Ed Bouchette's Steelers chat transcript: 11.27.12

Tuesday, 27 November 2012 13:29

Written by Ed Bouchette

Ed Bouchette: Good afternoon, let's begin

Guest: Ed, is Leftwich an option against BAL? DeCastro too?

Ed Bouchette: Leftwich would be an option if he's healthy, same as Ben, but I believe they will go with Batch and maybe one or both of those can back him up.

dave: MT said after the game that he was happy with Wallace's effort. Do you think he's changed his mind?

Ed Bouchette: He said it again today, that he does not think there's a lack of effort from him. He must think there's some lacking somewhere because for the first time since he became their starting SE in 2010, Wallace is not clearly named the starter on the depth chart, which lists him OR Emmanuel Sanders as the starting split end with Antonio Brown the starting flanker.

Steeling: do you think AB will play?

Ed Bouchette: yes, I do.

dave: Why did they release Baron Batch a couple weeks ago instead of someone like Van Dyke?

Ed Bouchette: Probably because of the overload at RB. Batch, by the way, is back on the pratice squad

JamesinNYC: Well I liked Beachum but hardly expected him to start. What happened with Gilbert that they ruled him out the rest of the year? Surgery?

Ed Bouchette: MT said the ankle never really did come around and now surgery, ruled out previously, is possible.

bill: Ed, do the Steelers rest Ben another week knowing that they can't catch the Ravens, and if they can beat the Chargers, Bengals and Browns (all home games), than they will still get a wildcard?

Ed Bouchette: I don't believe they look at it like that. They look at whether he is healthy enough to play or not.

Walt: Do you think that Mendenhall might be more effective as a 3rd down back (as opposed to an earlier down back that has to run between the tackles)?

Ed Bouchette: No

James: Does Mike Tomlin get too much credit for taking the Steelers to two Super Bowls? Often when Tomlin is criticized many fans come back with he has taken the Steelers to two Super Bowls.

Ed Bouchette: Does any coach? He's pretty successful at what he does and that includes four playoffs in five years plus one Lombardi and another SB visit. Would you like to credit that to another coach?

The Blob: Mike Tomlin have anything new and interesting to report today?

Ed Bouchette: Yes. All kinds of stuff. Keep reading, it's coming out.

Walt: Are James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley actually the same person (they never spotted on the field at the same time)?

Ed Bouchette: And that's been a problem, although Jason Worilds has stepped up his game and his 5 sacks lead the team.

Jeff: Were you surprised Batch didn't manage the game better? Seemed off on a lot of mid range passes.

Ed Bouchette: His management style would have looked a whole lot better without five lost fumbles.

Guest: Ed, will 5 wrs be active once Cotchery comes back?

Ed Bouchette: I would think not. Someone, likely Plax, would sit.

Scott: Why wouldn't Tomlin go with a line of Starks, Colon, Pouncey, DeCastro, Foster instead of an inexperienced Beachum at RT? What are the chances we see that line if Beachum struggles?

Ed Bouchette: DeCastro may not be ready and they may think Foster is more suited at guard and don't want to change two positions.

kjacksonpgh: Ed, What is the answer for the Steelers at running back? Who do you believe can or will be the most productive back? Or at least can hold on to the ball?

Ed Bouchette: In my slog blog this morning, long before the depth chart came out, I wrote Dwyer should be the starter.

Walt: Instead of adding Malecki--an interior lineman--why didn't the Steelers go out and add a OT?

Ed Bouchette: There might not be one they liked or fit well for them. It's not like there's any great OT out there available. Plus, Foster can play there.

dave: Couldn't they move Colon back to RT?

Ed Bouchette: In an emergency. They do not want to do that now that he's settled in at guard.

Kordells Revenge: Hi Ed, love these chats - you're just like the Pittsburgh Dad! Anyhoo, I loved your suggestion on blowing up the RB corps next year, odds that they'll sign any cast offs i.e. Benon, Reggie Bush, etc to shore it up though?

Ed Bouchette: They don't generally sign castoffs. So I would say not much.

Putter: Any chance we someone other than Rainey return kicks?

Ed Bouchette: They'd like to get that guy from the preseason who returned them so well. What was his name? Rookie fifth-round draft pick from Florida, I believe.

Kordells Revenge: Good afternoon Edward, thoughts on how the Ravens sweeping the steelers will affect Tomlin's job security? Is it officially time to start questioning him?

Ed Bouchette: Really? I stated his record earlier here. Since he was hired, only two teams have more wins than the Steelers, New England and Green Bay. He has 61 and he was the fourth-fastest to 60 since the NFL merger in 1970, taking him 88 games to get there.

You also have to remember that these aren't the KC Chiefs owners or management, they do not have the same kind of knee-jerk reactions as do some of their fans and change coaches willy-nilly. Go look at what Bill Cowher's teams did from 1998 through 2000. After that 2000 season you know what the Steelers did? They gave him a contract extension.

dsf: In your opinion, is Mike Wallace a bit of a prima donna?

Ed Bouchette: I think there's some of that in most wide receivers. MT said today he's not producing as he should.

kjacksonpgh: Ed Do you believe the Steelers have any chance at this point of making a playoff run?

Ed Bouchette: I think they should be favored to make the playoffs, yes, but only as a wildcard team.

James: Ed, I would like to credit it to Big Ben and the defense and not Mike Tomlin!

Ed Bouchette: So who do you credit Vince Lombardi's championships to, or Chuck Noll's, or Bill Walsh's? Every winning coach has good players and almost all have good to great quarterbacks.

Chris: Do you think they're considering starting Heyward in place of Hood?

Ed Bouchette: If they did not do it last Sunday, they're not doing it.

JamesinNYC: What happened that Worilds? Did he mature, get comfortable, better on that side, or combination?

Ed Bouchette: Probably all of that and his wrist healed.

Steeling: will Troy play against the ravens?

Ed Bouchette: it sounds promising. they will have to see how his calf holds up in practice this week first.

Kordells Revenge: Interesting how Ben's injury goes from possibly out for the season and could kill him, to 4-6 weeks but could still kill him, to a possible 2 week injury ... return of the drama queen that we all know and love?

Ed Bouchette: If he does not play this week, he will have missed three games and the original prognosis I was hearing was 3-6 weeks.

James: Could Jason Worilds finally take over for James Harrison?

Ed Bouchette: Next season that could be possible.

Dale Klima: I think it is unfair the way Mendenhall has been castigated in this town. Your thoughts.

Ed Bouchette: Welcome to the big leagues, Rashard. When athletes aren't performing to expectations and fumbling on top of it, they will be -- what's your word? -- castigated.

Tship: Hi Ed thanks for your time. With the emergence of 23 has Ike become expendable?

Ed Bouchette: Ike is playing pretty well, why would you want to expend him?

Joseph: Do they really think that DeCastro is going to be able to play this season?

Ed Bouchette: The Steelers must think he's ready this week or they would not have activated him because they could have waited until next week to do so.

Chris: With all the injuries the past few years, do you think they should review their conditioning program, or is there no link there?

Ed Bouchette: I don't think conditioning has anything to do with broken ribs, etc.

Bill: What is the motive behind listing Mendenhall 3rd on the depth chart? He is still the best pure RB on the team, I do like that Dwyer is a north south runner

Ed Bouchette: He may be the best pure talent but Dwyer has been far and away the most productive this season.

Robert: Do you think the steelers rested Colon and Brown last week in hopes of resting them, thinking they would get a win without their services at Cleveland?

Ed Bouchette: No, I don't think they were healthy enough.

Steelkings: Is the depth chart changes more mind games with his players by Tomlin?

Ed Bouchette: The Sanders/Wallace listing I believe to be a message MT is sending to his players. The others, no message, just a change.

Paul: Ed, why was Dennis Dixon led out of town? I didn't like the way he was attacked immediately after that Atlanta game he started during Ben's suspension.

Ed Bouchette: He wasn't led out of town, he became an unrestricted free agent and neither the Steelers nor anyone else signed him. Finally, the Ravens signed him to their practice squad, cut him from that, and they re-signed him.

Sheff: Maybe the Steelers should punt on first down. That way they can rely on their defense for turnovers and win 7-6.

Ed Bouchette: It's a suggestion QB Bubby Brister once made during a terrible Steelers season in 1988. They probably would have won had they done that in Cleveland.

Sheff: If the Steelers beat the Chargers, Bengals, and Browns at home can they get in at 9-7?

Ed Bouchette: Well, if they beat those three, since they are 6-5 now, they would have at least nine wins, no?

rob from thomaston,ct: ed , beachum is going to have a hard time against kruger you agree ?

Ed Bouchette: Yes, as did Mike Adams.

Ed Bouchette: Thank you all for another good chat. See you next Tuesday.