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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 9.25.17
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Ray Fittipaldo
11:53
Welcome to my Steelers chat. Let's get started.
Scott in Dallas
11:53
I know that given his military service Al V. has very strong feelings about the National Anthem. I imagine that some of the other players have equally strong feelings about the social injustice in our country. How much division will this cause in the locker room with him having gone against the "agreed way for the team to handle the situation" especially since he was probably a big reason for the stay in the locker room plan?
Ray Fittipaldo
11:56
Good question, and I don't have the answer right now. There is no doubt Trump's comments became a distraction to the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger alluded to it after the game in his  postgame session with reporters. You could see and hear in Mike Tomlin's comments that it was an issue for players in the days and hours leading up to the game. I saw one player, James Harrison, appear to take issue with Villanueva being exempt from the team's plans. At least that's what he told Jake Klinger of Pennlive.com. Other Steelers, including his fellow offensive linemen, said they had Villanueva's back on his decision to stand on the field. The Steelers have an open locker room this afternoon and maybe we will learn more about it.
Tuddy
11:56
I am now a Dallas Fan.  Goodbye Steelers after 65 Years.
Ray Fittipaldo
11:57
I'm sure they'll miss you.
Zach B
11:58
It's time to acknowledge that L. Bell is no longer the same player! He's slow and looks like he lost his burst and ability to cut on a dime to make tacklers miss. Also, it seem NFL defenses have caught up to his patient running style by simply not attacking and just sitting back and allowing him to come to them. He is now a liability in my book and not worth $12 million, let alone the $17 million he claims he's worth. Poor kid is losing himself a lot of money so far this year with all these rookies and young players looking ten times better and a 100 times cheaper! Your thoughts??
Ray Fittipaldo
11:59
Something is not right with the running game. There is no reason for it to be in such a state with all of the personnel being basically the same. I'm not sure if it's Bell or the blocking. Whatever it is, they have to figure it out and soon. Otherwise, this season will be a lost one.
Al DeSantis
12:00
Villaneueva was an American hero, he disobeyed team orders and remains and American hero! Losing to the 0-2 Bears in Soldier Field was KARMA!  They lost me for the year!
Ray Fittipaldo
12:00
I'm sure they'll miss you.
Zach B
12:01
5-13 record on the road vs sub .500 teams in last several years plus getting absolutely embarrassed and schooled every time he faces Belechek proves Tomlin is not an elite Head Coach, it actually proves he is in no way in his league. When will people admit it's time to recognize that fact??
Ray Fittipaldo
12:01
Tomlin is a good coach, but there is no defense for his team continually losing to bad teams. And the fact that he hasn't figured it out after years and years of it happening is a  big problem.
Cburg Stiller
12:02
Didn't get to see the game - was this one of THOSE losses, or do the bears have some substance to them?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:03
No excuse to lose to a team that had 101 yards passing. No excuse to give up 220 yards rushing, especially given Glennon's struggles. No excuse for the running game being as bad as he is. The Bears were 0-2 going into the game and 3-13 last year. If you're a good team you get out of there with a win. Maybe the Steelers just aren't a good team.
Matthew
12:03
Hey Ray, hope all is well. Even with it being early in the season, would you not agree with the years of continuity with Todd Haley and the same offensive players, which includes multiple all-pros, should look far better than this? Even when we are playing well, we only see glimpses of the talent potential, never any consistency.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:04
Yes I agree. The entire offense came back intact. In fact they added Martavis Bryant and JuJu Smith-Schuster. They should be better. Instead, they are worse. Far worse.
grumpy EDB
12:04
HI Ray I listened to and read all the post game interviews I did not hear Tomlin or anyone talk about ALL THE MISSED TACKLES!!! it was like the Steelers players and coaches were in this denial funk or something. What do you think?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:05
Missed tackles, bad angles, not being in their gaps. Bad day overall for the defense.
Coachjpat
12:05
Would you say this is a pattern with Tomlin’s teams?  We struggle with mediocre teams in September and October, then finish strong (trying to make up ground) in November and December.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:05
Yes it is a problem, and he hasn't fixed it.
Tom88
12:05
The D was bad, Special Teams were terrible, but what's wrong with the offense?  For two out of three weeks it's been rotten.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:06
The $100,000 question. I know what I'd do. I'd establish the run early in games and make it the focal point. But they don't seem like they want to do that.
Rags from Baltimore
12:06
Ray,  Tired of the same excuses by the Steelers for losing to an inferior team.  Ben taking the blame but not playing up to his abilities.  When do the coaches become accountable?  Why no adjustments again? At least try to adjust, put Harrison in the game. He holds the edge and stops the run.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:07
I am wondering why Harrison didn't play that much either. Especially when they were getting gouged in the run game.
Coachjpat
12:07
What is missing from this team?  The inability to run and convert third downs is alarming. Maybe our talent isn’t as good as we thought?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:08
If that's the case, a lot of people misjudged the talent because it's not just the local reporters touting this team's talent.
Mats
12:09
It is sad day for football, politics have nothing to do in sports, but I believe that the decision to stay in the locker room creating a big distraction with the players before the game is Mike Tomlins fault. It is not an excuse how the Steelers played, but you could see they were not concentrated almost all the game.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:09
I don't know why they didn't stay in the locker room. That's where they should have stayed for the duration, and Villanueva wouldn't have had a choice. It was bad optics for him to be out there alone with the rest of his teammates standing in the tunnel.
Cburg Stiller
12:11
What do you think of staying in the locker room for the anthem?  Super difficult situation, was that the right move though?  I kind of have mixed emotions about that decision.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:12
Stay in the locker room and tell Villanueva he had to stay in there, too. They don't have players stand on the field for the anthem for high school games. This is something the NFL started doing about 10 years ago. Just have the players stay in the locker room. It's the easy solution. Let's see if Roger Goodell is smart enough to implement it.
Steven
12:13
Ray, Why does Big Ben repeatedly throw to guys who are blanketed? How much time does he spend studying film and why is he out of shape when there is a guy named Brady to emulate?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:14
I'm pretty sure he studies film and works out. He hasn't started well, but I don't think preparation has much to do with it.
Michael H
12:15
If Berry had secured the football after Cooper's fumble would it have been safety or touchback? I understand in heat of moment not wanting Bears to recover so slapping out of bounds was prudent but think we could have got away with no points given up as it should have been touchback.
Ray Fittipaldo
12:16
That's a good question. I'll try to get an answer. My feeling is the Bears had possession so it would have been a touchback, but I don't know that for sure.
Fran Farmer
12:20
Good afternoon, Ray. 1 short comment and 2 short questions: First off, I fully support the players and their "rights" (although, I believe a better "venue" could be chosen, to display such) to protest. Question 1: Do you agree that the acting President is to blame on "stoking the fire", on this whole protest issue (thus, dividing us as a nation , even MORE)? Question 2: Who is to take more blame for not playing James Harrison more often, in an attempt to seal an edge on those dreadful run plays - Butler or Tomlin?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:21
Of course Trump is to blame. He called NFL players sons of you know what. By extension, calling the mothers of black players who previously knelt during the anthem that word. How would you feel if that was you?...As for Harrison I have to believe it's Butler. He's the defensive coordinator.
mtsteel
12:21
Hi Ray, thanks for your time today.  So the past few weeks have been, "its early, don't panic yet", yesterday was so bad, is it time? Every unit on that field was awful! What say you? Thanks again
Ray Fittipaldo
12:21
It was panic mode in 2013 when they started 0-4. Now I'd say it's time to be really concerned.
Krugerrand
12:21
Can we blame this loss on the offense? Shouldn't holding a team to 17 points for 60 min be enough for a win?
Ray Fittipaldo
12:22
Yes, but the defense got gashed in the running game. I'm not totally absolving that unit.
Colorado
12:22
I understand going with the hot hand as Tomlin says. But we couldn't stop the run. Why not play James Harrison more he plays the run very well?
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