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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 09.19.23
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Ray Fittipaldo
1:54
Welcome to this week's Steelers chat -- The Matt Canada edition.
Tom
1:54
My favorite "Canada" moment...Steelers pass deep middle to Pickens for TD. What's his next pass call, a pass to TE 5 yards begind line of scrimmage! No gain. What was your best "Canada" call?
Ray Fittipaldo
1:55
Well, I'd have to go with the time the Steelers ran out of plays so they just had Ben chuck it sideways about 10 yards short of the stick on fourth down.
Tom
1:55
Honestly is Pickett done in Pittsburgh? Canada will be gone after the year so Pickett will be a rookie again. Is he good enough to overcome starting over and over again? I doubt it.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:59
After the first two weeks, it's hard to have any kind of positive feel for Pickett's development especially when you look around and see what other young QBs are doing. How about Sam Howell winning a shootout in Denver. I think they put up 35 points. I actually thought Pickett and the rest of the offense took a big step in the second half of the season, but that's gone now. They're back to being incompetent again much as they were in the first half of 2022. Honestly, it doesn't make any sense. There is no reason for the QB to look the way he has looked. I'm not necessarily putting all of the blame on the OC. I'm sure Pickett has a lot to do with what's going on. But even Mike Tomlin said today the coaching staff has to put the players in better positions to succeed.
Tom
1:59
My father has been saying that Minkah is a dirty player. I'm finding it harder to defend him. Take away his fame and watch his hits.  Your opinion?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:01
Why? He was making a low tackle on a powerful runner who is known around the league for yards after contact. If you're a defender and you know you're going to get fined if you hit a player high, where do you think that player is going to go in order to get a good RB like Chubb on the ground. It's football.
Tom
2:01
In my opinion there are probably only 5 or 6 players in the NFL that actually earn their monster contracts. (Watson isn't one.) How lucky are we to have Watt?!
Ray Fittipaldo
2:02
Watt is a first-ballot Hall of Famer if he stopped playing tomorrow. He's in the same class as Aaron Donald. He is the most dominant player at his position in his era. He makes Myles Garrett look like Anthony Chickillo.
Tom
2:02
With the talent on this team, where would we be if Eric Bienemy was the OC and Jim Schwartz was the DC?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:03
I don't think we're going to find out anytime soon. Tomlin said today he wasn't going to make any "knee-jerk reactions" although he did say the struggles in the first two games has his attention. Well, I should hope so!
Bill
2:03
Every year I ask how Danny Smith has a job. His teams just make bone headed plays year after year. How does Danny Smith have a job?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:05
So please explain to me how Danny Smith is responsible for Gunner Olszewski making a mental error? You know Smith told Olszewski and all of his returners about the new rule this year on fair catches. And the ball landing out of bounds has been a penalty for decades. I'm all for holding coaches accountable when they make mistakes, but sometimes it's the players who have to take the blame.
Ken
2:05
Great win for the team. Did you hear Watson's post game remarks about the 2 face mask penalties.  He basically was blaming the defenders for his facemask penalties.   What a man!
Ray Fittipaldo
2:06
Yikes. I didn't read the Cleveland side of the game yet. Sounds like they have a gem over there -- and for five more years with a $50 million-plus cap hit. What a bargain!
Arnold from Turtle Creek
2:06
How bad is it when the announcers call our bad coaching on all THREE coordinators? Gunner's gaff (ST), basically every offensive series (OC), and the defense 3rd down near end of game (DC).
Ray Fittipaldo
2:07
I was in the press box and wasn't listening to the MNF broadcast, but I agree the coaches had a rough night. Good thing T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith bailed them out.
Bill
2:07
Do you think they will move on from Gunner and give someone else a chance?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:08
Probably but they can't do it while he's in the protocol. They'll wait until after he is medically cleared if they make that move.
Benny
2:08
Why does the OL look so bad?  They returned every starter except LG where they actually upgraded talent wise.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:11
Brian Baldinger, a former offensive lineman in the NFL and an analyst for the NFL Network tweeted out some videos this morning criticizing Pat Meyer for having his players "position block" on the 2-point conversion play. In other words, he dislikes the finesse approach. One other thing I didn't like on that play. Mason Cole and James Daniels had a double team on a defensive tackle at the point of attack and almost immediately they're sideways instead of square to the line of scrimmage. It's just not sound fundamental principles of line play. They need to get it straightened out. Tomlin was critical of the line's play today at his Tuesday presser.
Bill
2:11
1.)Is it time to use a high draft choice on an 'Elite" center?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:12
That could be coming in 2024 or 2025. Cole has one year remaining after this season.
Guest
2:12
Hi Ray. Thoughts on why it took JP Jr so long to get on the field last night? Wallace and Peterson are not the answer
Ray Fittipaldo
2:12
For now, Porter is only playing in the dime package.
Mitch
2:13
Would you have put me in the game last night?  If not last night, then what would it take (barring injury) to get me in the game?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:13
Well, Mitch you were benched after 3 1/2 games so maybe that's the magic number.
Punxatawney Phil
2:13
Let’s get it out there right off the bat. The number 1 question all chat will be:  Fire Canada?  Thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:15
My initial thought is the Steelers won't do it in-season, but my God are they pathetic. I won't rule anything out after watching the first two games. I'm at the facility every day so I know they practice, but when they get into games it looks like they've never practiced.
Steeler Fan
2:15
Why has Desmond King been inactive?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:15
He's new. Probably doesn't know the defense inside and out yet.
Big Ed Barr
2:15
Good afternoon Ray. Do you think there is any chance that Kenny gets benched in favor of Mitch?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:16
If he keeps playing like this, of course. They're in the business of winning.
John in florida
2:16
I was surprised Watson wasn’t ejected after his second face mask personal foul. I thought the rules were changed a few years ago so players were ejected for a second personal foul in a game. I know he’s the QB, but those were pretty egregious penalties
Ray Fittipaldo
2:16
Not to mention the fact that he grabbed an official and tried to toss him aside. That's usually an automatic ejection. I wonder why the official didn't eject him?
Silvio
2:17
Bring in Munch ASAP! as an offensive consultant so he can show the OL how to block!
Ray Fittipaldo
2:19
Good thought, but they've spent the past few years learning Meyer's techniques and the ways he wants them to do things. When Tomlin hired Meyer I wrote it was his most important hire because the OL room had a revolving door for coaches after Munch left. I feel the same way now. I hope Tomlin knew what he was doing.
STEEL72
2:19
Ray, your grades were spot on and you highlighted the exact plays that left the Man Cave in disbelief. Would it be such an inconceivable thing to have a good offensive mind come in and execute the existing playbook? This situation threatens to cast a pall over the team regardless of the players PC answers on the matter. For a team struggling with nuts and bolts plays, the gadgetry is just mind-boggling. What could possible go wrong?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:20
The problem is it's Canada's playbook. Unless they revamped the entire offense at midseason the way the Ravens did in 2018. But how many times does it work out that way?
the real guest
2:20
Ray, The decision to develop an untested QB and an untested OC together is looking dumber and dumber. If you are the Steelers FO do you let this train wreck travel on or do you give one of them a chance to survive with a different partner?
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