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Christopher Carter's Steelers chat: 11.21.25
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Christopher Carter
11:53
Hello!

I think Troy's also been REALLY good at tackle. This OL is young and growing together. Let them keep doing that before abandoning the plan. If there's a high-end OT that just makes sense, maybe take them and considering putting pressure on Jones to succeed next year.
Chris F.
11:53
Minor niggle. When the PPG Steelers team compares the current performance of B. Jones or the O-line (and at times the defense) against the recent past, it is often with words like “improved” or ‘trending in the right direction”. While both can be true, they can also be misleading. I would suggest that that B. Jones performance should be compared to the expectations of his lofty draft position or of the rest of the NFL left tackles and that of the O-line against the rest of the league - that is, on a more absolute basis. The defense should be held to the size of their collective paychecks. B. Jones is indeed better than early in the season but he was abysmal at time. At his best he has yet to reach his draft expectations. The O-line is middling and improving. These examples better explain how there can be improvement while also having the same general flavor of a low end playoff team.
Christopher Carter
11:56
I think it's important to remember this OL is playing its first year together. It's Fautanu's first season playing and Jones' first season at LT, while being the second year for both Frazier and McCormick.

Offensive linemen take time to develop most of the time. Jones was drafted knowing he was a bit of a project with a high ceiling down the road, and he's on a decent trajectory now. Fautanu's been on the whole pretty good.

DeCastro wasn't draft expecations until like year 3 and he was pretty good. OL and DL can sometimes take the longest to develop. Part of the game.
Ty Hink
11:56
Chris, Rodgers definitely wants to suit up and play but is an injured Rodgers at this point in his career better that a healthy Mason?
Christopher Carter
11:58
Depends on how injured he is and if Rodgers has his field vision back. He didn't see the field well outside of the opening drive last week and against the Chargers he was bad. Rudolph at least took what was there, and that's really what this offense needs. That's where the decision should be.
574 Fan
11:58
Really enjoying your chats.  Aaron Rodgers has been better than I expected, to be fair. But, the last few weeks he's seemed increasingly skittish in the pocket (again, at 42 and with a leaky LT I'm not blaming him).  I can't imagine that a broken bone will not make this trend continue to worsen.  Thoughts?
Christopher Carter
11:59
Thanks! I enjoy them too!

I agree about the last few weeks and that injury is a concern. It's why I think the Steelers should be mindful of how it's impacting his decisions. He was limited yesterday in practice, which most likely means no team reps and just individual work. I'd see how comfortable he looks in practice before trotting him out there. So maybe we get feedback on that today.
GM
11:59
CC...your articles and film studies have been tremendous! I think the ups and downs this season has helped this mix of young players and seasoned vets develop and improve up to this point. No team is annointed. The need to earn it. What area of development on O and D do you think this team needs to improve upon the most for them to be a strong playoff team?
Christopher Carter
12:04
Thanks! I really enjoy that part of the work and it means a lot that so many of you do as well!

I agree about the ups and downs. Each team has them and you hope that your team is just trending up late in the year in enough areas.

Offense: need the OL to help form a more consistent run game. They've had some really good games and some good moments, but they've also had some letdowns. Need to make that more steady on the positive end and it could make a HUGE difference for the offense.

Defense: If the secondary changes hold and the pass defense keeps trending upward, the biggest thing will be making sure they can stop the run when there's multiple running threats in the backfield. I'm actually writing about that for this weekend, as facing running threat QBs with high-end RBs killed the team last year. And their next 3 games feature teams that have both.
JB
12:04
I've never been a fan of James Pierre, not even for special teams for reasons I won't go into. However, I do appreciate sold cornerback play and Pierre has given that to the team the last few weeks.
Christopher Carter
12:11
He's been lights out. He has eight passes broken up this season, which is tied for third-most in the NFL, and he only has 122 snaps in coverage. No other CB with at least five passes broken up have played less than 214 snaps.
JB
12:11
I didn't get to finish my comment regarding Pierre.  Based on his most recent play Pierre deserves to start over Slay and we all know Slay's play has been below acceptable.
Christopher Carter
12:11
I agree about Slay. That's why I pressed Tomlin about him Tuesday. Just think he's earned the reps until he proves otherwise.
Ty Hink
12:12
Does highsmith start? Or will they give herbig the first go at it. I know 56 is better at containment but herbig just makes plays out there
Christopher Carter
12:13
I think he does, but I think the snap counts will all be around the same. Starter might be an in-name only thing moving forward. Heck Herbig outsnapped Watt last week.
Sal
12:13
Why do the bengals always have episodes of dirty play against Steelers ? But always complain about Steelers being a dirty organization. I don’t get it they are the only ones conplaining out of 31 teams in the league
Christopher Carter
12:15
It does seem like a long history. From dirty shots to fans throwing trash at Ben Roethlisberger, it's always been bad there. I appreciated Roethlisberger's comments about that this week where he mentioned how the Ravens were tough and mean but respectful. It's rarely been that for the Bengals. But their fans will tell you otherwise because the Steelers have owned them for the better part of  ... well, 50 years?
The Eman
12:16
Chris, in their insatiable drive for revenue, the NFL now has three (and sometimes four) games on Sunday, along with Monday and Thursday night games. Do you ever foresee them moving into Friday night or Saturday games, or is high school and college football strong enough to keep the NFL out?
Christopher Carter
12:16
Possibly. I hope they don't and realize the importance that high school and college football play in the culture of their sport. But you are right, they are insatiable when it comes to profits.
Jake
12:17
Sometimes I wish the Steelers would just roll with the hot hand and allow the guys playing with confidence to get in a rhythm while they're playing well. I think this could apply to guys like James Pierre, Mason Rudolph, or even our running back committee by letting Warren or Gainwell play for an entire series when they get it going. Confidence looks like it can be infectious so I wish we would keep the guys on the field who have it.
Christopher Carter
12:20
I agree. I think sometimes there's a guessing game that you can get right and wrong, but I think when you're not dealing with stars who you've developed yourself, riding the hot hand can be a more frequently used option. I especially agree with Pierre this week, and using Warren and Gainwell at a different interval.

I think Rudolph should be the case if Rodgers isn't fully capable of seeing the field for any reason due to his injury.
574 Fan
12:20
Going way back to before Ben's knees got so creaky that he couldn't protect himself, we have had only two short stretches where our QB has been able to stand in the pocket as it collapses and deliver balls downfield as a hit is coming. One stretch was early this season with Aaron, but lately his eyes are dropping as the rush gets his attention and his play is suffering as a result.  The other stretch was the 3 games that Mason started at the end of '23. I'm not saying Mason should be qb1, I just hope that whatever direction they go in '26, the qb has the ability and the coaching to move in the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield.  That trait alone gives me hope whenever Mason is on the field.  What say you?
Christopher Carter
12:21
You're not wrong, as that played a big role in the deterioration of the 2020 team. If it starts to be an issue, the Steelers should be mindful of not falling into that pit this year.
Tampa Too
12:21
Chris    With the resurgence of  Mayfield, Jones and Darnold I sometimes think that the old adage  from the 60's and 70's that it takes 3 to 5 years for an NFL quarterback to develop and become effective is true even today.  Your thoughts?
Christopher Carter
12:23
QBs take time to develop in most cases. Though I'm hesitant to prop up Sam Darnold just yet. I think he's still just a decent starter.

But QBs taking time to develop isn't the exception, it's the rule. Even superstars take time in most instances.
Steeler Sam
12:23
The Bears have been excellent this year avoiding turnovers and taking care of the football and on the other side, turnovers have been a big part of nearly every Steelers win this season. Who wins the turnover battle this weekend and what (or who) is the x-factor that determines this outcome on Sunday?
Christopher Carter
12:27
A big reason for the low turnover rate is the run game. Bears are 2nd in total rushing, 5th in yards per carry, and that's helped them be 5th in time of possession. They're not put in bad spots too often. Steelers need to force more 3rd and longs and win them. I think Keeanu Benton is the X-factor if he disrupts the middle of this OL. That's been the thing that's really helped the Bears. Take that away, and I think the run game and Williams are in a lot of trouble.
12:29
Alright everyone, gotta call it here and get back to writing my weekend story. Thanks for making this another fun chat! Stay tuned for all our weekend coverage!
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