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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 8.28.17
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Ray Fittipaldo
11:53
Welcome to my Steelers chat. Let's get started.
Diondapittfan
11:53
Hi ray with the way the secondary played throughout the preseason other than burns and Sutton looking good for his first game as a pro but he's probably a couple weeks away from contributing this season should we now try to trade for Johnson from L.A. or some other good corner cause this is win now mold the time is now right? and when do u think Sutton starts seeing regular snaps thanks for taking my question
Ray Fittipaldo
11:56
Sutton missed about three weeks of camp, and that's a lot of time. That's a lot of reps. The same thing happened to Artie Burns last season and he didn't start until midway through the season. Maybe Sutton is a quicker study and he can contribute sooner, but the blueprint is there with Burns and I'm guessing we might see something similar with Sutton. As for trading for Trumaine Johnson, or any other corner for that matter, don't hold your breath. Johnson has a $17 million price tag for one year, and the Steelers aren't going to pay that. I promise you that.
Ricardo 22
11:56
Who made the bonehead decision to pass when Steelers were 1st and goal on the Colts one yard line and runners doing so well?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:58
Relax. It's the preseason. If that happened in a regular-season game I'd be ripping the decision, too. But the preseason is experimenting and trying some different things. It's also about evaluation. Maybe the Steelers wanted to see if JuJu Smith-Schuster could make a catch in traffic in the end zone. They know by now that Terrell Watson can score from the 1-yard line. It appeared Smith-Schuster stopped on the route. That's why it was intercepted. If that's the case then it's a good learning experience for the rookie.
MT
11:58
Why does the defense continue to have communication issues? This has been an ongoing problem for a number of years. I assume this is a coaching deficiency since they seem to have difficulty resolving this issue.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:00
I'm not sure what you are referring to in the Colts game. If there was a major communication issue I missed it. But to your point, it has been a problem in the past. I am sure they are doing everything they can to make sure it's not an issue going forward. But sometimes it happens. It's football.
12:02
Well, the only thing we know is they can't cover very well when the defensive calls are vanilla. That's not encouraging, but it's not the end of the world, either. Once they game plan they'll devise more complex coverage schemes to confuse quarterbacks. They'll also dial up the occasional pressure to force a bad throw or maybe create a turnover. Don't get me wrong. I'm concerned about the secondary, but don't read too much into the preseason.
Sacramento Stilr
12:02
Hi Ray...Looks like a rough go for the pass defense this year. Let's hope we have massive pressure on the QB's. Your take?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:02
Question to previous answer.
MT
12:02
Why does the defense play 10+ yards off the receivers at the line of scrimmage? That's a recipe for disaster against good/smart QBs. If it's because there CBs are not good enough, then they should have emphasized that position earlier in the draft over the past ten years.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:07
The simple answer is they don't currently have the personnel to pull off press man coverage. They'd like to play it more, and the hope is Cameron Sutton can provide that. But Sutton missed three weeks of camp, and I don't think he's close to helping out. He needs reps.
A-aron
12:07
Hi Ray, does everyone read too much into the first team o&d having subpar performances in the pre season?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:10
For the most part, yes, especially when it comes to the offense. Roethlisberger only played two series in the first three preseason games. He's the straw that stirs the drink. THe same goes for Antonio Brown -- two series. Plus, there was no real game planning in any of the games. Now, when it comes to the defense, you can determine that they have some issues in the secondary. That's obvious and that's why Mike Tomlin made it known there was a competition between Ross Cockrell and Coty Sensabaugh for the starting right corner job. But keep in mind, there was little game planning with the defense, either.
Andrew
12:10
Are the starting corners Sutton burns and Hilton after this game? Maybe one more preseason game to ensure that Sutton is what we thought he was? I mean Sutton has to be better than cockrell and Hilton has to be better than gay
Ray Fittipaldo
12:11
I highly doubt they insert Sutton soon. He missed most of camp with an injury. He needs reps. It took Artie Burns eight games to crack the starting lineup last season after he missed most of camp with an injury. Now Hilton is another story. I think Gay starts the season in the slot, but Hilton could take that over sooner rather than later, especially if Gay falters early in the year.
Jack of Splat
12:12
Hi, Ray, Love your work.   After all of the injuries and players available on D, the plain fact is that the O will need to step up and finally deliver on the 30 points/game potential to get this team deep in the playoffs.  If this D can "hold" teams to 21 points/game, the Steelers should win most of their games. Agree?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:14
Yes, but it's tough to score week in and week out. Only a few teams in the history of the NFL have done it, and the Steelers only did it over a 10-game stretch in 2014. Now the reason people are talking about that goal again is the return of Bryant, who was so important to the offense in that '14 season. I think they have a chance to do it, but you can't count on it. They went on a long winning streak last season when the running game carried the offense. If that happens again they're not going to outscore people. They'll have to win closer games, and the defense is going to have be do more than "hold" teams to 21 points per game.
Jimmy the Greek
12:14
Ray-Please say there's hope for this defense. With the way the schedule is set up, a slow will hurt their playoff chances.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:15
Not encouraged by what I've seen in the preseason, but let's see how they look early in the season when the games start for real before we set into panic mode.
Fred
12:15
Given the state of the secondary, does Golson have any chance at making the 53? If no why keep him around as long as they have?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:15
No chance at all really. I think he'll be cut and I think they'll try to sign him to the practice squad if he wants to sign. At this point, maybe he figures he'll have better luck with another team and sign elsewhere. Who knows?
216butchpurgh
12:16
Coby Hamilton looks better then coats &  j. Hunter do you think he prevails
Ray Fittipaldo
12:16
Hamilton dropped a pass against the Colts. He had played well, but he's in a tough competition. Coates has much more potential and Hunter has played better in camp when healthy. Hunter's problem is he's been banged up.
Eric
12:17
It seems clear that Bell and Connor will be 2 of the three halfbacks on the roster and that Nix will be the fullback.  Between Davis and Toussaint, who do you think should be the third back?  Even if I didn't consider Toussaint's injury, I favor Davis.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:18
I would say Davis, but don't count Terrell Watson out. He's played really well in practices and preseason games. He might go to the practice squad because he has PS eligibility, but I would make the argument that he's out played Davis and Toussaint and deserves the roster spot more.
LG
12:18
We only got a glimpse of Sutton but he made a few plays Saturday night. If he plays well again this week do you think he will earn a little playing time early in the season?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:19
I just can't see it after missing so much time. There is really only one practice this week before playing the preseason finale in Carolina and then they're off for three days. They return Labor Day to begin preparations for the Browns. If Sutton is a quick study then maybe he'll be a contributor by the end of the September or early October, but that's asking a lot for someone who has only a few practices in camp under his belt. He's still learning the NFL game.
steelerdave89
12:20
Thanks for all you do to answer questions first off. You think that Eli Rodgers has done enough to win the Slot Starter spot? I do, I love him myself.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:21
Yes he has. Ayers and Smith-Schuster have been hurt so there really hasn't been a challenge. I do expect Smith-Schuster to take some reps in the slot though once he gets comfortable and stays away from the injuries. That third-down conversion where he forced a missed tackle got the attention of the coaches. They need that intermediate threat on third downs who can move the sticks.
Race Bannon
12:21
Ray - At the end of last season the secondary was weak, the pass rush was weak and the red zone offense was weak.  It looks like so far those three areas are still weak.  Have you seen anything that gives us hope that the performance in those areas will be any better?  Thanks.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:23
The red zone offense should be much better with the return of Bryant and the addition of Smith-Schuster. Plus, they've emphasized it in camp. They spent an awful lot of time trying to get better in that area. We'll have to wait and see about the pass rush and secondary, but I would be surprised if the red zone offense isn't much better.
PortVue in VA
12:23
Thinking half full here, but do you see an easy schedule and (hopefully) improved pass rush allowing us to still win the division while (hopefully) getting the secondary somewhat solvent before we play for home field considerations in NE. There the glass isn't as full.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:24
I don't think the division is all that difficult. I picked the Steelers to finish 11-5 and win the division again. The Ravens have injuries at key positions and the Bengals are trending downward. And the Browns and the Browns. As for the secondary, yes I think the hope is Sutton and maybe Hilton step up and take on bigger roles as the season progresses.
Chris B.
12:24
What's your take on Todd Haley continuing to work out of the press box?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:25
Roethlisberger seems to like it, which means it'll probably continue. I mean, it's not a huge deal. Some OCs call the game from the box and some from the sideline. It's all about comfort level for the play-caller.
LG
12:26
TJ looked a little winded a few times during the game. I know J. Porter talked about the team running with him as the starter and Harrison only being a safety net but I think it will be closer to 50%-50% by the end of the season because of the "Rookie Wall" they all seem to hit. Do you think this might work out perfect for both of them to stay fresh throughout the season?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:26
Having a rested Harrison worked out well last season. Don't see why he couldn't play as well in a similar scenario this season.
Action Jackson
12:26
Burfict suspended 5 games by the league for vicious hit in an exhibition game, threatening careers and health,again. Guys get 4 games or worse for smoking pot. How many chances does this habitual offender deserve?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:27
Good move by the league. You don't want players like Burfict in the league. Either he gets the message or he will be out soon.
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