Where are the splash plays?

I have become more convinced that a team needs splash plays. 90% of plays are standard, run-of-the-mill plays for all teams, but it can be the splash plays that make or break a game. Bouncing the ball off your tight end into the end zone - splash play. Our D has not had but a few this year. I think Lebeau's strategy of preventing big plays is flawed, because it seems to prevent big plays by the D as well - our interception rate the last two years is abysmal. And our offense is so banged up, we haven't gotten many big plays there either. The dink and dunk isn't designed for big plays. I think these two approaches - bend don't break on D and dink and dunk on O combine to make us average at best. I think at least one side of the ball should go for broke and make something happen.

 

Splash play...with the Steelers?

How does that work? I bet they wouldn't know either.

 

This team has been very bland this year.

 

The scheme on defense has been the same for 10 years. We all heard earlier in the year from opposing players saying they been running the same plays for years. Its just they don't have the players to make those splash plays. Which leads me to believe that Lebeau just plays the scheme regardless of who is playing it. Where you should adjust the scheme to your players.

On offense, i don't mind the dink and donk, just as long as we take our shots. We've had our opportunities down field but Wallace is worrying about next year and he's our big play downfield threat.

 

How about SPLASH PLAYERS?

 

spash plays? you mean those 50 yard bombs ben threw yesterday that were blatantly dropped?!

 

Agreed.

 

My only problem with splash plays on Offense is that for the past several years, when they have occurred, they have always had an adverse affect on our defense. How many times has Ben gone deep to Wallace or Brown, only to have the defense give up a long drive on the next series.

 

Hmmm and that's the offenses fault how ??

 

BINGO

 

Never said it WAS the offense's fault. Just an observation. When the Steelers HAVE had offensive splash plays in recent history - the defense has not responded as one would expect. Just an observation - not placing fault on anyone.

 

Sorry, misunderstood you and agree that the D's response after an offensive splash play is sometimes pretty baffling. Hell for that matter how many times have we seen the special teams give up huge kick returns right after a big TD seems to swing the momentum in our direction. It's frustrating to say the least

 

Phew! I was beginning to fear that you were going to start calling me names like I've been called in some other threads for stating my opinion. Glad to see SOMEONE agrees with me lately.

It just seems to me that given the Steelers offense/defense/Special Teams' inability to react appropriately to big plays by the other side, I would rather have the offense grind it out for a 9-minute drive than see the 80-yard bomb. Same goes with kickoff/punt returns. Just take the ball from the 20 and grind it out for the better part of a quarter. The defense seems to react more positively when they're kept off of the field for the majority of the time.