Rivers: Fan Chat Transcript With Steelers Gab

We haven’t had a chat session for a while so I opened up the lines of communication to Steelers fans across social media sites to find out what’s bugging them, to get their take on week five and the upcoming Browns game as well as try to answer as many questions as possible.  Here is a transcript of the best (and worst) of the week.

HaleyHater:

I don’t understand why Todd Haley is still in Pittsburgh. He calls bubble screens and doesn’t get that they don’t work? Why didn’t he call for a run in for a touchdown and let Ben get sack/stripped?

Rivers:

I’ve never liked all the screen calls myself unless they work. I know I will get heat over this, but Haley has the Steelers offense moving the ball down the field.  He has definitely made some questionable calls, but Pittsburgh is in the top 5 in the NFL in total offense.  They are a measley 26th in the red zone.  That is where Haley needs to focus now, getting the red zone efficiency numbers up.

88ZebraCross:

I love Antonio Brown and was glad that Roethlisberger asked to be allowed to throw it at the end of the game against the Jags. Everyone is saying Brown is selfish and stupid for getting out of bounds too. What do you think about it?

Rivers:

Was it selfish to catch the ball? No.  Could the play have been a disaster? Absolutely.  It wasn’t Brown petitioning Tomlin for the ball, it was Roethlisberger. Whether it’s selfish to want to help a teammate’s stats is a bit tricky tacky.  I don’t think Tomlin or Roethlisberger felt they couldn’t control the situation or they wouldn’t have considered it an option.  Brown owns the mistake of not keeping the clock running, but that is an awareness issue. I can’t make that call because I wasn’t on the field.  Look at it another way; If Brown had forced himself to extend the play to stay inbounds and then fumbled it, it would have been worse than stopping the clock.

Paul:

Was the Cortez Allen interception a fluke?

Rivers:

No, he played tight coverage, watched the ball, caught it and controlled it. That’s his job.

Paul:

But Allen hasn’t played well in my opinion, so was he just lucky?

Rivers:

The Steelers defense as a unit hasn’t had many takeaways. I wouldn’t call an interception “luck”. I would call it playing your position and taking advantage of the other team’s mistake. That wins games, so it’s a positive in my book.

GrouchyYinzer:

I think it’s time for Keith Butler to take over the defensive coordinator spot. LeBeau has lost his touch. When do you think Butler will move up or will he move on in 2015?

Rivers:

Every season we hear that teams know the Dick LeBeau system too well.  What’s interesting is, that if that is true, opposing offenses are still getting beaten by it.  LeBeau knows when it’s time to go. As for Butler, he’s in an optimal position right where he is – in Pittsburgh. He’d make an excellent D.C. and really, LeBeau doesn’t use him as a subordinate, so it would be an odd move to leave the Steelers organization. I don’t see him going elsewhere in 2015.

Guest:

Who is more responsible for sacks? O-line or QB?

Rivers:

There is equal responsibility.  The line must perform its function while trusting their quarterback and vice versa.  There have been plays where Roethlisberger got dumped because one of the linemen missed a block, but he has held onto the ball longer than his line expected in many cases as well.  Not picking sides, but imagine you’re holding off a 310 pound defensive end for over 30 seconds. Then imagine seeing out of the corner of your eye that your QB still has the ball.  Do you hold the block, let go to protect your QB?  Things aren’t always so simple as just pointing at someone and saying “it’s his fault”.

Guest:

But shouldn’t the QB get rid of the ball to prevent sacks?

Rivers:

Roethlisberger has always tried to extend plays.  He has one of the hardest pump-fakes in the league and he takes sacks.  He’s a hero when he does his magic turning nothing into something and dogged when he takes the sack. You either love his style or hate it, but he is what he is and the coaches haven’t benched him yet.

GrouchyYinzer:

Troy Polamalu, gone after 2014? He can’t time those leaps anymore.

Rivers:

But you love the enthusiasm, am I wrong?  He has played a solid core season at his position and will retire a Steeler. Whether that happens after this season or not depends on factors that are too complex to get into.  He’s not as flashy as he has been in the past, but he isn’t roving as much with this year’s defense either. He’s playing positional football.

B@rkedOffen:

Lance Moore gets opportunity to play, then earns penalty. What are the Steelers doing with him?

Rivers:

The Steelers could use consistent play from Moore. They definitely could use him the red zone.  There is either something the coaches are seeing that we aren’t or Moore just isn’t where he needs to be. Either way, it’s nice to see a guy get excited when he is involved even though penalties hurt.  Justin Brown isn’t the long-term answer and Martavis Bryant would be a nice addition.

MountWashington:

Cam Heyward vs Cam Thomas?

Rivers:

Heyward

MountWashington:

Can the Steelers handle the Browns? A bit worried after past two weeks.

Rivers:

They can and they should.  Look for Pittsburgh to capitalize on weaknesses in the Browns they discovered earlier this season.  The Steelers need better offensive production to translate into points. They need pressure from the defense to limit Cleveland’s ability to get key third-down conversions.  The Steelers need to put together the whole package.  If they let down, the Browns would love payback.

B@rkedOften:

Ebola mascot thing by Jags irresponsible or idiotic?

Rivers:

I think we all knew it wasn’t funny the moment we saw it.

Thanks for the chat. Hit me up anytime on Twitter or Facebook if you run into me. We’ll do it again soon.