Christopher Carter's Steelers chat: 08.14.26
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Christopher Carter
10:05
Ladies and gentlemen we have football to evalute. Though it was preseason, it's still something fun to cover. Let's get into it.
Dormont Legacy
10:06
I never react to preseason but last night we saw some things we haven't in some time that make me smile. Rookies producing, throws across the middle. It was good to see. The best was that screen to Tonyan. When was the last time we didn't see a screen get mauled at the line of scrimmage. Loved seeing both young QBs look like have something going.
Christopher Carter
10:13
As Aaron Rodgers noted when we talked to him Tuesday, preseason football isn't what it used to be. Defenses are even more vanilla than before and sometimes these showings can be more geared up walkthroughs.

But, there's no denying how smooth all the quarterbacks looked last night. Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar all looked composed and able to read the field.

As far as the screen game, Sports Information Solutions actually charts the Steelers to have produced the most yards off screens in the NFL last year. So, that wasn't an issue.

But if you're looking for something that was different, I thought their ability to use middle of the field concepts and make plays while avoiding turnovers was a good sign. That's not something they'd done in recent years.
Sunner Inn Orlando from Lebo
10:13
Good morning Chris thanks for your chats! If Howard and Allar really look good, is there a possibility the Mason is traded? Or do they want that veteran presence as a backup to Aaron? Two
Christopher Carter
10:16
Good morning and thanks for being here!

The way I see it, the Steelers need Will Howard to be very close to Mason Rudolph for them to be willing to move on from their veteran backup. Though Howard did well, he did so against second and third team defenders while Rudolph went against mostly starters.

There is a possibility the Steelers move Rudolph if they trust the progress of Howard and Allar. But I still think there's a lot to show before they get to that point. This team wants to compete this year, and if Rodgers goes down for a game or two, Rudolph is the only one with NFL experience who can help them there. Defenses that actually disguise their coverage and play a lot faster will make the young QBs look a lot different in a regular season game.
Zamo
10:16
Hey CC!  Great meeting you at camp last week. The 53 is going to be harder to make than years past.  We have to keep all 4 QB’s right?  There will be some good players waived and that’s a great problem to have.  I know it’s just one game but it’s the most important position is sports and better keeping the extra arm bs a rotational DT or CB right?   Cheers bud.
Christopher Carter
10:20
Hey Zamo! Was great to meet you as well!

I personally think the "keeping 4 QBs" idea is a front to make one of their QBs enticing as a trade option to a team that needs QB depth help. If they kept 4 QBs, special teams would be an even tighter fit and another position somewhere would get pinched and make things more difficult to deal with an injury.

When you have positions that have six players who hit the field on a regular basis like DL/CB/WR, you need depth in those spots because not having a player ready could prove costly.

That's why I just think the Steelers may want everyone to think they'll keep 4 QBs, but they're doing that to give a stronger bluff that gets a team to bite on a trade.
Bob G.
10:20
Chris, since we did not see Howard in any preseason games last year. How do he and Allar compare as QB's? My take is that Allar has all the physical tools (big, strongarm, etc.) and is younger but lacks the mental acumen while Howard has the mental acumen but is older and lacks the NFL caliber arm needed. Since Allar is only 22 it woudl be awesome if he turns out to be a franchise QB for us.
Christopher Carter
10:24
I'd say that's a good synopsis of their differences.

Will Howard's ability to cycle through progressions was something that stood out to me at Ohio State and why I thought they should've taken him in the fourth round that year.
10:28
Of course, Howard isn't surrounded by one of the most talented offensive units in his league anymore. The Steelers have talent, but that Buckeyes roster had Jeremiah Smith (who WILL be a top 5 pick next year), Carnell Tate (who was a top 10 pick this year) and Emeka Egbuka (a top 20 pick last year). That's THREE 1ST ROUND WRs who all look legit. Not to mention two first round offensive linemen and two second round running backs.

So, making decisions with that offensive talent around you compared to the talent they had to face was a bit easier.

Drew Allar had good talent around him, but not to that degree. He also didn't have an offensive system that really worked in his favor.

Both of them get a bit of a reset with the Steelers, and that could work for them. But they have to stick to the little things right now and not let things get ahead of them.
BeaverFallsKid
10:29
If Rodgers is injured and has to sit out a game or two, a seasoned back up like Rudolph may give you the best chace to keep your season on track. But if he gets a season ending injury or a long term one (6-8 weeks), the prospects for a deep playoff run seem remote.  I appreciate Mason Rudolph, but now thinking AR, Howard and Allar might make the most sense for the QB room for this season. Could a MR trade generate a 4 or 5 pick in 2027?
Christopher Carter
10:32
I do feel that if Rodgers goes down for an extended amount of time and the season is lost that it would be time to see what one of the young QBs can do -- if they're ready.

McCarthy knows better than anyone what these guys can do. He also knows you don't want to throw a QB to the wolves and get their confidence shot. Last night was great for both Howard and Allar, but I wouldn't want either to be thrown into a live NFL game against a good defense just yet. Let them keep developing and learning in a way that doesn't cost them or the team much. Then when McCarthy sees them as ready, trust that judgment.
Dormont Legacy
10:32
Chris - I'm missing the daily podcasts and analysis by the PG team. Much less frequent than in the past. Have they moved to a new forum or is it just a reduced volume? I listen on PG.com and the NorthShore Podcast.  Haven't seen anything from Adam lately.
Christopher Carter
10:34
So with our downsizing at the PG, we've had to make some tough choices. We're doing less video/audio right now as a result of that. Adam left the PG and we're trying to work with what we have. I also think what we put together was a really good product and am glad you enjoyed it.

If you'd like more from us in that medium, let us know! We are always listening to our readers/viewers to try and best cover things in ways that make it easier for you to see and hear from us.
Brian
10:34
Who did you notice last night that may not have been talked about yet?   I thought that Boykin showed up on multiple plays, but I'm guessing he's going to end up on the practice squad.
Christopher Carter
10:37
Devan Boykin sure did make some plays and that was cool to see. Jamin Davis as well -- but he's expected to do that as a former first round pick.

But two guys in particular I'm waiting to look at more in my film review after this chat are Yahya Black and Gabriel Rubio. Both of those guys stood out when I used my binoculars to watch the defensive line last night in how they controlled the front and kept the linebackers clean. I still neeed to do my deep dive today, but that looked like a positive.
Ron
10:37
What is the latest on the injury’s to Pittman, Metcalf, & Ramsey & Porter. Also do you think Porters contract will be done before the season starts
Christopher Carter
10:40
Pittman suffered what looked like a leg injury during the Saturday night practice and has been taking it easy. I think Metcalf and him sitting out was just a precaution and an opportunity for the offense to see more of Bernard and Wilson.

As for Ramsey and Porter, I do think it's odd we haven't seen any of Ramsey at this point. McCarthy said they expected he'd need two weeks at the start of camp, and we're now more than two weeks into camp.

His injury supposedly happened in minicamp. That's now more than two months ago. Not a good sign for a defensive back who will be 32 in October.

As for Porter, I still expect a deal to get done before the season -- and for his back to be ready to go when it's signed.
Brian
10:40
Even with what seemed like the majority of starters, there still seemed to be issues stopping the run last night.   Is that vanilla pre-season scheme, or do you think its still going to be a problem this year.
Christopher Carter
10:44
So on the first few plays I did think there were some run defense questions. The Packers didn't play all their starters -- including RB Josh Jacob who's very good -- and got runs of 5, 2, 2 and 4 yards when Jordan Love was in. That's an average of 3.25 yards per carry, which is a good rate and went along with the 2.6 yards per carry the Packers had on the night.

Overall, I thought the run defense did well. Especially considering Cam Heyward and TJ Watt weren't doing anything.

Now, will they do well against top rushing attacks like the Ravens? That remains to be seen. But as I've noted throughout camp, I've really liked their DL depth in practices.
Buffalo Joe
10:44
Happy Friday Chris. You do a great job, but we all know what Dragons bring to the table. Curious to hear your thoughts about receivers gloves. From a scale of 1-10 how much easier is it to catch a ball with the gloves everyone wears today. Some of the grabs in today’s NFL seem AI generated and I’m thinking the gloves have a lot to do with that.
Christopher Carter
10:51
Happy Friday Joe!

Shoutout to the Dice. Know something, do something, be something.

The WR gloves are very different from how they were back in the day. But they've also been that way for a while now.

The NFL banned stick-em and substances to help with catching back in 1981. But around the late 1990s, you started to see gloves used that had materials to help with catches. The rule is today that you can have tackified gloves that help with catches so long as the material doesn't leave behind a residue (and some other qualifying factors).

It's different, but the gloves don't make the catch for you. If that were the case, Diontae Johnson would've done better in the NFL.
Bob Pearsall
10:51
Thanks for the chat Chris. As good as Rudolph looked, the young guys looked good too.  I know it's the first preseason game and to quote Bill Parcells, "let's not get the anointing oils out yet", but I think keeping the young guys and trading Rudolph for a 6th rounder is probably in the team's best interest.  Do you really think that there's a way that the Steelers will keep four qbs on the roster?
Christopher Carter
10:56
Thanks for being here Bob!

I agree, it's far from time to anoint anyone. But I do think in Omar Khan's ideal world, he's trading one of Mason Rudolph or Will Howard for a day 3 pick that helps them get some more draft capital.

Of course, it'd be better for the Steelers' long term if that player was Rudolph, as then the Steelers would have Howard, Allar, and presumably a QB draft pick from this upcoming year to choose from in a coming QB battle.

There's a way to keep four QBs, but it's going to be hard. They need players for special teams units, depth at several positions, and keeping four passers would only further pinch you at other spots.

I've believed since they drafted Allar that their hope is for both Rudolph and Howard to look good in preseason so they could shop one or the other.
Daniel
10:56
Do you think we'll see Aaron Rodgers at all during the preseason?
Christopher Carter
10:59
Certainly didn't look like they needed him out there. And Rodgers brought up a good point about these preseason games in that they're so basic with what teams are doing that's hard to judge a lot of conceptual parts of the game on a "how would this play out in a real live game" standard.

For example, a lot of the things Drew Allar hit on were very standard route concepts that didn't require a lot of processing or reading. He even said as much himself after the game.

After seeing how good Aaron Rodgers looked last year in an offense he was less familiar with, with less talent around him, and not playing in the preseason, I think he's fine with sitting out the whole three weeks and letting the young guys get their reps in.

Now, McCarthy does seem to want Rodgers to get some looks at this stage. So that will be interesting to see how that plays out.
Realist
10:59
How long before Steelers fans overreact to Allar's performance and say we have our next franchise QB?
Christopher Carter
11:00
If you were on Twitter last night, the future is now lol
Mr Rooney
11:00
our starting offensive line looked overmatched in pass protection in the 1st quarter. Should we be concerned?
Christopher Carter
11:03
Certainly wasn't a good exhibition of them as a group. I'll actually have a film study on them coming out either later today or super early tomorrow. I spoke with Troy Fautanu and Broderick Jones after the game and they both had modest self-evaluations for their play.

The way Mason Rudolph was under siege in his first two drives was not encouraging considering that would've been Aaron Rodgers under siege and we all saw how games went when he started to feel pressure (see Packers, Bills, Chargers, Texans from last year).

They have a lot to clean up. But hey, first game for Fautanu and McCormick on the left, for Anderson at right guard as well.

I will say Dylan Cook definitely left the door open for Broderick Jones and Max Iheanachor to fight for a spot.
obxandy
11:03
Can Mason Rudolph choose to be on Steelers practice squad and not be "poached" by another team?
Christopher Carter
11:05
So, that's not how it works.

To be put on the practice squad, you have to be cut or "waived" by a team in a way that opens them up to being claimed by other teams. Once you go through the waiver process, then you can sign wherever you want.

If you sign to the practice squad, you can then be called up each week.

But life on the practice squad isn't something players desire unless that's the only kind of work you get. Your pay jumps significantly when you're on the active roster and there are more protections.

I don't think Mason Rudolph is one for the Steelers' practice squad. Or anyone else's for that matter.
Van Pelt
11:06
Hey Chris. Appreciate the chats and you!  Obviously will be a lot of Allar hype and even some for Howard, but I don’t know how Lew doesn’t make the team (as of now) over Kaleb Johnson, especially since Kaleb doesn’t really fit Macarthy’s offense and adds zero special teams value. What say you?
Christopher Carter
11:10
Hello! And appreciate you being here!

Lew Nichols has been one of the camp dark horses to make the roster with how he's inserted himself.

Have to say, it's not a good sign that even with Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle out that Kaleb Johnson still had to sit behind both Travis Homer and Nichols.

From what I've been told, Johnson was primarily an Arthur Smith pick and there isn't as big of a push from the front office to have to include him in their plans if he doesn't flat out earn it. Sometimes the front office will encourage patience for a player, but Johnson may not get that grace considering how he was used last night.

Playing devil's advocate against myself here: there's a chance McCarthy has a rotation of how the RBs will be used each preseason game and this was just the turn for Homer-Nichols. Maybe Johnson gets his turn soon.

But Johnson going against 3rd stringers and getting 3 yards on 2 carries also isn't a good sign.
Matt from Davidson, NC
11:11
Are you seeing signs that the new coach is better than the former coach?
Christopher Carter
11:20
Way too early to get tell anything definitive there.

But if there's one thing that I thought popped out to me was how comfortable each of the quarterbacks looked working middle of the field passing concepts. Saw several instances of them being able to decipher the defense, wait, and attack down the middle of the field in ways that looked smooth.

That wasn't something Tomlin encouraged after Roethlisberger's elbow injury in 2019. It did protect the team from turnovers, but it also limited what they can do.

But I will say, it's still just preseason. Here's some Kenny Pickett middle of the field preseason passing stats combined from 2022 and 2023 in the Matt Canada days:

Pro Foootball Focus:

18/18 for 193 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs. All the TDs happened downfield. That's a passer rating of 150.9, with a yards per attempt rate of 10.7.

So, we could still be looking at a mirage. But I thought the structure was a positive for McCarthy.
Greenwood
11:20
The knock on Allar was inconsistent performance and poor mechanics, especially footwork and setting his base. The first is a wait and see situation, but have you noticed, or heard coaches discuss improved mechanics?
Christopher Carter
11:25
Yep, it's been a talking point throughout all of camp. Mike McCarthy and Tom Arth have been focusing on their progress diligently and they've noted their commitment to the process.

But the moment that stood out to me for Allar actually wasn't one of his highlights. It was a throwaway.

On 3rd and 3 from the 9 in the 4th quarter, Allar didn't like what he saw right away and started to get happy feet in the pocket. I could notice it in the press box, but then saw him calm down, gather himself, reset his feet and square his shoulders to stick to the play and not panic. The result was a throwaway and a defensive penalty that kept the drive alive.

That was a good, small sign of maturity.

I also asked him about it after the game.
11:26
Here was Allar's description of that moment when I brought it up to him:

"I kind of got a little bit of happy feet. I have to go back and watch the film to kind of understand why I did that, but when that happens, you almost have to take a deep breath.

I didn't have any pressure on that play, so I just kind of got to buy some time at that point because I'm playing off rhythm and kind of just try to work a scramble drill.

That throw-away was really just like a him-or-nobody throw where we're either going to have a touchdown, maybe a PI, or it's going to be incomplete. Sometimes, I kind of screwed up in the first part of the read, but you don't make a bad play worse is something that we kind of always talk about.

Each play lives a life of its own, and on that play, got to clean up the footwork on the first half, but I think the receivers did a great job of kind of getting in the scramble rules, especially tight down in the red zone, and the O-line did a great job of sustaining blocks."
That's a good, thoughtful answer and breakdown from the rookie. Thumbs up from me as far as sticking to the fundamentals and the process.
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