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Gerry Dulac's Steelers chat: 10.11.17
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Gerry Dulac
10:53
OK kids, lets get our chat started. I see questions lined up like a gas station offering $1.79 per gallon
Scott in Amsterdam
10:53
Santonio Holmes obviously deserves to retire a Steeler. However, isn't the timing of this announcement bizarre? He hasn't played in an NFL game since 2014...
Gerry Dulac
10:54
Scott, you're first in the store...and yes it is. I think Dan Kreider is going to announce his retirement tomorrow.
Brice
10:54
Ed, I have watched the Steelers my whole life, and one thing I have noticed during the "Big Ben" era is that when we are a front runner, we fall short. When we are the underdog that's when we surprise the NFL world. It is my reason for optimism, and I hope the "Ben is done" narrative continues as I beleive this team will thrive on that.
Gerry Dulac
10:54
I'll ask Ed
Brice
10:54
These EX Steelers coming out and speaking out against the team, are making this drag on even further. THEY NEED TO STOP!
Gerry Dulac
10:55
Yeah!!!
Scott
10:55
Mike Tomlin benches Eli Rogers for making a mistake in Chicago and then refuses to take responsibility for his own OBVIOUS errors in the Jacksonville game.  Have the players lost respect for him? I could not work for a boss who holds everybody accountable except himself.
Gerry Dulac
10:56
No they haven't. But if he believes he did the right thing, even if it was the wrong thing, then he has to be judged for another reason, and it's not accountability
Jacque Strap
10:56
Ben had Weds off before the Jax game. Is it common for the starting QB to take practice off, particularly this early in the season? Needs to play better, not enough chemistry with receivers not named AB...well do something about it.
Gerry Dulac
10:57
When you're 35, sometimes it's more common. That has nothing to do with anything, trust me.
Carlo
10:57
How would you grade Haden and Burns thus far? Seems like teams are not challenging them like years past. Is that due to their play or bc the opposing QB's have been subpar?
Gerry Dulac
10:58
I would grade them very well. The longest completion against the Steelers this year is 31 yards, and that came against Jax. Their pass defense is ranked No. 1 in the league. Kinda hard not to say its been best part of their defense.
Carlo
10:58
Any idea as to why Eli got benched other than the muffed punt against Chicago?
Gerry Dulac
10:59
Have you looked at his numbers? It was time to try something else. You saw how that went, so it's time to go back to Eli.
JerseySteel
10:59
Hi Gerry - last year the Steelers started 4-5 and struggled while Marcus Gilbert was out with an injury. They started to roll when he came back. Could the same thing happen this year and is he that critical to the team as it might appear?
Gerry Dulac
11:00
I don't think their problems are attributable to Gilbert's absence, but there's no question they are much better when he's in the game. He's one of the best in the league
Carlo
11:03
What is main issue with the Steelers run D that you see? We have two Pro Bowl caliber DE's and an up and coming DT. Scheme? OLB's not setting the edge and allowing the RB's to break contain?
Gerry Dulac
11:03
I think you have a couple young outside LBs, TJ Watt and Bud Dupree, who don't have enough experience with their other defensive mates to be cohesive. Same with Vince Williams, in his first year as a starter. If I started explaining what's happening, I might be here a while. But from everything I gather and i'm told, that's the biggest problem.
JerseySteel
11:03
Hi Gerry - the Steelers failed to score in the red zone 3 more times vs the Jaguars. Did the Seven shots throughout training camp make no measurable difference in their red zone efficiency? Is it because the other team knows they will always pass and don't have to defend the run in the red zone?
Gerry Dulac
11:04
Training camp drills have nothing to do with trying to score in the red zone against a defense that has schemed against you.
Austin meador
11:04
would you say the lack of production from martavis is due to missing a year and trying to get back in rhythm or is play calling hurting him.
Gerry Dulac
11:05
I think the play-calling is a result of him missing an entire season. He is not the same player right now
Bob Sugar
11:05
Does this team truly lack leadership in the locker room as Hines Ward suggests?
Gerry Dulac
11:06
That's easy to say when the team has lost a couple games. How was the leadership in Baltimore after all the nonsense? How was the leadership last year when they were 4-5 and won nine in a row.
Jon
11:07
Gerry. Players complaining about game plan or being out coached, flipping over water coolers, posting images on twitter that they don't play. Has Coach Tomlin lost this team? They don't seem to worry about any ramification for actions.
Gerry Dulac
11:12
That's today's athlete and that's why fans are turned off by what they are seeing and reading, especially on social media. All the things you mentioned are annoying to the outside but pretty much don't register a blip on the inside. That is not to excuse such behavior. I'm weary of it too. Bell said the Steelers didn't run enough Jax, basically complaining he didn't get the ball enough. Well, he had 25 touches, as much or more than most games, and he didn't do much with his touches. What does it matter if he runs or catches a pass? He's still getting the ball. In fact, those short passes he's catching are designed to get him space and create room for him to run when the defense is stacking the box. Did you check his numbers on those catches designed to get him in space and make plays? Let me give them to you -- 10 catches for 42 yards, or 4.2 yards per catch.
Not to be critical.
Bob Sugar
11:12
Too much elevator music and not enough focus? Something is wrong
Gerry Dulac
11:13
It's not focus. It's execution. It's not playing. It's not performing. Relax. It's a long season. Again, I will remind you what happened last season.
Jon
11:13
If the team gets crushed by the Chiefs this week (Likely will). Is Mike Tomlin officially on the hot seat? Too much talent to go 3-3. Your thoughts?
Gerry Dulac
11:13
No
Andy
11:13
Greetings Gerry. Thank you for your time. I try and stay away from the finger pointing regarding the criticisms aimed at the Steeler coaching staff. However, after 1st and goal and throwing 3 passes when you have 3 stud backs, I'm going to point a finger!! That made no sense! And what kind of message does that send to your offensive line when it needs a confidence boost? What gives!?
Gerry Dulac
11:14
Pay the man! I concur
Kid From SC
11:14
Gerry we fans love to compare and contrast as you know, who in your personal opinion (obviously the book is still somewhat unwritten) to this point was/is the better leader/coach for the Steelers Cowher or Tomlin and why?
Gerry Dulac
11:18
I don't do that and I won't. They are both 1-1 in Super Bowls. Cowher went to the postseason 10 times in 15 seasons. Tomlin has gone six in 10. Both had a similar quality -- their teams didn't quit on them. You decide
Jonathan Mason
11:18
Based on Bryant's play thus far, wouldn't you rather see Eli Rogers and JuJu get more routes to open up the intermediate passing game? The majority of what I've seen from Bryant has been screens and shallow crosses.
Gerry Dulac
11:19
No, I wouldn't. The only way Bryant is going to regain form is to play, even if his level of play is nowhere near what it used to be.
Kid From SC
11:19
In the days of Casey Hampton I remember the heavy weight NT eating up two blockers and freeing our linebackers to chase the ball, how do you feel Hargrave has done freeing up Shazier?  I personally see Shazier getting blown up by guards just like he did at OSU and feel the NT play has been poor.
Gerry Dulac
11:20
You are right about the Hampton part. That was the key. But you are wrong about Hargrave. He is very good. You see what he did the other day when he finally got to play a lot (33 snaps)? Led the team with 10 tackles. And Shazier's strength is not filling gaps, it's running thru them. If he doesn't, look out
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