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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 10.12.20
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Brian Batko
1:59
Hi everyone. Feels good to be chatting about a 4-0 Steelers team. I imagine everyone will be very calm, cool, collected, and most of all rational about a team that hasn't lost yet.
Retire21
1:59
Did I read that zebra crew leads all others by a wide margin in penalty calls? And they couldn't initially see the ball hit the ground on the INT with Ebron? Do you think adjust when they see a certain crew come onto the field? These guys were brutal.
Brian Batko
2:00
I think I'm going to make this the only comment/question about the refs. One thing I've learned doing this job, at any level, is that the fans/players of the other team are complaining about officiating too. Every time. After every game. Did the crew miss some bad ones? Absolutely. Is it worth spending a ton of time on? Nope.
Nitro
2:01
Hi Brian -  Outside of the jet sweeps, the run game yesterday was not very productive.  Most handoffs seemed to be of a semi-delay drive variety.  Certainly not playing to strengths of #26 or even 24 for that matter. Do you attribute run play design to opponent, or are the Steelers still trying to figure it out?
Brian Batko
2:01
Hi, Nitro. I think more of the latter. They're trying some different things. Odd use of Anthony McFarland, who got the first carry of the game, then just two more, both on a weird delay toss kind of deal. Not sure what the plan was on those two, unless McFarland is supposed to use his speed to somehow bounce it way outside.
Yuri
2:02
Hello Brian, while watching Conner running a number of off tackle plays yesterday, it occurred to me that McFarland’s quickness and speed may have turned those plays into longer runs or even touchdowns.  Any thoughts?  Thank you.
Brian Batko
2:03
Yeah, you look at the way Miles Sanders turned on the jets for the 74-yard tuddy, then you watch Conner sort of run out of gas on his 25-yarder, and you see the difference between those two backs. Like I said in the previous answer, it's not as if McFarland made much for himself yesterday either, though of course it would've been interesting to see him used as much and as Conner and on some of the same rushes.
Big Ed
2:04
Hello Brian exclamation Point Hope all is well with you in the family. OK, so it's time to worry about the secondary isn't it?  Or is it just that we are blitzing too much?
Brian Batko
2:05
Big Ed, are you using talk-to-type question mark I love to see it. It's certainly time to up your level of concern about the back end, yes. To my untrained eye, a lot of the issues yesterday were independent of blitzes/pressures/etc. Players/coaches didn't have much in the way of answers in the immediate aftermath, which is to be expected, so it'll be interesting to see how the defensive players and coordinator Keith Butler break down whether the issues were physical or more schematic the rest of this week.
Guest
2:06
Bro,  did it appear to you or anyone who watched the game that Eagles made some good football plays especially under some pretty tight coverages? Any given Sunday...see the Raiders vs. Kansas City!!!
Brian Batko
2:07
Yeah, that's another thing that gets overlooked: any time things don't go well for your team, it's because of their own weaknesses rather than the opponent also trying to succeed, right? But yeah, Carson Wentz got hot here and there, and Travis Fulgham certainly got in a groove. Good for him. It wasn't always tight coverage, though.
iowasteelersfan
2:08
That Clalypool guy ain't too shabby eh?
Brian Batko
2:08
Jaxon
2:09
Hey Bats, hope u r well.  I admit, again, that I was frustrated with the Chase Claypool pick in 2. I liked him a lot, but really wanted them to go RB.  Again, just like every other year, the Steelers prove why im not their GM. Thoughts on their continued success with picking receivers ...?
Brian Batko
2:11
It's uncanny, Jax. I'd say this year they kept it simple and drafted the big, speedy, productive dude. But look at last year, when they went for the smallish, more-quick-than-fast MAC guy. And two years before that, JuJu was hardly the tallest or most athletic guy available at that point, but he's translated really well to the NFL. Just have to give a ton of credit to Kevin Colbert and the scouting department.
AK
2:12
So do the people that wanted the Steelers to draft Dobbins instead of Claypool admit the Steelers made the right choice?
Brian Batko
2:12
At least one does, and he's right above you in this chat.
Darnell
2:14
Were you surprised that the Steelers didn’t make the adjustment on Fulgham sooner yesterday?  He and Wentz almost beat the Steelers by themselves.
Brian Batko
2:15
I'm not necessarily sure how much of an adjustment they made. But they made some plays on him those last couple series, especially one big PBU by Joe Haden.
Bemac
2:16
Any word on the extent of DeCastro’s injury?
Brian Batko
2:16
Not yet. Mike Tomlin will give his weekly briefing tomorrow, so perhaps an update then, but if not, first practice and injury report comes out Wednesday afternoon. In the postgame, though, it sounded like he might miss some time.
Tom
2:18
Why do teams use a zone defense in the endzone?
Brian Batko
2:18
Because teams watch film and might see a reason to run various coverages depending on the offense's best goal-line plays.
Steeler in Virginia
2:19
With offensive line injuries and a vital stretch of games coming up, what are the chances the Steelers try to make a trade for OL help with a late-round draft pick?
Brian Batko
2:20
You never know, but they were awfully banged up there earlier in the season too, and didn't go the trade route. Just signed Jerald Hawkins off Texans practice squad, a guy they were comfortable with from his previous time here, and it seems they're comfortable with their OL backups overall - at least more so than they would be bringing in a new face to start from scratch.
The Dude
2:20
Reading and hearing that Alex Smith is the favorite right now got comeback player of the year.i had it down to either Ben
Brian Batko
2:21
Amazing chapter in Alex Smith's story for him to return to the field yesterday, and against the team that knocked him out a few years ago, no less. If you didn't see the E:60 doc on his injury, check it out. But all that being said, after his play yesterday, and given the little hiccup in Cam Newton's season, I don't know how you can give that honor to anyone other than Roethlisberger at this point.
GM
2:23
#11 officially has the most receiving yards on the team with about 275.  Thats not a lot for 4 games in!  Are we still missing the true #1 WR?
Brian Batko
2:24
Not so much, no. JuJu is probably still the closest to it, but Chase Claypool is looking like a rookie who's on the fast track to being that guy himself.
Guest
2:24
Whats wrong with Pouncey? Hope he's ok
Brian Batko
2:25
Tomlin mentioned he hurt his foot. That's all we really know right now. Rewatching his last snap, which was the final play before the two-minute warning, he didn't even seem to get dinged. But then coming out of the break, JC Hassenauer was in there.
PAMMYWHAMMY
2:26
Good Afternoon Brian!  Do you see opposing defenses finally having fits with the decision on who to "take away" after Claypool's monster game? They seemed to account for him on TD 4 until Big Ben faked the screen to seal the game.
Brian Batko
2:28
Yes, the Eagles were having fits and then some. They didn't even really account for Claypool on that last TD. Had one of their linebackers, Nate Gerry, matched up on him, and Gerry really struggles in coverage to begin with. They were in quarters, and the help didn't get there in time for Gerry, so it was easy money for a 7-11 duo that knew where the ball was going before it was snapped.
tomorrow
2:29
Steelers won another game- the only weak area was the secondary.Any feelings about the upswing with Cleveland's play so far, and the usual Raven's play- might be a tough division after all.
Brian Batko
2:30
My feeling is that it will be an excellent tilt Sunday on the North Shore. Seems to me Cleveland's improvement is thanks in large part to better coaching. Ravens are the Ravens, so yes, AFC North is my pick for toughest division thus far, with the NFC West a not-so-close second.
Ryan D
2:32
Hey Brian, thanks for the great chat.  With Claypool looking like a complete stud, does this make it more likely that Steelers don't resign Juju?
Brian Batko
2:32
Hey Ryan, thanks for the great question. Undoubtedly, yes.
San Diego Steeler Fan
2:33
Is it me or could this be an offense that is one of the best in a long time with the additions of Chase Claypool and Ray Ray Mc Cloud?
Brian Batko
2:34
Let's pump the breaks a little bit. Wasn't long ago Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell made this offense almost unstoppable. And Ray-Ray McCloud is neither of those guys, though he did give them a spark yesterday and seems like he'll have some sort of role going forward.
Realist
2:35
Why is a “phantom” offensive PI penalty not reviewable?  Nobody in their right mind watching that replay on Claypool would have upheld that call.  PI penalties are such game changers..why wouldn’t these calls all be reviewable due to that nature?
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