OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: Oh no! They are 3 and 1. Panic!

[Peat]

I don't know who would fit it, but if I could pick, I'd target a physical blocking WR2 and a playmaker WR3 if I could go that route. Adding a prime Juju as their WR2 and Williams as their WR3 would be what I'd try to do, I just have no clue who that prime Juju is. They'd never in a million years trade him here, but Tee Higgins would look amazing in that WR2 spot.

Getting a cost controlled prime Juju with Pickens as your WR1 and WR2 and rotating lottery tickets (guys like Williams) or draft picks (guys like Austin and Wilson) in your WR3/4/5 slots is personally what I'd be trying to do with their WR room.

That sounds like something you attack in the draft, with the appendix that's what I thought they were trying to do with Roman Wilson.

edit: Only he's quite a small version of that who needs development, albeit with game breaking speed which is nice.

 

[Empoleon8771]

That sounds like something you attack in the draft, with the appendix that's what I thought they were trying to do with Roman Wilson.

Was Wilson that kind of guy in the draft? I knew he was a slot guy but he also ran a sub-4.4. I don’t know that he has the size to be an effective physical WR in the NFL.

 

[Peat]

Was Wilson that kind of guy in the draft? I knew he was a slot guy but he also ran a sub-4.4. I don’t know that he has the size to be an effective physical WR in the NFL.

I know he was talked up as an eager and effective blocker. Although whether the effective bit carries over to the NFL at his size is obviously an open question.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Crazy Mike Williams is like a seasoned vet winding down his time in the league

Dude was a jump ball cheat code in the NCAA

 

[MrBrightside]

 

[MrBrightside]

If the team was getting two WRs, I'd take Miles Boykin over Williams. I know that's crazy, but this team needs a WR that can block more than it needs another guy who runs deep over and over.

The absolute last thing this offense needs is another WR that can't get open.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I know he was talked up as an eager and effective blocker. Although whether the effective bit carries over to the NFL at his size is obviously an open question.

Yeah he's an eager blocker but I think he'll ultimately have to move to the outside, or at least he won't be an effective blocking slot guy. I personally do not think he has the size you want out of an ideal slot WR and his speed makes him fit a lot more on the outside.

My ideal WR group is built something like:

WR1: All around good WR (Aiyuk)
WR2: Physical WR (Higgins)
WR3: Speedster WR (Worthy)
WR4: Speedy gadget WR (I like Austin for this role tbh)
WR5: Veteran physical/blocking WR (Boyd but worse)

I think Pickens fits that WR1 spot (if he matures) and they obviously have Austin, but they really need that physical WR2 and speedster WR3. I think Wilson could become that speedster WR3, but that would probably require him moving to the outside.

 

[Peat]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1846942269422948495

For those who can't be arsed to listen, Smith answers the question about what Wilson will bring by waffling on a bit then talking about how Fields has been good and they're winning.

But I for one think that the OC having a bit of a public sulk over the likely QB sulk is just fine and dandy.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1846942269422948495

For those who can't be arsed to listen, Smith answers the question about what Wilson will bring by waffling on a bit then talking about how Fields has been good and they're winning.

But I for one think that the OC having a bit of a public sulk over the likely QB sulk is just fine and dandy.

I think it’s fairly obvious that he wants Fields to start but Tomlin is trying to see if RW can actually win a playoff game

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think it’s fairly obvious that he wants Fields to start but Tomlin is trying to see if RW can actually win a playoff game

Which is pretty inexcusable from Tomlin if the OC is saying "the best way to run this offense is with Fields as the QB". Not to mention all of the murmurs coming out that a lot of people are unhappy Fields is being benched.

Tomlin going rogue and making a move that a ton of others in the organization don't agree with is a bad look from him.

 

[WickedWrister]

Hard not to root for Fields with quotes like this

 

[xlm34]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1846942269422948495

For those who can't be arsed to listen, Smith answers the question about what Wilson will bring by waffling on a bit then talking about how Fields has been good and they're winning.

But I for one think that the OC having a bit of a public sulk over the likely QB sulk is just fine and dandy.

Ok yeah so that totally answers any of my skepticism over this not being a unanimous decision.

 

[Peat]

Yeah he's an eager blocker but I think he'll ultimately have to move to the outside, or at least he won't be an effective blocking slot guy. I personally do not think he has the size you want out of an ideal slot WR and his speed makes him fit a lot more on the outside.

My ideal WR group is built something like:

WR1: All around good WR (Aiyuk)
WR2: Physical WR (Higgins)
WR3: Speedster WR (Worthy)
WR4: Speedy gadget WR (I like Austin for this role tbh)
WR5: Veteran physical/blocking WR (Boyd but worse)

I think Pickens fits that WR1 spot (if he matures) and they obviously have Austin, but they really need that physical WR2 and speedster WR3. I think Wilson could become that speedster WR3, but that would probably require him moving to the outside.

As long as this team wants to be run heavy, I want 4/5 WRs to be plus blockers. If Wilson can't be a physical blocking slot because of his size, I don't want him and Austin to both be on the team. They probably need to upgrade the TE room too.

But we'll see it when Wilson gets a few more snaps on video. I think right now the only snap I know of where Wilson played was that Harris run where he ran through half the Raiders team.

Which is pretty inexcusable from Tomlin if the OC is saying "the best way to run this offense is with Fields as the QB". Not to mention all of the murmurs coming out that a lot of people are unhappy Fields is being benched.

Tomlin going rogue and making a move that a ton of others in the organization don't agree with is a bad look from him.

I personally have no problem with Tomlin overruling a co-ordinator. I don't think a head coach can go rogue on this issue. He's the one who gets it in the neck if the wrong guy is in, and he's the one who is setting the ultimate strategy for the team on the field, and that gives him the right and responsibility to say "this is the guy".

But not being able to carry the OC with him on this decision is alarming.

Ok yeah so that totally answers any of my skepticism over this not being a unanimous decision.

It's good to have clarity

My question is how deep it goes. The moment the stories dropped I thought of Smith, because he really supported Fields, and Sadowski, their Director of Player Scouting, who was Director of College Scouting back when the Bears drafted Fields.

But Sadowski is in Pittsburgh because he first worked with Khan at Tulane in the 90s. So is Sadowski in Khan's ear in favour of Fields? Because that'd be real messy if this doesn't go well...

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Which is pretty inexcusable from Tomlin if the OC is saying "the best way to run this offense is with Fields as the QB". Not to mention all of the murmurs coming out that a lot of people are unhappy Fields is being benched.

Tomlin going rogue and making a move that a ton of others in the organization don't agree with is a bad look from him.

It might be a bad look but Fields is closer to Daniel Jones as a passer than Hurts or Jackson. The goal is to win in the playoffs. He knows theres a ceiling with Fields

 

[Empoleon8771]

It might be a bad look but Fields is closer to Daniel Jones as a passer than Hurts or Jackson. The goal is to win in the playoffs. He knows theres a ceiling with Fields

Uh, are you implying that Russel Wilson is somehow closer to Hurts or Jackson?

 

[ImporterExporter]

News Alert!

Mike Tomlin was told by a lot of football people that benching Fields is a dumb idea. He's doing it anyway.

Keep that fist clenched Mike. You f***ing farce.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Uh, are you implying that Russel Wilson is somehow closer to Hurts or Jackson?

No i am implying that you’re not winning a playoff game with Fields at Qb. Wilson gives them a chance

News Alert!

Mike Tomlin was told by a lot of football people that benching Fields is a dumb idea. He's doing it anyway.

Keep that fist clenched Mike. You f***ing farce.

It’s actually split some minds think it’s better we will see

 

[Empoleon8771]

No i am implying that you’re not winning a playoff game with Fields at Qb. Wilson gives them a chance

Since the Steelers last playoff win, Wilson is 1-4 in the playoffs with 7 TDs, 3 INTs and a 59% completion% while his team averaged 20 points a game.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

Since the Steelers last playoff win, Wilson is 1-4 in the playoffs with 7 TDs, 3 INTs and a 59% completion% while his team averaged 20 points a game.

i said chance. Fields is struggling with zone and cover 3 still he is leaving points on the board. Fields is about 3 more starts from costing them a 4th

 

[MrBrightside]

I sincerely hope to be wrong and I've admittedly been a Fields over Wilson guy since the outset, but man does this feel like a move that's going to be divisive and blow up. Everywhere he's been, Fields has had the support of the room and Wilson has been the opposite, and even if it works out, the process of Tomlin micromanaging the side of the ball that (a) he has no background in and (b) he wants to be prehistoric is not great.

 

[xlm34]

As long as this team wants to be run heavy, I want 4/5 WRs to be plus blockers. If Wilson can't be a physical blocking slot because of his size, I don't want him and Austin to both be on the team. They probably need to upgrade the TE room too.

But we'll see it when Wilson gets a few more snaps on video. I think right now the only snap I know of where Wilson played was that Harris run where he ran through half the Raiders team.



I personally have no problem with Tomlin overruling a co-ordinator. I don't think a head coach can go rogue on this issue. He's the one who gets it in the neck if the wrong guy is in, and he's the one who is setting the ultimate strategy for the team on the field, and that gives him the right and responsibility to say "this is the guy".

But not being able to carry the OC with him on this decision is alarming.



It's good to have clarity

My question is how deep it goes. The moment the stories dropped I thought of Smith, because he really supported Fields, and Sadowski, their Director of Player Scouting, who was Director of College Scouting back when the Bears drafted Fields.

But Sadowski is in Pittsburgh because he first worked with Khan at Tulane in the 90s. So is Sadowski in Khan's ear in favour of Fields? Because that'd be real messy if this doesn't go well...

It’s a totally different situation than last year where I don’t think anyone in the organization was that upset to see Pickett benched. It probably won’t end up being anything, but if they drop these next two with Wilson and the offense struggles then I could definitely see it getting a bit contentious. I think there were some promises made to Wilson and we were gonna see him one way or the other.

Just when it comes to Smith, I can get real tin foil hatty and look at some of his recent comments about Fields being authentic and not full of cliches as a little shot at someone else in the QB room.

 

[pistolpete11]

I think it's reasonable to think that Fields, and the offense more broadly, hasn't been good enough to expect them to win a playoff game. Let's remember, this is the 'easy' part of the schedule. So I get wanting to see if Wilson can get more out of the offense. I have my doubts, but I get it.

The part I don't agree with is if you think Fields could be your guy going forward. If that's the case, then I think you need to just let him get more experience. Even if it means you don't win 9 games....but we all know what the goal is here.

Sucks, though, because Fields is definitely more likable.