2023 GDT Week #17 Steelers 8-7 Visit Seahawks 8-7

[43M]

1 hour ago, Dcash4 said:

YES. If George cares, he has the talent to be a monster. He just doesn’t always seem like he cares. 

Maybe fans should keep talking trash? 

That...or just find a QB that can consistently get him the ball....and make offenses pay when they double him up.

[Dcash4]

2 hours ago, 43M said:

That...or just find a QB that can consistently get him the ball....and make offenses pay when they double him up.

I have no interest in him being a good not great guy who we think “what could have been” when we think about him on his 3rd team in 8 years. 

Yes, improved QB play would be great. But he doesn’t reach us potential half-assing play to play. The elite guys don’t do that. I want him to be elite.

If external motivation does it, I hope he finds it’s each week. 

 

[JustPlainNasty]

Kenny has had a lot of long weeks , but this has to feel like one of the longest. I know it feels like one for me, between the media and the fans blubbering over a guy that those same people left for dead and treated like a pariah years ago. It would be funny to pull up all those receipts, by the sounds of Masons Sunday press conference he has a lot of mental ones.

Im hardly rooting against Mason in any fashion , more so waiting for the other shoe to drop and then see pull back when the upcoming game likely looks a good bit different. Mason even said as much in that same press conference, [week to week it could be very different] paraphrasing what he said about the fans current "love & admiration".

I see several fans comparing Mason's 2019 stats to Kenny's like thats even remotely the same situation. Playing behind 4 pro bowl lineman and with a defense littered with All Pro and solid starter type players.. The Dline was Heyward, Hargrave, Tuitt, with TJ & Budd , Minkah (finished top 5 DPOY), 30 yr old Joe Haden, Steven Nelson & Terrell Edmunds (2nd season), Vince Will & Devin Bush (rookie yr). But that lineup with just Edmunds & Mark Barron-LB as issues vs this years D...how did we even lose a game.. 

I think Mitch is a very poor fit for this team attitude and philosophy wise, but that Oline which is often horrible did Nothing for him vs the Colts and they actually held up well vs the Bengals, similar to how they did in Kenny's near 300yd performance the last time we played them, but even more so..there were pockets.

The big thing Id be looking at for Mason is what he does or can do in the Red Zone when it comes to the passing game. 

Thus far he's thrown 3 passes in the red Zone .  2/3 for 10 yds 0 TD 0 INT

 

1 completed pass to Allen Robinson for -1 yards   (the next play was the Austin run for TD)

1 Incompletion thrown to Diontae Johnson  (this drive started on the CIN 14 yd line after INT, Mason did have his key 3 yd run for the 1st down here, which was a great play, especially after watching Mitch)

1 completed 11 yard out on 3rd and 12 to Allen Robinson resulted in a field goal.  Our receivers run so many routes that are short of the sticks..they have no concept of whats going on big picture.. that or our plan is to always go for it on 4th down. 

 

Pittsburgh ran the ball all over Cincy in the Red zone and didn't need to rely on Mason, but this is the area that will tell the difference. Show us some good stuff in the red zone in Seattle and vs pressure and I'll buy in a lot more. 

 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2023 by JustPlainNasty

[43M]

2 hours ago, Dcash4 said:

I have no interest in him being a good not great guy who we think “what could have been” when we think about him on his 3rd team in 8 years. 

Yes, improved QB play would be great. But he doesn’t reach us potential half-assing play to play. The elite guys don’t do that. I want him to be elite.

If external motivation does it, I hope he finds it’s each week. 

 

I definitely agree, but I think part of his issue with motivation is knowing that the QBs and team isnt consistently finding ways to get the ball in his hands.   Again, he absolutely needs to mature and understand even star WRs are going to have quiet games from time to time,  but I think he gets frustrated because he cant fully unleash his talent because most of the offense sucks, especially QB.

Not making excuses for him.   He has some issues to resolve, but I dont think his issues would be quite as pronounced if he was playing with, say....2017 Big Ben and OLine.

[3rivers]

1 hour ago, 43M said:

I definitely agree, but I think part of his issue with motivation is knowing that the QBs and team isnt consistently finding ways to get the ball in his hands.   Again, he absolutely needs to mature and understand even star WRs are going to have quiet games from time to time,  but I think he gets frustrated because he cant fully unleash his talent because most of the offense sucks, especially QB.

Not making excuses for him.   He has some issues to resolve, but I dont think his issues would be quite as pronounced if he was playing with, say....2017 Big Ben and OLine.

any chance GP was just doing his best to get mitch off the field while also encouraging them to throw his way a bit more ?  We never saw GP act up vs the bengals for some reason.  Just throw him the ball (enough and deep) and go from there is how I see it.   Save the jet sweeps and lousy screens for another era and different roster

 

[warfelg]

7 hours ago, 43M said:

I definitely agree, but I think part of his issue with motivation is knowing that the QBs and team isnt consistently finding ways to get the ball in his hands.   Again, he absolutely needs to mature and understand even star WRs are going to have quiet games from time to time,  but I think he gets frustrated because he cant fully unleash his talent because most of the offense sucks, especially QB.

Not making excuses for him.   He has some issues to resolve, but I dont think his issues would be quite as pronounced if he was playing with, say....2017 Big Ben and OLine.

This is where I’m at. And I think that he knows that star WRs can have quiet games. 

I think (of all people) Chad OchoCinco put it best with GP: You can have a quiet game - if the defense shows he should have one. In his quiet games he’s gotten “NFL open” enough times early that he was worthy of a shot. But Kenny needed to see him NCAA open and Mitch barely looked his way. 

Take his first TD last game. That’s NFL open in double almost triple coverage. But Mason saw the window and trusted that GP would make the play. You can’t say that many times this year. You could last year, but not this year. 

So you got a star WR who feels he’s 7/11 (open 24/7) with QBs who think he’s a McDs ice cream machine (never available) and this is what you get. A guy frustrated he’s not even getting a chance. 

Now, I’m with you. He needs to manage it better. But who, player wise, would be the one on that offense to grab his facemask and tell him that? No one. We don’t have that guy over there. God I hope we sign one. But the other right part of this is the on field player component which few people are taking into account. 

[DR43]

Would anyone here want us to roll the dice of Russell Wilson?

On somewhat of a side note, if you rank the top 15 QBs in the league the only one who came from rounds 3-7 is Brock Purdy.  Wilson was one at a point in time that is now gone.  I sure hope we dont draft a QB after round 2.  

[43M]

Just now, DR43 said:

Would anyone here want us to roll the dice of Russell Wilson?

On somewhat of a side note, if you rank the top 15 QBs in the league the only one who came from rounds 3-7 is Brock Purdy.  Wilson was one at a point in time that is now gone.  I sure hope we dont draft a QB after round 2.  

No on Wilson.   He is clearly on a downward trajectory and would still cost far more than we should pay.   If we could get him for no draft picks, low first year cap hit and little guaranteed money....sure,  but that wont happen.

My guess is Trubisky gets cut, we look at Kirk Cousins but ultimately sign someone like Ryan Tannehill or Joe Flacco, and then possibly resign Rudolph or maybe Josh Dobbs....and there is an open competition at QB.

[DR43]

My current mock:
Round 1: Rome Odunze WR Washington
Round 2: J.J. McCarthy QB Michigan
Round 3: Byron Murphy II DE Texas
Round 4a: Jackson Powers-Johnson Center Oregon
Round 4b: Johnny Dixon CB Penn State
Round 6: Jacob Cowing WR Arizona
Round 7: Javion Cohen Guard Miami (FL)

[3rivers]

4 hours ago, warfelg said:

Now, I’m with you. He needs to manage it better. But who, player wise, would be the one on that offense to grab his facemask and tell him that? No one. We don’t have that guy over there. God I hope we sign one. But the other right part of this is the on field player component which few people are taking into account.

this is why the answer is  - just throw him the ball (enough) and to the routes he likes the most.  If thats a deep post, or a go route, do that a few times.  Just keep him happy and in the process the chains will move as well. Now if he gets to the point where he NEEDS 10+ catches a game and throws a gatorade cooler if he doesn't , then he needs  a talk to,  but the productivity will be good at that point. Not ideal, I don't like it, but it's most likely not AB and won't be.  I doubt he is AB.2 but thats our recent memory for such a player. 

[3rivers]

3 minutes ago, DR43 said:

My current mock:
Round 1: Rome Odunze WR Washington
Round 2: J.J. McCarthy QB Michigan
Round 3: Byron Murphy II DE Texas
Round 4a: Jackson Powers-Johnson Center Oregon
Round 4b: Johnny Dixon CB Penn State
Round 6: Jacob Cowing WR Arizona
Round 7: Javion Cohen Guard Miami (FL)

OT?  This class is said to be good for OT and we NEED an OT. Whats the plan for OT?

[AFF]

21 minutes ago, 3rivers said:

OT?  This class is said to be good for OT and we NEED an OT. Whats the plan for OT?

Some “needs” will Be addressed in free agency.

However until early April, mock drafts will be all over the place.

[AFF]

26 minutes ago, DR43 said:

My current mock:
Round 1: Rome Odunze WR Washington
Round 2: J.J. McCarthy QB Michigan
Round 3: Byron Murphy II DE Texas
Round 4a: Jackson Powers-Johnson Center Oregon
Round 4b: Johnny Dixon CB Penn State
Round 6: Jacob Cowing WR Arizona
Round 7: Javion Cohen Guard Miami (FL)

Far from the levels of other guys on here(like @warfelg @jebrick @JustPlainNasty) but my initial thoughts on McCarthy is that I don’t want any part of him)

Just my .02

[DR43]

7 hours ago, 3rivers said:

OT?  This class is said to be good for OT and we NEED an OT. Whats the plan for OT?

It didnt work out that way.  I'm sure you wouldnt want us to take a Tackle for the sake of taking one.  I am not against drafting an OT but I am against forcing one.

To answer your question, we will go with what we have this year.  With Moore and Jones on the ends, OT is actually down there on our list of problems.

I guess Chuks is as good as gone but we'll pickup some via FA.

[Steeler Hitman]

On 12/28/2023 at 2:05 AM, 3rivers said:

any chance GP was just doing his best to get mitch off the field while also encouraging them to throw his way a bit more ? 

No. I know that there's a ton of drama in the media, but no one had been getting him the ball 🏈🏈🏈 of late. 

We never saw GP act up vs the bengals for some reason.  Just throw him the ball (enough and deep) and go from there is how I see it.   Save the jet sweeps and lousy screens for another era and different roster

George has been wanting to be the focal point of passing game. He definitely should have more targets. Then the frustration builds when he is open, but the offense is struggling. All good receivers want the football. 🏈🏈🏈🏈

 

 

On 12/28/2023 at 10:22 AM, DR43 said:

Would anyone here want us to roll the dice of Russell Wilson?

I am kind of torn here. I think he could be effective, but is on the downside. I still think you have to give Pickett a realistic opportunity to develop. I think the team does need another good veteran QB on the team. 

On somewhat of a side note, if you rank the top 15 QBs in the league the only one who came from rounds 3-7 is Brock Purdy.  Wilson was one at a point in time that is now gone.  I sure hope we dont draft a QB after round 2.  

I hope they don't draft a QB period. Again, I think they need a solid veteran. Before they signed Mitch, I wanted Carson Wentz or Jacoby Brissett. I embraced and supported Mitch, but he was definitely not my choice.