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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 09.28.21
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Brian Batko
2:00
All right, friends. I've done these chats once or twice after two straight losses, so I know the routine. Let's bench the starters, fire everyone and sell the team. Go!
Bus driver
2:00
Why can’t we run the ball and when can Banner come back and help?
Brian Batko
2:02
When you can't run the ball as badly as the Steelers can't run the ball, there's going to be more than one reason, Mr. driver. I happen to think it starts with the quarterback - not just his lack of a reliable deep ball to stretch defenses, but also his lack of mobility. Players like Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray don't just rack up rushing yards from the QB position, they also draw a ton of attention from defenses and open lanes for the backs. As for Zach Banner, I'm not optimistic it will be this week. Otherwise, I think Mike Tomlin might have said that today. But we'll see.
Thomas
2:02
Too bad Steelers couldnt have sent a TE and pick to Jags for Henderson.   They will need CB next year along with so many things.   I heard no chance Tuitt is back for a while, is that true?  Is it his knee?
Brian Batko
2:04
I think the Steelers might be out of the trading draft picks game for a while, especially for cornerbacks. Remember Ahkello Witherspoon? We hardly knew ye. Well, he's still here, but didn't even dress against the Bengals in a game when James Pierre hardly bathed himself in glory. Perhaps Witherspoon will get a chance to factor in again. With Stephon Tuitt yes it is a knee and no I don't expect to see him anytime soon.
Ryan
2:05
The red zone offense is practiced throughout training camp and we "ran out of bullets.". Was this Tomlin's way of protecting Ben or taking a "shot" at Canada.
Brian Batko
2:05
Funny you should ask, I just wrote about his answer on that when he was asked again today https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2021/09/28/steelers-mike-...
2:06
I actually don't think it was a veiled shot at Matt Canada. But then again, I'm not sure what it was. It's such a confounding answer that I almost wonder if it's intentionally vague so as to NOT heap too much blame on the play-caller or the quarterback. Mike Tomlin is always very careful about doing that. You ask him who screwed up a play, he'll inevitably say it starts with him, and then probably say something like "it's on everybody."
Ken
2:07
Mike Tomlin says that he isn't going to push the panic button yet. Why not?  They just lost 2 home games.  I would think it is a good time to get serious.
Brian Batko
2:08
He didn't say he's not getting serious. In fact, he opened his presser today by laying out the three prongs of approach for them this week in practice, and that plan started with "schematics." You'll never hear a coach saying he's panicked. Or a player. But don't confuse that for not having urgency, Ken.
Buster
2:09
How do you run out of plays? It’s not like you can only use each play once.
Brian Batko
2:09
Yeah, again, I have no idea. It was so bizarre that it almost looked as if Ben got thrown off by the timeout and forgot it was fourth down. I don't know!
2:10
And keep in mind that Tomlin's "run out of bullets" might also have been a nod to lacking personnel on offense, from JuJu to Diontae Johnson to even a banged-up Chase Claypool to that point.
rman
2:10
Hi Brian.  I'm curious about Stephon Tuitt.  Has he been at the Steelers facility and is there a realistic chance he will play this season?
Brian Batko
2:12
Me too, rman. Steelers DC Keith Butler and players have said he's been around, but I can't say I've seen him. He's not allowed to practice until missing 3 games, so, theoretically he could get out there Wednesday and start testing it out. But I'm not expecting that at all.
Altoona T
2:12
B week 7 bye week 8 bye Ben ??
Brian Batko
2:17
Sorry folks, just took five minutes trying to figure that one out and I've got nothing. Back to the chat.
Jud
2:17
At what point in the season would you sit Ben?
Brian Batko
2:19
Man, that is a tough one, Jud. I asked Tomlin today if he considered benching Ben at any point Sunday and he said no, as expected, but I think it's worth getting that answer on the record. Because it could get worse from here. Not sure I have a hard-and-fast answer for you, but another game like that where the offense is completely bogged down largely due to his ineffectiveness, and I'm thinking about it. Might still be early enough to make a change and not have this season be a total lost cause (because even if Mason Rudolph starts and stinks, at least you've gotten another long look at him).
Titan in Charlotte
2:20
Brian, After 3 games this season, along with last seasons meltdown, we know what this team is. All franchises go through it, but my concern is the lack of quality coaching Tomlin consistently fails to bring in. Coaching can mask deficiencies to a point. Is Tomlin to fault, or does this go above Tomlin?
Brian Batko
2:23
I have to say some of both, and I agree with you. Promoting Matt Canada and, especially, Adrian Klemm from within was a leap of faith at the time and isn't aging well. Those were two big, big hires, and I must believe the process that led to the decisions included both Tomlin and the decision-makers above him to some degree. And you can call me crazy, but before I'd make any drastic decisions on the head coach's job status, I'd want to see what he can do in the post-Ben era, and failing that, what he can do with different assistants around him (especially on offense).
21-58-66
2:24
Brian - Thanks for the chats.  Is GM Colbert looking for that mulligan on the Bush pick yet?
Brian Batko
2:26
That's another one that's not aging well. Could it be a slowed learning curve because of the injury last year? Sure. But at the end of the day, it's a results-based business, and they don't ask how as much as how many. It was a logical pick to make at the time, and even a logical trade-up given the massive void left by Ryan Shazier at ILB, but I can't criticize anyone who argues that investing that much in a player at that position is unwise.
navydad721
2:26
Since we shot all our bullets Sunday, do we shoot blanks against the Packers?
Brian Batko
2:27
Might be time to throw a grenade and blow it up (actually, it was probably time to do that this offseason).
steelers fan in CT
2:28
The Ebron drops are drive killers and costing us points in some cases (drop before the ridiculous 4th down swing pass to Harris).   What exactly is he doing better that is keeping Freiermuth from taking over?
Brian Batko
2:29
Nothing. I can't explain why he suddenly out-snapped Pat Freiermuth in Week 3, other than they needed to throw more and Eric Ebron is a more experienced NFL route-runner and pass-dropper than 88.
Steeler in Virginia
2:30
Fans talked a lot about all the players lost in free agency this year, but I'm not sure if all of them were still on this team the record would be any different right now. Thoughts?
Brian Batko
2:32
Well, Bud Dupree isn't doing much in Nashville. It's actually Ola Adeniyi who's making a bunch of players for the Titans. James Conner had a couple TDs Sunday, but from the little I've seen, he looks like the same plodding runner as last year. Mike Hilton didn't move the meter much Sunday. The big one might be Matt Feiler and, believe it or not, Al Villanueva. He hasn't been great for the Ravens but I find it hard to believe he wouldn't be an upgrade for the Steelers right now.
Bill in SF
2:33
It seems clear that it was a mistake to both install a new offense with a new OC and bring back the 39 year old QB who like doing things his way.  I know MT says the Steelers won't panic, but when the time to panic comes, do they go back to letting Ben run things his way, or plug one of the back-ups in and continue to run Canada's stuff?
Brian Batko
2:35
I lean toward the former. Just can't envision him ever sitting down Roethlisberger if it's not injury-related, although I guess you could say every step he takes at this point is injury-related, considering his "everything hurts" comment after the game. And I'm not sure they haven't already reverted to letting him have it his way. Perhaps the braintrust is merely gritting their teeth through this season because it's one last year for Ben, a plan they never really WANTED but felt they owed to him, and we'll see real progress next year. Might be a stretch, but hey, food for thought.
Sunner in Orlando
2:36
If the Steelers go 1-5 before the bye, do they consider benching Ben for Mason?
Brian Batko
2:37
At that point, I think they would consider it. Not convinced they'd do it. But how could you not consider it?
Nate
2:37
hey Brian…when does AR2 wake up and see that Tomlin’s time is up?  What James Harrison said only proves to be more true each season: that the more Tomlin gets his coaches in here, the more he has his guys in place and gets what he wants, the further the Steelers get from a Lombardi trophy.  He hasn’t seemed to fix the fact we were leading the league in drops last year and are again this year.  Couldn’t run the ball last year; Can’t run the ball this year.  Lots of sloppy play and penalties last year, same this year.  At what point is Tomlin at least held accountable for his horrible in-game decisions??  Not necessarily fired, but held accountable somehow.  Players aren’t playing well but he’s also coaching poorly. And it seems like Steelers brass is ok with it.
Brian Batko
2:40
I'm sure the people he answers to are evaluating his performance, both in the big picture and on a weekly basis here. But I also believe he's built up a lot of equity with those same decision-makers, and rightfully so, in my opinion. I still think the primary problem right now is the QB play, and those above him might agree on that.
STEEL72
2:40
I sort of prefer this start to going undefeated. This team will have to learn about their character and if they have a better product to put on the table. I find late season collapses much more intolerable and unbearable? How about you, Bats? Let's hope this is a big reset mentally (talent/experience aside)... these men are being put to a choice.
Brian Batko
2:41
Yeah, I actually posited the idea when the schedule came out that this could be a year in which the team actually gets better as the season goes on rather than falls apart at the end. Now, that's largely contingent on a young offensive line figuring this out as they go, and being able to pound the ball consistently with Najee Harris. But these first few games are making me even less bullish on the chances that Roethlisberger can finish strong.
Jud
2:43
Thanks for the solid answer!
Brian Batko
2:43
It is my duty, Jud.
Al Villenueva
2:43
This offensive line and quaterback play is so bad, I can't even identify the weakest link. Can the Steelers front office properly evaluate Canada's OC capabilities when the play is this bad?
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