What we suspected was true about running game approach

https://steelersnow.com/pittsburgh-steelers-big-change-schematics-running-the-ball/


On Wednesday, Najee Harris noted that teams just ‘jet the gaps’ against the Steelers running game. They load up the box and the numbers are not there for the team to block it up. More than that, tight ends are getting put into tough spots, and as a result, the group has not found a consistent identity on the ground, until potentially they face the Raiders.

We feared it was coming, the obvious power rushing game teams would see coming and could easily defend. And sure as sh-t, it came and was easily defended. And then, partly by accident, they found a rushing game coming out of more of a spread formation. Will the goofs we call coaches get it? Or will this team stubbornly stick to 1960 football?

The "we're gonna power the ball down your throat" thing didn't work. Many of us knew that it was unlikely to. I'm not sure Canada gets it.

“Yeah, I mean, there’s area for lot of things,” Canada said. “Obviously, what’s the balance, the correct balance. Is it doing more or having opportunity or mistakes and not quite knowing what to do, or prior question, you know, simplify and that’s why it was better. So, there is a balance there of doing more, different things, different looks to execute, which we’ve got a lot in our bank here of plays we’ve run at camp, and also getting our guys comfortable. So yeah, we can do a lot more things. Again, got to find a way to win this week anyway we can. We’ll just keep trying to add to it from there.”

 

It's not a 'we're gonna power the ball thing', it's just bad scheme. There were a number of times over the first two games where the call was to go away from the strong side, selling jet sweep motion and handoff strong only to have the RB cutback weak. The plans seems to be the motion/handoff will fake the Mike and Will LBs into fully biting in the direction of the motion while the RB cuts back. But Canada's system is so vanilla in that regard that defenses mostly sit on it, and one of the LBs are there waiting for it.

It's also a poor utilization of Harris' abilities. He doesn't have elite burst, so you're taking away his momentum by having him change directions before running straight into oncoming traffic. For that matter, I don't know that the zone blocking scheme is the best call for the rest of the personnel they have either - the execution has been equally poor at times. Some of that could be blamed on the mess of an offense Canada runs, where his guys are the ones confused rather than the opposition.

Muchak quote from a PC once in Denver:

 

Added too.....no team will run the ball against a good defense until that Defense is afraid of the passing game. Don't believe Me . Go look at most of the top running backs from last year that's Qbs aren't doing very well, or that teams Don't fear their Qbs.....then look at how well their RBs are doing. Then think about it. It's not magic why this is happening . Don't believe Me just go look, and tell Me I'm wrong.

 

And willing to bet Tomlin and Canada saw the success by spreading the formation and thought we should do more of this next week...... by Thursday though they'll be thinking this is exactly what they're gonna expect us to do... so lets stick with the tight power formations.

This is so Canada. College football thinking. It works so well in college when those top 25 teams destroy those high school teams every week.... just don't understand why we can't do it in the NFL!

 

Well, of the top 10 in rushing last year:

1. Jacobs (one of Carr's worst years)
2. Henry
3. Chubb
6. Cook (Jefferson is elite; Cousins average)
10. Jones (Rodgers was a mess)

I don't think your point is without merit - I think Canada's passing scheme/player execution thus far is certainly hampering the run game as well - I just wouldn't go so far as to say no team will run the ball.

 

Now before you twist your knickers this is not a bash Ben comment

But the same thing was true at the end of Ben’s career when he was pituie

 

How have you stayed out of an Italian jail?

Also, can you borrow some of S.T.D.'s spare punctuation, or is it like buying a vowel and he's jacked up the price (inflationary expenditures and all)?

 

I stayed out of an Italian jail by not driving

Regarding the punctuation I have deal with TTF where in exchange for punctuation I get extra face palms I can give out

 

Yes and Ben's passing scheme from Canada was get rid of the ball quickly on short routes hoping for YAC which allowed the LB's to stay in close and the safeties to creep up so they could immediately attack the run without the fear of the over the top threat once Ben' arm was shot. I've been watching Ben's older games when we had Bell, Mendenhall, Redman etc and our formations had much more deception, crossing/clearing routes but most importantly an offensive line that was awesome. Bell's favorite game out of all his career he said was a game agains the Bengals he said where Ben was ignoring Haley's play calls and they kept running two plays one a counter run and another run between the tackles. Belll said the Bengals were calling out the play and the Steelers were answering saying Yes but you can't stop it. Bell said that was so awesome because they knew the play was coming and even pointed out where the Steelers were gonna run and they still couldn't stop it. That is amazing and until we get a line that is dominant again and WR's that will also block like our guys used to we won't be a great running team again. We are few years away until we put all the pieces together on the line.

Problems for us in recent years is some other critical need would arise which delayed addressing the line (Bell, Shazier, Brown, etc)

 

Now look at what they are doing this year.
1. Yet their Wr led the league in tds, and top 5 in yards
2. What's he doing this year....now everyone doesn't respect their passing game
3. Done for the year
6. Cook how's He looking in a Jets uniform with that Qb???
10. How's he looking without Rodgers this year???
So again if a good Defense doesn't respect the pass they will stop the run. By the guys You brought up look at them this year.

 

Part of the schematic changes have to do with personnel. For whatever reason, Mason Cole has fallen off of a cliff. For that matter and, as I suspected, this also confirms that Issac Seumalo is attempting to cover up for the shortcomings of Cole. Dan Moore is also not omitted from this either for he has been as bad if not worse; odd considering that Run Blocking is a strength of his.


Regardless, part of the fix is to change the type of blocking used. The other half is getting the right people in. Until that happens... expect more of the same.

 

First, you asked about last year. You know, this:

Now you want to move the goal posts around. Come on, man.

As for whatever small sample size arguments you want to make about this year...

1. Yet their Wr led the league in tds, and top 5 in yards

• That's Adams, not the entire passing game. The Raiders were middle of the pack in just about every passing statistic in 2022, except completion percentage, where they were 27th.

2. What's he doing this year....now everyone doesn't respect their passing game

• What? This is a ridiculous argument. The Titans haven't had a passing game for years despite Derrick Henry making a practice of running over people. Last year all they had was rookie Treylon Burks headlining their WR corps, at least this year they added Hopkins to take pressure off of him. Their issues are Ryan Tannehill, offensive line, and Henry's advancing age. (Mind you, I've got Henry in Fantasy, so I'm going to say it's only been three games and he's poised to break out. )

3. Done for the year

• This advances nothing.

6. Cook how's He looking in a Jets uniform with that Qb???

• Again, your argument here holds no water. Not only on a different team, but he has 25 total attempts thus far. You want a comparison against, say, 800+ his last three years. Really?
• Breece Hall looked pretty good after Rodgers went down immediately in week one, not so much since. He also looked good under the Rodgers-less offense prior to the ACL tear last year.. so your logic has teams respecting Flacco and "that Qb???".

10. How's he looking with Rodgers this year???

• As you know, Jones isn't playing with Rodgers this year; it's Love, first-year starter with an extremely young set of receivers.
• Not bad, but SSS. Jones finished with a 4.6 YPC and a TD, two catches for 86 yards and another TD in the opener before pulling up with a hamstring injury. Missed two games and saw limited action Thursday.

 

It would be nice if they let Kenny check out of a run play when the box is stacked against the run.

 

I don’t believe you.

 

And a good running game sets up the passing game. Unfortunately, we're not very good at either.

 

If they stack the box, then there has to be spots on the field that are open. So it makes total sense. It just has to be quick. And Kenny needs to make the right read.

 

Bazinga.

 

There are examples in both past and present where one person on one side of a line can make several look like pro bowlers, but impossible when those surrounding him are both dropping off in even basic production. While neither Cole nor Moore are or were considered special talent, the improvements displayed the latter part of last season, with Seumalo added gave hope the line issues, while not solved would be solid. Did the scheme change from last season? Reading different posts gives better understanding, but it does not help the frustration.

 

Our O Line blows and until that unit is consistently executing we are gonna struggle. It seems every series at least one down the line breaks down or blows an assignment and until that is fixed either by better coaching and execution or better talent I think we are only going to win sometimes in spite of that inconsistent performance and the better teams will expose that weakness. I'm hoping we get better but we need better coaching on the O-Line and better talent. Another draft/free agency is in order.

 

Now take all the Qb runs from all those teams, and just go RBs. LoL. Also teams adapt to what You are doing ....that's why I said now look at what they(rbs) are doing this year. Did anyone actually read what I said the 1st time, or just skim it.

 

No ....I did not....read it again. I said go look at last years top 5 rbs, and compare what those with no passing game(fear of their Qbs) are now doing this year. How are people not understanding what I wrote. How many times do I have to say....now what are those same guys doing this year??? LoL

 

Winner. It is why You say on KFP long pass to Austin....where was the safety. They were all up try to stop the run.

 

For the one millionth time.
I will say again. Go look at the top 5 Rbs last year. Now look at the same ones .....that are on teams that nobody fears their passing game. I really don't know how to say this any simpler. LoL. Yet I keep getting answers about everything, but that. LoL
If a good Defense (good Defense) doesn't fear the pass....they will not let You run.

 

I still maintain, Pgh is so simplistic on offense, so predictable that the "we're gonna run it down your throat no matter what" attitude is ridiculous and has lead to their ruin and 27th offense in the NFL. Look at their run pays: All packed in tight, every defender knows exactly where the ball is going. How CAN you expect your OL to block effectively in those circumstances? 9 guys in the box so many plays.

We saw this coming. We saw who they were adding in free agency, we heard what they were saying, we ll saw this coming. Some of us rationalized that this approach was "so crazy it might just work." That since defenses were now generally built lighter to defend the pass that a team running a pure power game might succeed. Well, not on this team it isn't that much we know.

In between Tomlin's mention of needing "splash plays" the rest of the talk has been pointing towards this "we will line up big and dare you to stop us" game philosophy. Well, it's been sh-t. It's not working. And if it's true that Pickett can't even audible out of run plays when the defense is stacked to stop it, then shame on this team. Shame on them.