Steelers Playbook: Quick hit to the WR discussion

Call it what you will teh dreaded bubble screen, the WR screen, a quick hit to the WR what have you. The Steelers have made quick throws to the WR a bread and butter play for the last few years. Many fans hated BA because the bubble screen came to symbolize everything the hated about him. An ineffectual play that gained little and risked more. It survived to the Haley playbook and is once again causing problems for Steeler Nation.

What is it about this group of plays that drives us nuts. It seems such simple play. The CB gives a Wr a five to 10 yard cushion, Ben takes the snap under center and turns to fire quickly to the WR who then bursts the five yards upfield before the CB can recover and gets positive yardage. When executed it is a solid play when down poorly can result in a loss on the play. The variations on the theme are many ball is snapped both TE slant towards the sideline the WR runs towards Ben he quickly tosses the ball and the Wr turns up field. It is a good ball control play that can force a defense into tighter coverage and open up deeper routes downfield.

So what has been the problem lately? Monday night Andy Dalton completed quite a few quick hits to Green and Sanu who then gained five to ten yards before being pushed out, dragged down or tackled. The Steelers tried the play several times as well most of them when coverage played way off but by the time the ball got there the defender was all over the receiver. Why? IS Ben not throwing it with enough velocity to get it there quickly, poor execution, the defense baiting them into throwing it? Why isn't the play working? Thoughts

please feel free to discuss any play you like I thought this was a good group of plays to start with.

 

SD.com tracked all of the dreaded bubble screens for a season under Arians despite what the fans claim it was an effective play. During that span it averaged 5+ yards per play. Under Haley it doesn't seem to be as effective. That could just be perception or reality. but until someone actually tracks them all for a season we won't know. One thing I've noticed this year. On a few of the bubble screens that have been blown up Paulson hasn't been reaching his block in time. You'll see him come running into the screen to make a block, but the play is nearly over by that point. I don't know if Haley has him giving a little chip blcok before heading out to pick up the cb or if he's just starting from a point further away. There should be a block there to spring Brown or Sanders and it's not happening for whatever reason.

 

I read an article once that suggested the bubble screen was generally effective and gained positive yards under Arians. Coaches use the bubble screen to extension the run game. I don't believe the coaches expect big yardage out of the play.

The execution of the entire offense is off right now. I think the offense in general is feeling the effects of not having Wallace on the team.

 

I think the case could be made that it is the perfect play when you have injuries to key players and the opposing teams defense is bringing pressure but playing cover two behind it or loose on the corners.

 

The bubble screen is a good play when used to complement your other plays. The problem with Arians is the bubble screen was about as far as he ventured into the short passing game. He rarely used slants, screen passes, TE and RB chip blocks and then going out for 5-7 yards. So often times the Steelers played a team that was eating our line up and the bubble screen becomes less effective because the corners figure out the gig and start playing up turning those bubble screens into 2-3 yard gains.
This year it once again seems to be the only short pass play being used. Early against TN we had a couple of beautiful slants to Brown and then they were neglected the rest of the game….I don’t know maybe the corners started playing tight. I think that happened against the Bengals too as they knew our line couldn’t hold and played tighter coverage on our WR. Probably the fear of no deep threat does hurt there.

 

The slant has arguably been our most successful short yardage play of the last year or two - Wallace had some great plays, and Brown too as you say.

But you're right - and I hadn't considered it before - that the absence of a deep threat, plus the lack of a running game, is going to hurt that.