Welcome back to your weekly Pittsburgh Steelers mailbag. A gameday edition just hours before kickoff between the Steelers and Tennessee Titans. As always, we’re here for the next hour to answer whatever is on your mind.
To your questions!
David Shoff: Alex, kazee had a HORRIBLE play on the ball last week for that td. That’s rather surprising because i thought his ball hawking skills were better than that. Do you think he’ll be better with a week of
Prep?
Alex: There is a question over who was at fault and what the playcall was. But he was aggressive in that game, missing another attempt on the ball earlier in the game that resulted in a chunk play by WR Calvin Ridley. He’s generally a fly downhill and attack the ball kind of dude, that’s why he’s been a playmaker dating back to his days at SDSU, but yeah, too aggressive against Jacksonville.
The week’s prep won’t change a lot though. He’s played a ton of snaps this year. Probably gets more in this game because there won’t be the base/nickel rotation between him and Kazee but it’s a negligible amount. Dude’s played a lot of ball.
Yeshaya: Hey Alex, now that JPJ is starting, any other depth players who should really be starting at this point? Broderick Jones comes to mind
Alex: We’ll see. Dan Moore didn’t have a strong game last week and if that continues, that discussion could open back up. I hope they still find a way to give Keeanu Benton 20-30 snaps per game even with Heyward back.
Matt Manzo: Happy Gameday Alex!
Was there anybody traded recently that you think the Steelers should’ve/could’ve gotten?
And would you rather have Trubisky or Dobbs as our back up?
Alex: Not really. A cornerback wouldn’t have hurt my feelings but ultimately, only Rasul Douglas was dealt. I’m not losing sleep over that. Trades are a bit more common in the NFL but it’s not like the MLB/NHL/NBA. They don’t happen that much for players.
Eh, I think Trubisky has some talent. His turnovers and aggressive downfield style just don’t fit with this offense. So I might lean Dobbs. But it’s sorta splitting hairs. They’re both competent backups.
David Shoff: Alex, what do you think of using Robinson in this game like we did against the ravens last year?
Alex: Not ruling it out. It works better against run-heavy teams like Tennessee. But Elandon Roberts has become the hammer against the run and their top three ILBs have, overall, played well. So it’s not like last year when Jack/Bush were offering little downhill (and little in general).
PwndHearts: Simple question (maybe) about Pat Meyer’s preferred system/ technique when it comes to blocking… With guys coming and going due to free agency, injuries, etc. is it viable to have a very specific technique that new linemen need to pick up every year? Is Meyer’s technique something each guy needs to become comfortable with when he arrives or is it close enough to what everyone else in the league runs that it’s just a little tweak to get them ready? It seems like the line always takes a while to gel and it’s hard to tell if it’s just a lack of talent or some general discomfort with what they are being asked to do?
Alex: Ha yeah, it’s not a super simple answer. There’s a lot of layers. Every coach has baseline teachings and techniques. Otherwise you wouldn’t provide a structure to rep and evaluate. It’d be a free-for-all. Meyer actually offers a lot of latitude with how guys block things. So long as you block it. So I wouldn’t say he’s super strict about what techniques guys use. There is a framework to work around, especially your initial steps off the ball (don’t back up basically ever, if his philosophy) but there’s leeway from there.
I do think he’s a zone running guy and this has not been a good zone running team. That’s a problem. They’ve used more gap/crunch/wham/dart lately.
Christian D:
Hey Alex!
Maybe being a little too optimistic, but I gotta say that I am pretty high on the trio of rookie corners we have on the roster (JPJ, Rush, Trice Jr.) and really think that barring injuries this group has the potential to be something special in the future.
Two part question here:
1) I recall Rush was a draft darling of yours — do you think given the current state of performance in the secondary that he could get some serious burn the second half of this season or do you think the coaching staff will bring him along slowly, only play in sub, etc. ala JPJ’s start to his career?
2) Do you view safety as the weakest link on defense at the moment? Everyone was so enamored with Jaylon Johnson trade rumors, but I felt we really should have made a move at safety considering Minkah’s injury and overall performance.
Thanks for your time, and awesome work!
Alex: Hey Christian I did like Rush, yes. But he’s also on his third NFL team in his rookie year, hasn’t played a regular season snap, and Trice had a long injury history in college and now a torn ACL in the NFL. There’s a lot of projection there. Rush is going to take time and I don’t think he plays unless he has to. He still just got here a few weeks ago. Maybe he works on special teams. He did that a ton at South Carolina.
The issue is…what safety is out there? I don’t know of any name. Justin Simmons definitely wasn’t and wouldn’t make sense for a short-ish term injury for Minkah. But yes, safety for next year is an area to explore. They need more athletes in this secondary period. They’re a slow group overall.
David Levesque:
Hello Alex,
I know it’s early but thoughts on Josh McDaniel’s checking the boxes for being the Steelers next OC? Would love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you!
Alex: I hadn’t given it much thought but not generally enthused by the idea. I know he has a track record of success in New England but much of that was with Tom Brady. Without him, the results have been poor. And there’s just this ego/control thing with McDaniels that doesn’t sit well with me. I’d probably pass. Just let him to back to New England with Bill.
