Around the Locker Room: Week 14 at Minnesota Vikings | Pittsburgh Steelers

Claypool had a monster game today. There’s a lot of unjustified hate coming his way. People should be hating on the defensive lines miserable performance in the first half. It was soft and embarrassing. Claypool balled out today – so did Fitzpatrick.

@Majic Man88 did you see the 2 bone headed things he did that possibly cost us the game even with the poor first half? Why is he celebrating when they are fighting against the clock? Just give the official the freaking ball! That was about 10 seconds and in stead of one last play from the 12, there would have been at least 2 plays. Then his 15 yard dumb poke to the face penalty took at least a fg attempt away. So talented, but very immature. He needs to get his head in the game or he could be shipped out to another team. Receivers are expendable as the STEELERS draft them well. I want him benched for a game, but unfortunately we need his big play abilities.

At least he’s doing something cause he as hell isn’t playing linebacker

@b lawson true dat!!! Bro we have all the skill players that’s needed in being successful and I think that gets shown in our comeback fashion as of late, it’s the offensive play calls and game plan that is killing us every game,

Nothing to do with coaching

@Dirkk Diggler exactly bro i’m just hoping we don’t keep wasting all of this talent with terrible play calling 🤦🏽‍♂️

How can you tell?

@wavy dre 3 not to mention a o-line coach like Munchiak. These coaches stink

Absolutely.

There’s nothing wrong with what you said at all! You definitely have called it as it’s been shown, it’s hard to see this especially since it’s been 20 plus years since this has happened, but in reality we’re still .500 at this point so the loss is definitely disappointing but as long as we’re able to win three out of the last four then it’s pretty much a certainty that we’re in the playoffs regardless of how we’ve been playing as of late!

@Anthony Picano has everyone forgotten that we lost two games early in the season due to play calls that were so horrible and were deemed as “checkdowns” and analysts tried to place the narrative on Big Ben as if that was his call or choice of play! Even Najee had stated it saying that whatever play is called that they have to go out and execute it, we haven’t even had any successful play action rb screens or any screens at all that have even been slightly successful

Tomlin drafted these busts at offensive line. This season falls on him as much as any of the players.

@DavidEric1414 kevin colbert **

@DavidEric1414 True, but in my opinion the busts were Edmunds and Bush,

@Anthony Picano he’s coached the Steelers for 17 years, and has yet to have a losing season. Tomlin is not the issue.

Beyond Coach Tomlin’s ultimate responsibility for which players (Roche etc.) allowed to leave, GM Colbert has also been hand in hand with Tomlin failing to adequately provide talent on Steelers lines as well as failing to adequately supply depth at ILB.

Agree with you 100% how amazing Najee is = 100% legit body, mind, character and spirit!

@Rad Rob Only one of the starting offensive lineman from just a year ago has been left on the team, our offensive line is going to go through growing pains through the season as it has already been shown, and the D line has been played so different from our traditional 3-4 that we basically have been converted to a 4-3 in the way they’ve been utilizing our pass rush, I’m more concerned about the offensive play calling that essentially is a 3 and out certainty, that’s what has been the biggest deficit to overcome is by giving the ball to the opposing team instantaneously every start of every game. It’s not until midway through the third quarter that they finally bailout from their original game scheme and start playing fast as they ALL have said that they needed to in order to be more efficient and set the tone of the game and winning the time of possession battle and that’s what would more likely end every drive with a kick.

@Rad Rob I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and your opinions with me as I would be so obliged in doing the same, So in those regards I see your perspective as to your analogy but to some extent that you call Tampa’s coach the best offensive coordinator that Pittsburgh has ever had the opportunity of being coached by, but when organizations have chosen to part ways in concern to their billion dollar franchise, the side that’s on the short end of the stick was the one that aired out their side of what happened, Pittsburgh had seen it as doing what’s best for their personal and professional interests in parting ways, but after his tenure when we had acquired the recently released head coach from Kansas City was when we had a 1,000 yd rusher and a dynamic passing game where Big Ben had flourished, now I’m not hating on Coach Canada or even placing Coach T as unaccountable, I’m stating that our offensive struggles from the beginning of games are due to game plans that are scripted in practice and Coach T sometimes will call different plays throughout games depending on having advantages or disadvantages in certain points of any given game. Granted this year he doesn’t have the free reign in taking those high risk high reward opportunities as for the most part the offense hasn’t had any kind of lead or point differential to be taking certain risks, such as the fake field goal against Cleveland in a low scoring game in which that was a time where points on the board were more valuable than the potential of the high risk that was the result, furthermore the play calls that have been shown throughout this season and last season is to not wear the opposing team’s defense down by us not establishing a run game, even if we have drives where we run 3 straight plays and don’t convert a first down that’s still very valuable especially since we’re not scoring anyways, if having to open games up with 3 straight pass plays and going 3 and out anyways what would it benefit? The run game is the result of safeties and and cbs and lbs having to chase the ball down then using play action would prove effective, the messed up thing is that if our offensive line can’t block nobody why can’t we ever seem to run successful screens, those are opportunities to let the defense know that they can’t just blitz us 90-95% of the game causing us to have to throw far more as we’ve relinquished field position and points, so all I’m trying to point out is if we’d start or if the oc would change the way we come into games so we don’t have to eventually throw the playbook out the window and start going for broke at the half, the way they have been utilizing plays has made us too predictable in all aspects, even on the defensive side of the ball as well, if we’re always just trying to get pressure on their quarterback that’s not helping us fill gaps and disrupt running lanes, the other teams see that we can’t stop the run so on a 3rd and short they throw deep passes knowing our defense is expecting a run. And more often than not we get beat deep, that’s been the case in our two potential comebacks against San Diego and Minnesota they’ve caught us like that as we’re rallying. Anyways I’m not trying to say anything negative about anyone because I’m a nobody, but I do respect the coaches and even more so the players that go out and sacrifice their bodies for our entertainment. I’m giving my personal perspective of alternatives and also my opinion of what has transpired. I appreciate your time and your opinion of what I see, if you don’t comment back have a Merry Christmas, and happy holidays to you and your family!!! Go Pittsburgh!!!!!

Ben was on fire second half but agreed I hope we can build a better line before we waste his youth and run him into the ground getting hit behind the LOS every snap

@Drake Barry Ben was on fire the second half but we need that in all four quarters. He’s great still but not like he use to be and honestly I’m happy that he’s gonna retire after this year. I don’t wanna see him get crushed every Sunday cuz our o-line can’t block and same for Najee, he’s got a good career ahead of him but without a quality o-line we won’t be able to see it last that long.