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Gingerchip

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PostSubject: Ray Fittapaldo Chat Transcript   Ray Fittapaldo Chat Transcript EmptyTue Sep 16, 2014 2:24 pm

Ray Fittipaldo: Welcome to my weekly Steelers chat. Post your questions and we'll get started.

WCoastSteelerFan: Coach Cowher left Coach Tomlin a bunch of near Hall of Fame players across the offense and defense. Can you name any players Tomlin has drafted that fit into that category?

Ray Fittipaldo: First off, it's not just Tomlin drafting the players. It's Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert and his scouting department. I get your point. The players drafted in recent years have not lived up to their potential on some occasions. Timmons and Woodley came in Tomlin's first draft. They've been two good players. The 2008 draft was pretty much a bust through and through. The 2009 draft produced Mike Wallace, another good player. Perhaps 2010 was the best draft for Tomlin's tenure. They got Pouncey, who is a very good center, and Antonio Brown in the sixth round. Brown could end up being that borderline guy you spoke of when you asked your question. And it's too early to comment on some of the more recent drafts.

Rich Hoffer: Doesn't LeBeau like to blitz anymore?

Ray Fittipaldo: The Steelers are bringing pressure. Teams are picking up the blitzes better and the players blitzing are doing a good enough job of getting home as some of LeBeau's players from previous years had.

Ryan: Is it time for Dick Lebeau to hang up the clipboard? Defense is looking too bad the last couple years.

Ray Fittipaldo: It's really only been mediocre since the beginning of 2014. Even though the Steelers struggled to produce turnovers in 2011 and 2012 those defenses still ranked very well in the league's statistical rankings. Now they're ranked low in the stats and they don't produce turnovers. Certainly, it's something that has to be fixed, but I don't know how much of it is LeBeau and how much of it is the talent he has to work with.

Pedro: Ray, how can anyone that has watched Marcus Gilbert defend the new contract he received? How can the Steelers misjudge their own talent so badly?

Ray Fittipaldo: I said this from the moment they targeted Gilbert to sign. It wasn't so much his performance as it was the performance of Mike Adams. Quite simply, they felt better going forward with Gilbert than Adams. I wrote a blog post on this back in training camp. The top free agent right tackles in 2013 made between $4 and 6 million per season on their new deals and most, if not all, of them ranked lower than Gilbert last season in Pro Football Focus' right tackle rankings. So either you pay Gilbert, someone you know, or you pay someone like him who won't be familiar with your system.

Rich Hoffer: I don't want to panic, but I am anyway. What's wrong with the Steelers?

Ray Fittipaldo: The defense can’t stop the run, rush the QB or produce turnovers. The offense hasn't scored a TD since the second quarter of the Browns game. Other than that everything is great.

JamesinNYC: Is it possible Timmons cannot handle calling the plays? Is there anyone else that can do it?

Ray Fittipaldo: I talked to Timmons about that today and I'll have on that in the paper and online tomorrow. In a nutshell, he says he continues to get comfortable there. It's a bigger adjustment than most realize. Not only is he calling the plays now but he is playing a new position after seven years at mack.

Steve: Too early to tell, but thoughts on whether Shazier may be too "small" to play inside in NFL & whether Dri is too small to break enough tackles in this league to be successful?

Ray Fittipaldo: I think it's wait and see on both. I think Shazier eventually will be fine and he'll do well in this defense. I wonder about Archer because the opportunities to make an impact in the return game have dwindled in recent years yet they cited special teams as one of the reasons they invested a third-round pick in him. He isn't returning punts and almost every kickoff has gone for a touchback. If he doesn't contribute in the offense I have a hard time seeing how he is worth a third-round pick. Maybe when the weather changes and he is able to return more kicks that pick will look better but right now the value isn't there. But it's early.

Johnny: Are the current Steelers a result of the team drafting for backups/depth and not future starters in the past years? It seems as if nobody was ever brought in to push a vet from 2008-2011

Ray Fittipaldo: Pouncey started right away and Brown was an impact player from late in his rookie season on. Those are just two. DeCastro looks like he'll be a good player. They've drafted some good players but they've also whiffed on a few as well. I don't think anyone will tell you the drafts in recent years have been among the best in team history. But they haven't been as bad as some out there make them out to be.

Steve: How much Steelers giving up big plays on D is due to diminished play by Troy & Ike vs. coaching & the new members of the D backfield?

Ray Fittipaldo: I think it's a combination of everything to be honest with you. Ike and Cortez each have dropped INTs the first two weeks. And I'm sure Mitchell is still getting comfortable. It just seems like teams have figured out how to attack this defense better in recent years. Tomlin has remarked how the zone run game is difficult for 3-4 teams to defend. Short passing games have caused some problems, too. Teams are doing a much better job of coaching against the Steelers in recent years. Of course, you can argue the Steelers coaches haven't done a good enough job of adjusting to that. And you might have a point.

AZ Steeler: Ray, thank you for taking the time for these chats. I was wondering what you think of the signing of Mike Mitchell. I watched him in the pre season and was not impressed. Against the Ravens he played like a rookie using bad judgment with those penalties. Is he really am upgrade over Ryan Clark?

Ray Fittipaldo: Ryan Clark's age showed last season so they had to move on from him. Mitchell had a good year in Carolina last year, but he struggled in his first few seasons in Oakland. He hasn't been very good in run support and he hasn't been around the ball much on passing plays. I'm sure the coaches are hoping for improvement.

DSF: I think one of the biggest problems is that there is no one on defense that is a star player at this point. Everyone is average, and if not average, too new to contribute. There is not one DL who can command a double team much less hold the point of attack and neither OLB can set the edge or rush the passer. There is a severe lack of talent, seems like there is not much hope.

Rich Hoffer: Will Dri Archer be paying this week? He suddenly looks like the key to the offense.

Ray Fittipaldo: I am not sure about Archer, but I did talk to Lance Moore today and it's looking like he might be able to play against the Panthers.

TimC: Is Tomlin on the hot seat?

Ray Fittipaldo: No. If the team doesn't make the playoffs this season he might be on the hot seat next season, but not this year.

WCoastSteelerFan: Can you think of any rational reason to be optimistic that the Steelers can have a successful (10-6 or better) season this year?

Ray Fittipaldo: Not at this point. I said 9-7 before the season and I am starting to wonder about that. But I do caution people that it's early and the schedule is not one of the more difficult ones in the league this year.

Dave: I feel Tomlin gets too much of a pass for not having enough talent. For starters he helps draft the talent. Secondly, if talent dictates everything then why do we need coaches? Great coaches get the most out of their players and I'm just wondering when Tomlin will ever be held accountable.

Ray Fittipaldo: He'll be held accountable, but I just don't think they'll look at making a change this year unless things really unravel and the players quit on him. Something like that would have to happen for them to get away from their approach with head coaches. Now coordinators... that's another story. Those changes come much more frequently and I would suspect change could happen there if the team doesn't make the playoffs.

Read More:  http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/09/15/Ray-Fittipaldo-s-Steelers-chat-transcript-9-16-14/stories/201409150176

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Crash

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PostSubject: Re: Ray Fittapaldo Chat Transcript   Ray Fittapaldo Chat Transcript EmptyTue Sep 16, 2014 2:47 pm

Quote :
Ray Fittipaldo: It's really only been mediocre since the beginning of 2014. Even though the Steelers struggled to produce turnovers in 2011 and 2012 those defenses still ranked very well in the league's statistical rankings.

Another brainwashed idiot.
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PostSubject: Re: Ray Fittapaldo Chat Transcript   Ray Fittapaldo Chat Transcript EmptyWed Sep 17, 2014 10:49 am

mrcrash wrote:
Quote :
Ray Fittipaldo: It's really only been mediocre since the beginning of 2014. Even though the Steelers struggled to produce turnovers in 2011 and 2012 those defenses still ranked very well in the league's statistical rankings.

Another brainwashed idiot.  

Why? Because he doesn't agree with you?

While it's nice to disagree and banter about such things, Just because someone doesn't agree with your POV doesn't make them an idiot or brainwashed for that matter.

It just means they see things differently than you.

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Crash

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PostSubject: Re: Ray Fittapaldo Chat Transcript   Ray Fittapaldo Chat Transcript EmptyWed Sep 17, 2014 12:16 pm

Quote :
Why? Because he doesn't agree with you?

Because he's another idiot who doesn't understand one simple concept: When the Steelers OFFENSE is holding the ball, the Steelers DEFENSE isn't on the field.

Thus, their defensive "ranking" is inflated.

2011-2013 the Steelers have forced the FEWEST TURNOVERS IN THE NFL.

That, is something the DEFENSE CONTROLS THEMSELVES.

The offense can't save them then.
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PostSubject: Re: Ray Fittapaldo Chat Transcript   Ray Fittapaldo Chat Transcript EmptyWed Sep 17, 2014 2:28 pm

Ray Fittapaldo Chat Transcript 1505004552 Ray Fittapaldo Chat Transcript 1505004552 Ray Fittapaldo Chat Transcript 1505004552

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