What has happened to the 20-30 yd pass down the middle of the field?

It has virtually disappeared despite the presence of JuJu, AB, Jesse & McDonald. Why do the Steelers go constantly to the Bubble, screen, sideline or Bomb? In watching the Chiefs, Rams, Saints & Pats, the 20-30 yd down-field pass is their bread & butter play. I remember when Ben threw that pass quite often to Jesse with great success. In the 2nd half of Sundays game, it was virtually absent - as it has been recently. I know you cannot fight success, however, I really wish the coaches would get back to mixing it up more. What say y'all?

 

When Hines Ward retired he took the middle of the field with him?

 

Eli Rogers is apparently getting close and adding him would likely open that specific play even more for us.

 

OK - kidding aside, you're right, don't see it often. That was bread and butter with the Young Money quartet, often turning medium range skinny posts into 50 yd+ TD's. Maybe Ben doesn't trust his instincts of spotting lateral defender movements into that sector as in his younger days. Switzer is picking up some tosses over the middle but certainly not in a dominant fashion as we've seen in the past. Let's bring it up at the next meeting.

 

Close but the middle of the field is now a graveyard full of people that he blocked. Hard to run through the headstones.

 

Agree with passes up the middle non existing of late. Same for Jesse James in the middle, he is tall and has good hands, surprised we didn't see him more against the Jags. We sure could of used him.

 

And if you run into a headstone, it’s a 15-yard personal foul.


I dunno. We have the running game threat to pull safeties down and the receiving threats to make them shade wide.

 

And the problem is, as I see it, the offense becomes awfully predictable. That certainly is not a good thing. Is this on Ben or as I suspect on the coach?

 

Just have AB run that route. Ben will throw it to him regardless of the coverage.

 

IMO it's the lack of a bonafide and consistent deep threat that truly takes the top off a defense. We have seen very few attempts and even less succes in that department. I know DHB isn't the answer but I wouldn't mind seeing at least a couple field stretchers thrown his way to at least give the D the threat of it.

 

I like what we have been doing on offense lately, except for the Jax game. It seems to me they tried to take away the short pass and run game and took their chances we would not throw deep and we played right into their hands. We should have called the pass plays you are describing for that game. Good thing Bortles is back to being horrible and they have no pass game.

So it depends on the defense we go up against. For instance, I hate the bubble screen we overused, but if the defenders are playing way back and there is a safe 5 yards plus for the taking, then I`m ok with that. We used to routinely run that play when there was no room and get 1-3 yards and I hate that.

 

Pretty funny.

The Steelers also have a QB that can throw the sideline balls now. Did not have that with the Mike Tomzack, Kordell Stewart, Tommy Maddox.. Ward paid dearly for some of those catches over the middle. Couldn't believe he'd come up with the ball.

I'm not complaining too much with over 300 yards passing in most games.

 

Where did you find this data?

 

There is something about the Jags that Ben always plays kinda sloppy . He airs it out far more often when playing them then any other time. Weird because if anything you want to protect the ball against a secondary that is stout like Jacksonville

 

take a look at this triple team of #89 against Carolina. this is one reason we didn't throw down the middle.

 

He still throws them , but we now call them INT's.