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Steelers punter Pressley Harvin III warms up during practice Monday, Sept.. 6, 2021, at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
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Steelers mailbag: Should there be a change at punter with three games remaining?

Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

Steelers mailbag: Should there be a change at punter with three games remaining?

Welcome to Brian Batko’s Steelers mailbag. You’re more than welcome to email him at bbatko@post-gazette.com, tweet him @BrianBatko or slide into his DMs to inquire about the Steelers, NFL or anything out of bounds.

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Marty V: Is there a FA punter anywhere out there?

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Brian: Actually, yes. Just 24 hours ago or so, the Browns waived Jamie Gillan, who was one of the best punters in the league two years ago as a rookie. He hasn’t been nearly as good this season, with statistics that are right in line with the Steelers’ own struggling punter, Pressley Harvin III, near the bottom of the league. Oddly enough, Gillan went on the COVID-19 list and was replaced by Dustin Colquitt, whom the Steelers brought in last year to replace Jordan Berry, only to have Berry replace Colquitt then be unseated yet again by Harvin.

Steelers fans watch warmups before the team takes on the Chiefs, Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
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But Gillan is a guy the Steelers know well, and he certainly has more of an NFL track record than Harvin, who’s coming off a miserable game in which he averaged just 30.2 net yards per punt against the Titans. It was one of the worst showings yet from a rookie who should be getting better as he gets more comfortable with punting at this level. The best thing one can say about Harvin so far is that he hasn’t had any miscues as Chris Boswell’s holder.

And yet, Tomlin backed Harvin in a big way Tuesday at his weekly news conference, all but confirming there won’t be a change at punter for the season’s stretch run. If I were Tomlin, I’d take a chance on upgrading the position with Gillan, who could be claimed by another team by this afternoon. It would be a tough deal for Harvin, on whom you spent a seventh-round draft pick, but it wouldn’t have to be the end. As long as no one claimed him, Harvin could be brought back to the practice squad if the Steelers believe he has potential that simply isn’t translating yet in these pressure-packed situations.

What’s hard to argue is that the Steelers don’t have much margin for error on either side of the ball, and Harvin’s inconsistency is costing them field position that could make or break them in close games as they make a playoff push. Games against the Browns and Ravens always seem to come down to the wire, and Harvin’s play doesn't inspire much confidence in those circumstances. He’s also going through a lot behind the scenes. Harvin’s father has end-stage kidney disease and has been on dialysis for more than three decades, and Harvin posted on social media that his dad was able to attend Sunday’s game to watch him play for what likely will be the final time.

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Knowing that, it’s even more unfortunate that Harvin faced noticeable boos from the home crowd after one of his short punts. His college stats show that he has the physical ability to succeed in the NFL but, for whatever reason, the adjustment has been anything but smooth and it’s hurting the Steelers in the third phase of the game.

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Jim in Utah: Why was Tomlin covering his face? Nobody else did.

Brian: Maybe he was just cold. Tomlin has been wearing a neck gaiter on the sideline during games and practice for a couple months now. It could be a combination of COVID-19 concerns, habit and, well, just keeping his neck and face warm during a game.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) calls a play during the first half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, in Denver.
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Tom M: The Steelers have been supportive of Tuitt this year. Do you think they can get together with him to bring him back next year at a reduced rate or will they just release him?

Brian: It’s hard to say, Tom. The only thing I can really share with regard to Stephon Tuitt is that it just doesn't even feel as if he’s part of the organization. Players and coaches have only referenced him when asked about it, and I can’t remember a time where someone brought him up unprompted, in a “Well, eventually, we’re hoping to get Tuitt back” sort of way.

And I haven’t even seen him around the team. Whereas guys who are out for the season such as Tyson Alualu and JuJu Smith-Schuster occasionally pop up at practice or games, there’s been no sign of Tuitt, who also has deactivated his Instagram account and made his Twitter page private. That’s all very odd and, most of all, just makes me hope everything is OK with him and his family as they try to deal with the unspeakable tragedy they endured in the offseason.

In other words, Tuitt’s status for next season almost feels like an afterthought. Speaking strictly football, as talented and productive as he’s been, the Steelers have put themselves in a nice position depth-wise if he’s played his last down. In the first season of a new two-year deal, Chris Wormley is having a breakout year replacing him at defensive end, and I really like what I’ve seen lately from rookie fifth-rounder Isaiahh Loudermilk, a draft pick I (and many others) panned at the time. In a 2022 draft that will have no shortage of positions for the Steelers to invest in, defensive end (including Cam Heyward) strikes me as one where they can afford to ride with what they have, with or without Tuitt.

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Tom in NYC: I had a question about an admittedly very unlikely overtime scenario and how it would be ruled: Let’s say Team A gets the ball first and kicks a FG. Team B then receives the ball, and on first down they either fumble or throw an interception, Team A recovers and very stupidly attempts to return it before they also fumble and Team B recovers. Would the Team A fumble recovery constitute the end of Team B's first possession, and if so, would the game be over regardless of Team A then fumbling? Thanks so much for your great work.

Brian: Nothing is unlikely now that I’ve seen the 10 minutes of play that was dubbed “Lions-Steelers overtime 2021.” But this is a great question, and one that I’m not seeing an obvious answer to in the NFL rulebook.

The closest I’ve got is an explanation that indicates “A change of possession occurs when a player of the defensive team secures possession of a ball that has been kicked, passed, or fumbled by a player of the offensive team …” and an overtime note that reads “If the second team loses possession by an interception or fumble, the down will be permitted to run to its conclusion, and all rules of the game will be enforced as customary, including awarding points scored by either team during the down. If the second team scores a touchdown on the down after regaining possession, it is the winner.”

So, in your hypothetical, that fumble or interception would technically be a loss of possession, and the game would be over for Team B — unless they end up getting the ball back and scoring! Obviously, this will never happen in an NFL game, which means that’s probably how Steelers-Chiefs will end Sunday.

Think you have better questions than these? Email bbatko@post-gazette.com or write him on Twitter @BrianBatko.

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First Published: December 23, 2021, 1:16 p.m.

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