to get rid of Haley, right?  We face the top pass defense and worst run defense in the league with young speed on the corners and instead of running the best RB in the league we throw it 60 times and throw short check downs right into their strength. Enough already....he has to go
Ray Fittipaldo
11:58
Haley is taking a lot of heat this morning. So is the quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger took all of the blame on his shoulders after the game. He said the only thing that has to change with the offense is him playing better. Not sure if that's true. He targeted Antonio Brown 19 times. To me, that says Roethlisberger is missing other receivers or they're not getting open. But to your point about the run-pass distribution I think there were a few instances especially in the red zone where they maybe should have run the ball. But after the second pick 6 it's hard to blame Haley. They almost had to throw every down once they got behind by double digits.
SteelerLover
11:58
Ben seems to have been off these first five games. What causes such a slump?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:01
Hard to say. I've heard analysts opine that Roethlisberger has lost it. Sometimes with aging players it disappears over one offseason. I don't know that to be the case. This offense struggled early last season (although not to this degree) until the running game got going. Maybe it's as simple as that. Or maybe there's more to it. I can't pinpoint it, but he does seem off. He's been high and wide of his targets. He was low in at least one instance yesterday (the pass to Antonio Brown that was challenged). He has admitted that he hasn't been good enough. Now he has to try to turn it around.
Cburg Stiller
12:01
Do you think that scheme or execution is the biggest culprit for the offense's lack of rhythm at the moment?  Of those two, which offers the biggest potential for improvement going forward?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:03
When Roethlisberger is on it doesn't really matter what the running game is doing. But any QB benefits from a strong running game. On Sunday, the Jaguars played man coverage for large portions of the game and dared him to throw. He did and the results were not good. If teams are going to play 8 in the box and dare the Steelers to throw they have to win some of those one-on-one matchups. If not, it's going to be a long season because the offensive line isn't exactly paving huge holes for Bell. at the moment.
John
12:03
Ben is not playing like Ben, he is to cautious, Ben needs to sling that ball around with reckless abandon. Bryant looks slow..
Ray Fittipaldo
12:04
Bryant had five catches for 21 yards vs. the Jaguars. I know one thing. having Bryant run horizontal routes is not the answer to what ails this offense. He's a vertical threat. They haven't used him enough in that way.
ALB
12:04
Hi, Ray.  Did you see anything at all positive in yesterday's debacle?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:05
Pass defense was good again although Bortles isn't a very good QB. Other than that, no.
Cburg Stiller
12:05
Do you think the offense needs to stretch the field more in the passing game?  Seems like maybe teams are 'on to' the Steelers' screen game now.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:05
Yes, I think they need to complete more passes deep. They've tried deep passes and they're not connecting. Until they complete some of those passes teams are going to continue to play them the same way.
AK
12:06
It sure looks like Ben is over the hill.  Do you think he will rebound?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:06
Hard to say at this point. We are a third of the way through the season and he's not getting better. You can hope he does, but there is no evidence he will.
AK
12:06
It seems to me that their run defense was better when James Harrison was playing.  Do you think he should play in the next game?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:08
I'll have to rewatch the game to see why they did so poorly against the run. Cam Heyward said it was missed tackles and poor technique. I've read from analysts that the Steelers are doing a lot of blitzes and stunts and that's what's creating the big holes in the defense. If that's the case it's a troubling sign because it says to me they don't feel like they can straight up with the personnel they have on defense. I'd rather see them play straight up and get beat than slanting one way and hoping they run into the running lane.
Cburg Stiller
12:08
What's up with Harrison - something wrong physically?  Saving him for the 2nd half?  Or, is the proverbial handwriting on the wall...
Ray Fittipaldo
12:09
Well, he was a healthy scratch this week. To me, that says the coaches don't think he's anything more than their fifth-best OLB at this point.
AK
12:09
Is it time for the Steelers to bring in another punter?  Berry has been poor all year.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:09
He hasn't been poor all season, but he has been inconsistent. Too many short punts especially at inopportune times.
2018
12:09
The Steelers need to draft a QB in the first round next year.  Ben is finished.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:10
They might have done that anyway if there was a player they really liked.
2018
12:10
Another loss to a lousy team.  This is on Tomlin.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:11
Certainly the coaching staff will bear some of the blame for this one. But anytime the QB throws five INTS and two pick 6s it's hard to place too much blame on anyone else. If they had received just competent play from the QB in this game they probably would have won.
Brice
12:11
Ray, rough game to lose at home, especially going into arrowhead this week. What do you personally see going on with this offense? I can't wrap my head around it, as it makes zero sense that we have been this "off"
Ray Fittipaldo
12:14
Well, the running game is almost nonexistent. That doesn't help matters. And Ben Roethlisberger has admitted he hasn't played well. But on all of those INTs yesterday, or the vast majority of them, I didn't see a lot of separation between the WRs and the DBs. Vance McDonald was well-covered by Ramsey on the first one. On the second pick 6 Ramsey was again in very tight coverage on Antonio Brown. Again, I want to watch the game again to see if the WRs were getting open, but at first glance, it didn't seem like a lot of WRs were running free vs. that secondary. It's on the WRs to get open and it's on the QB to make smarter decisions if that's the case.
M96
12:14
How much less talk about Roethlisberger's play would there be if the offensive line would play better especially in pass protection? Roethlisberger clearly hasn't played well but the offensive that was supposed to be one of the best that Roethlisberger has had in his career has been a disappointment.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:15
I agree. The offensive line has been disappointing to this point in the season. Villanueva got beat inside on a sack yesterday. You can never get beat inside if you are an offensive tackle because that's the quickest route to the QB. Villanueva hasn't been good, but no  one is blocking really well in the running game.
Bruce
12:15
HI Ray, love your chats you win hands down on the other two.  Very disappointed as is everyone else about our performance.  Just don't see a super bowl this year even with all that talent, yesterday was a one off but we've only really one decent game this year.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:16
I thought they did what they had to do to win the Vikings and Ravens games. And they should always beat the Browns. But I don't think they've played one good game yet this season. They played well for parts of the Vikings and Ravens games, but not that full 60-minute game all coaches and players are looking for.
RD
12:17
The blame for the loss yesterday could be put directly on the under performing offense; especially with all the so-called talent they have. The defense however didn't exactly step up either by once again allowing the Jags to run all over them, when they knew that was exactly what the Jags would attempt to do. Essentially, the team looks to be in disarray; no focus. I'm beginning to believe that the problem is with Tomlin. The trend for his teams is to play awful against sub-par teams or allow distractions to affect their performance. What say you?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:18
I'm not saying it's true, but the national buzz is the Steelers have been distracted and not focused this season whether it be the national anthem flap, the Antonio Brown episode, etc.
JerseySteel
12:18
Hi Ray - I know the talk is about Big Ben's play, but the OLine doesn't seem the same to me. There has been more pressure on Ben this year than I have seen in the past and less holes in the run game. I am seeing more empty backfields - is that leading to the additional pressure on Ben?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:19
Anytime there is an empty backfield the QB has to get rid of the ball quicker. Defenses can dictate that by bringing an extra rusher to force that. But I agree with you. The offensive line has played below expectations. That has to change if the offense is going to get better.
JerseySteel
12:19
Hi Ray - Can you find any reason for Tomlin's 2nd challenge of the incompletion to Brown - there was really no doubt the ball hit the ground? It was a wasted time out behind in the 4th quarter
Ray Fittipaldo
12:21
I was critical of both challenges at the time and now. Both made little sense to me. I received notifications on Twitter that first one one was used as a timeout because his team was tired. Well, it's the first half and you have no idea if you'll need that challenge in the second half of a close game. You have to get one right to get a third challenge. And he was out of challenges in a semi-close games after the second failed challenge.
JerseySteel
12:21
Hi Ray - other teams with less celebrated o-lines have run all over the Jaguars with a stacked box. Any idea why the Steelers wouldn't or couldn't do the same?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:23
Le'Veon Bell only had 15 rush attempts. I read in Joe Starkey's column that the Jaguars were even surprised they abandoned the run so quickly. The most egregious misstep was when they had first-and-goal at the 5 and they threw three times in a row. To me, if Bell isn't suited for that situation you insert Terrell Watson and run it three times. I think they'd have had a better shot at scoring if they did that.
Zach B
12:23
Hi Ray - Ben, Bell and Bryant look like players who have all lost the IT factor, what are your thoughts?
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