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!
mtsteel12: Hey Alex, first thank you for all you do. Second I am curious as to why it is that Jaylen Warren or Cordarelle Patterson seem like the better backs as compared to Najee Harris. Is it scheme, or is it truly that defenses play them differently? Would love to see a deep dive into this. Thanks!
Alex: There’s a lot of factors and some noise earlier in the season. Warren and Patterson are more explosive, no question there, so you get a different feel for when they’re in. They’re also normally playing on fresher legs. And defenses know to key in on Harris more since he’s an earlier down and more power-type runner. But don’t forget moments like the Chargers game where Harris and Patterson both ran well to close out that win.
The Colts game was different but Patterson truly had better blocking and different schemes than Harris. And we’re talking one-game.
Matt Smith: What is your take on the defensive line through five games? Feels like they’ve been flying under the radar with all the issues elsewhere on the depth chart. Do you see a second consistently above-the-line player in that group beyond Cam?
Alex: Thought they had a really good start to the year. Quieted up the last two games. Great job pushing and collapsing the pocket early. Lost some of that since. Cam’s been great and his bull an strength is still there like two years ago. Ogunjobi was excellent to start the year. Now he’s getting some more rest but there’s been some groin/knee stuff he’s popped up on the report, sounds more like him being managed than truly “old guy gets rest.”
Benton, I dunno. He’s been solid and his club/over is still stupid good. But he hasn’t worked off it enough. O-linemen can sit on it and expect it. Benton won his first rep against Dallas with it and then got locked up the rest of the game. He needs a 1B rush to that 1A rush.
Loudermilk’s been good against the run. Nothing as a rusher. Mon Adams, good start, cooled off a bit, but been fine.
Brian Tollini: AK, in terms of schematics, what would you say Arthur Smith has improved upon over the offense since last year? Is anything worse?
Alex: I’d want to really get to sit down and go through it all but yeah, the offense is more organized. It’s structured better. There’s more answers to the test. He uses packaged/constraint plays well. I like the red zone calls more. It just feels like a baseline NFL offense which is a low bar but better than what Pittsburgh has had.
Doesn’t excuse the issues (lack of Pickens involvement early, static run game, terrible first down success, etc) but that’s a separate topic.
Steve Mc: Alex, hope all is well! As Russell Wilson seems to be getting back to full health, has it ever been disclosed what the heck he was doing on a blocking sled on the first day of training camp? Is it actually part of camp for QBs or was Wilson just being over-exuberant? Thanks!
Alex: It was part of the conditioning test that every player did. Including the other QBs. I think it was a really bad idea, even without using hindsight, but that was the purpose. New S&C staff and a new test than just running gassers, which was basically the old test.
Jim Winiarski: I am still puzzled by going for it on 4th down in your on territory during the 1st quarter? Tomlin always preaches the battle of field position and that play call not only gave up field position but points as well.. in the “new”classic Steeler way of winning by 1 score that was an awful call! Why do you think the went against protecting field position so early in the game? Help me understand
Alex: From the Colts’ game? They were down 14-0 and trying to get back into it. If they want to be the tough, physical team they say they’re all about, they can get a half-yard. At least, they should be able to. Obviously didn’t but I get the decision to go for it. Didn’t like the actual play-call but I’m fine with the decision.
AM24: Hey Alex, Earlier in the season the secondary was looking good and even talked about being one of the better ones we have fielded in awhile. Now it looks a little more uncertain, obviously the injury to Trice and Kazee will effect this. How do you feel about the secondary? And how will the addition of Trice and Sutton improve the defense? Will Beanie Bishop end up loosing his spot soon?
Alex: Yeah some of that is ebb and flow. Wasn’t always going to be so good like the first three weeks. They’re just not communicating well. Beanie is lost at sea, man. Too much on his plate and you’re facing teams with better WR groups where your secondary depth gets tested. Atlanta, Denver, LA…they didn’t have good WRs top to bottom. Indy and Dallas were stronger.
But if they clean things up, so much is small details (one of the 30-plus plays was Edmunds being late off the line b/c Minkah was talking to him and he turned his head) they’ll be good. I haven’t lost faith.
TX Pressure:
So Alex the Steelers are 29th in the NFL in YPC (Najee 3.3).
They are last in maintaining a “clean” pocket in the NFL.
The receivers are last in separation, not just last they are NEGATIVE, by a wide margin.
Fields is 8th in QB accuracy and 2nd in Rushing on the team.
I wanted Russ to start the season and Fields to learn but from what I’ve seen from Fields and what is on this team Fields is the best option. Line is bad, mostly in pass blocking, but can get better. RBs are some of the worst and WRs are the worst. Without Fields this offense would be a mess.
I hear clamoring for Russ, and I wouldn’t mind if we wanted to improve our draft position. What needs to change or who needs to step up or come back from injury to make this work?
Alex: All a fair case to make. I would stick with Fields, too. But when you’ve lost two straight, the offense isn’t putting up a bunch of points (no matter the reason) and you’re initial starting QB is now basically healthy…that chatter is going to pick up. Just comes with the territory.
They just need to get back to being able to run and control the clock. That’s what it boils down to. They do that, they’ll be good like Weeks 1-3.
