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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 10.16.23
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Brian Batko
2:43
Diontae Johnson isn't perfect but that's not fair to say, especially with how he was opening up some things for the offense before he went down Week 1. Not saying he's gonna change that outcome or even make it competitive, but clearly he has a different skill set than the other wideouts on this team. As for Pat Freiermuth, the blocking certainly hasn't been good. Still I'll take him running routes down the seam and being a reliable safety valve plus a red zone asset.
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2:44
Actually B. they were in the Super Bowl in February of 2011 so Stale is correct.
Brian Batko
2:44
That's right, every year you don't win the Super Bowl it must be because the coaching has gotten stale.
Alan
2:44
I watched Najee Harris run all over the field in Tuscaloosa.  Coach up the O line.  That is really the huge failure here. There is not much you can do when you have to run thru a donut hole.
Brian Batko
2:46
Alan, my man, there's some validity in your overall point but no NFL line is gonna look like the Alabama offensive line. That's why some of those RBs have been straight-up misevaluated by NFL folks.
ZO
2:46
Does the return of DJ and "Muth" next week guarantee that Mr Pickens as Pickett's go to receiver will be a thing of the past this season?
Brian Batko
2:47
I would hope not. Part of the reason I was down on the idea of a Diontae Johnson contract extension is that he's a nice player but not a true No. 1 NFL receiver in my mind. George Pickens is that dude. Not everyone can be "him" you know?
LC
2:48
When was the last time you heard Mike Tomlin admit that he made a mistake?
Brian Batko
2:49
Sunday after the Ravens game when I asked what happened on the failed offense sequence toward the end of the game when the Steelers went from kneeling to kicking a field goal with a penalty in between. "I absorb responsibility for any messiness there," he said.
Jeff M
2:49
Have been a Tomlin defender and starting to feel like an apologist. Watching new school NFL coaching staff like the Texan's and Bengal's beat the Steelers makes me think the NFL has passed him by. Do you think Tomlin is too old school to complete in todays NFL?
Brian Batko
2:50
That's probably a bigger, realer issue than any "staleness."
Ralph
2:51
Is Rooney aware of the failure of the offense? Does he plan to do any thing about it?  Does he care?
Brian Batko
2:52
Oh I'd say yes, yes and yes. But again, as I've said before in this forum, or in my mailbag, I'm quite confident Steelers decision-makers see the same thing you and I do from the outside. They just have more patience when it comes to making changes in response to it.
Steelers fan from New Orleans
2:52
If TJ Watt stays on this paste for the next 5 years then would he be considered the greatest Steeler ever?
Brian Batko
2:53
He might have some of the best individual numbers and accolades, but I'd say you have to have a lot more team success to be in that conversation, at least for this venerable franchise.
Bullet Bill
2:53
Is Najee Harris who you expected him to be coming out of college?
Brian Batko
2:55
No, I expected him to be better, frankly. But longtime readers of this chat might remember that while I was on board with picking a running back in the first round that year (I was wrong, in retrospect) Travis Etienne was my 1A with Harris as 1B. If you haven't been paying attention, Etienne is really coming on strong for the Jags after missing his rookie season with a torn Achilles and being just OK last year.
J
2:56
Brian, do you think Tomlin might be too much of a nice guy to win the big one in a game that objectifies people this much? In other words, Tomlin seems like a better human being than business executive.  Can he make the hard calls to cut/ trade players he’s loyal to? Move on from personnel mistakes? I think he gets the big picture and Pittsburgh should be proud of it. But can he win as a player’s coach?
Brian Batko
2:59
That's a very insightful question, J, and honestly one I've pondered at times too. Some NFL and big-time college coaches are aloof to a fault, but Tomlin is far from that when it comes to his teams. If anything, maybe that kind of ruthlessness will actually take hold more as he gets older but overall, I wouldn't say he's incapable of making business decisions. Shoot, he's benched guys and cut high draft picks and declined fifth-year options. It's not as if there's no evidence of him making tough calls, coaching staff included.
AtlantaDan
2:59
So based on the results this weekend, if you want to beat top tier offenses while scoring in the teens with mediocre QB play it is going to take an epic defense like Cleveland showed yesterday rather than just  a borderline top 10 defense (according to current DVOA) such as the Steelers D that was shredded by the 49ers?
Brian Batko
3:00
Yes, good comment, Dan. If you want to build your team around the defense, the defense better deliver.
epiballo
3:00
With Johnson coming back to bolster the WR room, and the rookies showing promise, and the defense making splash plays, am I crazy to be hopeful for the after-bye season?
Brian Batko
3:01
You aren't crazy. In fact, I'll even let you have the last word in today's chat, because I'm an eternal glass half-full kind of guy. An optimistic cynic, if you will.
3:02
OK folks, time's up. Thanks for playing. If you aren't a P-G subscriber yet, now's a fantastic time. There's a deal for 99 cents for 3 months, which will take you to the end of the Steelers season. Check it out https://pittsburghpost-gazette.cmail19.com/t/t-l-vgtyyd-jjjudlkuhi-y/
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