11/25/19-Duck or Rudolph?

By: Mike Pelaia

As the Steelers escaped Cincinnati with a 16-10 victory to slip back into playoff contention with a 6-5 record, the questions must be asked, who should start against the Browns this coming Sunday?  Should it be Devlin “Duck” Hodges or Mason Rudolph?

Rudolph, the third round draft pick in 2018 has the potential to be the Steelers future quarterback, in the post Ben Roethlisberger era. The way he’s played lately would indicate he may not be the guy but if you want to truly evaluate that situation, the answer is play Rudolph the rest of the way and let whatever happens, happen. 

Rudolph was decent enough in his first few starts but hasn’t looked the same since taking that vicious hit against the Ravens, knocking him out cold.  Since then, he’s been a turnover machine, he’s looked like a deer in headlights, makes poor decisions and has absolutely no pocket presence. Before Rudolph was pulled on Sunday, he had thrown fiver interceptions in his last 28 attempts.  That’s downright awful. Let’s not forget the two safeties he had given up in previous weeks, the lame duck throws, and the overall fear of playing, or so it seems.

Despite all that, I’ll stand behind Rudolph as the guy if the Steelers want to punt the season to assess his future as a starter.

However, if the Steelers want to go after a playoff spot, knowing full on that defenses win championships and this is a championship defense, then they must play Duck.  He brings a spark to this offense that Rudolph can’t. He has a swagger about him and a winning mentality and quite frankly, he throws a better ball downfield than Rudolph does as well. 

So far, in limited action, Hodges controls the ball, makes big plays when needed and most importantly moves the offense.  They play for him.  He clearly has a presence on that offense that Rudolph doesn’t. 

At this point, it’s obvious to me, Hodges needs to be the guy against Cleveland and moving forward until this team falls out of playoff contention. If they do, then you go back to Rudolph to assess him. 

No matter what happens the remainder of the year, Rudolph has played himself out of the equation to be the starter in 2020 and 2021 when Roethlisberger inevitably returns.  There was a time when I thought he may end Ben’s career, barring a miracle, I don’t see that happening.

Until Big Ben returns, let the Duck paddle this team to the postseason and ride the defense along the way. 

 

11/21/19-Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

By: Mike Pelaia

The Steelers find themselves in a not so envious position as they head to Cincinnati this week to take on the winless Bengals.  At 5-5, the black and gold are in must win mode and the Bengals are looking to play spoilers.

All the talk this week has been centered around the melee between Mason Rudolph and Myles Garrett and my first concern is if that is causing a distraction to the team, most importantly to Rudolph.

Rudolph is coming off his worst game as a pro (albeit in a very short career thus far) and cannot afford to play that poorly again this season, should this team want a chance at the postseason. 

Without Maurkice Pouncey, the offensive line is going to need to step up and protect their young quarterback, something they seemed unable to do last week in Cleveland.  Rudolph already looks scared and doesn’t seem to be able to sense a collapsing pocket very quickly, his line needs to give him extra protection this week to help him out.  The Bengals will be blitzing and Rudolph will need to anticipate it.

At this point in the season, Randy Fichtner needs to allow Rudolph to audible.  There were times in Cleveland where the Steelers attempted to run the ball with nine Browns stuffing the box.  There is no opportunity for success in those situations, yet the play stayed as called.  Either Rudolph doesn’t know how to audible or he’s not allowed to. Either way, something needs to change this week.

The Bengals will stuff the box and will force Rudolph to beat them.  The good news for the Steelers is Benny Snell will be back in action this week and I think he can be a big play back. With James Conner out, yet again, Snell will need to be the guy that controls the clock.  If Snell can get some big runs, the passing game will be better off.

Rudolph will hopefully utilize guys like Vance McDonald in the intermediate passing attack and James Washington and Diontae Johnson further down field.

Defensively, it’s all about rattling Ryan Finley. With the blitz the Steelers have, they can force Finley to beat them by stuffing the box and not allowing big plays from running back Joe Mixon.

I also think the Steelers will key on Tyler Boyd as I suspect Finely is going to force the ball his way, providing an opportunity for some turnovers to lead to field position changes for the black and gold.

Should the Steelers control the clock on offense and stuff the run on defense, they’ll have a fruitful day.  I don’t think the offense will put the ball in the end zone however and they’ll need to rely on the defense to produce turnovers, flip the field and let Chris Boswell do his thing.

 

Steelers  15  Bengals  10

11/19/19-Steel Nation Radio – Browns Wrap Up and Bengals Preview

By: Mike Pelaia

The Steelers certainly had a rough time in Cleveland, before the melee.  Afterwards, it got much worse.  Can they rebound against the Bengals and what do they need to do to win this week?  Find out here:

 

11/18/19-What’s Next For The Steelers Offense?

By: Mike Pelaia

At 5-5, the black and gold find themselves in the midst of the playoff race but also in a jam.  After the disaster that occurred in Cleveland, where the offense had no life, no spark and an apparent inability to stop the blitz, what can this team do to get things going? 

Mason Rudolph has come under fire for not being able to move the team, playing scared and just looking bad at times.  While that’s true, it’s not all his fault. 

James Conner hasn’t been available recently and even when he has, he hasn’t had a productive season.  Now, his top two targets, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson are battling concussions, Smith-Schuster also has a knee injury and their status for this upcoming week against Cincinnati is doubt. 

What can or should the Steelers do to fix this mess, if they want to make a playoff push. They now sit on the outside looking in and would likely have to win five of their next six games to have a realistic chance of slipping into the Wild Card spot.

It’s doable, but they’ll need to make some changes in the process.

First, they need to give Terrell Pryor an opportunity. Pryor has been lobbying to come home and play for the Steelers  He’ll be dirt cheap and with the injuries that the team has sustained, a nice addition to the wide receiver corps, with very little risk.  If he doesn’t work out, who cares?  He’s had successful seasons in the NFL and, in a pinch, he can be an emergency quarterback, it’s a no brainer.

They also need to find a veteran running back to come in here and help this team out.  They should have been all in on Jay Ajayi but let him sign with the Eagles.  However, with Conner’s inability to stay healthy or even produce when he was healthy and no other back doing much of anything, someone else needs to come in and help.

They should also consider making Trey Edmunds the feature back as long as Conner is out or struggling.  I like the way Edmunds runs and I think he can provide that bull dozing technique this team needs right now to control the clock and help Rudolph out when he’s struggling.  I like Jaylen Samuels as well but more as the pass catching back that he’s been.

Lastly, they need to center their pass attack around Vance McDonald for the time being. He’s a very good pass catching tight end, an emergency blanket and he can move the sticks.  Why he hasn’t been involved more is beyond me.

If the Steelers want to get things fixed on offense, they can start with a few of these things this week against the winless Bengals.  If they fail to win that game, they may as well forget about making any changes at all, the season will be over.

11/11/19-Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns

By: Mike Pelaia

As the Steelers come off their 4^th straight victory over the defending NFC Champion Los Angeles Rams, they need to make a quick turnaround and head to Cleveland to take on the Browns.

Cleveland has been a disappointment thus far this season, however, after beating the Bills this past Sunday, they may have found a little life and some motivation to take down their intra division rivals from Pittsburgh.

The game will feature two quarterbacks who are no strangers to each other from their Big 12 days at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in Baker Mayfield and Mason Rudolph. This will be the first time these guys have faced off as pros but I expect a good, heated battle.

On offense, the team wants to get more touches from JuJu Smith-Schuster but I anticipate the Browns will double team him, as most teams have this season, meaning Rudolph is going to need to distribute the ball downfield to both Diontae Johnson and James Washington. Washington is coming out of the best game of his career where he just posted six receptions for a 90 yards. Given he has a good, solid connection with Rudolph, I’m looking for him to put up similar numbers again this week and really become a go to guy for the young QB. 

I’d like to see the use of Vance McDonald even more, especially in the red zone and on third down. McDonald should be Rudolph’s safety blanket and I look for more involvement out of him this week.

From Rudolph’s standpoint, he needs to get more comfortable in the pocket and read the defense faster. He’s taking too many hits, getting stuck in the pocket too frequently lately and has been the victim of two safeties over the past two weeks.  While I recognize, the Steelers offensive line had to contend with Aaron Donald, this past week, possibly one of the best defenders in the entire NFL, Rudolph needs to be more aware. 

This upcoming week, he’ll have to face another monster in Myles Garrett and if he continues to hold onto the ball too long, it could spell disaster.

In addition to getting the ball downfield, I maintain, as I have for weeks, the pass game needs to be set up by an effective rushing attack. One that controls the clock and moves the sticks, no matter who’s carrying the ball, is extremely important for a young quarterback. If the Steelers can’t gain 4.0 yards per carry, the passing attack will suffer against the Browns.

But this game, like most this season, won’t be won by the offense.  It’s this new look defense that will need to step up again. I look for an all out blitzkrieg on Mayfield. He talks a big game but he’s a turnover, mistake machine and this opportunistic defense led by Minkah Fitzpatrick will be ready to pounce.

Mayfield will be looking to distribute the ball to his two stud wideouts, Odell Beckham Jr and Landry Jones but if the Steelers can get into the backfield as quickly as they have been, with guys like TJ Watt and Bud Dupree, Mayfield won’t have the time necessary to get it out to his playmakers. 

I anticipate Watt will get a few more sacks this week and Mayfield won’t know what him.

The Browns will need to and will try to, run the ball with Nick Chubb who has been a terror on defenses this year, amassing 919 yards already.  To add to that threat, Kareem Hunt is back in the mix and is a playmaking thereat.  I’m looking for the front line to plug the holes.  Javon Hargrave and Cam Heyward have been impenetrable this season and if Chubb or Hunt get through, they will be hard pressed to get past Vince Williams and Devin Bush.

This defense is one of the best we’ve seen in Pittsburgh in years and they will gain at least five more sacks this week, generate at least two more turnovers and will shut the Browns offense down. 

I look for the Steelers defense to set up their offense with short fields and easy scoring opportunities in this matchup, allowing the Steelers to extend their winning streak to five games.

Steelers 24  Browns 20

11/7/19-Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts

By: Mike Pelaia

The defending NFC champion Los Angeles Rams travel to Pittsburgh this coming Sunday to take on the suddenly hot Pittsburgh Steelers in yet another game that both teams need to have to stay close in the playoff hunt.

The Steelers now find themselves sitting at 4-4 and just one game back of the Indianapolis Colts for the 6^th and final playoff spot in the AFC.  Since they beat the Colts last weekend, the black and gold hold the tie breaker. 

Yet, none of that matters if they don’t put up a ‘W’ this week at home against the Rams.

In order to do so, the Steelers are going to need to open up the playbook a bit more and allow Mason Rudolph to throw downfield to his big play threat, JuJu Smith Schuster. I don’t suspect that will be easy considering Jalen Ramsey will be blanketing him all game long.  Guys like Diontae Johnson, James Washington and primarily Vance McDonald need to have plays drawn up for them by Randy Fichtner to help Rudolph spread the ball around.

If the passing attack wants to get vertical, the running game needs to be the piece that sets it all up. If Jaylen Samuels can be featured, the team can control the clock and set up the play action.  If Fichtner keeps it simple, the Rams will win the battle. 

The offensive line will need to keep Aaron Donald in check, somehow as well as Dante Fowler and Clay Mathews away from Rudolph. No small task to ask.

Defensively, the black and gold will have their hands full with a very potent offense lining up against them on the other side of the ball.

While he’s not having a superb year, Jared Goff is still very dangerous and he’ll look to get the ball out quick to Cooper Kupp. Yet, I’d rather the team take their chances on Goff beating them then leaving it up to Todd Gurley. Gurley, to me, is still a supreme back and can break out with a huge game at any time.  I’m not sure why he hasn’t been putting up the big numbers this season but I don’t care, he must be the primary focus of the defense.

If the defense can stop Gurley, they can then blitz the day lights out of Goff and force him into mistake throws, where you know Minkah Fitzpatrick will be ready to pounce.

I suspect this game will come down to Chris Boswells toe again and it will be won late, with points in the 30’s needed to get it done.

Steelers 31  Rams 28

11/6/19- PODCAST – STEEL NATION RADIO Colts Wrap Up and Rams Preview

By: Mike Pelaia

At the halfway point, the black and gold find themselves at 8-8 and in the mix for a wild card.  The quest continues this Sunday against the LA Rams.  What will they need to do to get another ‘W’?  Find out right here:

11/6/19-First Half Report Card

By: Mike Pelaia

After an 0-3 start, the Pittsburgh Steelers sit at 4-4 and just one game out of the last wild card spot, at the halfway mark of the season. Certainly surprising since they lost Ben Roethlisberger for the season and they seemed left for dead.

I figured, since we are exactly halfway through the year, why not grade out each unit of the team.  These grades are reflective of coaching of that unit as well. 

 

OFFENSE:

While the team did lose Roethlisberger in week two for the season and have had to play both Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges at quarterback, they have managed to score enough points to win four games in the first half of the year. 

Problem is, it’s really the defense that has carried this team. The team is averaging 22 points per game, which ranks 18^th in the league. Let’s not forget the defense has contributed some of those points.  Worse, the team ranks 29^th in the league in total yards generated. 

Certainly the loss of Roethlisberger is a major reason for this but I think the bigger issue is Randy Fichtner.  His play calling has been abysmal.  I understand Rudolph is still growing and learning but Fichtner hasn’t’ allowed him to develop properly.  He’s been too conservative with the his play calls.  The short, conservative approach is hindering ball movement.  The lack of production for JuJu Smith-Schuster is mind boggling. The lack of carries given to the now injured James Conner is non sensical.  The offense is not a threat to do much and teams know that. 

Where the team should be utilizing the running game more (and they have a little bit more lately), they try short, dink and dunk no gain throws. The need to throw the ball downfield more often and runt he ball up the gut to control the clock in the second half.

First Half Grade:  C-

 

DEFENSE:

After a rough start to the season, giving up 33 and 28 points in back to back weeks, the team traded for Minkah Fitzpatrick and everything turned around. The team ranks 7^th in yards allowed, 13^th in points allowed and 2^nd in turnovers created.  This team had lacked energy in the past under Keith Butler but once Fitzpatrick was inserted into the lineup, everything changed.  When is the last time you saw this team swarm the ball like they have these last six games?  Fitzpatrick, along with Devin Bush and TJ Watt have been difference makers.  It’s not just those three though.  Cam Heyward has been a leader on the front line, Vince Williams has made run stuffing plays consistently and even Bud Dupree seems to have finally arrived. 

I expect this unit will get better and better over the second half as they play a much weaker schedule. 

First Half Grade: A-

 

SPECIAL TEAMS:

After last season, it was hard to know what Chris Boswell would bring to the table this year.  But short of missing a 53 yard field goal, he’s been perfect.  He’s made kicks when called upon and is as reliable as he was in 2017.  That cannot be overstated in a year where the team is struggling to move the football as effectively as they should.  Before I give the overall special teams grade, Boswell gets an A+ for his rebound.

The defensive kicking unit has been decent enough, not allowing too many long returns overall but the return team hasn’t done anything.  I’ve been a big supporter of Ryan Switzer since he arrived last season and think he’s a good locker room guy but he was traded for last season to make an impact in the return game; he simply hasn’t.  He’s an all pro at fair catching but certainly not moving the football effectively.

The return game needs to be fixed in the second half and they ought to consider throwing someone else out there besides Swtizer, it can’t get worse in that department.

First Half Grade: B

 

The second half of the season kicks off this coming weekend against the Los Angeles Rams at home and it’s the first chance the team has since opening week to go above .500.  It will be a big step into turning a season that looked very bleak a few weeks ago into one of hope and aspiration.

11/1/19-Colts at Steelers

By: Mike Pelaia

The Steelers will try to win their 3^rd consecutive game this week when the 5-2 Colts come to town. Just as the last several games have been, it’s a must win scenario for the black and gold if they want to stay in the playoff conversation in the AFC North. 

The team has officially passed the Cleveland Browns in the standings and are now chasing down the Baltimore Ravens, who have a very tough matchup against New England on Sunday night ahead of them. 

In order for the Steelers to win the game, they must run the football and play the rabid defense they’ve been playing for the last several weeks.  They’ll need to get after Jacoby Brissett who isn’t making many mistakes this season.  Yet Brissett is still relatively inexperienced.  If Keith Butler calls for a barrage of blitzes, Brissett will be forced to get rid of the ball early and therefore won’t be able to get the ball downfield to his top threat, TY Hilton.

Marlon Mack is the guy that scares me the most on offense for the Colts.  He’s been solid this year and a guy the defense will need to center on.  Stuffing the run and forcing Brissett to make throws to beat them is the best formula for success on the defensive side of the ball.  I’m looking for big games out of both Vince Williams and Devin Bush and expect them to be high impact guys on Sunday afternoon.

On the offensive side of the ball, they must continue to allow Mason Rudolph to throw downfield.  Last week, he was able to involve JuJu Smith-Schuster which changed the game.  Thanks to the help of Diontae Johnson, Smith-Schuster was freed up for one on one coverage and put up number one receiver numbers.  If Rudolph can spread the ball out again, JuJu will have another big day. 

Yet the offensive line will be the true key on offense as the Steelers must start their game plan with running the football.  It is my expectation that Jaylen Samuels will be getting the bulk of the carries this week.  Samuels is a capable back but coming off an injury that sidelined him the last few weeks, he may be a bit rusty. The O-line must open up holes for him and any other backs carrying the ball, on a consistent basis. 

Through the battle, I think it will come down to a last minute kick by Chris Boswell. Boswell has had a sensational season thus far and my expectation is he will continue it with a game winning kick late in the fourth quarter, enabling the Steelers to move to 4-4 and stay in the AFC North chase.

Steelers 27  Colts 24