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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 10.29.18
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Ray Fittipaldo
12:21
21 snaps. He was part of a package with Morgan Burnett
Pammy Whammy
12:21
How do you feel about the progress of this defense considering the bad positions special teams and the offense has left them in lately?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:22
The defense has been really good the past three games. After allowing 29 ppg over the first four games of the season they've allowed just 18.6 over the past  three. And the Browns got a garbage time TD Sunday or that number would be even lower.
Snake eyes
12:22
Last year in KC the Steelers failed to cover a free kick after a safety. I said to myself that I never saw that before and probably never will again. One year later it happens again and it’s the Steelers again.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:25
Right. I was thinking about this earlier this morning. I'd love to find out how many times that's happened over the past 10 years. Has it happened to any other team than the Steelers? i watch a lot of NFL football and I can't recall that happening recently. Perhaps it has and I'm just unaware. Like I said, I think the obvious adjustment is to have JuJu Smith-Schuster as the upback in place of Nix. Blocking is important on every kick return, but you can't have guys calling for fair catches when no one is around them. You should be advancing the ball to near midfield after every free kick. That's the advantage of getting a safety. In addition to getting two points you're supposed to get good field position if you have a competent return team.
Devin
12:25
I think Bud Dupree has had a pretty solid year. What say you?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:25
Not a lot of sacks and not consistent in the run game, but he is wreaking more havoc with pressures and collapsing pockets, things of that nature.
12:28
So they have the Ravens, Panthers and Jaguars in their next three. Those are three tough games and two are on the road. Obviously, the most important game is this week versus the Ravens because it's a division game. Tough stretch here for the Steelers.
Illinois Steelers Fan
12:28
Can the Steelers go 1-2 over the next 3 games and still make the playoffs? I believe the Steelers must go 3-0 or 2-1 to have a chance to make the playoffs.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:29
Question to previous answer
Tampa Too
12:29
Ray,  I think that the free kick screw up after the safety was mostly poor coaching.  The players should have known it was a live ball.  Your thoughts
Ray Fittipaldo
12:29
The players have to know the rule. But yes, Danny Smith should get some criticism because it's happened two years in a row.
Ryno
12:30
The game was blacked out in my PENNSYLVANIA home because of the Ravens from another state (obligatory shot at the blackout rules), so how was Dupree looking, and how good was the person blocking him?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:30
Dupree had some pressures. And he was going up against a rookie undrafted free agent by the name of Desmond Harrison
Brian
12:30
Hi Ray,  For years we were told what a solid backup Landry Jones was.  Are you surprised he's still unemployed?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:31
A little bit. Heard he had a few workouts but hasn't signed yet.
Dave
12:31
How in the world do professionals not know the rules? That punt debacle was absurd.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:31
Exactly my point. It's inexcusable for anyone on that return team not to know the rules, but for three guys like Brown, Switzer and Nix... you're right. Absurd.
Ryno
12:31
First to go - Hugh Jackson, or Marvin Lewis?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:32
Hue Jackson was fired a little while ago.
The Dude Abides
12:32
Hey Ray.  After seeing the success of the Steelers running game and James Conner’s performance, how much money do you think Bell will lose in his next contract?  Clearly he has given up a lot this year but how does this play out in the future?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:32
Impossible to say. Some owner out there might be desperate and will be willing to pay him whatever he wants.
NC Bruin
12:32
Connor continues to put up L Bell like numbers.  Playing behind our O line and in this system seems to demonstrate that we can plug in any decent back and get good results.  Have Bell and his agent made a major miscalculation?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:33
My opinion: yes
James
12:33
Hi Ray, for the free kick mishap. I blame the coaches more than the players. It seems to me that a coach should have said, "Remember, this is a free kick, not a punt. You have to catch it." What are your thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:35
Do we not know that was said? I wasn't in the huddle before the return team took the field. Maybe Danny Smith did to that. It's important to note Switzer only returned punts at North Carolina. He started to return kicks last year as a rookie when he was with the Cowboys. Maybe the Cowboys didn't have to field a free kick last year and maybe that was the first time he was in that situation. He admitted afterward that he thought punts were dead, and he interpreted that play as a punt. He was a stand-up guy in the locker room and owned the mistake. I think he'll learn from it.
Javi
12:35
Hello Ray do you believe that going after a player such as Patrick Peterson will be a key piece in for a Super Bowl run? I think having 2 shut down corners can pay huge dividends for this defense and this is one exception that the Steelers should really look into even if it is " not the Steeler way of doing business"..what say you?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:35
Yes but apparently he's no longer available.
Enrique Hernandez
12:37
I watched Chikillo in more snaps this game. Is it related with injuries or only players rotation?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:37
He played 22 snaps. I think that's about what he's been averaging.
Scsteeler
12:37
What percentage of special teams plays are penalized? Seems awfully high.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:37
On Sunday, it seemed like every other one.
SMF
12:38
Hi Ray:  The focus has been brutal for Artie Burns, but It seems each game that Terrell Edmunds has real trouble with one on one tackling.  Bad angles, tackling too high, looking soft.  I thought that was his college strength.  Can that be taught?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:38
It's hard to teach, but they do drills every week.
Dormont Lifer
12:38
Does Jaylen Samuels get more snaps in the weeks to come? Will they utilize his pass catching skills that he exhibited at NC State?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:39
They gave him the ball when the game was still in doubt. Thought it was an interesting approach after Ridley fumbled. He is the veteran and the guy they used to trust as the backup. But after Ridley fumbled they went with a guy who had two offensive snaps and no carries all season at a time when the game was still in doubt. Might be a sign of who will get cut if/when Bell does report.
Ghost of Bobby Walden
12:40
Why the benching of James Washington? Is he in the Tomlin doghouse?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:40
Just seems like they're more comfortable with Justin Hunter right now. Things still haven't slowed down for Washington. I think he has a ways to go before he fully understands NFL concepts. Hunter is a veteran and while he's not great, I think there is a comfort level there for the QB and the coordinator.
McKeesport Joe
12:41
Thoughts on the Ravens rematch? The Ravens didnt seem to show up for the Panthers game yesterday.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:41
The Ravens were minus-3 in the turnover battle. You won't win many games doing that.
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