9/28/19-Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

By: Mike Pelaia

The 0-3 Cincinnati Bengals travel to Pittsburgh to take on the surprisingly 0-3 Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. 

The loser of this contest is most assuredly out of any type of playoff talk but the winner is still alive, believe it or not.  Crazier than that.  If the Steelers beat the Bengals this week and the Browns beat the Ravens, and then the Steelers beat the Ravens next week and the Browns lose, the Steelers will be in first place.  Not probable but definitely possible. 

Yet that journey needs to start with the classic cliché of ‘one game at a time’.  It needs to start with a re energized offense on Monday night.  Randy Fichtner needs to allow Mason Rudolph to play football.  Fichtner must allow deep balls to be thrown.  He needs to allow Rudolph to take advantage of the playmaking ability of JuJu Smith-Schuster. Rudolph has the talent to do so. And though he’s only making his second start, on the national stage, the Steelers must show confidence in him, not hinder him. 

That certainly falls on Fichtner.  Part of allowing Rudolph to gain confidence will be the use of the running game, in particular James Conner. Bluntly, Conner is off to a terrible start.  There are a combination of reasons why, including blow out losses necessitating throwing the ball, horrible play calling, bad offensive line play and Conner not playing well.  I expect that to change Monday night.  I certainly expect the talented offensive line to get it together sooner than later.  Their play has been poor. They know it, and they need to fix it.  If they can’t, their young QB, young RB and the rest of the team will falter.

Defensively, sacks have to happen. Pressure on the Andy Dalton has to happen. Getting off the field on third down has to happen.  Not giving up big drives after the offense puts the team ahead; has to happen.  Making adjustments, Keith Butler, I’m looking right at you, has to happen!

Some of these will happen. I expect more pressure on the QB. I am looking for Cam Heyward to have a big game and lead the charge.  I’m expecting TJ Watt to have a big game to the tune of two sacks and a forced fumble. 

What I’m not expecting, is adjustments by Butler. We have multiple seasons of proof indicating that he’s either incapable or unwilling to do so.  The attitude exhibited by Butler about making adjustments is ridiculous.  Should this team lose to the Bengals and fall to 0-4, Butler should be the first person to be fired on Tuesday morning.  It will in all likelihood be the defenses fault.  The unit is loaded with talent yet they are not being placed in schemes that allow them to make plays and win football games.  Some prime years are being wasted and something needs to be done about it. 

But let’s wait for that until the time comes. 

Personally, I don’t think this team will lose on Monday. They are too talented to drop to 0-4. The Bengals are bad, period.  These divisional games are often hard fought but in the end, the black and gold will prevail with a 27-17 victory.

 

9/22/19-Coaching Is Killing 2019 Season

By: Mike Pelaia

As the Steelers limp out of San Francisco with yet another defeat, falling to 0-3, they need to quickly lick their wounds and prepare for their fellow 0-3 AFC North rivals, the Bengals.  The loser gets the title of cellar dweller, for at least one week, the winner, can perhaps still salvage their season.

But are the Steelers even capable of salvaging anything? Before we even mention the word playoffs, which were certainly high on the list of expectations for the 2019 season, the team has to find a way to win a game.  The Bengals are certainly a team the Steelers can get their first win of the season against, but the Steelers coordinators need to get out of the way.

Let’s start with Randy Fichtner. In a game where the defense produced a whopping five turnovers against the 49ers, Fichtner played conservative ball. He didn’t allow Mason Rudolph the opportunity for a big play right after the turnover, providing a potential dagger to the 49ers. Instead, he offered short dump offs and small yardage opportunity plays.  These types of plays are setting the offense up to fail, as they are unable to convert third and long situations.  In addition to the absurdly bad pass play calling, he isn’t getting the ball into James Conner’s hands enough. Conner needs to run the ball 20-25 times to help get the offense going, set up the pass and assist Rudolph in getting comfortable.  That better happen against the Bengals, if it doesn’t, this black and gold team could fall to 0-4. 

If I’m Mike Tomlin, I’m telling Fichtner to open up the playbook against Cincinnati and see what happens. What do they have to lose now? 

I’d also go to Keith Butler and tell him that if his defense can’t begin to sack the quarterback with some kind of regularity, he can pack his desk and head out of town.  Yes, they had an impressive outing against San Francisco in the turnover department, netting five of them but they still can’t get the sacks required to prevent big yardage plays.  The defense still gave up over 450 yards. 

Minkah Fitzpatrick is an absolute stud and a great addition.  I love the player that Devin Bush is and what he will become and quite frankly, since just about everybody starting on that side of the ball is a first, second or third round pick, there is no excuse for Butler.  He simply can’t scheme, can’t adjust and can’t coach.  He’s no good and therefore his defense, with all that talent, looks no good too.  They better get hungry and get after Andy Dalton on Monday Night Football or even Dalton will look like Tom Brady out there.

Tomlin is not creating the schemes, but he oversees the entire operation and he needs to get his coordinators and coaching staff in line before the wheels come entirely off the bus. If the Steelers somehow falter to the Bengals on Monday Night, changes will need to happen. 

Tomlin cannot continue to allow this staff of his to destroy what once looked like a promising season to come.

I think the team will find a way to just get by Cincinnati to prevent an 0-4 start but it won’t be pretty.

9/19/19-Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers

By: Mike Pelaia

The Steelers head out west, with an 0-2 record to take on the 2-0 49ers.  The 49ers are a team on the rise while there is now some serious debate about who or what the Steelers are. 

With the season ending injury to Ben Roethlisberger, the team must now turn to 2^nd year man Mason Rudolph to lead the charge.  Rudolph performed well in his debut last week, with some very Roethlisberger like numbers.  Will he be able to repeat that in his first career start? 

I think he can but I don’t think he will.  It’s not that he’ll make mistakes, it’s that the Steeler should and hopefully will, implement a heavy rushing attack to take pressure off Rudolph.  They need to run the ball 30 times or more, control the clock and keep the game as low scoring as possible. 

While all of Steeler Nation is certainly excited by Rudolph’s youth and ability and his inarguable connection with his college teammate James Washington, the team needs to take it slow with him, as they did with a young Roethlisberger.  They need to let him get his feet wet, let the ground game dictate the offense and allow the defense to pick up the slack.

That’s where the bigger question lies, however.  Is this defense capable of picking up that much needed slack?  Roethlisberger and his abilities were often able to mask and overcome the shortcomings on all sides of the ball.  With him gone, the defense needs to do their part. 

The arrival of Minkah Fitzpatrick should certainly electrify the team and the defense but he too, will need to be slowly eased in.  Let’s not forget that he just arrived this week.  I expect him to be a force in the secondary but I’m willing to allow him a little time to adjust to new schemes and teammates. While he, along with the rest of the secondary need to prevent Jimmy Garoppolo from going downfield, who will stop George Kittle?

Keith Butler always has trouble stopping big time tight ends and if history serves as any indication, he’ll have trouble again.

He needs to have his blitzers get home on Garoppolo, he needs to have Kittle covered by someone capable and he needs to ensure he makes adjustments mid game as Kyle Shanahan will on the other side.  If he doesn’t, it won’t matter what Rudolph and the offense does, it will be lights out.

While I think the Steelers have the talent, and will win 8 games or so this season, they aren’t going to get that first win on Sunday in San Francisco.  There are too many reasons this team isn’t quite ready yet and it’ll have to wait another week.

San Francisco 31 Pittsburgh 23

9/16/19-Steelers 2019 Season On Verge of Disaster

By: Mike Pelaia

 

After an 0-2 start, the Steelers season is on the verge of being over before it ever really began.  After a dud against the New England Patriots, followed by a disappointing home opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Steelers find themselves in a must win position when they travel to San Francisco in week 3.

To make matters worse, they’ll have to do so while battling injuries to Ben Roethlisberger, James Conner, Vince Williams and Sean Davis.  If needed, Mason Rudolph seems to be up for his first start after having a very solid outing against the Seahawks going 12-19 for 112 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in his pro debut.  That one interception wasn’t even his fault, it was a perfect throw to Donte Moncrief who allowed it to go through his hands and into that of the Seattle defense.

Through two games, it appears Moncrief was a bad signing and one that is now costing the Steelers games.  In order for the Steelers to beat the 49ers this upcoming Sunday, they’ll need a legitimate number two receiver to help out JuJu Smith-Shuster, much like Smith-Schuster used to help Antonio Brown. The black and gold tried that with Moncrief. Through two games, that experiment has failed and they must move on from him.  They cannot afford an 0-2 record to turn into a three game season opening slide.  I think it’s James Washington time. What better way to help out Rudolph than to pair him up with Washington, his favorite college receiver and one he through to quite often in the pre-season.

Speaking of pre-season, after having watched two pitiful performances by most of the Steelers starters, it was hard to miss the fact that starters like Roethlisberger, Conner and a few others have been struggling to get going while when called upon Rudolph, Jaylen Samuels and even Benny Snell are outperforming them. It has to make people wonder, like it makes me wonder, if the fact that those starters didn’t play much at all in pre-season has anything to do with both rustiness and not being in football shape. Hence the poor play and now injuries. 

Mike Tomlin and his staff may need to look at that next summer when they come into camp hoping to make the playoffs for the first time in a few years.  Oops, did I say that out loud?  Yeah, the Steelers don’t appear to be headed towards anything this season. 

To make matters worse, the coaching staff has been seriously out strategized two times in two weeks. Randy Fichtner looks lost as a coordinator, consistently calling plays that don’t fit the flow of the game.  The only time the plays work are when Roethlisberger runs a no huddle and that appears to be out of the question now.  Keith Butler shouldn’t have a job.  There isn’t another way to put it.  The guy has had several seasons now to right this ship and it hasn’t happened.  This supposedly improved 2019 Steelers defense isn’t any good.  The secondary, once again, is lacking.  They have talent, they don’t have coaching.  Like Tom Brady, Russell Wilson shredded that defense with pin point precision.  They can’t come up with the right play call on third down and they are unable to sustain a pass rush through the entirety of a football game when the opposition makes adjustments and Butler doesn’t.

As the black and gold travel to San Francisco this upcoming week, things look bleak.  Jimmy Garappolo may not be Brady or Wilson but he’s certainly more than capable of picking apart this Steelers secondary, especially if the front seven can’t get to him. 

Kyle Shanahan is an offensive mastermind and he will have his team prepared and able to make adjustments.  Taking his offensive game planning skills against Butlers, the edge goes to Shanahan every time. 

The Steelers will have to come out with  heavy pressure on defense, contain the run and keep Garappolo in the pocket.  If the safeties blow their assignments, as they have most of this season, it’s another loss for the Steelers.

In addition to the defense, the offense needs to run the football, especially with Rudolph playing.  He looked good for one half but there’s now film on him out there for teams to study.  It won’t be as smooth looking when teams have time to prepare.  I think Samuels and Snell can carry the load if Conner is unable to go but I also think this all adds up to another Steelers loss this coming weekend.

They came into 2019 with high hopes but as they limp across the country to play a 2-0 49ers team with the season virtually on the line, they don’t appear ready to take on anyone at the moment.

San Francisco 31  Pittsburgh 20

9/12/19-Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers

By: Mike Pelaia

 

The Steelers come home battered, wounded and hopefully a bit embarrassed after the 33-3 pummeling they endured this past Sunday night at New England.  In the aftermath of the massive season opening defeat, the Steelers will lick their wounds and face the 1-0 Seattle Seahawks. 

This game is a crucial turnaround game for the black and gold.  They cannot afford to drop to 0-2 and after a putrid output on both sides of the ball, they need to prove to themselves, and the fans, that they are closer to the team that everyone thought they were than the team that showed up (or didn’t show up) on Sunday night.

It starts on the offensive side of the ball.  The team will need to utilize James Conner far more effectively.  Conner needs to carry the football 20-25 times for 85-100 yards.  The offense must utilize this ball control and limit the time the defense is on the field. 

If the Steelers can run the football and if Randy Ficthner will open up the playbook for Ben Roethlisberger to throw the ball downfield (or maybe just let Ben call his own plays) then the Steelers will have a far better opportunity of success than they did in New England. 

I’d also like to see JuJu Smith-Schuster become more of an impact player early in the game and have the team less reliant on Donte Moncrief this week.

Additionally, I believe the Steeler should and will involve Vance McDonald in the offensive game plan to the tune of 6 catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. McDonald could be a key player for this team if Fichtner would allow it.

That all said, if the defense doesn’t do their job, it won’t matter what numbers the offense puts up.  Stopping Russell Wilson is objective number one.  The defense has to blitz him and more importantly contain him. He’s dangerous outside of the pocket and the black and gold should be nervous about him making plays with his legs if he decides to tuck and run.  If he throws, the secondary needs to be far better than they were last week. Getting burned far too frequently, specifically over the top as the safeties failed their assignments.  Wilson may not be Tom Brady but he has an arm and he will make the Steelers pay if they fail to get to him.

At the end of the day, I believe the team will come out with enough energy and just enough on both sides of the ball to leave Sundays home opener with the ‘W’.

Steelers 24 Seahawks 23

9/10/19-STEEL NATION RADIO – New England Recap and Seattle Preview

By: Mike Pelaia

The Steelers laid an egg in New England. There’s no other way to describe the 33-3 loss to the Patriots on Sunday night.  How will they bounce back against Seattle this week in their home opener and what will they need to do to win the game.  Find out right here in my latest Steel Nation Radio podcast:

9/9/19-Not Ready For Primetime

By: Mike Pelaia

It was the supposed to be the start of an epic season. One that would see the team move on from the mess that Antonio Brown brought to the team last year. One that would finally see the LeVeon Bell saga in the rear view mirror and one where the defense was going to be much improved, especially in the secondary. 

Well, at least for one night, none of that was the case.  The Steelers failed to even compete with the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.  I didn’t expect the Steelers to win this game, but I certainly didn’t anticipate them getting run out of the building the way they did either. 

The offense was vapid. JuJu Smith-Schuster did not fill Brown’s shoes.  James Conner made you wonder ‘what if LeVeon were here’ and Vance McDonald was nowhere to be seen.  It was so bad, Mike Tomlin, inexplicably, kicked a field goal down 20 points, just to avoid the shut out. 

As is always the case when the Steelers play the Patriots, they were outcoached, out schemed, out hustled and out played.  The Pats looked unstoppable and the Steelers looked bad, really bad. 

The ‘much improved’ defense was a disaster and it made me think out loud as to why in the world Keith Butler was brought back for another season? The secondary, albeit without Sean Davis, was flat out atrocious.  I didn’t see anything impressive out of the defense, absolutely nothing. 

It was an embarrassing start to what should be a promising season.  What the team chooses to do with the loss will define the remainder of their campaign.  As they prepare for the Seattle Seahawks in the home opener at Heinz Field this Sunday, they must make some major adjustments.  They need to run the ball more effectively, they need to distribute the ball downfield more consistently, they need to get to the quarterback and they darn sure better prepare.  Pete Carroll is a very solid coach and if the Steelers continue to think that wanting it more is going to be enough to win games, they are going to start 0-2.  If they can put together a game play and adjust if it starts to falter, they have a chance to right the ship and get on track.

I think they’ll do it but it won’t be an easy ride on Sunday afternoon.