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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 10.01.24
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Ray Fittipaldo
2:32
I'm with you on that. But Mike has said that plenty of times over the years. That doesn't make it any less ridiculous, but I've heard that song before.
LarryG from Punxy
2:32
At the beginning of the season, if someone said we'd be 3-1 at this point with our loss being to the Colts, would you be excited for that?  I would.  Yet here we are, and...  So what's your opinion of the (almost) first quarter of the season?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:33
Big picture it's a good start. But that's a game the Steelers should have won. If you want to know why the Steelers are always the No. 7 seed or not in the playoffs it's because of games like that. I'll be surprised if the Colts are a factor in the AFC. The really good teams don't lose games like that. They go 13-4 or 14-3 and get the No. 1 seed.
Realist
2:34
the Steelers know Flacco…and surely know if they pressure him he can and will make mistakes.  Sit back and don’t pressure and he can and will pick them apart.  The latter happened.  Is what  resulted due to scheme or that our front 7 just couldn’t get to him?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:36
Scheme in the sense that Tomlin said he did not want to blitz Flacco. He wanted to play coverage and see if four pass rushers could get home. Tomlin mentioned his experience from Flacco being in Baltimore all those years as to why he didn't blitz. I get it. Flacco is a veteran and knows how to read blitzes and get the ball out. But man, it seemed to be a few more blitzes might have thrown off his timing some and who knows might have created a big play. Instead, they just died a slow death.
Joe Friday
2:36
Hi Ray - Players with elite salaries should make elite, game-changing plays - regularly. Minkah has only made news the past two years due to negative plays. Do you agree he has not been an elite player for a whule? Do you sense it's more on him or the way the coaches are using him?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:38
Offenses mostly stay away from him. He's still a very good player, but those splash plays that were so prevalent early in his career have gone by the wayside. It seems to me someone else has to step up and make plays. Porter dropped an INT. The entire defense failed to get on a fumble against the Colts. If Fitzpatrick is being minimized by opposing coaches the players who are being targeted have to step up and make a bigger impact.
Raymund
2:39
Ray,, why not the League has dedicated expert profesional referees in games? Must be a reason why ... multi billion dollar industry and we have to keep seeing BS calls ( Minkah as example) owners are no fools .. so why in your view? Thanks..
Ray Fittipaldo
2:40
The excuse always is there is only one game a week so there is not a need for officials to be full-time, but they have to do something. Either correct more of their mistakes via replay or train them better over the offseason.
Stan
2:40
During the North Shore podcast you mentioned Elliot (if I recall) commented that they need to practice better. This is not the first time I heard this comment from a Steelers player. Could this explain why they seem so listless and unprepared in a number games over the past several seasons often resulting in the seemingly obligatory annual “letdown”? If so, is there a culture problem under Tomlin? I think back to Claypool feeling comfortable suggesting publicly that there should be music played during practice to make it more fun.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:42
I think it's interesting that a new player in his first season with the team feels like he can say that. I mean, that's good because he's coming from the outside and puts players who have been here on notice. It is discouraging though. They have to get that fixed. On many of those plays over the middle it looked like the Steelers did not practice at all.
62 Stack Monster
2:42
Hi Ray, I thought, watching the game, that the loss was attributed to falling behind early much like most of last year's losses.  Like last year, the chosen grind it out, run offense just can't overcome deficits.  I know that Art Smith had success as a coordinator in Tennessee playing that with a younger Derrick Henry, but the approach is archaic.  A second WR will not solve this problem, unless they start to throw deep and over the middle.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:42
I think a lot of this is on Mike Tomlin being restrictive in what he'll allow Smith to do too. Don't lose sight of that.
Commissioner
2:43
Mike Tomlin’s statement that the beginning of the game was insignificant as to the final outcome is an attempt by him to hide the fact that he didn’t have his team ready to play. Every coach in any sport knows when you’re on the road you better be ready for the home team filled with adrenaline and emotion to come at you with everything they’ve got. His statements about the beginning of the game were complete hogwash!
Ray Fittipaldo
2:43
You said it perfectly.
Jagged Chiklets
2:43
Ray, do you believe the OL coach will be there next year? I hope not. I am tired of seeing them switching players out of position, the unorthodox style, and confusion it causes. Plus, why is Tomlin so hard headed about not naming Fields the starter... he still want tweaked calves to take over because he named him the starter before the season?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:45
Meyer signed a new contract over the offseason. That doesn't mean he'll definitely be back, but they didn't get rid of him when the other coaches were pushed out the door after last season... As for Tomlin, why name Fields the starter now? There remains no need to make that proclamation.
Christian
2:45
Sorry, here’s the question. Can you ever recall a QB that so consistently had issues with the snap from Center?  I cannot. Clearly it’s not an athletic issue, Fields is an amazing athlete. This issue was going to cost a game at some point
Ray Fittipaldo
2:45
You can argue it did against the Colts.
mrbig
2:46
I feel if Tomlin can't win a playoff game this season, his time here may be over... does he get a "free pass" with all of the crippling o-line injuries?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:47
Rooney just signed him to a new contract over the offseason. He's not going anywhere unless he chooses to walk away. And no, he doesn't get a free pass because of the injuries. As Tomlin himself pointed out today they've invested great resources in the past two drafts to acquire good young offensive linemen. Now they have to step up to the challenge.
NY Steel
2:48
Are the slow offensive starts, which seem to have been happening for 4-5 years, driven by Tomlin’s conservatism?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:48
That's a big part of it in my opinion.
epiballo
2:48
With mounting injuries, what is your prognosis on the O-Line going forward?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:48
My prognosis is it's time for the young kids to grow up quick.
Guest
2:49
Ray, have you heard any scuttlebutt of the Steelers moving Russell Wilson to the Miami Dolphins for either draft capital or an OL?     Would you be in favor of it?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:49
NO! an NO!
Bill in SC
2:50
Has the injury bug already sabotaged the Steelers hopes for “a special” season?  Last week, there was talk among PG sportswriters that only Buffalo & KC were beyond reach in the AFC. Now a decimated O-Line, thin OLB room and two-of-three RB banged up can be added to suspect WR as reasons for concern.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:51
The Cowboys are banged up too. It's life in the NFL. The teams with depth overcome.
Monica
2:51
Hi Ray, at his weekly press conference, did Tomlin say anything about not taking a time out at the end of the game or take the blame for that ill/advised challenge?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:52
I asked him about the timeout after the game and wrote a story on it. https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2024/09/29/justin-fields-...
Bill in SF
2:52
Perhaps Tomlin should go back and look at the tape of the Steelers last 4 playoff games and then see if he still things the beginning of the game doesn't matter to the final score?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:53
Good point. It amazes me he continues to say that as much as he does year after year.
Tom
2:53
Is Najee Harris a quality RB1? Is Pickens a quality WR1?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:54
Pickens is looking like he can be a good No. 1. The Steelers don't view Harris in that light. That's why they divvy up the RB playing time the way they do.
mhendershot
2:54
Thanks for the great coverage Ray! Got to say it's hard to watch some of these games with all these flags being thrown. There just isn't consistency between games. George Pickens gets called 2 games ago for a nudge against the defender and O interference was called. He did the same nudge this past game on a catch and it did not get called. Minkah's flag was an absolute terrible call!
Ray Fittipaldo
2:55
I'm with you, but I don't have any answers for how the officiating improves. We talk about it year after year, and the NFL does little to correct the problem.
OK thanks for all the great questions this week. We'll do it again next Tuesday.
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