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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 01.11.22
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Ray Fittipaldo
1:59
Welcome to this week's Steelers chat. Let's get started.
Where’s My Clark Bar?
1:59
Hi Ray - Is our defensive speed at the inside linebacker position as lacking as it appears?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:00
It would appears so, yes. Robert Spillane is not a burner. Joe Schobert probably has a little more speed, but the Steelers appear to be favoring Spillane at this point. Devin Bush was fast before his knee injury and likely still has that burst, but he's been tentative and slow in diagnosing. So yes, it has all added up to the middle of the defense lacking in a lot of respects.
AK
2:01
Worst decision by either team?  Huntley’s end zone pick, Ben throwing into double coverage to McCloud, or Ravens fake punt?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:02
  1. Huntley throw into the end zone when they were gashing the Steelers with the running game.
        2. Ben throwing into double coverage to Ray-Ray
  1. The fake punt. They were letting it all hang out, but that throw didn't have much of a chance.
Zack
2:02
Any news on Dotson being activated and starting? Also, Alualu has been on IR forever.  Isn't he probably healed by now?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:03
No news on Dotson today from Tomlin's news conference. He wasn't even mentioned. Alualu suffered a serious ankle injury so he's not healed well enough to come back.
PAMMY WHAMMY
2:03
Huntley had two arms over the ball and lowered his head like a ball carrier, yet Cam drew a flag on his tackle.  Aren't QBs supposed to be treted like RBs when they decide to run like this? Do you anticipate similar officiating with this week's mobile/superstar QB?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:05
And Ben Roethlisberger was slammed to the ground after the whistle with no flag. The officiating in this league is SO inconsistent. As you note, Huntley was running. He should be treated as a runner. Cam Heyward made a textbook tackle, and he drew a flag. I hope these guys stay in the background in the playoffs and let the players decide the game, especially when it comes to these types of calls. It's football. They should let them play.
StlrAngler
2:05
The people criticizing the Chargers for the time out in OT are neglecting the dumbest call they made, going for it on 4th down from their own 18.  Gave the Raiders 3 points.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:07
Believe me, people are criticizing Staley for that, too. These young guys with their analytics departments are being exposed. Just give me a head coach who understands football and knows his team. It's not the Ohio Athletic Conference. It's the NFL.
Lou
2:07
Hi Ray.  Did Coach say who who is punting vs KC?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:08
Not yet. Tomlin said today he's in no hurry to decide if it will be Pressley Harvin or Corliss Waitman. Harvin had a 37.1 average against the Ravens and a 42.7 average during the regular season. Waitman, on seven punts, had a 52.1 average.
PAMMY WHAMMY
2:08
Thoughts on Monday Night playoff games? How does the league think the possibility of a team facing an opponent the following week that has two more days of rest is fair?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:09
It might not be "fair" the first week of the playoffs, but on the back end they'll eventually play on short rest because their divisional round game will be on Sunday.
Jay
2:10
Hello Ray.  Always enjoyed your podcast with Brian.  Anyone from the fired staff (Mia/Chi/Den/Min) steelers might be interested in?  Thank you
Ray Fittipaldo
2:11
I'm not sure what Mike Munchak's status is. If the new Broncos coach does not keep him, and he wants to continue working, he'd be an option for the Steelers. But he moved to Denver to be closer to his daughter and grandchildren so he'd have to want to come back, too.
Mr CJ Jr
2:11
Hi Ray....happy 2022...thanks for the chats. Silly/fun question why didn't anyone during the press conference ask Tomlin about his dance moves? HAHAHA....thanks. Side comment..Glad the Steelers made it in, IMO the pressure is on KC since the Steelers weren't expected to be in the playoffs.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:12
It is, but the Chiefs have handled that pressure pretty well since Patrick Mahomes became their starter.
Bobby Walton
2:12
So did anyone get a straight answer from Tomlin as to why he risked the season by playing a punter who doesn't statistically rank in the top 25 while sitting the guy who's #1? Another "gut instinct"?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:13
He was asked about it. All he said was he's not going to make a quick decision.
You'll See
2:13
There is a lot of hang-wringing over ARII and how he runs the team especially due to perceived results of Tomlin and Colbert by people admittedly like me who think the standard of no losing seasons brings actions by the two focused on not losing versus Winning It All. My question here is this, what do you think ARII points to as measures of success when evaluating KC and MT?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:14
Winning. Competing in the playoffs or for playoff berths consistently. That's the bottom line. And the development of young players and their contributions. That's always important because GMs have to make decisions on these guys on rookies contracts in relative short order.
Brian in CA
2:14
KC played Saturday so gets an extra day, plus doesn't have to travel.  Will that help them much?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:15
There is a reason teams want home-field advantage. Arrowhead is a very loud place to play and will challenge the Steelers.
Mercury
2:15
Is Chris Boswell the greatest Steelers kicker of all time?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:16
He's on his way. Gary Anderson was very good back in the 1980s, but Boswell, save for his 2018 performance, has been very good for a long time.
Jones
2:16
Biggest issue with passing game. Receivers can't get open? Canada can't scheme them open? Ben can't throw? Ben makes poor reads? I see open receivers every game I watch but with Steelers it's always a contested catch.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:18
Probably a little bit of everything you mentioned. Ben made some unbelievable throws in the fourth quarter and overtime. So you know he still has it, at least in spurts. I think what you say about Canada is valid. He hasn't shown he is able to devise ways for the Steelers to consistently move the ball in the running game or the passing game. And I think to a certain extent you are right about the receivers, too. Other than Diontae Johnson on shorter routes, these guys aren't getting a lot of separation on defensive backs.
Brett
2:18
who are your starting ILB’s for this game? I’m in favor of Spillane and Allen. Not ideal, but to steal/steel Tomlins quote those guys made routine plays routinely more in their debut against the browns than the starting duo pretty much all season. How many times do you have to see bad to realize it’s bad and that goes for punting also
Ray Fittipaldo
2:19
If Spillane's knee is healthy I think you'll see Spillane and Bush and a little of Schobert and Allen sprinkled in.
It's Tuesday... Greetings.
2:19
So T.J. Watt gets a legit sack, a strip sack no less, taken away because some faceless, nameless statistician says it was a "abondoned play." Huntley picked himself & the ball up, attempted to run again, got stripped of the ball which was recovered by the Steelers and THEN the play was whistled over at that spot! Abandoned? How can that be when the ball was spotted at the recovery point? Is there any recourse, now?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:20
There is recourse. The NFL will review the play if they haven't already done so. The issue of the aborted play is the ball touching the ground first. Had Huntley caught the ball and dropped it then Watt likely would have been awarded a sack.
Clu Haywood -Mill Rats 1B
2:20
Ray, what are your thoughts on Ben stating that Moore is (by his estimation) going to be a mainstay for the team going forward at Left Tackle?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:21
They like Dan Moore. He has had his ups and downs. But he's a rookie and he's playing left tackle in the NFL. A first-round pick would have some struggles. The Steelers are hoping Moore and Kendrick Green taking some lumps this year will make them better next season.
Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus
2:22
There's some data to suggest that not blitzing and dropping seven into coverage, with man underneath and two high safeties, is the way to beat Mahomes. Both Buffalo and Baltimore had success against the Chiefs by doing this. Easier said than done but might we see something similar from the Steelers?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:23
The Steelers would love nothing more than to execute a game plan like that, but you have to get pressure from your front four. They did not get good enough pressure in the first game in KC. I don't think it's a bad idea to have someone like Bush delay blitz once in a while either. Mahomes can extend plays and Bush can at least hurry along his reads and decision-making if he executes that properly.
SteelerinJagland
2:24
Do you think the O line can improve next year as it is? Or ONLY with major inflex of talent? Who do you think needs to go, yesterday?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:25
They still need better talent. There is a reason they are among the worst running teams in the league and can't protect the QB for longer than 2.2 seconds or whatever Roethlisberger's average is. But I think Moore can be good. Other than that, the jury remains out. Dotson was injured for much of the year and didn't stand out when he was healthy. Kendrick Green struggled. Chuks was OK as a pass protector, but he's a free agent. Same with Trai Turner.
Clu Haywood -Mill Rats 1B
2:26
I don't know if this would be a better question for you or Gerry, but Ray, does Kevin Colbert use any kind of analytics on grading each particular scout's "accuracy"  upon their estimation/rating of player ability, do you know?
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