Gerry Dulac: We're starting the chat an hour later today because of the Steelers bye week schedule. I
Gerry Dulac: I'll be getting to your questions in just a couple minutes...
Gerry Dulac: OK, let's get our chat started....Go!!
Scott in Dallas: IF Ben retires at the end of the season does it make it less likely that the Steelers resign Bell?
Gerry Dulac: No
JerseySteel: Hi Gerry - I saw Matthew Stafford gouge our zone heavy defensive game plan Sunday night and no adjustments to playing more man coverage (though thanks to their red zone defense they won). Do the Steelers still not have the personnel to play man or just not able to adjust in game?
Gerry Dulac: You are correct, but I think what you will see is the Steelers play more man coverage as the season goes on. I don't want to say they are saving it for when it really matters, but to some degree they are saving it for when it really matters. Kind of like using more of the playbook as the season wears on.
JerseySteel: Hi Gerry - will the Steelers activate Cam Sutton after 3 weeks (and if so who gets cut) or leave him on IR for the season?
Gerry Dulac: There is no reason to leaved him on IR. He is completely recovered from a hamstring injury -- who wouldn't be after 8 weeks? -- and it would be in his and their best interest to get some playing time to get him ready for next season, at the least. They like Cam Sutton, thought he could be their nickel back, and they want to give him every opportunity to get some experience. Don't forget, he missed most of training camp as well.
OHIO412FAN: Gerry, as the Steelers are in their bye week, what do you see them improving on?
Gerry Dulac: Consistency. Better in the red zone. Mid-range passes. Man coverage
JerseySteel: Hi Gerry - I know the Steelers stated they were not trading Bryant and also that several teams had contacted the Steelers about him. Any insight into what those teams were willing to offer?
Gerry Dulac: None. But who would give up more than a seventh-round pick for a player who is another strike away from a second one-year suspension.
Fineline: Bell is averaging just 6 yards per pass reception. Do you think it’s because they’re dumping it too him rather than splitting him out,running routes and isolating him on LBs?
Gerry Dulac: They are still doing both, but not with much success. I think what you're seeing is other teams commit a LB to follow him, at the very least, keep an eye on him.
Matt: Gerry, does a healthy McDonald & focused Bryant get this offense over the top for the 2nd half of the season?
Gerry Dulac: Barring injury, yes, I think you will see the offense improve in the second half, particularly in the pass game. Right now it's just average, with the exception of AB, who is never just average
Alan: What is you take on Rodgers playing time
Gerry Dulac: I'm not in favor of it
Matt: JC get more carries in 2nd half of season?
Gerry Dulac: Nope, unless there is an injury. Oh, maybe 1 or 2 more a game, but that's it. Nothing significant.
Matt: IMO, it looks like Ben is declining (a little). Do you believe he plays after this year?
Gerry Dulac: Yes I do
DK: Why do the Steelers continue to go soft zone (which appears less aggressive) against top caliber quarterbacks? I know the coaches know way more than us but it appears like we lose our edge. Thoughts?
Gerry Dulac: I agree. Come after them. Stafford was sacked 17 times in the previous three games. The treason? His line stinks. Left tackle has been a big problem for the Lions. And the Steelers didn't exploit that. They sat back in zone against Brady and he carved them apart. Turn em loose.
Matt: W/ Sutton coming back, is sensabaugh's days numbered in the black and gold?
Gerry Dulac: They could be. The other option is to put Brian Allen on the practice squad, but I don't think the Steelers want to do that because someone will claim him.
Rahn: What is the point of emptying the backfield and giving away your intentions to the defense? The play-action fake has disappeared from the offense (maybe because they want No. 7 to get rid of the ball quickly) but when they do this in the red zone or short yardage... why?
Gerry Dulac: It's not just the Steelers, it's the entire league. I don't get it, either. Especially when you have Le'V Bell. It's OK, you know, to use him as a decoy.
Ike Steelheart: Hello Gerry, do you remember another Steelers Rookie WR who had a similar or better season than JuJu? Could you mention another NFL WR he can be compared to?
Gerry Dulac: Yeah, Louis Lipps had a big rookie season. And, you might not think so, but so did Troy Edwards. I think he set a rookie team record with 61 catches in 1999. He was targeted 118 times that year and caught five TDs. Now, both of those guys were No. 1 draft picks. But, still....
NW Steelers: Two things, this offense would be putting up 40 pts weekly if Ben did not play like he is semi retired, second if Haley did not call plays that reflects he is semi retired. Ben is done!
Gerry Dulac: I will let them know.
OHIO412FAN: Gerry, sorry for the typo texts. Anyways, what do we need to do in order to get home field advantage, beat the Pats, and reach our fullest potential? I know they have yet to get to that point. The sky is the limit for the Steelers. They are that talented. Now, let’s just hope it all comes together one game at a time. Thoughts ?
Gerry Dulac: Well, i mostly agree. Keep winning solves a lot of issues. Don't forget, they won 9 in a row before losing to NE in AFC title game. They're not going to play at their peak every game. That doesn't happen. But, like what happened in Detroit, the key will be finding ways to win when you don't have your "A" game.
Moose: How do you manage the balancing act now that is our receiving corp? Play more Ju Ju and try to make MB happier at the same time.
Gerry Dulac: I don't think a lot will change. Bryant will still gets his 30-35 snaps a game because they maintain hope he can be the player they had in 2015 And JuJu will get his 25-30, maybe more. But JuJu will take Eli's snaps away, not Bryant's, for the most part.
J: Hi Gerry. When Juju pick was made, I was upset because I wanted to see a secondary pick. Funny how the non move by Steeles led to Joe Haden signing and Juju looking like an early ROY candidate.
Gerry Dulac: That's why you always wait and see what happens instead of rushing to judgement.
Moose: I know nobody is perfect at QB, and Ben is awesome, but do you have any explanation for his increase in his inaccuracy? It seems a lot more frequent this season.
Gerry Dulac: Yes it does, and no I don't. He's been high and wide more times than I can remember.
Dave: It's fairly obvious that #7 is no longer playing with reckless abandon and disregard for his personal well-being (We all learn things as we grow old/up). Elway and Peyton Manning had great success late in their careers by doing less and letting the team succeed. Do you see this formula repeating in Pittsburgh like I do?
Gerry Dulac: Dave, the Steelers hope for the past several years is that Ben use his head/knowledge to make plays rather than relying on his schoolyard/gunslinger ways. And they would point to Brady and Manning as examples. It was also a way to get him to avoid sacks and getting hit, which has happened.
Moose: Leave it to the Browns to mess up on an agreed trade because of not submitting the paperwork in time. Are they the worst organization in the NFL?
Gerry Dulac: Any more questions....?
OHIO412FAN: What are the Steelers main goals for the second half and beyond of the season?
Gerry Dulac: W-I-N. That's their only goal, by whatever means necessary
jim: can 92 contribute on defense in any way ?
Gerry Dulac: I think it will be very limited, kinda like what you saw in KC. Barring injury, you are not going to see a dramatic increase in his playing time.
Andy: Hi Gerry. As always, thank you for your time. I know earning a road win is always a reason to celebrate (major kudos to the goal line def), but I'm going to be a bit of a party-pooper. Though Ben had the perfect passes to JU JU and Eli, I still wonder why he is throwing to AB in double/triple coverage. I know Ben has the up most confidence in AB to haul in the pass, but nothing wrong with short dink passes to get a 1st down (Brady does it all the time and has 5 SB rings...).
Gerry Dulac: That was one play. I agree with you, he doesn't always have to look to AB. But if you noticed AB's catches the past two games have been down -- 9 for 130-something I think. I thought Ben felt as though he had to go to AB on that throw that was into triple coverage and intercepted. You don't always have to feed the monster.
Bub: Gerry... Ben missed a few wide open throws last game.. but overall he has played better and I think he is trending up. Do you agree?
Gerry Dulac: For the most part, yes, so long as he doesn't throw 5 picks again
GjSteel: Hi Gerry...great chats...Was the Steeler focus on the last draft..not just talent but character...this last class is loaded with it..don't you agree?
Gerry Dulac: I think they go to great lengths to get those kinds of guys and avoid drafts such as the one in 2012 when they took Mike Adams, Chris Rainey and Alameda Ta'amu in the first five rounds, all of whom had incidents involving police.
Steeler fan in NC: Why does do we see the offense in shotgun so often? The draw running game was very ineffective vs Lions, but they stuck with it... Is this a lack of being able to change gameplan?
Gerry Dulac: No, they always adjust. But when it doesn't work, it looks as though they don't. The opposite is what happened against the Bengals, when they didn't really adjust anything after the first half when things weren't exactly going right. They just did a better job of communicating their hand signals and shut down the Bengals in the second half.
John: What're your thoughts on the 3rd safety - do you think Golden is more deserving of PT than Wilcox?
Gerry Dulac: Golden is a very good special teams player.
Mark: Do you think the team might hold off activating Sutton (I understand your previous point of playing him for experience this season . . . ) to save the one IR activation potentially for a starter that goes down in the next few weeks, onto IR, and bring them back late in the season/playoffs?
Gerry Dulac: No. If that happens and they think the guy can come back, they'll just keep him on the active roster, especially if it's a starter.
John: Hear so much about the front 7 and they really did not show last week in the pass rush. What were your thoughts? Very unlike them...
Gerry Dulac: They gave Stafford too much time to throw and allow his receivers to find open spots in the zone.
Redzone: How do Steelers address the redzone offense? Simple as using James, McDonald and Byrant more down there (take advantage of their height) or is it more complicated than that?
Gerry Dulac: Nothing is ever simple. If it were, they'd score every time. Just like every other offensive stat in the league, redzone efficiency is down this year. Defenses are better and faster, more equipped to handle offenses.
Simpleton: Isn't the smart play for the OC and HC to figure out how to include MB (who is this ultra-talented guy) into the game plan so that he can thrive in the woefully underperforming offense? The pundits see MB situation as a distraction, but isn't it a positive problem having so many talented options at their disposal??
Gerry Dulac: It isn't a distraction to the team. What's smart is this, if he produces, he plays. If he doesn't, he doesn't get as many targets and/or snaps. The Steelers are trying to help Bryant get to where he needs to be as a receiver after sitting out a year. And that will continue, but only for so long. But, yes, he is only a positive "problem," if you will.
Simpleton: If Senquez G can get healthy would the Steelers let him come back to camp next year to at least kick the tires?
Gerry Dulac: Nope. He had his last kick -- off the team. It's not his fault he got injured.
Lambert Lunatic: I know this team has issues, but how spoiled are we as fans? We are 15-3 in our last 18 games!
Gerry Dulac: Pay the man!!
Ike Steelheart: What kind of things can be fixed or modified in a bye week?
Gerry Dulac: What do you want fixed? They are 6-2, 4-1 on the road and are tied for the best record in the AFC.
NC Bruin: Gerry - The Browns tried to trade for McCarron from the Bengals, but failed to file the paperwork by the 4:00 deadline. Is there a more incompetent management in professional sports?
Gerry Dulac: Uhhh....hmmmm.....let's see.....NOPE!
Scott in Amsterdam: Is Grimble a better blocker than Jesse James? I'm noticing him out there a lot more on running plays....
Gerry Dulac: You are damning him w faint praise.
Paul: I read Lions fans posts after the game. Very similar to our fan base. You could hardly tell we won. Enjoy it while it lasts folks. Ben is better than 80% of the QBs in the league.
Gerry Dulac: More than 80
Kevin in Punxsy: Based on what Tomlin said about not building a team to beat one opponent (NE), and your comment about not showing the Pats their 'man defense", it would seem that the Steelers would rather take a chance of losing a game now, in order to not show the Pats the "man". Your comment welcome.
Gerry Dulac: You read entirely too much into what I said.
Rahn: Percentage you think of No. 7 retiring at season's end?
Gerry Dulac: Lower than Senquez Golson coming back
Smrtalec: Mitchell is a great guy, but seems to have lost a step or is just not up to speed w/ the rest of the secondary. Do you see them drafting a safety replacement for him in the early rounds next year?
Gerry Dulac: I see them taking a safety early in the draft, yes, though, not No. 1 and probably not even 2. I will tell you right now, their No. 1 pick, provided he is available, is Penn State TE Mike Gisecki.
Tommy Maddox: Best guess, what is the ratio between man and zone coverages for the Steelers D so far?
Gerry Dulac: Probably 80-20, if not higher, Now, they do use their "firezone" defense, which becomes a matchup zone. But pure man coverage....? Yeah, 80-20, 75-25.
Ohioguy: Isn’t Tom Brady now just waiting to drop passes into the zone behind the corner and in front of the safety ???
Gerry Dulac: Loves that
AK: What do you think is a bigger upgrade from last year: Cockrell to Haden; Davis rookie to Davis 2nd year or Burns 1st year to 2nd?
Gerry Dulac: Uh, that first one.
Jason: Mike Mitchell seems to always go for the bone jarring hits and defenders seem to always gain additional yards bouncing off his tackles. It seems he would be more effective just wrapping up you agree?
Gerry Dulac: I don't always agree with Mitchell's actions on the field, but for the most part he gets his guy on the ground. He may not textbook wrap, but, then, how many players, particularly DBs, in today's NFL do that? You can count them on two hands.
Kevin in Punxsy: The group that I watch the Steelers games with all think that the Steelers DC and OC are very bad at making changes at half-time. Your thoughts?
Gerry Dulac: That's why they're watching and not coaching
AK: Do you understand the Steelers using an empty backfield on first down or in short yardage?
Gerry Dulac: I understand that teams do it all the time, but it still baffles me.
Ohioguy: If we signed Hightower would we have had enough cap left to sign Haden?
Gerry Dulac: Who cares? They didn't.
Hambone: Gerry.......Looks like Cam Sutton will be returning off the PUP. Do you see any room for him at the moment with a crowded (and might I add a pretty productive) secondary?
Gerry Dulac: FYI....He's eligible to come off IR, not PUP. But see above answers
Lambert Lunatic: Hi Gerry, do you have any sort of feeling #10’s production will increase & be impactful. Sunday showed to a small degree how his mere presence impacts the game. Reports of him dominating when downgraded to the scout team and seemingly positive attitude since then should have his “arrow pointing up” moving forward.
Gerry Dulac: Don't put too much weight on what you hear happens in practice. It's practice.
Taz: Am I crazy or are most of Ben's deep misses (DHB, ER this past week, MB, JJ, and others in prior weeks) apparently receivers not quite getting into position? People are making a lot of Ben being "off," but when I watch the replays and the body language.... I'm not sure that's Ben.
Gerry Dulac: Yes, sometimes its the receivers not being where they are supposed to be. That's what happened on the intercept against the Bengals. That's not what happened on the int in Detroit.
Bob: Gerry, i know we have done this some but not nearly enough... short crossing routes (ala New England). They work and we have guys who can get great YAC. agree?
Gerry Dulac: Are you kidding? They've tried that so much this year that Ben is starting to look like a dink-and-dunk QB. This is a guy who has always been at or near the top of the league is yards per completion because he was so good at the 15-20 yards pass. They have become more horizontal than vertical.
Scott in Amsterdam: Tyson Alualu is looking like an underrated signing as well...Kimo von the second?
Gerry Dulac: I wouldnt go that far, but he's been a good pickup. I thought he was their most significant offseason pickup anyway.
Gerry Dulac: OK, kids, we out of time. Good questions. See you next week after the ....bye bye
First Published: November 1, 2017, 2:34 p.m.
Updated: November 1, 2017, 4:52 p.m.
