Welcome back to your weekly Pittsburgh Steelers mailbag. As always, we’re here for the next hour to answer whatever is on your mind.
To your questions!
HinesWardFan: Alex, The defending SB Champion Steelers lost to the 1-11 Clowns in week 14 of which season?
Alex: I’m assuming you have the answer. Looks like 2009.
Chad Prince:
AK,
First off, I really enjoyed the video game banter between you and Dave. Being closer to Dave’s age it was pretty funny listening to him gone down memory lane of what we had growing up. Thanks for that.
Now on to the football question. It’s been a trend that the Steelers coaching staff makes very curious personnel decisions regarding playing time. They seem to reluctant to make a change when it’s seems so blatantly obvious to so. For example giving snaps to Loudermilk and Watts, who are bottom of the roster types, and decreasing Benton’s snaps.
Why are they so bad at making these evaluations and change
Alex: Ha, thanks. Fun to take a minute or two to talk about that from time to time.
I sorta explained in the Benton article why I thought the snaps were divided up the way they were. Sometimes having a perfect and ideal snap rotation can be difficult. So I’m willing to offer some grace. So I’ll take the long-term view of how things play out over the course of the season. I hope Benton plays more in sub the rest of the way.
Ken Mauldin: are you as worried about this game as I am?
Alex: It’s hard not to be coming off the Cardinals loss. Still smarting from that. It was just four days ago. And the Pats have a really strong run defense to help take away what Pittsburgh does best offensively. That’s a real concern. Considering the Steelers have won all their games this season by one possession, it’s shaping up to be another nail biter. Close game in the fourth quarter, the records really don’t matter anymore.
Peter-Petersen:
Hi Alex,
If Seumalo plays and Cole doesn’t, how would you adress the issue? Herbig at Center or Daniels at Center and Herbig at RG?
Has Herbig earned the opportunity to start over Cole with a good performance last game?
Final question, why don’t the Steelers incorporate the tush push?
Alex: Yes, Herbig to center. I’m not even aware of Daniels getting center reps this year. Herbig got some in camp and the preseason at least and probably some throughout practice. Don’t move two guys to fix one spot.
Cole is going to start though if he’s healthy.
Pittsburgh has used some version of it. One with Allen Robinson pushing him forward. But a lot of teams sans Eagles haven’t actually had as much success with it. Philadelphia has the secret sauce, mostly because they have a HOF center in Kelce and a 600-pound squatting QB in Jalen Hurts. That helps.
