Ray Fittipaldo: Welcome and let's get started.
It's ok, everything's ok: Please tell me Tomlin isn't going to gameplan to win a low scoring, keep it close to the end type of game.
Ray Fittipaldo: That's a surefire formula for a loss. They have to put some trust in Russell Wilson and see if he can make some plays. This is why they signed him. If he fails so be it. But they're going to have a hard time winning 17-14. The Ravens offense is cooking right now. They scored 35 without Zay Flowers in the regular-season finale against the Browns. They are going to score so the Steelers better be prepared to match them
Wild Bill: Can the defense pull out a victory in Baltimore?
Ray Fittipaldo: I thought the defense played better against the Bengals, but I'm still very concerned about the slow starts. They fell behind 10-0 by the end of the first quarter. They trailed KC 13-0 at the end of the first quarter. During this four-game losing streak they are getting outscored 40-3 in first quarters. That's crazy. It tells me the Steelers are predictable on offense and defense.
Wild Bill: I personally think if Tomlin was a realistic coach these last 4 games would be a blessing. It showed that you can't just try to keep games close and try to win against top scoring teams. Also, in Cincy it went that way and you still lost. Realistically the Steelers should try to open it up and try to win a game early, right?
Ray Fittipaldo: I'm with you. Like I said it's time to put some trust in Wilson.
Wild Bill: Would you dress Cordarelle Patterson for the playoff game?
Ray Fittipaldo: I would give some serious consideration to elevating Jonathan Ward for the Ravens game. But I don't think Tomlin will.
Stairway to seventh seed: Ray: the Steelers seem to complain a lot about "3 games in 11 days" this year or the covid schedule in 2020. They also give a lot of veterans days off from practice. This corresponds to a recent lack of swarming to the ball on defense. Defensive linemen standing straight up at the snap. Players like Dan Moore losing their technique. Having a lot more missed tackles on defense than broken tackles on offense. Is a possible explanation for all of these late season collapses simply that Tomlin prioritizes rest over staying physically sharp late in the season?
Ray Fittipaldo: I don't think that's it. They actually practiced in pads one day last week. I know some players weren't thrilled about that. I don't think many other teams are doing that in Week 18. I just think they need better game plans, better buy-in from players. I get the sense now that a lot of players are frustrated and not believing in the game plans.
Stairway to seventh seed: Ray: Moore and Jones often use the traditional tackle technique of steering edge rushers behind the QB. However, Wilson prefers to step back instead of up (probably because he can't see over the line) so that the edge rusher is often being blocked right into a sack! Is this a simple lack of coordination that could be fixed?
Ray Fittipaldo: Playing tackle is difficult and you don't get to choose where to direct a player. If an edge rusher takes an outside rush the tackle is doing his job if he pushes him up the field. It's up to the QB to adjust.
TJ: Is Tomlin mandating the Run, Run, Pass offense. Gameplan was simply offensive. is there any chance we are playing possom? Just hard to believe anyone would agree what we are doing is good. doing things routinely does not mean running the same plays in what seems to be the same order over and over.
Ray Fittipaldo: You mean saving all their good plays for the playoffs? Ha ha. They had a chance to avoid the Ravens and play the Texans this weekend. I'd have been using all my good plays to get a shot at the Texans.
Sam: Hi Ray....Flashback: the year is 2017. The Steelers lose to the Pats partially because the Jesse James catch gets overturned, but perhaps more so because they came out of a 5 minute review unprepared to run a second play if they didn’t score on 1st down. They got disorganized and threw and INT. Then got crushed by an inferior Jacksonville team, starting the current “years without a playoff win” drought. Now flash forward to Saturday: Wilson makes a mistake by scrambling in bounds. But if you call the last time out, it’s only 2nd & 6 on your own 46 with 40 seconds left, no timeouts, and the ball only 18 yards from the LOS where Boswell had already made a FG. Hardly a hopeless situation. Instead, they rush, get disorganized, take a sack, ballgame. They’ve been crushed in every playoff game since then. All this to simply underscore that Mike Tomlin and this whole operation haven’t gotten any better over the years at managing clock/situation in big games, yet they keep selling the "standard" of playoff success.
Ray Fittipaldo: I'm 100% with you. Tomlin should have called a timeout after Wilson was tackled in bounds. They might not have won the game, but they could have organized things better and maybe have a better opportunity to get into field goal range.
artie bridge: Ray, what's your realistic assessment of our chance in Baltimore? And, part 2, any specific steps to enhance them?
Ray Fittipaldo: Get off to a good start and put the pressure on the Ravens, who will be playing before a restless home crowd if the lowly Steelers, losers of four in a row, are in the game at halftime.
60 Prevent Slot Hook And Go: Thanks for the chats and the great writing Ray…means a lot to this lifelong Steeler fan. I could ask a million questions after Saturday night but I’ll start with Mike Williams. Why do you think they don’t use him more? He’s made plays when given the chance. He seems to be an upgrade over Jefferson. They traded for him, he made one of the biggest plays of the season in his very first game. It’s just baffling. Thank you.
Ray Fittipaldo: I'm with you. I don't think he's the Mike Williams of old, but he showed Saturday night he can still win some 50-50 balls. That was a nice catch on the sidelines. He didn't get another target after that and the other receivers finished the game with three catches for something like 18 yards. It's laughable to think you can win in the NFL with that kind of production from the WR room. I'm not saying target Mike Williams 10 times a game, but he should be more involved than he has been.
brian: Hey Ray, You will probably be getting a lot of questions on this subject; but I'm curious why more questions are not being aimed at Tomlin as far as should he still be there? At the end of the game Ryan Clark and SVP spoke and said: what buttons does MT need to push to get this team where it needs to go?" But never did they speak of Tomlin might be the issue. It was his game plan against Cinn. They keep plugging in different people and it always comes back to the same season. The buck stops with the head coach yes?
Ray Fittipaldo: Of course it does, but Tomlin just signed a new contract last year. If he is the problem he has to be self-aware and change. The Steelers don't make rash moves and fire coaches right after they sign them and especially not when they're making the kind of money Tomlin does.
Steelmann58: Hey Ray if the Steelers lose again how much pressure will Tomlin get from Art ?
Ray Fittipaldo: He might be asked to fire some coaches, but if the Steelers do not typically fire coaches with years remaining on their contracts.
Steeler Nut: I think Minkah is a valuable (and overly criticized) piece of this defense, but he is often 15-17 yards deep in single high coverage...even on 3rd and short downs. Is this by design, or does he have the freedom to play this role as he desires?
Ray Fittipaldo: It's by design.
Steelmann58: Ray what coaches might be shown the door after the season. I thinking Meyer and maybe Austin. Your thoughts
Ray Fittipaldo: Both signed new contracts after last season. It's possible the Steelers would eat some money and move on from one or both, but it's not something the Steelers typically do. But they'll have to do something if they lose five straight to end the season. There's no way you can bring everyone back under those circumstances.
Mitchburgh: Dan Moore has become a turnstile. Is he injured or what happened to him? He started the year pretty good.
Ray Fittipaldo: He did start well, but he's regressed. The Steelers should put Broderick Jones at left tackle in the spring, tell him the position is his and let him play there for better or worse.
Concerned in CAli: I have been a life long Steelers fan of 45 plus years. With the invent of the NFL ticket I have maybe missed 2 games in the last 20 years. The past four games I have watched maybe the first half because of the same old predictability of this vanilla offense. Run on first down, run on second down and then face 3 and long. Is Tomlin or Arthur Smith aware that the NFL knows the Steelers want to run the ball and change the offensive game plan at all? Troy Aikman said it best "Steelers have no mid range passing game, can't run the ball wall, and the offensive line struggles in pass protection. Would you agree with his assessment?
Ray Fittipaldo: Tomlin formulates the game plan with his coordinators early in the week. Tomlin makes the final decisions so the buck stops with him. He takes ownership for it. I think he should let Smith formulate the game plan and call the plays. The Steelers' offensive line is struggling and the mid-range game is lacking, although Friermuth did well in that regard against the Bengals. To me, you let Wilson throw early, get some confidence going with his receivers and then maybe that opens up the running game.
Steelmann58: Ray do you see GP staying with the Steelers next year or will Omar look to move him.
Ray Fittipaldo: It's the biggest decision of the offseason. The Steelers haven't shied away from trading troubled receivers in the past so I wouldn't be surprised it it happened with Pickens.
Tomlins-isms: Ray, how long - year(s) do you think it will take for this current organization as currently constructed to be in the truly competitive for a Super Bowl tier of teams ?
Ray Fittipaldo: All depends on whether they can hit on a young QB in the draft anytime soon.
The Major: Happy New Year, Ray! Thank you, Gerry, and Brian for the great Steelers coverage. As a Steeler fan living in MN, all of you are the reason I subscribe to the PPG. Have a great week!
Ray Fittipaldo: Thanks!
Guest: When 1st round QB's flame out, do other teams pick them up as 2nd or 3rd string or is that a Tomlin specialty?
Ray Fittipaldo: Other teams do that too. There are tons of first-round QB flameouts.
Ray Fittipaldo: My order: WR, DL, CB or CB, DL.
Tomlins-isms: They say in a family business the first generation pioneers the business. The second generation builds the business to greater heights. The third generation kills the business. Do we have a 3rd gen family business owner problem ?
Ray Fittipaldo: Sounds like you watched Yellowstone!
Toss to Najee: On Hard Knocks a Ravens defensive coach pointed out Russ does “3 pointers or layups, nothing intermediate”. So why does it happen? Scheme? WRs not open? Russ too short to see over linemen?
Ray Fittipaldo: His height does make it hard to see the middle of the field so I imagine that's a big part of it.
MrSamsonite: Happy new year Ray. Do you see any correlation the defense’s decline/ communication issues with the increased use of Cam Sutton? Beanie Bishop was picked on in coverage but he made plays and the defense was playing well. I haven’t noticed Sutton making any plays. What are your thoughts?
Ray Fittipaldo: No they had some of these same issues versus the Colts and Cowboys early in the season when Bishop was playing.
revrich21: Is Renegade always played between the 3rd and 4th quarter or is it based on the score. (i.e. if Steelers are losing big it is not played?)
Ray Fittipaldo: They played it in the Chiefs game when they were down big.
Cain: Hey Ray love your chats! What percentage are you giving the Steelers to beat the Ravens? Second do you think the Ravens wanted to see the Steelers first?
Ray Fittipaldo: 10%. And I'm sure the Ravens are thrilled about seeing the Steelers. They're playing the worst of any team that qualified for the postseason.
Tomlins-isms: do you think Russell Wilson will be signed to a long term contract or will they opt for Justin Fields as they hunt for a franchise qb.
Ray Fittipaldo: The final four games did not go as planned so unless he struggles again in Baltimore I think he's still their bridge QB in 2025 and probably 2026.
Craig: Do you think that Fields will get any snaps against the Ravens?
Ray Fittipaldo: I think they'll have packages ready for him. If and how much he plays will depend on how the game is going.
Let’s Go Steelers!: Ray, I liked what I saw from Trice's performance this weekend considering the circumstances. I thought he displayed potential and could have a bright future, provided he focuses on developing his technique. It took Ike Taylor a few years. Do you think Trice could follow a similar path?
Ray Fittipaldo: It was his first career start. He struggled at times, but I thought he did a good job at other times. Covering Chase all game is not easy.
Tampa Too: Ray. Can you explain to me why the Steelers started every series prior to the 4th quarter with a run? It was very frustrating to watch.
Ray Fittipaldo: That was the game plan and the "personality" with which the Steelers wanted to play. Someone should tell Tomlin you can control time of possession with the passing game too. Burrow sure did. The Bengals had it for 38 minutes and how many times did he drop back to pass? I'll say it again: Trust Wilson! This is why they signed him!
chuck mac from Houston: You think we see Fields on Sat - a tittle, a lot, mot at all?
Ray Fittipaldo: a little.
Jim: Should Warren start at running back this week, and why do we keep trying to run the slow Harris on pitch sweeps? Everyone but the OC can see that they don't work.
Ray Fittipaldo: They should, but I'd be surprised if they do.
TVC15: Have you heard of any fines for the helmet to helmet shot on Najee Harris?
Ray Fittipaldo: The NFL doesn't release fine information until Friday or Saturday so we won't likely know until then. But that was textbook targeting there. Should have drawn a flag on the field.
Stash: Ray, will we ever truly know the metaphysical origin of the unbreakable, some would say unnatural, bond between the Fed Ex guy and a 33-year-old potential HOFer who currently runs a 5.25 forty?
Ray Fittipaldo: He runs a 5.25? Could have fooled me!
Ray Fittipaldo: And no, I don't understand the infatuation.
Streaming Sports Sucks: If the Steelers lose to Baltimore and as of today we are 10 point dogs, how can ownership not consider a wholesale coaching change especially if some other team is willing to Trade for Tomlin?
Ray Fittipaldo: Because that's not the way they run their business.
Gene: Why haven’t they used Fields in short yard situations and why not keep Williams in and throw more go routes to him?
Ray Fittipaldo: Tomlin indicated today the injury Fields suffered in the Ravens game was the reason he wasn't used much against the Bengals, but he said that could change in the playoffs.
Paul B: Hi Ray,Did Tomlin appear tense to you, or was he just frozen by the wind chill?
Ray Fittipaldo: Probably frozen by the wind chill like his pass catchers in that game!
Doyle37: Can the minority owners put pressure on Rooney to can Tomlin ? Or will they if the steelers lose Saturday night ?
Ray Fittipaldo: No they cannot. They're minority owners for a reason.
JPinPDX: Hi Ray! Do you foresee anything other than an abject beatdown this weekend? And assuming that, what's next for this team?
Ray Fittipaldo: Unless they have a great offensive performance I have a hard time seeing them winning... As for the offseason, what happens with the QBs and Pickens will be the first two dominos in what should be another big offseason for the club.
Tom: Hi Ray, I like what i have seen from Corey Trice even though he shouldn't have been left alone on Chase. His play overall has been solid. if Jackson is back this week any chance we use Trice to help cover Andrews or Likely?
Ray Fittipaldo: Yeah that will be interesting because the Ravens aren't loaded at WR. They probably have more talent at TE with Andres and Likely. I wouldn't mind seeing Trice on one of those guys, but it's not something they typically do with corners.
Mcfumbles Lamar’s shakes stiffs open: Ray, if the Steelers come out on offense: Connor Heyward, Pruitt and Patterson would you be surprised?
Ray Fittipaldo: You forgot Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller.
Bob: I would think a OC would want a lot of input from his QBs (and all the offensive players) when developing a game plan. Do they really get much input?
Ray Fittipaldo: I'm sure Wilson has some input, but the coaches have most of it.
Bulldog: Failed 4th and 1 at the end of the first half gave the Bengals an easy 3 points. Steelers lost by 2. It's your call...do you go for it or punt...not a 20/20 hindsight question. What would you have done there?
Ray Fittipaldo: Punt 100% of the time and I said that out loud in the press box.
Ryan: Good afternoon Ray what do you think about the play of Najee Harris he has looked good
Ray Fittipaldo: His legs look at little tired, but I never question that guy's effort. He comes to play every game.
George T: Hi Ray, I watched the podcast we were on today and you said Art needs to tell Mike to stay out of the offense game plan. I do not think Art will do that for I believe this is how he believe football should be. If doesn’t we would have made changes at the end of last year.
Ray Fittipaldo: I said that's what he should do, but I know Art doesn't do things like that. I said it for effect, to emphasize how poor the game plan against the Bengals was.
DJ: Do you think Fields is a better option than Wilson next year?
Ray Fittipaldo: I don't, but I think he could help this week against the Ravens with a package or two.
Jim (Cosmo) K in Jax: Isn't the stench worse now? And, are slow starts still unimportant?
Ray Fittipaldo: The Steelers have been outscored 40-3 in the first quarter during the losing streak. Tomlin didn't do it today, but I'm always baffled when he says starts don't matter. They obviously do especially when you crap the bed the way the Steelers have crapped the bed early in games recently.
TVC15: Would the Steelers lose to the Chargers and/or Broncos if they meet in the playoffs? It seems like they improved and the Steelers did not. At all.
Ray Fittipaldo: I think the Steelers peaked December 1. It was all downhill from there.
Art from Johnstown: ray, really appreciate your football insights.
Ray Fittipaldo: Thanks Art!
Ray Fittipaldo: That's all the time I have for today. We'll do it again next week either wrapping up the season or looking ahead to a divisional round game!
First Published: January 6, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
