You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 9.11.17
powered byJotCast
View Full Chat Next Page
Ray Fittipaldo
11:55
Welcome my Steelers chat. Let's get started.
AD
11:56
Any news on tuitt? Even if it's torn is that necessarily a season ender? Ray Lewis came back in 6wks or so for that super bowl run. Bring in the deer antler spray!
Ray Fittipaldo
11:57
No news this morning. He was getting the MRI this morning. We might know something this afternoon or this evening. It depends on the severity of the injury. Sometimes biceps injuries are season-ending. Sometimes they can be rehabbed and players can return if surgery is not required.
Ryno
11:57
So is that what a franchise-tagged, $750k-per-game running back is supposed to look like?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:58
Pretty sure the stat sheet isn't supposed to read: 10 carries for 32 yards. Mike Tomlin said afterward they didn't want to give him a heavy workload. I get it, but they could have established the running game early. It might have actually opened up the passing game, which also struggled when Ben Roethlisberger wasn't throwing to Antonio Brown.
Scott in Amsterdam
11:58
What is your evaluation of Joe Haden's performance? Seems like he got beat deep on a few occasions, luckily they were bad throws...
Ray Fittipaldo
11:59
Didn't re-watch the game so it's hard to tell. For his first game with a new team I thought he did OK.
MDoutdoors
11:59
Do you believe the 7 sacks were a more a result of good scheming and execution, or poor
Ray Fittipaldo
12:01
A lot of those were just good rushes. Some coverage allowed the rushers to get there. The Browns dumped a lot of money into their offensive line, but you wouldn't know it by watching their performance yesterday. Javon Hargrave put Tretter on ice skates on his sack. I think it was more the Steelers rushers getting after the Browns linemen.
Ryno
12:01
Is that Watt color rush jersey I just bought looking like a good investment now?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:01
It was only one game, but seems to have IT. He's athletic, strong and his motor never stops.
MDoutdoors
12:02
How would you grade individual performances yesterday in the secondary, especially Burns and Hilton
Ray Fittipaldo
12:03
I didn't notice Burns and Hilton very much. That's a good thing because that means they weren't giving up completions. Again, hard to say without watching the game again, but I thought the pass defense was OK overall.
Joe B
12:03
Browns O outscored the Steelers O. Is this because Bell is rusty and Bryant missed a year? Or is this yet another example of Haley being out-coached on game day?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:04
I am sure there was some rustiness for Bell and Bryant, but it can't be an excuse. I wasn't thrilled with the game plan. I would have established the running game early. They never did , and I think it hurt them. That was one ugly offensive performance. Only one way to go for Haley and the O -- up.
Joe B
12:04
Browns primarily played with one deep safety 25 yards off the ball, and the other 10 guys within 5-7 yards of the line. Yet Haley kept calling horizontal plays, bubble screens, etc where all the defenders were waiting. Is Haley too stubborn for his own good?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:05
They were playing a deep single high safety a lot, but they were playing with two safeties deep a lot, too. That usually leaves the middle of the field open. I would have thought JuJu and Eli Rogers might have been able to exploit that, but they had a hard time.
Joe B
12:06
Was Mike Mitchell on a snap count?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:06
Seemed like although he ended up playing more than half the defensive snaps.
Steve
12:06
It was a ugly win, without the punt block TD the Steelers most likely would have lost ..to the Browns.  I believed with Greg Williams & young talent the Browns were a dangerous team, however, penalties, early play calls (screens), “rust” against an “inferior” opponent indicate that the Steelers weren’t prepared for this game from a mental or coaching perspective. Do you agree?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:08
I don't know about not being prepared. I am sure they felt prepared. But it's the NFL. The Browns players get paid, too. Williams put his defenders in good positions to succeed. For whatever reason, the Steelers never seemed to find a way to solve the defense.
Steve
12:08
Is there a growing elephant in the Steelers room that Tomlin continues to produce teams that do not play well on the road against “poor” teams?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:09
They have won five in a row on the road, you know? That's not easy. The Browns game was ugly, and this team does have a history of playing down to the competition, but let's recognize what they did at the end of last season -- they went on the road and won some games they had to win to get into the playoffs.
Steven
12:09
Ray, Will the Steelers ever come to realize that you can't tackle a player above the numbers?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:11
Three personal fouls are not good, but those plays are bang-bang. All three were questionable in my opinion. Kizer is still upright when Shazier begins to tackle him. Then he slides. Penalty... Gay hits the WR with his shoulder, but he also happens to strike his head... Obviously, you can't have personal foul penalties every week and expect to win, but it's hard for those defensive players.
JON
12:12
Hi Ray. As always, thanks for the chats.
A win is a win I know but I can’t help seeing the same old undisciplined team as the past several years and that on the head coach. What was with all those penalties, and is this serious concern or am I overreacting?
P.S. The William Gay one that was right in front of Tomlin was embarrassing
Ray Fittipaldo
12:14
Embarrassing? It used to be good old-fashioned football. But you can't hit anyone in the head anymore even if you use another part of your body. I want my players playing with an edge if I'm Tomlin, but I want them to be smart, too. Hey, it's the first game. I am sue the coaches will reinforce the judgment aspect on some of those personal fouls this week in practice.
Gus
12:14
Can you see AB having a game with 20 receptions this season?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:14
Sure. Didn't he have a game with 17 or 18 a year or two ago? It's certainly possible.
Scott in Amsterdam
12:14
Bell said that we can't expect the offense to be clicking on all cylinders in the first game...isn't that a lame excuse? This main core of players have been together in the same offense for years now!
Ray Fittipaldo
12:15
That's where there's training camp... Oops.
Craig
12:15
Who do you think Kevin Colbert will target if Tuitt is out?    Just bring back Matthews?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:16
I think they would activate Lavon Hooks from the practice squad and sign someone like Johnny Maxey to the practice squad. Tyson Alualu would start and LT Walton would see more playing time.
JON
12:16
In the postgame, Tomlin almost seemed annoyed when a reporter asked if Bell was rusty since he didn’t practice or participate with the team. Tomlin blamed it on penalties? That was a lie right? To me Bell looked confused and shouldn’t have played in the game.
In your opinion did Bell look football ready?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:17
I think they should have established the run early. That might have gotten him into a rhythm. He seemed out of sync because he was never into the game in my opinion.
james
12:17
The Steelers are supposedly hyped as a top tier offense,but stemming back from last year,I am not sold on that,especially with Todd Haley as the OC. N.O,NE have less weapons and score consistently,because they have better OC.With that said,do you see Haley as the problem?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:19
I don't think Sunday was his greatest game, but he's done pretty well here the past five years if you look at it on the whole. Yeah the red zone was a problem last season and there have been some other issues, but a lot of head coaches would hire Haley if the Steelers ever let him go.
JON
12:19
In your opinion, what was it that Cleveland did that gave the Steelers so much trouble getting into a groove?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:20
They were sitting back, not allowing the big play. The Steelers helped them by not trying to run the ball. The way you get safeties to inch closer to the line is by making them feel like they have to help out in the run game. The Browns safeties never felt like they had to do that because the Steelers never tried to establish the running game.
Ryan Fowler MN
12:20
Is Tyson Alualu ready to fill in at DE for Stephon Tuitt or Do the Steelers have to bring in someone from FA?
Connecting…