JotCast | Gerry Dulac's Steelers chat: 09.23.25

Gerry Dulac's Steelers chat: 09.23.25

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Gerry Dulac

9:56

OK kids, here we go...let's get started!!

Josh H

9:56

Good morning Gerry! Is Teryl Austin’s scheme (I mean Mike Tomlins scheme) so difficult to pick up for these guys in the secondary? Every year it’s miscommunication issues on the back end of the D. Players come and go but same issues week in and week out just keep to continue. What is the deal here?

Gerry Dulac

9:58

Well I think the constant turnover you mention doesn't help. Four guys never get a chance to play together for more than one year. That's not an excuse as much as it's reality, not just for the Steelers but most of the NFL

Stairway to seventh seed

9:58

Gerry: for years the Steelers have often defended 3rd and 10+ by setting up a "picket fence" at the sticks, allowing short completions and then "tackling the catch". This often concedes yardage such that it sets up 4th and 3 or less. Given the propensity for teams in the modern NFL to go for and convert on 4th and 3 or less, does this approach need to be rethought?

Gerry Dulac

9:59

Maybe, because their success rate on third- and fourth down hasn't exactly been stellar. But that other "Pickett" fence didn't really work tho.

Josh H

9:59

Do you feel the Steelers lack creativity in their offense?

Gerry Dulac

10:00

Yeah, I agree. Those end zone dances need a little work

Stairway to seventh seed

10:00

Gerry: wide open tight ends in the short middle of the defense all game long for easy quick completions. Simply too much zone coverage allowing TEs to run to open areas or something more complicated than that?

Gerry Dulac

10:00

We've been watching it for a long time, haven't we?

Happy Gilmore

10:00

Gerry, how likely is it the Steelers will hve another game with 5 turnovers? If not for all 5 they lose that game.

Gerry Dulac

10:01

The previous time was the 2022 season opener in Cincinnati, so maybe another three years. And not just 5 turnovers, those two from the 2-yard line especially

Mike From PH

10:02

Gerry - it was nice to see improvement from Cam and TJ, but relying on turnovers to win can't be a blueprint for rest of season...this D is still giving up long drives and yardage and game would have been lost if not for NE's ball-handling...what's the fix for Minny who put up a lot of offense this past week??

Gerry Dulac

10:03

Yeah, you can't overlook how the Patriots went through them for 368 yards and all those offensive plays (71), despite turning the ball over. Imagine how many plays they would have run if they didn't hand the ball over so many times.

Stairway to seventh seed

10:03

Gerry: 13 years ago the players blamed their late arrival to London as a reason for lethargic play. I have heard a number of excuses as to why they are doing the same thing this time. None of them seem plausible to me. No place to practice anywhere in the UK, really? The NFL is mandating that the designsted home team for this game has to arrive after the road team? I am skeptical. What is the real reason or isn't it just obvious $$$?

Gerry Dulac

10:05

FYI, the Steelers wanted to go over early in the week but the NFL said no and making each time arrive at the same time. I don't know the exact reason for the change -- yes, the Vikings as the "home" team got to London early in the week in 2013 -- maybe it has to do with something about a competitive advantage. But it wasn't the Steelers decision

Evan M.

10:05

Good morning, if this team continues to fall under the same pattern as previous seasons, after several years of changing players, and even some coaches, and yet nothing getting corrected, would there be a possibility that Rooney may finally consider a coaching change? I am just not sure what other changes can be made at this point that haven't already been done. Tomlin does not exactly have a good history of hiring good coaches either. You would think with what most likely will be a rookie QB next year that this would be a good time to just kind of start new.

Gerry Dulac

10:06

You are correct on several of your points. But I don't wanted you deluded into thinking a head coaching change is a possibility.

10:07

Teams are throwing over the middle with impunity against the Steelers. How should they adjust?

Gerry Dulac

10:08

I think the word "little" is missing from in front of "impunity." However, I'm not sure I've ever seen the word impunity used to mention a failure of the defense to make a team pay for their actions, which I'm sure is what you are meaning.

10:08

What is the reason the Steelers are allowing so msny 3rd and long conversions?

Gerry Dulac

10:08

I'm just as baffled

Josh H

10:09

We have Pat F, Jonnu, and Darnell Washington, yet we aren’t featuring any of our tight ends in this offense? I just watched Hooper and Henry run a clinic on this Steelers D, and we arguably have some of the best mismatches with those 3 on our offense, yet we barely use them. Why so?

Gerry Dulac

10:10

Their failure to use 88 more in the offense puzzled me last year. Same thing again this year. Arthur Smith loves the tight end, too. Former TE coach.

TheStandardisStability

10:10

As I watched NE repeatedly throw to their tight ends between the numbers I asked where are Arthur Smith’s tight ends? If they don’t trust the line on deep routes where are the intermediate routes?

Gerry Dulac

10:11

Ben Roethlisberger made a living on the 18- to 25-yard pass down the middle. Was the best in the NFL. It's kinda disappeared.

Sal

10:11

GM Gerry and safe travels to Dublin ! Do you foresee Porter and Elliot returning soon to the lineup?

Gerry Dulac

10:11

Soon yes. This week? Don't know yet

Tampa Too

10:12

Gerry. I know it’s several weeks too late, but I just wanted to give it a shout out to Western Pennsylvanian Nathan Smith for captaining the United States to a big victory over Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker cup

Gerry Dulac

10:12

Indeed. Great moment for him. Thanx

Tampa Too

10:12

Gerry. Who do you like in the Ryder Cup this weekend?

Gerry Dulac

10:12

That European team is stacked. Best ever

russellhalloffame34

10:13

Gerry, Has perhaps the league (the Steelers too if they can get close enough) found a way to stop Derrick Henry by punching out the ball ?

Gerry Dulac

10:14

They better get to the ball before he gets to them

Steel Sködt

10:14

Is there any real Chance Yahya Black moves to NT, or is this just wishful thinking from the same crowd who believed the Steelers should have moved James Harrison to ILB?

Gerry Dulac

10:15

Of course there's a chance. But he's better served where he is. When Cam Heyward retires, Black will likely be one of the DEs with Derrick Harmon.

Pittfan

10:15

Hi Gerry. Is Tomlin holding Arthur Smith back or is the offensive line so bad Rodgers, with his limitations, just simply doesn't have time to allow anything to develop?

Gerry Dulac

10:16

I think I checked -- the Patriots, who had nine sacks in the first two games, didn't have any against Rodgers.

Steelmann58

10:16

Hi Gerry going into week 4 what is the Steelers biggest surprise

Gerry Dulac

10:17

That their home game is not in Acrisure??

Mikey C

10:17

Thanks for your concise experienced responses. Do the Steelers miss Minkah or was this trade for Ramsey a push?