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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 11.22.21
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Brian Batko
2:01
Greetings! What a game that was. Can't say I saw it playing out like that. Now, as for your questions, I'm here and ready to field them.
SW Steel
2:02
What do you think that "look" that Ben gave to the sidelines in the 4th quarter last night was all about?
Brian Batko
2:03
He gave a pretty similar look in the first half, too, when that four-play goal-to-go series failed. Roethlisberger was asked about it after the game and said it was just frustration that they didn't punch it in. Also put the blame on himself as the QB, the leader. But when you combine that with Najee Harris' animated gestures last week, it's a pattern of body language that's a bit worrisome for state of the offense, or at least indicative of their struggles.
MD
2:04
Brian:  Teams like Baltimore and New England seem to annually have mid-round picks or low cost free agents filling prominent roles on defense.  I always thought a huge long term problem for the Steelers was that Tomlin/Butler seem to need a star at every position in order to have a functioning defense and use too much draft capital (8 straight first round picks on D plus the extra 2nd and 3rd for Bush) and cap space on that side of the ball.  Wasn't last night the epitome of this fear laying out before us?  And is this more of a problem in drafting (e.g. mid-round busts like Layne), pro personnel evaluations (e.g. Witherspoon, Ingram), player development, or schemes that seem to expose our weaknesses?
Brian Batko
2:06
Ah, I don't if I'd say that, MD. Wouldn't you agree with me this defense was pretty good the last couple years with Mike Hilton (UDFA), Vince Williams (6th round) and Rob Spillane (UDFA) playing pretty prominent roles. Not to mention mid-round guys like Cam Sutton and Joe Schobert being every-down players just about this year. So, I guess I disagree with your premise, but I agree that Justin Layne, Melvin Ingram and Ahkello Witherspoon might've been bad evaluations all in different ways.
Matt Mexico
2:07
Is it safe to say, that with better play calling inside the 5 yard line the last two games, this rag-tag group of patchwork Steelers should be sitting at 7-3?
Brian Batko
2:09
Ehhh you could argue that. Lost by 4 last night after not getting any points at the goal line in the first half. Tied last week after settling for 3 instead of 6. But there's also some level of "Butterfly Effect" stuff that goes on when you try to do too much of that. So I don't put TOO much stock into it. Of course, you'd like to convert red zone opportunities though, and you certainly need to score TDs when you get that close. Those are the kind of missed chances that lose you games, indeed.
Jim
2:10
Can we officially admit this is the worst O-line we may have ever had and do a melt and repour for next season? I mean if you can open any holes against the worst team against the run, there is no hope for these guys.
Brian Batko
2:11
It's been one step forward, two steps back for them lately, no doubt. But let's not misremember the issues last year's OL had in their own right. This group is young, inexperienced, and has never played together. Not excuses, just reasons. I don't know that anyone's job is safe after this season but you'd hope guys like Kevin Dotson, Dan Moore and Kendrick Green can be long-term(ish) solutions rather than problems you have to fix again.
AK
2:13
Chuks Okorafor mostly minimized Bosa last night. Is he actually starting to become ok? Not great or even good necessarily, but I have not noticed him as much.
Brian Batko
2:14
He tends to do that in pass pro. You saw the Chargers decided they'd be better off moving Bosa over to the other side and even the interior. In my eyes, Okorafor has never been someone who's as bad as many say. Run-blocking, he doesn't give you much. I get that. But at least he's been fairly for a 39-year-old QB who can't move too well back there.
CoalportKid
2:15
I seem to remember John Harbaugh replacing OCs twice during the regular season and the Ravens' offense jolted back to life both times. Why can't the Steelers do something similar?  (I know they just scored 37, but the failure at the goal line really turned that game)
Brian Batko
2:16
Well, I guess they could. But the Steelers don't make it a habit of knee-jerk moves like that. And this is someone who's trying to coordinate an offense with, as one poster just put it a few minutes ago, one of the worst O-lines in recent memory for this organization. Matt Canada hasn't been perfect, I know. But no one is. I'm not out on him just yet, CK.
Don NYC
2:17
Brian, not to beat a dead horse, but it’s so disheartening to see the lack of effort from bush and Witherspoon. And  I cannot remember one splash play from DB all year! Buddy Johnson?
Brian Batko
2:19
Yep, Devin Bush has been bad. Ahkello Witherspoon looking like a waste of a future draft pick, considering they basically had to use him tonight and the Chargers targeted him from the jump. Buddy Johnson doesn't even get a hat for game days. If anyone's going to replace Bush, it's Robert Spillane, and with each passing game I'm more convinced the Steelers should make that change.
Ducats13
2:20
Run Harris inside the 5 yard line the last two weeks and Steelers are sitting atop the division at 7-3 and holding down #2 seed even with boatload of defensive injuries… seems to me if they can at least get Watt, Haden and Fitzpatrick back they can still very much compete for playoffs and division.. it’s all in front of them with division games on the horizon. Agree?
Brian Batko
2:21
Maybe. But I don't actually think it's that simple. We've SEEN them try to "run Harris" in those situations, and it hasn't worked. Now, would it work if they kept at it? It might. It might not. We don't know and we won't know. I'm just telling you why Canada isn't going Najee4x whenever they get in close. Steelers scored a couple times in the red zone in that fourth quarter, on throws, and I don't see anyone criticizing those calls.
Titan in Charlotte
2:22
Brian, do the Steelers need some new philosophies in their offensive and defensive coordinator positions?....and congratulations to the ACC Coastal Champions #H2P!
Brian Batko
2:25
I've already said no on the OC thing. Defensively, I think so. Cam Heyward said after the game something I thought was very illuminating, and maybe downright concerning. He said Justin Herbert "identified what we were in early on" and was just taking off immediately every time he saw a lane. "Obviously, it wasn't what we need to be in," Heyward added. For a team that hasn't been making the right defensive adjustments in the second half lately, that's not what you want to hear. As Heyward also said, they have to clean it up.
Murray
2:26
I don’t understand why the defense didn’t try more blitzing to at least try to force Herbert into a mistake. The result could not have been much worse that it was, as they were already lighting up the D.
Brian Batko
2:28
No, I don't think that would've helped. Herbert's too good. In retrospect, maybe more soft zone coverage could've confused him or at least taken away all the open rush lanes.
Jeff
2:29
Thanks for the chats B.  How long do we need to endure the OL experiment?  I get giving them time to gel but we are 11 games in and there is no consistency.  Banner and Finney cannot be any worse than this current group.
Brian Batko
2:31
Thanks for always beginning your question the same way, Jeff. You're gonna have to endure it because there aren't really any alternatives. It's pretty clear the Steelers are doing everything they can to avoid using BJ Finney, who I will remind you was actually cut initially coming out of camp. As for Zach Banner, I guess I wouldn't mind seeing him get a shot at RT, Chuks Okorafor shuttling over to LT, but that doesn't fix the many interior problems.
Boogie James
2:33
Hey Bats, thanks for the chats. Why does the coaching staff refuse to make adjustments in game and insists on waiting until half time to make changes? Also I think all Yinzers need to do a better job of supporting Tuitt and what he's going through mentally. When he's ready to come back, he'll be back.
Brian Batko
2:34
Nothing I respond with here will be a better answer than Gerry Dulac's full story on this Friday, much of which still applies this Monday: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2021/11/19/pittsburgh-ste...
Buster
2:34
Do the Steelers coaches think that by continuing to play Bush it will somehow make him eventually start to get better? The guy is an embarrassment.
Brian Batko
2:36
No, I think they're still of the opinion that he's better than the backups, but that's getting to be a tougher sell each game. I hate to question a player's effort, but the hustle of Cam Heyward that's evident on every single play shows you what it CAN look like. And that goes for a lot of guys, not just Bush, but he's the only other first-round pick in the front seven at this point.
jwheaney
2:37
What good did you see that came out of last night's game??? Glad to see they didn't quit...that bodes well for the future!!!
Brian Batko
2:38
Oh, I'd say there was a lot of good. I was saying a couple weeks ago that after they beat the Bears "a win is a win" is kind of a lazy, thoughtless take. Well, I won't contradict myself now. They've gone from ugly win, to a tie that felt like a loss, to a moral victory type of game. But isn't that the kind of effort you've come to expect from the Steelers under Mike Tomlin?
Tom
2:39
They almost won, eh?
Brian Batko
2:39
Yeah they did, Tom.
PaulB
2:39
Did the Steelers defensive schemes change much in Q4 or did some on the line just figure out how to beat their guys? The sacks and the stop on 4th almost won the game.
Brian Batko
2:40
I think they just won more up front, Paul. Also helped that the Chargers had some drops.
JW
2:40
Is bush the best we can do there? Hard to believe. He hasn’t a clue there
Brian Batko
2:41
Last thing I'll say about Bush, gonna be a mighty interesting fifth-year option decision, especially if he doesn't pick it up down the stretch.
Steeler Joe
2:41
Not a question, just an observation: Man, are we going to miss Ben when he's gone.
Brian Batko
2:43
That's generally how it goes when you lose a Super Bowl-winning, Hall of Fame-caliber franchise QB. I've been pretty tough on late-stage Ben, but I've done so fairly, and I'd be lying if I said he's not playing much better lately. Still think the ceiling is low, but the floor might be higher than I thought.
Q
2:45
Why did we not try to take time off the clock at either the end of the first half or the end of the game?  In both instances the other guys were able to score when we left too much time.  I don’t get it.
Brian Batko
2:45
They were trying to score touchdowns. The first time, they did, and I don't think they were too worried that the Chargers would go get a FG. Second time, they had to settle for 3 of their own. I don't see this as a major complaint to have.
Matt from Kersey
2:46
Will we ever have a game when both the offense and defense both show up to play?   Will this be Mike Tomlins first losing season?
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