I have so many questions about how our offense is managed

1. The OC sends in a “play”, which I assume is actually a set of plays, and which play gets run is dependent on the defensive set up. Is this true? Often they seem to run a set play regardless of the defense, which seems crazy.
2. Next man up? What if the next man does not have the skill set of the man they are replacing? Do the plays that get called get changed? Or is the standard the standard and players are expected to be interchangeable?
3. How much of which play gets run and which receiver option read is 1, 2, or 3 is up to our HOF and supposedly brilliant at reading defenses QB? He often seems disappointed at the offensive play call and/or gets locked in to pre-snap reads. How much of this is by design?
4. Are our receivers really unable to get open, or are the routes they are running poorly designed, or is the QB not seeing all the possibilities? Or all of the above.
5. The run/pass ratio never seems to be tailored to the weaknesses of the teams we face. Why is that? Overthinking? These coaches can’t be that stupid, can they?
6. Are the quick passes behind the line of scrimmage protecting some weakness, or are they supposed to be more successful than they seem to be? Are they being badly executed?
7. Why is Muth seemingly in the doghouse? Too many tight ends?
8. Who yells at Rodgers when he screws up? He is comfortable yelling at everyone else.
9. Others?

 

For a guy who rides his teammates for not being on the same page, he sure has a lot of "miscommunications."

I can't recall a year when it was so bad.

 

All I’m going today is some teams seemingly always put up points and consistently maintain long drives and produce big chunk plays no matter who they put in at at QB or receiver or TE. We seemingly are the opposite. People come here and get worse. Roger’s has performed better here than the jets. In fairness I think they are allowing him free rein we just failed in giving him weapons. Still some really perplexing offensive calls yesterday. I also don’t like are usage of personnel. I don’t know if it’s aaron or Arthur but one of themdoesntvalueFreirmuth. Fourth string wr’s should not be the first look when the game is on the line.

 

Rodgers will take the blame and admitted he didn't play well against the Browns. I see Rodgers on the sideline talking to the QB coach and OC but no yelling going on.

 

we've been doing those sideways/backwards passes since Ben's last couple years. it would be interesting to see how many we've ran and the results. me thinks our YPC would be little bittie.

 

1. Yes
2. Depends on the next man obviously
3. ??? I don't know what this is asking.
4. Depends on the play called.
5. See question #1
6. They rely on getting the ball to play makers and them making plays.
7. Why would any of us know?
8. The fans.

 

This was created in the offseason. They refused to learn from last season's mistakes. They entered the season with one good receiver and lost him when it mattered most. This season was ruined the day they traded Pickens. They had opportunities to fix it, but they failed to find an adequate replacement. The Ravens will take full advantage of that Sunday night, and the Steelers will go out with a whimper in a season that was a massive wasted opportunity.

There will be excuses made. There will be talk of injuries. We will hear about the loss of Washington at the worst possible time. We will hear about losing Watt and all the guys missing from the secondary. We will hear about the time Harmon and Highsmith missed.

It will all be crap. They are very likely to miss the playoffs because they left themselves short at receiver, something some of us tried to tell y'all was going to ruin this team when they moved Pickens in May. Failing to offer enough for Jakobi Meyers compounded the error. Yeah, he wanted to go to Jacksonville, but I can't see the Raiders turning down a significantly better offer, say the picks the Steelers got for Pickens. Instead, Meyers is helping the Jags dominate while the Steelers have scraps at receiver for the biggest games of the season. If they keep Pickens or trade for Meyers, they have the division wrapped up by now and a very strong opportunity to compete in the playoffs. This is inarguable among the sane.

As it is, what is the hope? Force a bunch of turnovers and maybe get a defensive touchdown to cover up for the mess on offense?

 

I'll take a stab.... right in my wheelhouse.

1. The OC sends in a “play”, which I assume is actually a set of plays, and which play gets run is dependent on the defensive set up. Is this true? Often they seem to run a set play regardless of the defense, which seems crazy.

They have a game plan. Audibles for certain sets are predetermined. Rogers did an excellent job of ad hoc'g a play with one of the receivers (I think Theilen) a play. He can do that too. Rogers is one of the few 'field generals' in this league currently and at the end of the half, he was riffing but keep in mind, Smith and Tomlin are in the head sets too. You probably saw him yelling to the sidelines, he has this thing where he loves to catch 12 men when the defense is slacking.... he wants to call those plays.

1. Next man up? What if the next man does not have the skill set of the man they are replacing? Do the plays that get called get changed? Or is the standard the standard and players are expected to be interchangeable?

Agree. The front office did a sh!t job on the WR need yet again. This is also Tomlins fault for not insisting on better. The drop off in talent in several positions is steep, especially in the WR department.

1. How much of which play gets run and which receiver option read is 1, 2, or 3 is up to our HOF and supposedly brilliant at reading defenses QB? He often seems disappointed at the offensive play call and/or gets locked in to pre-snap reads. How much of this is by design?

Let's take one of the 3 passes to MVS. I believe it was 2nd down and Goal. Despite MVS being held, MVS shifted right (facing QB) as Rogers threw left. The left side was a TD had MVS been on the same page. That's an example where they are not connecting. Rogers conducts extra passing drills to get the receivers on the same reads so all it takes is a wink, nod or glance to make an adjustment. Peyton Manning was a master at it and when receivers did the wrong thing, got an ear full as well.

1. Are our receivers really unable to get open, or are the routes they are running poorly designed, or is the QB not seeing all the possibilities? Or all of the above.

Anyone not named Metcalf in the WR department is not very good. We have MVS and Theilen who are wily vets but their skill sets are not what they once was. Roman Wilson is a complete fail. Austin maybe the best 2nd tier WR. Our TE's are decent... Washington seemed to get on the page with Rogers, Pat doesn't play up to his potential and Jonnah has lost some trust though maybe regaining it.

1. The run/pass ratio never seems to be tailored to the weaknesses of the teams we face. Why is that? Overthinking? These coaches can’t be that stupid, can they?

This is a decent point. We abandon the run quick. Our Run game should have a guy Defenses must stop... I like Warren and Gainwell but I think they are scatbacks/3rd down backs and/or relief RBs. We need a guy that can carry the ball 25-30 times and get 100+

1. Are the quick passes behind the line of scrimmage protecting some weakness, or are they supposed to be more successful than they seem to be? Are they being badly executed?

That's offensive design, extended handoffs - from the Bill Walsh era. They want to get the ball into playmakers hands quickly. Gainwell and Warren are very good at this. We do not use the TE drag or seams enough.

1. Why is Muth seemingly in the doghouse? Too many tight ends?

He doesn't play to what he is capable of. He has good hands, decent speed and good feel but sometimes just does something else? Really Washington should be used in the 2 TE set as a blocker, with Muth on the otherside - Joe Gibbs' SD Offense. Washington can slip out on the occassion and hurt the defense. Muth should be on those drags and seams in the middle. Smith shoulders some blame too.

1. Who yells at Rodgers when he screws up? He is comfortable yelling at everyone else.

Ridiculous question. Rogers is a vet and Hall of Famer. If the OC is late getting play calls in, he should be yelling (and yes they have bumbled around, Rogers wants to go) We also do not utilize that hurry up, which is what we should have done against Cleveland and forced them to keep in packages they did not want in and just wear them down instead of letting them sub to keep people fresh.

1. Others?

All I can say is that if it is not obvious how stupid it was to sign a Rogers and trade away a 1400 yard WR to compliment Metcalf and think that a bunch of blue light specials could 'next man up' then nothing is ever going to be apparent. Dumbest move ever. I am waiting on the next stroke of brilliance for 2026 when we need a QB and WR's and maybe more.

 

If Arod retires it is going to be very interesting in what they do at qb.
Another veteran?
Is it possible for this staff to develop a young qb?

 

He wouldn't have been getting just three or four targets per game. You are going under the false assumption that they couldn't or wouldn't adjust the offense to having a stud pair of receivers. Even Tomlin and Smith aren't that stupid. I don't know how you can't see this. I don't know how anybody can still argue in favor of what they did now that we know it failed. Maybe they get lucky and somehow get past the Ravens, but it doesn't change that Metcalf did exactly the sort of thing they were worried Pickens would do and it should surprise no one given his history of hotheaded, stupid decisions in games.

Keeping Pckens with Metcalf was the smart play. That was the winning play for this season. The Steelers chose to live in their fears. They chose failure.

There is no doubt they beat the Browns if they have Metcalf or Pickens out there. If they had both, the playoff berth would have been locked up before that game.

 

Hope you and your family are having a good holiday

 

Started off bad when we lost of Cleveland.
But other than that, it's been great.
Same to you guys... it is a great time of year.

 

Really.
So Rodgers has won less games than when he was with the Jets the last two years?
Fields has won more games since he left??
Wilson has won more games since he left??
Well Maybe Trubisky has won more games since he left??
Or
Mason Rudolph did better after he left.
Claypool did better after he left?
DJ did better after he left?
Bell did so much better after he left??
Please show me which of these players has shown what you claimed to be true.

 

I mean your right Pickens really helped the Cowboys go deep into the playoffs. With a team set up to pass all over.

 

1. They put a pair of dice in a cup.
2. They shake it up a little bit
3. They dump the cup out and lose one of the dice.
4. Since they only have one die now, any role below a six, is a pass play behind the line of scrimmage.
5. If's its rolled a six, it's a guaranteed three and out.

 

oh man all we need is to beat the Ravens...can it be done or is it all over ..to get ready for another season of Succo baseball

 

Thanks for the detailed answers, which I think are spot on. I think there is an over-reliance on playmakers and we really don’t have enough of them. Beating your man one-on-one seems to be expected to make plays work, and when that doesn’t happen, the offense stagnates. Same is true on defense, especially with the edge rushers. One would think a coordinator could come up with schemes to help players excel, but maybe we just don’t have the talent.

I echo the need for more hurry-up offensive style, as I think Rodgers would excel at that. I don’t recall seeing it much. Too much reliance on specific personnel packages?

Still in the hunt, so fingers crossed they come up with a plan that works.

 

Rodgers statistically had a better year with the Jets... he came to Pittsburgh and it got worse. Is it him or is it the Steelers offense?