Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat transcript: 10.15.24

Ray Fittipaldo / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ray Fittipaldo: Let's get started.

Benson DuBois: Tomlin's comments today surely made it seem like Wilson will start on Sunday. Do you have a similar read?
Ray Fittipaldo: Yes. I'm not sure why he didn't come out and say Wilson will start against the Jets, but everything he said during his news conference leads me to believe we'll see Wilson debut as Steelers Sunday night in prime time. Fields did not play well against the Raiders. The passing offense is 28th in the league. From a timing perspective it makes sense, too. You have two consecutive home games followed by the off week. Now is as good a time as any to make the switch.

Eric Carr: Ray do you think the QB switch is the correct call? I do! Hopefully it sparks the offense
Ray Fittipaldo: Wilson was signed to be the starter. With his injury lingering for months, it's almost like people forgot that. He wasn't brought here to compete with Justin Fields. He was brought in to be the starter. Wilson is a professional passer. He should make the Steelers receivers better. The play-action game should be much more effective. The running game should benefit too once Wilson and the receivers get on the same page. The only wild card is this: Wilson playing behind a patchwork offensive line. I have to be honest. I'm a little concerned about that, but if he can get out of the pocket to extend plays or simply throw the ball away when there is pressure then I don't think it will prevent him from excelling.

Eric Carr: Ray do you think we will still see Fields in select packages this week?
Ray Fittipaldo: I think they will have a package or two in, but there is no way of predicting how much Fields will or should play. It will depend on game circumstances. But I could definitely see them putting him in the game in certain goal-to-go situations. And if you do it against the Jets you force teams to prepare for the possibility week after week.

Natzey: Great work as always Ray! Shouldn’t Tomlin keep Fields starting because he can still run and the Steelers don’t have a reliable WR for either of them to throw to?
Ray Fittipaldo: George Pickens might be the biggest beneficiary of this move. Pat Freiermuth a close second. They definitely need more out of both. They still need someone to step up as the third option in the passing game.

MIke B from Cali: How would you rate Dan's Moore Jr's play the first six games of the season? Have you seen improvement in him this season?
Ray Fittipaldo: I have seen improvement. He still has his moments in pass pro, but it's the NFL. Other guys are paid to get around him. The biggest issue on the line is no longer Moore. It's Broderick Jones. I was expecting him to be much better this season, and clearly he's not.

Dt: Hi Ray, i know it’s early, but am I crazy to think that it’s a bad idea to let Moore and Daniel’s walk in free agency?
Ray Fittipaldo: They have Seumalo for 2025 and Mason McCormick so I'm fine with letting Daniels walk. Moore likely will price himself out of the Steelers' range in free agency. So they better hope Jones takes a big step in his development. If you watch him you can see there is a lot left to be desired with his fundamentals and technique. I think he skated by in college because he was a superior athlete and has great size. You can't just rely on that in the NFL.

Black dog in Vegas: Having just watched the Steelers beat the Raiders in Vegas and watching our quarterback first hand, what makes our coaches think that Justin Fields is a good quarterback? A good athlete maybe a good quarterback I think not. Terrible throw's and lousy awareness. Please let us see if Russell Wilson can get these receivers the ball.
Ray Fittipaldo: Your wish appears to be coming true this week.

Patrick: What’s the main factor for the likely QB switch, slow starts or overall sluggish offense or both? Thank you
Ray Fittipaldo: Tomlin dealt with the slow starts and the sluggish passing game numbers. I think the INT that was negated by the rouging the passer penalty and the three missed throws in the second quarter were the biggest factors. You need your QB to make those throws. Fields missed all three. That was eye-opening to me, and I'm sure it rang some alarm bells for the coaching staff.

Upstate NY Fan: Do you think Zach Frazier is out for the season?
Ray Fittipaldo: No. Tomlin characterized him as "week-to-week" in his news conference a little while ago.

Rocky B: With all the fan’s trade talk focused on WR2, don’t you think trading for a couple of O-lineman (backups or starters) would be just as important?
Ray Fittipaldo: The good ones are starting for another team. That's why you build depth. The Steelers have depth. It's being tested, but they were prepared for something like this.

Tex: it’s clear the Steelers need to trade for a WR before the deadline. Mike Williams is going to be available now and he was planning on a visit to the Steelers earlier. Do you think the Steelers would still be interested in him?
Ray Fittipaldo: What if Wilson comes in and makes Pickens and the other WRs look much better. Maybe your tune will change. I honestly don't know if it will happen like that, but I'm sure people inside the building are curious about it too.

Neither_X_nor_O: Broderick Jones some times whiffs on his block too... havnt seen anything like this ever
Ray Fittipaldo: A year and a half into his career, it's definitely concerning.

Rocky B: Why was Roman used so little? Doesn’t know the nuances of the offense, and they didn’t trust him to run the correct route?
Ray Fittipaldo: He's a rookie trying to get caught up. It takes time.

TX Pressure: So the Russ experiment blows up as we have the same issues - then what? Kyle Allen? Trade for Kenny Pickett - it's not a QB problem its a coaching, O line and depraved talent at WR problem.
Ray Fittipaldo: Why are you so convinced?

Tex: Minkah was in a sling postgame walking to the busses but I didn’t hear Tomlin mention him today. Any update on that?
Ray Fittipaldo: No. He was injured early in the game and returned after only missing a few plays. The sling likely was precautionary.

Andy: Ray, did we whiff on BJ? The scenario is looking quite feasible.
Ray Fittipaldo: I'm not there yet, but a No. 14 overall pick should be much further along in his development.

Stairway to seventh seed: Ray: is it too early to write off Roman Wilson? Sure he missed a lot of time, but he is playing behind what has to be one of the worst WR groups in the NFL and maybe one of the worst in the last 5-10 years.
Ray Fittipaldo: I'm not going to judge him after one game and after he missed five weeks with a high ankle sprain. Maybe his role will increase in the coming weeks. They could definitely use a quality option in the passing game.

Martian: Hey Ray - thanks for the chats! Fair to assume with D. Adam now off to the Jets, the WR room is what it is, and no savior in sight?
Ray Fittipaldo: I heard they're in talks to bring Frank Lewis and Jimmy Smith out of retirement.

Little snack: At this point, PFF grades aside, is it fair to say Dan Moore is the Steelers best offensive player?
Ray Fittipaldo: Zach Frazier was the best offensive lineman before he was injured. Moore next.

Rock Daddeo: Would it be safe to deduce that switching to Wilson means the Steeler leaders have come to the conclusion that Fields isn't the long term answer?
Ray Fittipaldo: He could improve. Geno Smith did and now he's a quality starter for the Seahawks. It happens. But even if he does improve is Fields ever going to be a franchise QB? Probably not.

CG: After losing to the Cowboys, and the Lions beat down of the Cowboys, are the Steelers still capable of getting a playoff win?
Ray Fittipaldo: That likely depends on how Russell Wilson plays.

DC: Does Fields really not have the option to audible at the LOS? If so, is it because he doesn't the freedom to, or the ability to?
Ray Fittipaldo: Fields told us two weeks ago he can audible from a running play into another running play, but he is not allowed to audible to a passing play. Arthur Smith called it a function of NFL offense today. I don't quite understand that. QBs have been calling audibles at the LOS for decades now. Terry Bradshaw basically called his own plays. Ben Roethlisberger had the freedom to get out of bad plays and into better plays. Seems short-sighted to limit your QB in those situations unless you don't trust him. It would be telling if Russell Wilson comes in and has that freedom. That would tell you a lot about Fields and his abilities at the LOS.

62 Stack Monster: Hi Ray, I loved watching the Oregon vs Ohio State game on Saturday. One particular play, the on-side kick recovered by Oregon was unexpected and expertly planned: The kicker pegged an unassuming Buckeye front return man, bouncing the ball back for an Oregon recovery. Now you won't see that in the NFL. Its product is boring. Last night's MNF was chock full of penalties, roughing the passer calls, missed field goals. I thought these guys were professionals? What can be done to revive the NFL's soul?
Ray Fittipaldo: Get better officials, or amend the rulebook so these guys don't make these ridiculous calls. You saw it last night in the Jets-Bills game and you saw it in the Steelers-Raiders game. Justin Fields got two called against him and neither was egregious. You also need these college coaches to embrace pro-style offenses again rather than the high school offenses they run. Teach these QBs how to play the game so they're prepared for the NFL. There are so many QBs who enter the league without any idea of how the game should be played at the pro level.

steve: With Frazier out this week and backup center in, who would be next center if Frazier replacement gets hurt?
Ray Fittipaldo: My guess is Spencer Anderson.
Ray Fittipaldo: McCormick can span too.

Jay-J: I know it’s early Ray, but do you think wide receiver will be a position of depth in the next draft? Thanks.
Ray Fittipaldo: It's usually very strong and deep. The Steelers need it to be again in the spring.

Bern: Tomlin hedging his bets on starting QB this week. Is Russ getting frustrated or is Tomlin simply keeping the Jets guessing? Russ might get killed behind this OL given the injuries.
Ray Fittipaldo: Gamesmanship. I'll be shocked if Wilson does not start the game.

Rarely Bleeping Dependable: Ray thank you for the great articles and chat time. How badly does Frazier’s injury impact the offense. I know he’s a rookie but he seemed to be playing at a veteran level already and their best Olineman this season - no knock on Seumalu or Moore, who’s been surprisingly good. Thanks
Ray Fittipaldo: It does not sound like Frazier has a long-term injury. They have the Jets and Giants the following week and then the off week. If Ryan McCollum has to play two games then so be it. He filled in on Sunday and the offense survived. He's not a household name, but he's been in the Steelers program for a few years now. He knows the ropes.

Steelers Fan In New Orleans: What's more of a concern, Drop balls by George Pickens or his immature behavior?
Ray Fittipaldo: Behavior

G Taylor: Ray, I believe the WR lack of production is more on the QB than the WR. If Russell Wilson is the QB Sunday night let’s see if there is more production of the group other than George.
Ray Fittipaldo: Well, we'll see if you're right on Sunday night.

Chuck in MD.: Oh dear god. I just choked on my beer. NOT allowed to change the play from a run to a pass? I've given up now. LOL.
Sunner in Orlando from Lebo: Does Warren not seem like his old self yet? Not much participation last week.
Ray Fittipaldo: He played 25 snaps. He's been banged up, but the explosive plays haven't been there like they've been in the past.

Sunner in Orlando from Lebo: How long might Herbig be out? Depth is very vital down the stretch.
Ray Fittipaldo: They haven't put him on IR so my guess is he's back after the bye week. I think the hope is he'll be good to go for the second half of the season.

Bos: Ray, if I keep this up much longer, I may just be a HOFer, no?
Ray Fittipaldo: You and Jan Stenerud. Not many place kickers in the Hall.

NY Steel: Why is it so hard for Tomlin to get a run game going? Harbaugh did it with the Chargers in 1 year. The Bills created a great run game in 1 year. The Lions did it. Is it because Tomlin keeps hiring mediocre OL coaches/run game coordinators? Does he underinvest in coaching in that area? Or do they just evaluate talent poorly in this area?
Ray Fittipaldo: It does take time. They've invested resources in their line the past two years. Some of those picks have worked out. Some haven't. Some of them are injured. They have a good RB group, but they've been injured too. And it's not like they're terrible again. They're ninth in the league in rushing. They just need to be more consistent and bring up their run efficiency numbers.

Chuck in MD.: Do you feel that the defense was made "less complex" this past week...based on Minkah's comments?
Ray Fittipaldo: I did not get that sense. In fact, they had a blown coverage on the first drive of the game. It led to the Raiders' first touchdown. I just think they communicated better after that and made some plays. Oh, and the Raiders stink, too.

Cam: Ray, is Father Time still undefeated?
Ray Fittipaldo: Yes, but maybe not in 2024.

Guest: Why not just make holding between the tackles legal ? They changed an old rule to let QBs ground the ball when outside the pocket. Holding is too arbitrarily called.
Ray Fittipaldo: You can't have wrestling matches or rugby scrums in there. Teams invest millions into scouting and finding the best athletes. They have to be able to use it in games. The officials should call what they see. I have no issue with officials calling holding penalties. It's the phantom ones that irk me.

Mike Mitchell DB: Will Adams play for jets sunday nite?
Ray Fittipaldo: He was in the Jets building today so my guess is yes if the hamstring "injury" is OK.

G Taylor: Ray, How did Moon play on Sunday. To me I did not see any splash plays but not any glaring mistakes?
Ray Fittipaldo: He had the huge blocked punt. He'll be a No. 4 when everyone else is healthy.

mrbig: Adams to Jets? Is this the first time a player will "face" the same team 2 weeks in a row?
Ray Fittipaldo: Except he didn't face the Steelers. He was inactive.

Rocky B: Has Cam Sutton been practicing? If so, how does he look?
Ray Fittipaldo: He's not allowed to practice, but he's been in the building and is allowed to work with conditioning coaches. He should step right in as the starter in the slot after the off week.
Ray Fittipaldo: OK thanks for participating in this week's chat. We'll do it again next Tuesday.