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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 09.14.21
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Ray Fittipaldo
1:25
Chris Wormley played 40 snaps and Carlos Davis 17 but neither put up any stats of note. But they obviously held their own because the defense didn't suffer when they were in the game.
Ryan
1:25
I was impressed with the OLines play in the second half. Do you know what/if any adjustments they made?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:27
They let Roethlisberger throw it more. He only had 12 attempts in the first half and had 20 in the second half. I just think when Roethlisberger found his comfort zone the line found theirs.
Charles Demarr
1:27
How will they defend Waller next week?  He looks like a matchup nightmare.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:27
He is. Expect some double teams and for them to mix it up with who and how they defend him.
Charles Demarr
1:27
Do you expect to see a little Ballage or Snell this week?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:28
I think so even if it's just for a series or two. Mike Tomlin didn't think it was a big deal that Harris played every snap against the Bills, but you want to rest him a little when you can.
Charles Demarr
1:28
Any injuries from Sunday?  Don't remember anything significant other than Spillane.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:29
Mike Tomlin said there were no major injuries, just some bumps and bruises they'll monitor during the week.
kevin in Punxsy
1:29
Hi Ray.  Waller, just so everyone understands, is 6'6" and weighs 260 lbs.  He is not a wide receiver.  Can Shobert handle someone like Waller?  If not, who??  Thanks.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:30
But he runs like a WR so I am not sure a LB is the best matchup. At least not every play. You have to mix it up.
OrangeFlameBulbs
1:30
Hi Ray, any idea when Tuitt is supposed to return from IR?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:31
No update today and no timeline was given last week. It sounds like he'll miss more than the first three games, but we'll find our for sure once he comes off IR.
MrCJJr
1:31
Claypool's short temper....cause for concern or no? I noticed last season that he tends to jaw jack a lot and gets into a lot of stuff after the whistle. However, I do like his fire/passion but I think he needs to tone it down...it may cost us one time.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:31
He needs to be smarter and not get called for penalties.
ENTMD
1:31
Hi Ray!  Who did you think played well and not so well on O-line?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:32
Not so well early, but they got better as the game went on. As Tomlin said today it was enough to get them out of the stadium with a victory.
TSH
1:33
Thank you for the chat Ray!  Ben historically does not have a good first game of the season.  That said, Ben missed an open receiver on 3rd down in the 1st series, missed Najee inside the 15 settling for a FG, Missed a slant to JuJu in the 3rd quarter when all were short/drop in bucket passes.  I thought the receivers did a great job adjusting to his passes.  Do you think is #7 picking up where he left off from the end of last season or is this a typical 1st game of season for Ben?  Is there any word of his elbow having problems already?  Thanks Much!
Ray Fittipaldo
1:34
The wind was a factor on Sunday for both QBs I think. Hard to say which incomplete passes were affected by the wind and which were just misses, but like his linemen, I thought Roethlisberger made plays when he had to help the team.
kevin in Punxsy
1:35
Ray, in order to keep Chuks from getting Ben killed, shouldn't the Steelers at least look at Coward?  He started a number of  games for the Chi Bears the last 2-3 years.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:35
Coward is a guard. The Steelers did not play him one snap at tackle during training camp. At least from what I saw and I was there for 90% of the practices.
ChasingPain
1:35
I saw Kendrick Green run and he’s  pretty fast. He would be good to pull every now and then.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:36
He does pull and yes it's one of his strengths. When you have a smallish center you have to play to his strengths and I think you'll see the Steelers do that.
Mr.Thompson/ectcyberhipaa
1:37
Hi Ray, didn't Green flying in on that nullified interception remind you of Chris Kemoeatu, he nearly took out some players with friendly fire there.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:38
I did see that. I'm not sure if he got pulled immediately after that play, but I think the coaches wanted him to settle down a bit. And he did.
Goldstar
1:38
How much of an advantage is it for the Steeler to catch a west coast team after and OT Monday night game?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:39
It's a definite advantage especially when they have to fly across the country the day before the game.
Lloyd's 3-Count
1:41
Ignoring the stat line, which won't be kind, what did you think of Najee's first game?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:41
Hard to tell. He didn't have much room for most of the game, but did rip off that 18-yarder in the fourth quarter that set up the only offensive touchdown of the game.
Scott
1:41
Solid win against one of the top ranked AFC teams on their home turf. Ray, will you be updating your Steelers total win projection for this season?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:42
Not sure I'll update that, but it does change the outlook, does it not? With the Raiders and Bengals coming to Heinz Field in the next two weeks they have a great chance to start 3-0.
TexStill
1:42
Has there been any word on what they plan to do with Joseph? Rumor was he was to be signed to the active roster pending the COVID waiting period and I find it hard to believe a guy with his pedigree would accept a practice squad job and would not have interest from other teams.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:43
Why? He would be out of football if he didn't accept the spot on the practice squad. Just because a player is drafted in the first round doesn't mean they won't play on a practice squad.
TSH
1:44
Ray - Can you help assess the O Line play?  I thought the effort was good perhaps cohesion / owning the assignment the biggest growth opportunity?  I know Chuks caught grief for difficulty on the left side but I think Najee's longest run was to the right side.  T. Turner seems like he could be in a little better football shape but what do you think is the biggest growth opportunity for the O Line?  Thanks MucH!
Ray Fittipaldo
1:44
You must have listened to Mike Tomlin's presser today. That's exactly what he said. And remember, that demeanor he mentioned was a big emphasis over the offseason. They sought players with an edge to change how they approach the run game. The results weren't there the first week, but Tomlin liked some of the qualities they displayed.
David
1:45
I noticed the Ravens flew to LV on Saturday for Monday night game maybe to adjust better for time difference. Do you think this is something the Steelers would consider for west coast games?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:45
They haven't done that much, if at all, under Tomlin. He likes to leave the day before the game in afternoon.
J-Akron
1:46
I saw that you gave the secondary an A grade in your positional analysis. Do you think that this crew is significantly better than the last couple of years?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:47
Still a lot of season ahead, but I liked what I saw out of Cam Sutton, James Pierre and Tre Norwood. Sutton especially. His ability to move from outside to inside and not really miss a beat is so valuable. Not every corner is capable of that. In fact, it's rare.
Art from NC
1:48
Crosby looked like a terror last night. Does Chuks fare any better this week than Big Al?
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