RB Nick Chubb, LB Joe Schobert and G Joel Bitonio (12.1.19)
RB Nick Chubb
Re: Starting strong and then what changed second quarter and beyond
It is hard to say, to pinpoint exactly one thing. We have to do a better job just keeping momentum going and keep driving the ball in the final way to get some points on the board.
Was there something the Steelers were doing defensively to make it difficult in the running game?
No, nothing to take away from those guys because they are a great team and defense. It’s just always on us, executing well, and making the plays. I think it is more of us than them, but they are a great team.
Re: Going to the end of the wire with playoff-caliber teams
I know we are a great team and we have some things to fix. We have to take it one week at a time, one day at a time and try to get back in this thing.
LB Joe Schobert
Re: What was it like playing against this quarterback?
He’s a good quarterback, obviously a young guy with a lot of confidence. I thought we did a good job for the most part of the whole game containing him. Obviously, they were able to throw some balls deep and make some plays with their receivers. That is stuff that we gave them, and we have to really correct. If we can eliminate that, I think we are right where we want to be.
When Terrance Mitchell got the interception, did you think, “okay here we go?”
Yeah, I mean you could feel the momentum swing inside the stadium. Obviously, our offense couldn’t score in that drive, but they did a good job getting the ball down at the 1-yard line. If we could have kept them down there and created another short field that would have been a good chance.
Speaking of momentum, did you feel it slip away at the end of the first half?
Not really, obviously this was a three-play drive and a big penalty down the field. It is something that we just gave them. Like I said earlier, if we can eliminate that then we have them right where we want them.
G Joel Bitonio
Re: Being ahead 10-0 and having the Steelers in a good spot
Yeah, we know they are never going to give up. It was a good start; the first drive was like 14 plays and we had another good drive. We went up 10-0 and then we really didn’t put much together after that. Credit to them, they did enough to stop us and we didn’t do enough to take advantage of our opportunities.
Re: Giving up in the fourth quarter and running the ball
We were taking our shots and we had a couple of shots in the end zone on that one drive where we settled for a field goal. Then when we got the ball back, we kind of had to throw the ball there
Was Mayfield okay regarding his hand?
As far as I know. He came back out there, and he played. That is as much as I know about it right now and we will see how it goes from there. I think he was fine, and I think he fought threw whatever it was. He’s a tough guy so he battled.
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