Brian Batko's Steelers chat transcript: 10.07.24

Brian Batko / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Brian Batko: Hi everyone, just left a rather quiet, solemn Steelers locker room. Not exactly a victory Monday. Let’s chat

Stairway to seventh seed: Brian: with Pickens back to his mercurial ways and the way Najee Harris is playing, do the Steelers have the worst group of skill position players in the league? I thought Dallas also was pretty lean on skill guys after Lamb, but wow I'd rather have some of those guys. Can Fields be properly evaluated playing behind a young line with this group of skill players?
Brian Batko: Probably not but you make a good point that this offense was always top-heavy and now even those highly drafted guys aren’t producing. I tend to think role players such as Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, Scotty Miller and Calvin Austin only work if they’re revolving around stars.

PAMMYWHAMMY: What's with Porter Jr trying to punch the ball out instead of tackling when he's the first or second defender to the ball? I noticed at least 4 times when he could have prevented a first down by simply tackling...
Brian Batko: Not saying you’re wrong but the Steelers do emphasize that. They preach “ball searching” from everyone but especially DBs and LBs.

Stan P: I feel like Mike Tomlin accidentally let us peek behind the curtain during his post game remarks at Indy whenever he said slow starts didn't effect the outcome much in his eyes. Do you think his overall strategy is to play everything close to the vest first half, adjust at halftime, and hope to win a squeaker in the second half based on those adjustments? Seems mighty dangerous week in and week out.
Brian Batko: I think it’s partly a belief in his coaching and culture to win close games late when they have to and partly just saying things to explain the unexplainable. Any coach would want to start fast and cruise to an easy win, right?

Sam: Was Kyle Allen taken out of the game because Fields was cleared to return or as a punishment for sitting in the pocket, reading the defense, and perfectly fitting in a 19 yard seam route over the middle? I kid of course, but why is Kyle Allen able to make what probably will be his only pass of the season a throw that we’ve been struggling to call/execute since the pandemic year? I’m hoping they make the move to Wilson and he can demonstrate some of the touch that Fields clearly lacks with many of his throws.
Brian Batko: Nice one, Sam. It’s a fair point but I’m not ready to rush Justin Fields off the stage just yet. And here’s my thing with going to Russell Wilson: We don’t even know if he’s healthy enough to play yet. I can’t put much stock in anything he actually says at this point about his injury. We’ve heard it before. I’ll believe it when I see it.

Kevin in Philly: As a lifelong Steelers fan, I am heartbroken as to what the team has become. Head Coach Mediocre has to go before our once dominant team can regain their prominence. This team is unwatchable, definitely not worth losing sleep over these late-night games. The Steelers are boring. The rain delay was more exciting. The team is poorly coached in every facet. The team is never ready to play. Play calling, challenges, and clock management are idiotic. The Steelers may change quarterbacks and add a talented wide receiver, but will that change anything? Would a top tier QB and WR produce in this offensive scheme? Doubtful. It’s the system that is broken in my opinion. Coach Mediocre may eek out another non-losing season, but he will never be a winner in the Steeler sense. Mr. Rooney needs to wake up and honestly evaluate his head coach.
Brian Batko: Thanks for your comment Kevin. I think there were a couple questions in there but a lot to unpack.

NC steeler Fan: Good Afternoon Brian, was wondering why Pickens didn’t seem to be in the game as much as Jefferson and Austin? Saw on Twitter at halftime the snap counts and he was below both of them. Was it an injury? Discipline? Or something else? Thanks!
Brian Batko: Neither per Mike Tomlin. He basically said they tried to get more out of him by playing him fewer snaps, which is either a bizarre line of thinking or a tacit admission that George Pickens only has so much energy to expend in a given game that he can’t play every snap.

60 Prevent Slot Hook And Go: Hey Brian, thank you for the chat. How much value do you think Art Rooney II puts on the entertainment value for fans? I know wins and losses are number one priority but these games are just torture to watch as a fan. Been this way for years.
Brian Batko: My guess is Art Rooney II finds winning entertaining. And would rather go 10-7 averaging 17 points a game than 9-8 averaging 27 points a game.

Stash: BB, Coach T's word salad when trying to explain why GP was riding the pine belongs in Tomlin's Top 5 Career Obfuscations, no? And that is really saying something, to be completely honest with you.
Brian Batko: Yeah I’m with you Stash. Tomorrow’s presser should be interesting.

Skip in the car: I would point out that the Steelers got off to another slow start in last night’s first half, but luckily Coach T said that starts don’t matter. Or does that only apply to the Steelers defense?
Brian Batko: Duly noted, Skip.

TVC15: Hi Brian, I live in my fears of the Steelers never winning another playoff game while Tomlin is head coach yet (unlike the national media) I don't seek comfort in his non-losing seasons record. Is there any hope for me?
Brian Batko: They were laying it on pretty thick last night on the broadcast weren’t they?

Davante A.: Mr. Rooney: Don’t think I want to play for your team . Simply put sir, the lack of a creative, effective offense is an offense to my talent and desire to play a major role on a winning team. Get back to me if a scheme with some imagination like the Chiefs and 49ers is implemented. Peace out.
Brian Batko: Good luck in the Jets offense then. Google Nathaniel Hackett if you have a few minutes today. I’m guessing you aren’t too busy at the moment.

Yates: Bats - Listening to MT’s post game presser I must ask if I watched the same game he described. His team was manhandled and dominated from start to finish on both sides of the ball. A play here or there Mike? What? Embarrassing that he did not own the poor performance. Harder for him to do that because of the national audience?
Brian Batko: They didnt do enough to win of course but i think you might be exaggerating a little bit there, Yates. Manhandled and dominated from start to finish? They made plays at times and were one PBU away from pulling it out. I actually thought he summed it up fairly well

SoCal jeff: Brian, last week Tomlin, players and several local writers stated that the team was not ready for the BACKUP Qb in Flacco to play. That they were not prepared for his pin point passing, and thus played soft zone and did not blitz. Well, Dak did exactly what Flacco did against the SAME defensive game plan. So perhaps it’s Tomlins strategy that is the problem? Unless we just hope to play QBs so bad that they can’t read a soft zone in under 3 seconds.
Brian Batko: Yeah they absolutely need to fix what’s going on defensively, particularly in coverage, particularly in the secondary. I don’t know if it’s a personnel change, adjustment to the play-calls or a combination of that and more but it’s being exploited.

Andrew in ATL: Any chance that Pickens gets traded? It felt like a bad idea to limit his snaps when he is their main receiving threat. What is going on there?
Brian Batko: OK, starting to see a lot of Pickens questions now so let's get into this...

G. Pickens: Hey Bats, how long til I ask for a trade?
Brian Batko: Recapping his evening:


I think that covers a couple diva WR bingo cards if you're using your free spaces. For the record, he also did not make himself available for comment this afternoon in the locker room either. Not that that's a surprise at all after his weekly interview last Wednesday.

 

NYC Steeler: Thoughts on JPJ's PFF rank ~#90 of 97 at his position?
Brian Batko: Haven't really been paying attention to PFF grades, honestly, but I don't think he's playing that poorly. Certainly not the biggest worry for this defense right now.

John from Cambridge: Hello Brian, I think the Steelers trading for Devante Adams makes no sense. Yes, we need receiving help, but he won't make us a Super Bowl contender maybe not even a playoff team. Our defense is overrated. We need to hold on to our high draft picks and continue to build for the future, not trade them away for a guy who might make us better for a year or two. Plus, he's not that young and always seems to end up being unhappy where ever he goes.
Brian Batko: You make a lot of fair points, John. And I believe a lot of those same considerations are why they ultimately didn't pony up enough to bring in Brandon Aiyuk.

Jim Bow Dean: On their first drive of the game they run the ball with a 3rd string RB on 3rd and 8. That tells me Tomlin was perfectly happy to settle for FG instead of trying for the first down. Can that ultraconservative play calling win if your defense isn’t the 1976 Steelers?
Brian Batko: Yeah good call Jim, that was confounding. We'll see what Arthur Smith says about it Thursday. But there are some concerning thru-lines from what the offense looked like under the old boss and how it's operating under the new boss.

Fire tomlin: Tomlin's transition to four down lineman on defense, 2 of which are undersized ends because they are linebackers is the most obvious signal to the other team that they should run. Whats the strategy here? He was thoroughly out coached again yesterday and hasn't won a big game in 14 years. His nonsensical phrases are not enough to win big games. Agree or disagree?
Brian Batko: Eh, nickel defense with five DBs and four down linemen is a standard package across football. You can still minimize the opposing run game in that formation. But guys up front need to whip their blocks, linebackers need to fill gaps and the DBs need to do their part, too.

Jake: How does our coaching staff let Pickens go out of the field especially a Sunday night game with that eye black on?? I’m hoping the NFL suspends him but I read what it said and there’s a serious lack of maturity happening there. Will he ever grow up ??
Brian Batko: I don't know, Jake. I truly don't know.
Brian Batko: And just to be clear, I don't have huge issue with the eye black in a vacuum. But it's not in a vacuum. It's in the context of *gestures wildly at No. 14*

Farmtastic: Slow starts, conservative play calling, and an "elite" defense that can't get off the field on 3rd down, even if it's 3rd and 99. I'm sure you've heard it before but players, coordinators, and assistant coaches have come and gone and we still see the same results year after year. The common denominator is Mike Tomlin. He keeps the reigns on Arthur Smith and we all know the defense is his. Art Rooney made it clear he wants playoff wins but then turns around and extends Tomlin for another three years
Brian Batko: Yes, it's entirely fair to wonder how much the overall philosophy handed down from the head coach handcuffs any given OC. That doesn't entirely absolve Smith or Matt Canada before him of any accountability, but it's an appropriate concern.

Chris: Is there a chance they trade Pickens? Seems like the behavior is reaching a boiling point. Obviously they don’t have anyone behind him but at some point it seems like he won’t change his ways
Brian Batko: Yeah I don't know, Chris. They would be awfully thin behind him. But I can't entirely rule it out. Because you're right, the sideshow is tiresome. The decision-makers see it. They have a front-row seat for it. And not just Mike Tomlin. The president and GM are in the locker room after games, too. They aren't blind to what's going on.

Atlanta Dan: Hi Brian - thanks for the chat. After a tough loss, does this statement by Minkah Fitzpatrick indicate that George “Always ******* Open” Pickens is not the only player getting frustrated with the coaches? “We have to play simple defense,” Fitzpatrick said. “We have a lot of talent in the secondary, a lot of guys who can play man and play zone. We just have to make a play call, simplify it and it will allow us to play fast.”
Brian Batko: Two very different scenarios, I'd say. Minkah Fitzpatrick is one to speak his mind and gravely serious about things all the time, so you can imagine how he is after a loss. But yeah, can't say I disagree with him. Like I said, something needs to be adjusted on defense. As I wrote in the "trending down" section of my instant analysis last night - well, technically, this morning - Beanie Bishop is really struggling. Perhaps the first step would be making a change there and see what happens.

Bob D: Good afternoon...Why is that when certain players have a bad game the spotlight shines much brighter on them than when other players have bad games. Example...Beaine Bishop didn't have his best game last night, but it could be argued that DeShon Elliott had an even worse performance. However, the media is very quick to point out the doom and gloom in Beanie's game while glossing over Elliott's. For that matter Patrick Queen has barely earned his paycheck since becoming a Steelers, but he has been given a free pass by the media and even excuses offered for his miserable performances. What gives?
Brian Batko: Hi Bob. I disagree with you on a couple counts. DeShon Elliott was front-and-center for the two biggest plays by the Cowboys and stood up and took responsibility for that. But other than those two - and I know those are weighted more heavily - I thought he played well again as he has much of the season. We've criticized Patrick Queen when warranted, which has been a decent amount so far through five games. Personally, just my opinion, Bishop playing 75% of the snaps at nickel is the biggest weakness for the defense at this moment.

Steeler72: A good question for Tomlin is the lack of aggression in the game plans on both sides of the ball. Some people have caught on to the lack of opening up the offense in the first half but what about the two high safety nickel defense with nary a blitz? These questions need to be put to Tomlin tomorrow. He is failing as a coach living in his fears.
Brian Batko: Your friend and mine Ray Fittipaldo pointedly asked Tomlin about not blitzing more last week in Indy vs. Joe Flacco. He gave his explanation. That's how it goes. Had they sent the house at Dak Prescott on that fourth-down, and he made a quick touchdown throw under pressure, people would be KILLING Tomlin for blitzing a guy who has really good numbers in those situations so far this season.

Leon: Great chat as always BriBat! I don't want to pile on, but the sample size is big enough now on Minkah, isn't it? I'm not an expert in coverages but if you don't break up passes or intercept the ball and you're the top paid player at your position, it's not worth the cap hit. What say you?
Brian Batko: Thanks, Leon. He's still a heart-and-soul type for this defense, so I think there's something to be said for that, but I can't really argue that he's playing up to being the third-highest paid safety in the NFL. I just can't.

KMan: The miscommunication in the secondary was pretty obvious. I saw the article about MF's quote. I'm not giving the offense a pass (pun intended), but if this team is going to rely on it's defense, those miscues need to be cleared up and fast. (Also, is there anyone left to play EDGE at a starting level?)
Brian Batko: Outside linebacker could be a real problem next weekend. You can't rush back Alex Highsmith from a soft-tissue injury just because Nick Herbig is down (if he's down). The Jeremiah Moon/DeMarvin Leal duo might bring back some Derrek Tuszka/Taco Charlton flashbacks, if we're being honest. But not sure what else they can do.

Tampa Too: Why did Pickens play so few snaps last night. It seems to me you want your best playmaker out there all the time.
Brian Batko: He is their best playmaker, no doubt. But it's entirely reasonable that he isn't giving the offense what it needs to be functional on plays where the ball isn't coming his way. Arthur Smith doesn't strike me as the type of coach who's gonna tolerate that.

Matt: Mackey’s article hit the nail on the head. Pickens behavior must change. There was one play last night where he dropped a pass that would have been caught if he just was more attentive and looked like he is determined to make the play. We are seeing similar behavior to last year. Looks like we need to draft 2 WRs in are first 2
Matt: opps… I hit send too early. We need to draft 2 WRs in the first 3 picks next year. Along with a stud DL.
Brian Batko: Yeah, not only is he not taking the next step, but he actually seems to be regressing as a player and in the maturity department.

Bill in SF: Hi Brian. 17 points from an offense that was handed 3 turnovers and a blocked FG (granted one of those was right at the end of the half) is not going to win a lot of games against quality opponents. Yet, Tomlin's comment about the game coming down to the defense's failure to recover that fumble at the goal line shows that he still thinks it is. So is there any reason to be optimistic when I see the lineup of offenses coming for the Steelers after the bye that the Steelers D are most assuredly not going to hold to under 17?
Brian Batko: I can still squint and see optimism in Justin Fields. You get the wow plays. He was hurt by some drops last night. Now, clearly, the consistency - which often eluded him in Chicago - is a hurdle to clear.

pjsmith67: in 2020 we averaged 26 pts/game, since then its been 20,18,18 and so far this year 18. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Brian Batko: And I'm not even sure how that 2020 team averaged so many points per game, having lived through it.

dlongley44: So, as bad as it seems everyone wants Justin to be QB1, he isn't. He might be, and he could develop to be one, but are we in a season to develop a QB or win a championship. Justin needs to play better, and bring his team upward. Yes the WR need to do better, yes the play calling is laughable, no i don't know why Conner Heyward is getting the ball thrown to him. WE need to start Russell Wilson. Everyone said look he's 3 & 0, then 3&1, now 3&2, I don't want to wait until he's 3&3 before we do something. WE are not scoring enough points!! 18.4 is what we are averaging, that's way to much pressure on a defense!! Start Russell!!
Brian Batko: I don't really agree with all of that but it was a pretty solid rant.

Black and Gold Forever: Just a comment. As much as I wanted to yrll some choices words at the TV last night I'm glad I'm not a Browns' fan.
Tom: Ummmm, at least we are not the Browns?!
Brian Batko: That's a good place to pull the plug this week. Perspective. Thanks, all. Ray will be back in the chat chair tomorrow after Mike Tomlin's weekly news conference. Enjoy!