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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 12.26.23
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Ray Fittipaldo
9:57
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Welcome to today's chat. Let's get started.
Chris Parker
9:57
Hi Ray - thanks for all of the chats! Any word on Elandon‘s injury? Assume he’s done for the year?
Ray Fittipaldo
9:57
Nothing official yet, but it doesn't look good. Tomlin should provide an update in a couple of hours at his weekly presser.
Cameron_in_NC
9:58
With Roberts going down and it looking like a season ending injury, what are you hearing about guys coming in to try and fill the deeper void at ILB?
Ray Fittipaldo
9:59
Well, Mykal Walker made his fourth start of the season against the Bengals. He led the team in tackles and played better than he has. So he'll be one starter. Myles Jack made his first start of the season and also played pretty well. He had six tackles and a sack. They'll want to monitor his snap counts because he came out of retirement to rejoin the team last month. I assume Jack will start next to Walker. After that, they have Blake Martinez and Mark Robinson. I'd expect Martinez to play on Sunday assuming Roberts is out.
Mike P
10:00
If Kenny starts and plays poorly, how short is the leash? Surely no team is going to make the mistake of single covering Pickens again and the QB (whoever it is) is going to have to use the middle of the field this weekend.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:01
I think whoever starters the leash will be short. It's another must-win game. If they start Rudolph and then have to go to Pickett you'd have that fourth-quarter comeback thing in your back pocket. It will be interesting to see what Tomlin says at noon.
Lou
10:01
Hey Ray. Seems like the decision to play Mason the rest of the year is easy if you consider that Kenny was going to be benched anyway.  Shouldn’t Mason get a shot to see what HE has just as much as what Kenny can do?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:03
The Steelers' goal is to make the playoffs, and they'll do whatever they believe is best to achieve that goal. The whole narrative about Pickett starting so the Steelers can see what they have in him is wrong. That's not how the Steelers operate. Their stated every season is to win the Super Bowl. Whichever QB gives them the best chance to win on Sunday will be who starts.
Seferg
10:03
If (in my opinion), Mason's biggest problems were pocket awareness and accuracy (hitting a receiver in stride) do you think he has overcome these issues?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:05
Hard to make any proclamations after one start, but he threw a couple of nice deep balls. He underthrew George on another, where he had to tiptoe to stay in bounds. He also over threw Diontae Johnson when he was open. I think overall it was a quality start from Mason because he made timely plays. The quick start was much-needed and something the Steelers have been searching for all season. It's much easier to play with a lead. The lopsided final score was a direct result of getting a big lead and forcing the Bengals to play a game they didn't want to play.
Yates
10:05
Ray-  Do you expect 39 to return to practice this week?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:06
Minkah Fitzpatrick did not walk with a limp when I saw him in the locker room last week. Not sure of his status, but I think there is a chance he can play. Tomlin should give us an update at noon.
Yates
10:06
Ray-  When will the start time for Ravens game be announced?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:08
My guess is after the Sunday games. I think they'll approach this last week like it's the playoffs and they'll try to get a marquee matchup for the Saturday game. It remains to be seen if Steelers-Ravens qualifies as a marquee matchup. If the Steelers lose in Seattle my guess is it will be a Sunday 1 p.m. game. If they win they'd be in the conversation for the Saturday game. It also depends on whether the Ravens have the No. 1 seed wrapped up by then. They can clinch the No. 1 seed if they beat the Dolphins at home on Sunday.
Guest
10:08
Hello Ray, the season has come down to a bunch of ifs. If the Steelers win in Seattle. If they win. If the Ravens sit the majority of their starters. If other teams lose. This ALL could have been prevented IF the Steelers did not lose to bottom feeders. This to me is Tomlins inconsistency. Year in and year out losing to teams you should win.
Ray Fittipaldo
10:10
I agree with you. But there are a lot of other coaches who have head-scratching losses too. The Jaguars have lost four in a row. They're no longer a lock to make the playoffs. I can give you a number of other teams in similar positions. The NFL is a league of parity.
Mark
10:11
What QB do feel gives the Steelers the best shot at winning in Seattle?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:12
I would start Rudolph. He looked the best any Steelers QB has looked all season. I understand it was the Bengals, and they have a terrible defense. But what did Tomlin say when he made the change from Trubisky to Rudolph? It's about scoring points and engineering victory in a more fluid manner. Well, the Steelers scored a season-high 34 points with Rudolph at QB. Start him and then bring Pickett off the bench if he struggles.
SteelerRage
10:12
dont we need to figure out Kenny still and doesn’t he give best chance for playoff success even if we happen to sneak in?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:15
I don't think any QB on this roster right now can claim to give this team the best chance to win in the playoffs. Pickett was too inconsistent to treat him like a QB who can't lose his job due to injury. And as I stated earlier, the playoffs are on the line. The Steelers don't need to find out about Pickett now. They need to find a way to get into the playoffs. (And by the way, the defense is so banged up it might not matter who they play in the playoffs if they get there).
SteelerRage
10:15
we know Mason is not the LT answer
Ray Fittipaldo
10:15
Never said he was.
Tim Z
10:15
Good morning Ray and merry Christmas! In the last two minutes of the first half versus Cincinnati were you surprised Tomlin and the offense continued to throw the ball?  I was, because it easily could have given the ball back to Cincinnati, with time to put a score on the board and change the first half dynamics
Ray Fittipaldo
10:16
Yes I was. Tomlin was asked about that after the game and he said they wanted to be aggressive there. I think the quality of the defense they were going up against certainly factored into that decision. I don't think that decision is made like that in every instance.
Glenn Kemp
10:17
Good Morning Ray - some QB's take time - thinking about Rogers behind Farve or Young behind Montana.... is it too improbable for Rudolph to be the next??
Ray Fittipaldo
10:18
The guys you mentioned had better pedigrees. Rudolph was a third-round pick. When he was a free agent after last season he didn't get any good offers. He came back to the Steelers on the veterans minimum contract. I'm not saying he can't develop into something more than a No. 3, but comparisons to Rodgers and Young shouldn't be made at this point in my opinion.
pozone
10:18
Ray, after the season is over when do you think we will know about coaching changes.  Do you think Mason would come back as a # 2?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:20
I think you'd hear about any coaching changes in the first week or two after the season ends. Tomlin will take some time to think about his staff and then make some decisions. He's never in a hurry to make moves, although in this instance, you don't want to miss out on a good coordinator so he'd want to make that hire first I would think. As for Rudolph, I can definitely see a scenario where he returns and Trubiksy is gone. Maybe they'd draft a QB to develop behind Pickett and Rudolph.
CA Steeler Dude
10:21
Good morning Ray, shouldn’t Coach Tomlin and his staff get some credit for shutting down a Cincy offense with only practice squad safeties and inside linebackers? Cincy beat 3 solid teams in a row before last week and racked up big yardage. If we’re gunna be tough on Tomlin, shouldn’t we also recognize his excellent defensive coaching job against Cincy?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:22
If you read my report card from after the game you'd see I gave them all kinds of credit. It was impressive. The Bengals had scored 34, 34 and 27 in their previous three games. Two backup safeties and basically two backup ILBs after Roberts left the game.
Bill
10:22
Hi Ray!  Do you think the Steelers will cut Mitch after the season to save some cap space?  Then, do you believe they would try to resign Mason?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:23
Let's see how these final two games play out first, but that would be a possibility.
Guest
10:23
Do you agree with the reports that Art is going to give Tomlin an extension after the season even if they loose on Sunday?  Isn't that bad look for Art?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:24
It would be much easier to do if the Steelers finish 9-8 or 10-7. In that case, Rooney could say "We were close to making the playoffs, had some tough injury luck..." Had they finished winless in their final six games that's when it would have been a really tough look for the Rooneys.
Steve
10:24
Hi Ray, happy for Mason. Can’t help but think what a disaster the Trubisky contract extension was.  Is that a major blunder by Kahn?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:26
Not a major blunder if they want to get out of it. They can walk away after the season ends and absorb only a $4.6 million. That's not a small sum, but they could save about $3 million if they do it. He's on the book for north of a $7 million cap hit next season.
Seferg
10:26
How many players have played inside linebacker this year and how many of them do you expect to be on the roster next year?
Ray Fittipaldo
10:28
At least seven off the top of my head: Alexander, Holcomb, Roberts, Robinson, Jack, Martinez and Walker. Who am I missing? I would definitely bring Roberts back for the second year of his two-year deal. If Holcomb can return without any major issues he'll be back. I just know that was a rather serious injury. Alexander is fine to return for a vet minimum type of deal, but he gets injured too often to count on him.
C.R.
10:28
So what all has to happen for the Steelers to make the playoffs (besides winning out)?
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