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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 10.1.18
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Ray Fittipaldo
11:57
Welcome to my Steelers chat. Post your questions and we will get started soon
Juice
11:58
6 #1 picks on the defensive side of the ball and still cannot tackle, cover or pressure the QB. That has to be a first, right?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:01
Good opening comment. They have invested a lot of draft picks and $$$ in that defense the past few years and those players just aren't making enough plays. I heard a lot of comments in the past 12 hours after how the defense held the Ravens to four field goals after halftime and how that should have been good enough. Whatever happened to forcing a three-and-out? Whatever happened to keeping a team pinned deep when they start inside their own 10? Whatever happened to staying within 10 yards of a WR running free down the field? I understand Ben Roethlisberger had a bad game. I know that, but don't come at me with the stuff about the defense doing its part. It did not.
JerseySteel
12:01
Hi Ray - watching the running game - I don't put the blame on James Conner. It looked like there was nowhere for him to go - no holes opened up. Thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:02
I agree. I did not see a lot of holes. That's another position group where there is a lot of $ tied up in players who don't appear to be performing at a consistently high level. I also think it would help to establish the run early in games so defenses aren't dropping eight guys when they know you're going to pass.
JQ
12:03
Ray - The Steelers have had since January to fix this defense...looks like it is not going to happen...has to be the players at this point...too many draft misses and the players are not very good?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:04
Agreed. Their defenders just aren't good enough across the board. That's rather obvious when you are giving up 29 points per game and more than 300 yards passing per game. And when you don't have good players the questions always comes back to the drafting and developing. So Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin and his staff certainly shoulder some of the blame for what's happening on that side of the ball.
12:06
The entire defensive line has been a disappointment so far. Stephon Tuitt has not played well either. It's not like the Ravens gashed them with the run game. They only averaged 3.3 yards per carry. But they did just enough to stay balanced on offense.
JerseySteel
12:06
Hi Ray - I saw Javon Hargrave getting moved off the ball regularly. It seems he has not lived up to expectations. Thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:06
Question to previous answer.
Franklin, TN
12:06
After 4 games, are the breakdowns on both sides correctable or is this the 2018 story?  I don't know that they make it to .500.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:06
I'm starting to think the same thing. This could be Mike Tomlin's first losing season as Steelers coach.
Jay
12:06
Ray, would you ever hire one of your friends to work for you? Tomlin seems to have hired two of them, Keith Butler and Randy Fichtner. Do you think this is a problem for the team?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:07
I can't say that. Lots of head coaches hire people they know and are comfortable with. But I'll tell you what, neither is doing a very good job right now with their personnel.
Ryno
12:07
Is it safe to assume that if the Steelers thought James Conner was the problem with the running game, they would have tried Stevan Ridley instead?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:10
Good question. Probably. You have to be committed to the running game. You can't abandon it when things don't go well. They came out in the second half and ran for 4 and 3 yards on the first two plays from scrimmage after halftime. It was third-and-3, and Roetlisberger threw an inaccurate pass that Barry Switzer had to dive for and lost yardage. Those are killers. The Ravens kicked a field goal a little later in the quarter, and the Steelers were in catch-up mode again. But even then, down by three points, you can't abandon the running game the way they did. Maybe the coaches know the line isn't playing well right now.
Nate
12:10
Ray, I mentioned after week 1 that I felt there was ZERO change in the play calling approach since Haley left and I was told to give it a few weeks.  So I pretty much am repeating now what I said then.  I see absolutely nothing different....especially in the 2nd half last night.  How many 3 yrd passes to Connor can we throw?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:11
Fichtner didn't have a good game Sunday night. I don't think anyone really did. Baltimore might be very good this season. We'll have to wait and see. Maybe they just covered the receivers better than many of us thought they would.
fredward
12:11
Antonio Brown is not producing at his normal level.  Is he getting double- or triple-covered more, or is he just starting to decline?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:13
I don't see him running wide open the way I saw Ravens receivers running through the secondary. But I'm not sure Brown is declining just yet. It might just be a matter of Roethlisberger not being on the same page with him, not throwing the ball as well as he has in the past, etc.
Mark
12:13
Ray, looking back, if the Steelers had not tagged Bell and diverted that money to defense, do you remember what free agents were available?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:14
Not off the top of my head.
mikey
12:14
As poorly as the DBs are playing, how much of this may be Tom Bradley's fault?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:15
No one is coaching well when you are 1-2-1. And when the defense is giving up the points and yards the way it has this season the blame is going to be played on the defensive coaches. I get it.
JQ
12:15
Ray - Whens does Burnett go on IR for the season?  That move is not working out.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:17
He hasn't been able to stay healthy, which shouldn't come as a big surprise if you take the time to look at his track record. He's been injury-prone in the past. His inability to get on the field certainly has hurt them. Thy brought him in to be the dime linebacker so he could help stop the run. They've had to play with Nat Berhe the past two weeks, and the results haven't been good.
Pammy Whammy
12:17
Hey Ray!  Lots of blame to go around, but does Ben shoulder most of it this time? He forced the ball deep a few times and put a defense that turned things around into some bad spots.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:17
He gets most of the blame for Sunday night though the defense did next to nothing to help spark a change of momentum in the game.
CP
12:18
Yes our defense is bad, but honestly almost all defenses in the nfl basically give up a ton of yards / points and then make a key stop or two. Can we finally admit it’s our offense that is the problem?  First three drives of every game 3 and outs, no running game, horrible play calling....could it be we fired the wrong coordinator to start the year and having Ben the offense with his buddy is an awful idea?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:18
Not ready to make that proclamation yet, but I do see the offense being a major problem.
SteelCity
12:18
At what point do the Rooneys say enough is enough and make any coaching changes?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:20
If things keep going this way, I wouldn't rule it out. But I'm sure you know that's not how the Rooney family usually operates.
Juice
12:20
Half time adjustments must mean re-tucking in your shirt to this coaching staff.....at least it seems that way. What's the deal?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:21
Maybe they should condemn this building because Pitt has the same problems. Just blow it up and start over with a new practice facility.
Ctsteeler1
12:21
Ray, I know I am probably jumping the gun, but I'm thinking this is a lost season. Where do you start to fix this mess?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:22
Drafting some better players. Making some tough evaluations and cutting some unproductive players even if it means eating dead money. But make no mistake: this is not an easy fix. This team is aging at several key positions. They have a 36-year old QB, offensive linemen that are all over 30 or approaching 30.
Jeff
12:23
Any chance they trade AB in the offseason and collect high draft picks to rebuild this pathetic defense. Teams can't win with players that only care about themselves.
JoeB
12:23
Do you feel the O-Line is under-performing, particularly in run blocking and particularly Villanueva?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:24
They're not playing well. They could use a running game. It's hard pass protect for 50 snaps when the other team knows you are going to pass. Ramon Foster pointed out afterward the Ravens didn not get a sack until late in the game, but Roethlisberger did not have a clean pocket on many of his dropbacks.
Pammy Whammy
12:24
It's early, but looking at the AFC, does 10-6 with some help or 11-5 get a playoff spot?
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