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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 09.16.19
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Brian Batko
12:01
Well, the Steelers are headed to the Frisco bay, but they're sitting on the dock of 0-2, and maybe watching the season roll away? I suppose this is now a Ben Roethlisberger season-ending elbow injury chat.
ALB
12:02
Wow!  Can you see I guess Deon
Brian Batko
12:02
Deion Sanders, man. What did he know? Can he see the future? But hey, let's not forget, Prime predicted retirement for Ben  this season. We don't have any indication that's on the horizon just yet.
Daggum Defense
12:03
It’s Mason time...... bummer for Ben man. Going to be a very interesting rest of the season for sure.
Brian Batko
12:04
A monkey wrench thrown into this 2019 campaign for the Steelers, no doubt. I thought Mason Rudolph looked solid. Seahawks safety Brad McDougald, who had no real reason to say anything particularly complimentary of Rudolph, said he thought Rudolph was as good as you could ask any backup, especially a young one, to be in that circumstance.
Seven’s Coming
12:04
Hey Brian- I’ve heard it said that the Steelers now have to be a run and defense first team. Can’t Rudolph throw? He’s not the only young QB to step in for his team. Do you see the Steelers becoming run heavy now?
Brian Batko
12:05
Not if we go by Sunday. Both Mike Tomlin and the Seahawks DBs I talked to said the Steelers offense stayed completely the same from a schematic standpoint with Rudolph in there for Ben. Not that any team is going to switch up its offensive structure mid-game, but that's encouraging. I even thought Rudolph showed some savvy on a few plays buying time in the pocket for himself and extending a play, though obviously that may very well be the biggest drop-off from 7 to 2.
TC in Charlotte
12:06
Hodges move up #2 with Ben out?  Will they look to sign a 3rd QB (Landry Jones?)
Brian Batko
12:06
Good question. Devlin "Duck" Hodges is now one quack away. Would Landry really want to put the XFL on hold? He's the face of the league!
Tom in Dallas
12:07
How soon before we play Miami?  We need a confidence builder....
Brian Batko
12:08
Not until after the bye, I'm afraid.
Ron
12:09
Ben didn’t seem right since the beginning. It seems the FO has had been timing with contracts. They ate money on Brown, they’ll eat it on Big Ben. That said, Mike Tomlin is just not a good head coach, and I don’t know why he gets such a passion things with ownership. If the Steelers finish third in the division and miss the playoffs, who is in greater peril, Tomlin or Colbert?
Brian Batko
12:10
Didn't seem right in terms of this season, like Week 1 at New England? Or injury-wise? Or mentality-wise? Because he seemed completely fine between the ears from minicamp until now. Obviously, this was completely unexpected all around. At that point, if your scenario comes true, I'd say Tomlin. Although the Donte Moncrief signing isn't shining on Colbert right about now.
Mik
12:10
Hi Brian, I first wanted to thank you for not beginning your chats by referring to your readers as kiddies like others do, it's kinda insulting.  I'm not a doom and gloom guy, but is it really possible that the Steelers are as bad as they appear?  I was hugely optimistic for this year.  Also, how is it possible for this offensive line to be this bad at the running game?
Brian Batko
12:12
Well, not to toot my own horn or insult you kiddies, but I did predict an 0-2 start all along. I also said on our North Shore Drive podcast last week that I thought the Seahawks would win. Of course, I couldn't have foreseen the way it would all unfold. Still don't think they're as bad as 0-2 would lend you to believe, but yeah, the run game is a major issue as well. James Conner hasn't had a lot blocked for him, but he also hasn't made a lot of guys miss when he does.
WPASTEEL
12:14
It's probably for the better. Now we can see if Mason is the future. The team is bad. Offense is pathetic and so is the defense. This team needs big changes. Tomlin needs to go and so do both OC & DC. Lots of overpaid players on both sides of the ball. Especially on Defense (Heyward, Dupree, Nelson, Haden, Tuitt). If Moncrief was in New England he would be cut. Don't you think this team needs big wholesale changes?
Brian Batko
12:16
I hesitate to say that, WPASTEEL, I really do. They were 9-6-1 last year and were harpooned in several games by a slumping kicker. They've faced one projected Super Bowl contender and another possible playoff team to start this season. But hey, guess what, they're getting a wholesale change for this year at least with Mason Rudolph coming under center. I can certainly see your point on a lot of what you acknowledge here. How the defense is built is a whole other subject worth discussing.
George
12:17
Hi Brian
Brian Batko
12:17
What's up, George?
Justin
12:17
15 years ago to the date (week 2) Big Ben replaced an injured Tommy Maddox because of an elbow injury.  Is history repeating itself?  Were we witnessing the beginning of a QB transition to Rudolph yesterday?  The spark he provided (aside from Moncrief's butterfingers) was obvious to me.  What say you?
Brian Batko
12:19
Quite possibly. The parallels really are Erie McDowell, even going back to Terry Bradshaw, whose own career ended with an elbow issue.
Pure Juice
12:20
Add yesterday's game to the ever expanding list of games under Tomlin that the Steelers come in uninspired, unprepared and undisciplined.....and zero adjustments at halftime.  Don't give me the never had a losing season story. Historically he has done less with more....this year, he will do less with less. Next up....a West Coast team...and we all know how well he does when he travels West. We are staring at 0-3. His coaching seat has to be getting warm doesn't it?
Brian Batko
12:21
Did you know he's never had a losing season? OK, OK, yes, it was another game that was a bad look for Tomlin and the coaching staff. If a coach's seat gets warmer or cooler with every win or loss, then yeah, it's heating up. Maybe this is a season he does more with less and helps guide this team out of an 0-2 hole and injury to its most important player.
Steeler Joe
12:21
In the larger scheme of things, it hardly matters, but I was curious: Why didn't Ben have a giant bag of ice on his elbow on the sidelines yesterday? Isn't that usually what happens when you have "inflammation" during a game? I've certainly seen it many times.
Brian Batko
12:22
As we now know, Joe, it wasn't inflammation. It was something nerve-related, which is bad bad bad. I'm actually surprised that the Steelers never actually ruled him out. He was questionable to return, and obviously, never did.
Steve
12:23
When the Seahawks needed one yard at the end of the game,  they ran at Dupree. He needs to be replaced!
Brian Batko
12:23
He was fairly invisible yesterday, yes. Someone on Twitter legitimately asked me if he was playing. Or at least I think it was legitimate. Maybe not. It was Twitter, after all.
Busted Coverage
12:24
T/F: Losing Ben for the season gives Tomlin an "out" for this season.  He will stay on as coach regardless of how poorly the Steelers do this year.
Brian Batko
12:25
It could go that way, sure. And maybe it should. Then again, it'll be our first chance to see a Mike Tomlin-coached team without 7 at QB for an extended period.
PGM
12:25
The poor decision making of Colbert and Tomlin continue.  Thomas last year, along with Brown, Bell, Skipper, Dobbs, and so on.  It's time for them to go.
Brian Batko
12:25
Your complaint is noted.
BB
12:26
Brian - Edmunds showing he realy is a third round talent like the rest of the league thought??  Big reach for the Steelers FO on that one?
Brian Batko
12:27
Early returns are not great. I thought he took some steps forward in preseason, but these first two weeks are a good reminder that preseason is only preseason. Edmunds was pretty distraught after that game. He knows it was a bad one for him. Can't let it linger, though.
Retirelisberger
12:27
Should I just ride off into the sunset? Just me and my drama
Brian Batko
12:27
It is pretty nice outside today
Jesse
12:27
Brian, with Davis hurt again and in the last year of his contract, what are the chances the Steelers will trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick?  If so, you think a #2 will do it?
Brian Batko
12:28
Possibly, but I think there are now too many long-term concerns to really worry about that at this point.
Kyle
12:28
Short quick passes have been a problem for the defense for 2 years. Last year it was personnel but that was addressed. At what point does it become a scheme problem?  Or a coaching adjustments problem?
Brian Batko
12:30
Scheme, adjustments, communication, all big-picture ideas that often get thrown out in these situations. All probably have a hand in what's gone wrong. But so do little things that become big things, like Terrell Edmunds not making that play on DK Metcalf in the end zone. Or Devin Bush being just an inch or two short to cover the TE on his first TD. Or missed tackles on the perimeter. There are only so many defensive looks you can run. There's always a way for an offense to beat it. At some point it just comes down to making plays.
Steeler in Virginia
12:31
Bigger fish to fry today, but... have we cut Moncrief yet?
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