10/29/19-PODCAST – STEEL NATION RADIO – Dolphins Wrap Up and Colts Preview

By: Mike Pelaia

The Steelers defense looks great again and continued to get the job done against the Dolphins.  As they move to 3-4, it’s time to prepare for a home battle against the Indianapolis Colts.  Will they get it done this week and what do they need to do to win?

10/29/19-Lessons Learned From Important Victory

By: Mike Pelaia

The Pittsburgh Steelers figured out a few different things on Monday Night as they came back from a 14 point deficit to defeat the winless Miami Dolphins. 

They learned that they are resilient.  They could have easily let the game slip away, gotten down on themselves and fallen to 2-5, effectively ending any playoff chances they may have had.  Yet, they stuck together, put together some drives, found a way to create turnovers and scored 27 unanswered points to remain a part of the playoff conversation, for now.

They learned that they can still rush the quarterback and create turnovers without Stephon Tuitt in the lineup. Tuitt has been an inarguable force this season, but without him, at least for one night, the Steelers still sacked the quarterback (4 times) and hit him another 10. They didn’t really miss a beat.  Tyson Alualu did the job necessary to fill in. Additionally, the defense was rabid enough to create three more turnovers that helped dictate the outcome of the game.

They learned they may have a solid second receiver option with Diontae Johnson who ended up with 5 catches for 84 yards and a score.  If he’s able to open up the field like that, JuJu Smith-Schuster will continue to gain more opportunities, as he did on Monday when he had 5 catches for 103 yards and a TD, looking like a true number one receiver for the first time this season. 

Randy Fichtner learned, hopefully, that ne should allow Mason Rudolph to throw downfield.  Rudolph started off slowly and was rained on with boos from the crowd as he had a terrible statistical first half but he was allowed to continue to throw the football into the second half (Beyond 10 yards!) and ended up with 20 completions for 256 yards and 2 TD passes.  Allowing him to take the top off the defense, must continue to happen! 

Rudolph learned that he can still take big hits and be fine.  He was shaky in the first half, I’m certain partially due to the fact that he hadn’t played since the devastating concussion against the Ravens but once he got going, he played well.

Most importantly, the team learned that they really needed Roosevelt Nix.  Nix, who had missed the last five games, helped open up holes for James Conner who rushed for nearly 150 yards on the night with over a 5.0 yards per carry average.  That is the kind of football this team needs to play when they have a young quarterback like Rudolph at the helm.

It was one win of many more needed but the Pittsburgh Steelers found some answers to some questions they had before.  Now they must keep the momentum going these next two weeks at home to really allow themselves to stay relevant in the AFC North. 

 

 

10/26/19-Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers

By: Mike Pelaia

The 0-6 Dolphins come to Heinz Field on Monday Night to take on the 2-4 Steelers in a game that must be won by the Steelers.

The Dolphins are clearly one of, if not the, worst team in football and with the Steelers coming out of their bye week and off a win on the road against the Chargers, there is no reason for them to come out flat.

The first thing Pittsburgh needs to do is get after Ryan Fitzpatrick and force him to make the mistakes he’s known for. Fitzpatrick is gutty and will make throws all over the field, often to the opposing jersey. The way the Steelers defense has been playing, I anticipate at least two interceptions out of the secondary. 

Fitzpatrick is also a guy the Steelers should be able to sack often. I’m looking for a big game out of TJ Watt.  I don’t expect the Dolphins offense to do much against the rabid Steelers defense but it will be interesting to see how the Steelers play in their first game without out stud defensive end Stephon Tuitt.

Will that change their approach?  No.  Will it change their play?  Yes, naturally it has to, he’s a talent that’s hard to replace.  Against the Dolphins however, it won’t matter much. 

Offensively, the Steelers must go back to doing what they did against the Chargers, center the offense around James Conner and run the football. 

Mason Rudolph will start the game and it’s my hope that Randy Fichtner will allow him to throw the ball downfield and utilize his receivers more.  It’s time to get JuJu Smith-Schuster the ball and there is no better team to try throwing deep against than the winless Dolphins.

No matter what the approach is this week, the Steelers must and will come out on top. The Dolphins are “tanking for Tua” and it’s working.  The Steelers will be dead in the water should they lose. Heads must roll if the team loses to the Dolphins after a bye week.

Not going to happen this week though.

Steelers 27  Dolphins 3

 

10/15/19-PODCAST – STEEL NATION RADIO – Chargers Wrap Up and Bye Week

By: Mike Pelaia

It was a good “road” win for the black and gold on Sunday Night against the Chargers.  They can now go into the bye week with their minds right and their bodies healing, still in the thick of the AFC North race.  Let’s see what happens from here. I preview my thoughts on the remaining schedule in this weeks podcast.

10/14/19-The Defense We Wanted Is Finally Here

By: Mike Pelaia

For several years now, I’ve been screaming atop the mountain tops that the Steelers should fire Keith Butler. I’ve been frustrated at the lack of playmaking, at the inability to get off the field on third downs, the seemingly impossible request of creating a turnover and the pathetic pass rush yielding very few sacks.

It seems though, six games into the 2019 season, despite a 2-4 record, the Steelers defense that we have all been clamoring for, may finally be here.  It all started when the Steelers traded their 2020 first round pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick. Ever since then, four games ago, this defense has been on fire.  They are a turnover creating machine.  They have 15 turnovers through the first six weeks, tied for second most in the NFL. 

They are creating turnovers with their lethal pass rush.  TJ Watt is stellar, as always but I have to give credit to Bud Dupree who is playing the way he’s supposed to, after all of these years.  The defense is getting to the quarterback to the tune of 3.3 sacks per game, marking that fifth in the league overall, which is classic Steeler football. 

While I give a lot of credit to the arrival of Fitzpatrick, it cannot be overstated how valuable the drafting of Devin Bush has been.  Bush is a prime candidate for defensive rookie of the year. The man leads the team with 52 tackles, he’s intercepted two passes, forced four fumbles, recovered a fumble, has a sack and has scored a touchdown, all in his first six games.  He is the replacement for Ryan Shazier that this team desperately needed.

There is a new found energy on this defense, and it’s a good thing.  Even the secondary, which has been a thorn in the side of the Steelers for so long, has finally stepped up.  In addition to Fitzpatrick, Steven Nelson has been a fine addition and with the sudden emergence of Cam Sutton to go along with Joe Haden and Terrell Edmunds, they have a formidable unit back there.

There is no doubt the team will miss the play making ability of Stephon Tuitt, who was having his best season to date before he was lost for the season this past Sunday night but they have enough talent to overcome that.  And they’ll need to. 

The offense managed it’s way to a second victory against the Chargers but it’s the defense who won the game with high energy, high impact plays.  That will need to continue for the remaining 10 games to hopefully squeeze the black and gold into he postseason, a possibility that remains alive despite their 2-4 mark. 

They now have a week off before they get what should be an easy game at home on Monday Night against the Dolphins, from there, they can ride their defense down the stretch and see how things unfold. 

The defense we’ve wanted, appears to be here.

10/10/19-Steelers at Chargers Preview

By: Mike Pelaia

The 1-4 Steelers head west to take on the 2-3 Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night.  Both teams are in dire need of a win and despite the Steelers poor start to the season, they are very much alive in a watered down AFC North. Should they pick up a victory this weekend, they can remain in the divisional conversation.

Devlin “Duck” Hodges will be under center for the Steelers and he’ll need to provide an immediate spark to an offense that has had some trouble moving the ball downfield.  The key to success will be running the football with James Conner. Randy Fichtner has not enabled the traditional running game at a time when his offense needs to control he clock and help out its’ young quarterback(s).  It needs to start this week and Conner has to get 20-25 touches.  I’m tired of saying it so I hope it happens! 

I’m also very adamant that the Steelers let Hodges loose.  They need to allow him to throw the ball downfield to JuJu Smith-Schuster and they need to let him run some draw plays.  Hodges can move and I think this is exactly what this offense needs right now, his mobility.  I anticipate he’ll have a relatively productive night, if Fichtner doesn’t get in his way.

The defense needs to continue to do what they have done over the last three weeks. They need to pressure Phillip Rivers on nearly every play. Rivers is a statue back there and can be sacked many times over, if the Steelers continue to apply pressure throughout the game.  TJ Watt is the guy on defense that I’m looking for to be the star of the game.  I anticipate him getting a couple of sacks and creating a fumble.  Keenan Allen is the guy that the secondary will need to contain and stop from making the big splash plays.  If they don’t, it could be a longer day than the team wants.

My fear around this game is the “Fichtner Factor”.  Despite what I wrote above, I don’t think he’ll run the ball efficiently. I think his game plan will be poorly constructed and without adjustments and I think he’ll be the reason, once again, the Steelers come out on the wrong side of the game despite, in all likelihood, being competitive.  “Fire Fichtner” must rain down upon the plane as it lands back at home early Monday morning with a 1-5 Steelers team losing 24-17, thanks to Fichtner and his ineptitude.

10/8/19-PODCAST – STEEL NATION RADIO Ravens Wrap Up and Chargers Preview

By: Mike Pelaia

It was a tough loss, PERIOD.  But stop blaming the refs, stop blaming JuJu and blame Fichtner. Find out my thoughts here!  

 

10/7/19-Teams Season On Fichtner’s Shoulders

By: Mike Pelaia

At 1-4, the Steelers find themselves in quite a hole.  That hole, may not be insurmountable just yet but the black and gold will need to start their uphill climb this coming week against the Los Angeles Chargers. 

With Mason Rudolph almost certainly out of the upcoming matchup, the charge will need to be led by Devlin Hodges. More importantly, it will need to be led by Randy Fichtner and how he prepares Hodges and the rest of his offense.

I’ve been very hard on Keith Butler and his defense over the last several seasons but since the team added Minkah Fitzpatrick, his defense has been a turnover creating, quarterback pressuring, sack machine. 

Obviously recognizing the loss of Ben Roethlisberger is a major blow, I still firmly believe this poor start falls on the shoulders of Fichtner and his clear inability or unwillingness to put together a quality game plan for the players that are taking the field.

The team, even without Big Ben, is too talented to be 1-4.  Yet Ficthner has put them in this position.  He hasn’t really let Rudolph throw downfield as often as he could or should.  Against the Ravens, prior to the injury, Rudolph had some success throwing it beyond 10 yards.  He proved he could do it. I understand the need for some ‘safer’ play calls, and if Fichtner wants to run some screens and a touch pass play here and there, fine, I can accept that.  Yet, to call a wildcat inside of your own 20, which resulted in an interception thrown by Jaylen Samuels and allowed the Ravens to score a touchdown or to call the wildcat again on 2^nd and 1 inside the Ravens 10, which resulted in a five yard loss and ultimately a field goal had to be kicked, is unacceptable.

Those are just two examples where Fichtners play calling cost the Steelers 11 combined points.  For those of you with short memories, they lost by three. 

As they move forward, with Hodges, for at least this week, if not beyond, Fichtner needs to let the kids play.  Hodges played well in the limited action he had vs. the Ravens and he can be put in the position to succeed against the Chargers as well.  Should he be expected to play as well as Big Ben or even Rudolph, no, he’s a third string quarterback for a reason but Fichtner is paid to set him up for success, not failure. Will Fichtner allow Hodges to succeed against the Chargers or will he dink and dunk him into three and out situations? That, to me, is the real question.

It would be nice to see the utilization of the running game to the tune of 30 carries against Los Angeles.   When you have a defense who is playing as well as the black and gold are right now, one way to help them, and your young quarterback out is by RUNNING THE FOOTBALL!  No, not via gimmick type plays like the wildcat but by actually pounding the ball with your Pro Bowl running back, James Conner, up the middle, controlling the clock and setting up short yardage situations.  The Steelers had some success against the Ravens, running the ball to an average of 4.1 yards per carry. Conner was only given the ball 14 times.  He hasn’t been in a rhythm all season long.  You know why?  Fichtner isn’t giving him the chances.  Conner can handle 20-25 carries a game. Yet, he’s only averaging 11.6 carries through the first five weeks.  He has yet to amass 200 yards on the season!  Is that on Conner or the offensive line, like many want to say it is?  No, it’s on Fichtner, plain and simple.  If you’re not given the chances, you can’t make the plays.

Fichtner is failing this team and it’s easy to give him a pass when his future Hall of Fame quarterback goes down for the season but if they were losing games and he was calling plays to help this team win, I’d give him that pass. That’s not happening here, he’s not even giving this team the chance to succeed. He’s being cautious, gimmicky and stupid and the team is 1-4 because of it.  If he doesn’t do something different this week heading to Los Angeles, this team is staring at a 1-5 record and a long plane ride home, which to me, should be Fichtners last plane ride with this team.

10/5/19-Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

By: Mike Pelaia

 

The Steelers face another big game this Sunday afternoon as they host their bitter rivals, the Baltimore Ravens. After a 2-0 start, the Ravens come into Heinz Field losers of their last two games and in desperate need of a victory. 

The black and gold, after finally putting up a ‘W’ against the Bengals, need a win just as badly.  Should the Steelers find a way to pull off the game and the Browns lose on Monday Night, the Steelers will find themselves atop the AFC North after a dreadful 0-3 start.

It won’t be easy for the black and gold but if they can come out with a solid game plan, they have a real shot of getting it done. 

First and foremost, the defense needs to continue to rush and sack the quarterback as they did against the Bengals.  Getting to Lamar Jackson won’t be as easy as it was getting to Andy Dalton.  Jackson has had a very solid year thus far, only throwing two interceptions vs. the ten touchdowns he’s put up but if the black and gold can get heavy pressure on him, he can be forced into mistakes.  The front seven will need to contain him if he scrambles but if they can force him to make quick decisions, the defense will win that battle more often than not.

The secondary is going to need to make sure Marquise Brown plays like he did the last two games vs. the first two games where he was unstoppable.  Joe Haden will probably man up against Brown and will stick with him all day.

I believe the Ravens are going to try to bring a heavy dose of Mark Ingram to the game plan.  He’s averaging 6.0 yards per carry and can easy the pressure off of Jackson if he’s successful and the black and gold are getting to the quarterback with regularity.

But the game plan cant’ stop with the defense. The offense needs to be opened up. Randy Fichtner must allow Mason Rudolph to throw the ball downfield.  JuJu Smith-Schuster is a big time play maker that needs to see the ball more often.  Rudolph wants to involve Schuster, will Fichtner let him?  The wild cat and touch passes will not work against the Ravens, in my opinion, so let the game plan open up and see what happens. 

Much like Jackson, Rudolph needs his running game to help him as well.  I’d like to see the Steelers bring a heavy workload from both James Conner and Jaylen Samuels. If those two can get going, that should in turn open up the deeper passing game. 

My gut feeling is it’s going to come down to special teams, kicking, punting and most importantly coverage teams.  This will be a tight game, as it always is between these two teams.  Despite the fact that the Steelers are at home and coming off a win, I don’t think they are quite as good as the Ravens and therefore I think the Ravens are going to win it late.

Baltimore 23 Pittsburgh 20

10/1/19-PODCAST – STEEL NATION RADIO Bengal Wrap Up and Raven Preview

By: Mike Pelaia

The Steelers gained their first victory of the 2019 season with a beat down of the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football.  Can they keep up the momentum against the rival Ravens this Sunday. Find out my thoughts right here:

 

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