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Steelers Are NFL’s Worst Short Yardage Team (And It’s Not Close)

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by Hawaii 5-0, Nov 18, 2019.

  1. Hawaii 5-0

    Hawaii 5-0 Well-Known Member

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    The Steelers Are The NFL’s Worst Short Yardage Team (And It’s Not Close)

    By Alex Kozora
    Posted on November 18, 2019

    I’ll reiterate the title because it’s worth repeating. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the league’s worst short yardage team. That’s not opinion. That’s fact. Numbers based. They don’t lie. And when it comes to this offense, like most aspects of it, things ain’t pretty.

    On the season, the Steelers have had 16 plays of 3rd/4th and 1. You would assume most teams are successful there. You’d be right. The Baltimore Ravens, for example, have converted 90% of the time (prior to this weekend) and the league average is 66.7%, two-thirds of the chances. Even teams who rank objectively poor, like the Cleveland Browns (who are 30th) are still at 47%.

    The Steelers? Just 25%. Four first downs on 16 attempts. They’re finding themselves in the easiest situations to convert yet failing time and time again.

    There’s still six games remaining, numbers can change, and we are dealing with admittedly small sample sizes. But if Pittsburgh stays on this pace, it’ll be a historically ugly figure.

    Since Mike Tomlin took over as head coach in 2007, here are the NFL offenses who finished a year with a sub-50% conversion rate on 3rd and 4th and 1.

    Team (Year) Conversion Rate %
    Packers (2007) 39.3%
    Jets (2017) 40%
    Seahawks (2010) 44.1%
    Falcons (2012) 44.8%
    49ers (2012) 45.5%
    Giants (2017) 46.2%
    Lions (2017) 48%
    Bears (2010) 48.1%
    Rams (2013) 48.1%
    Titans (2015) 48.1%
    Lions (2010) 48.6%
    Lions (2009) 48.4%

    So Pittsburgh is on pace for a record low number and even if things get a bit better, they’ll still be the worst in the last decade. To avoid being the worst team in this area of Tomlin’s tenure, they’d need to convert on their next four attempts, climbing them up to 40%, just ahead of the ’07 Packers.

    And don’t think the numbers are skewed since we’re only talking distances of just one yard. Expand the numbers out to 3rd/4th and short, two or three yards, and the Steelers aren’t any better. 31st in those conversions, 31.6%, six pickups on 19 attempts.

    Here’s maybe the best way I can put things. This is the Steelers conversion rate on 3rd and 1-3 versus 3rd and 7+.

    3rd and 1-3: 28.6%
    3rd and 7+: 27%

    Pittsburgh is basically as successful on 3rd and long as they are on third and short. Horrendous and frankly, probably unheard of.

    Why has this area been such an issue? Lack of a run game and lack of a scheme. Outside of Randy Fichtner’s shovel pass, which has mixed results, there aren’t many “go to” plays in these situations. And given the fact the Steelers can’t run the ball to save their lives, they’re in the middle of one of their worst rushing seasons ever, the offense is dead in the water. Even in the game’s most manageable situations.

    https://steelersdepot.com/2019/11/t...s-worst-short-yardage-team-and-its-not-close/
     
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  2. Stone

    Stone Well-Known Member

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    But it's okay cuz we suck at long yardage too!
     
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  3. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    Injuries have played a big part in this. One issue is the losses of Conner and Snell, the two best short-yardage options on this team. Who is their best option now? Edmunds, who shouldn't even be on the roster?

    They also miss Nix, who is now out for the season. They don't have a fullback, which is a big loss in short yardage.
     
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  4. Steelersfan19

    Steelersfan19 Well-Known Member

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    Without Conner, we can't pick up short yardage. Every time we give Samuels the ball, he loses yardage. Every time.
     
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  5. Hawaii 5-0

    Hawaii 5-0 Well-Known Member

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    besides the OL taking a step back (which there's no doubt that it has, losing Munchak certainly didn't help), I think a big part of our short-yardage problem is that opponents are confident that Rudolph and a second-rate receiving corps are not going to burn them. Rudolph doesn't make decisions quickly enough to do that; he defaults to dump-offs.

    defenses can just freely load up to stop the short stuff because they know they're not in any danger of anything downfield, and then the dump-offs are well guarded too.
     
  6. thesteeldeal

    thesteeldeal Well-Known Member

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    If my memory serves me correctly our short yardage woes go back a bit further than just this year. Heck I remember 3 or 4 short yardage conversions we butchered against JAX in the playoffs. How many times did we throw deep on 3rd and short even with LB? Our short yardage conversions have suffered since we became too pass heavy and thus one dimensional. 70/30 pass to run last year. Our OLs strength used to certainly be pass protect and that’s fallen off some this year. Our style of pass heavy offense has made us soft on the OL....IMO.
     
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  7. SteelersForLife8810

    SteelersForLife8810 Well-Known Member

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    Maybe this is why Ben likes throwing it deep on 3rd and 1 LOL
     
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  8. thesteeldeal

    thesteeldeal Well-Known Member

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    ....or maybe we’re terrible at it because of that mentality?
     
  9. Hawaii 5-0

    Hawaii 5-0 Well-Known Member

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    we're pretty good at successfully gaining short yardage in long yardage situations...:smiley1:
     
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  10. AskQuestionsLater

    AskQuestionsLater Writing Team

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    Not surprised at all. Losing two key backs in Snell and Conner do not help. Add in the loss of Nix and this issue gets compounded even more.
     
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  11. KMM

    KMM Well-Known Member

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    The most surprising thing actually is that the squad for the last several years is not on that Least 10 list. Seriously, we've complained about the short yardage game forever, so I would have thought we would have shown somewhere. Guess not.
     
  12. Kreighoff

    Kreighoff Well-Known Member

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    It has been a problem for years, even with LB his hesitation move almost never worked when the box is full. Most times on short yardage I just wanted him to hit the freaking hole, we don't need you to break one we are at the 3 yd line.

    Blaming this problem on Nix like he is somehow Dan Krieder is ridiculous . Even when healthy Nix barely got on the field as Ben always wanted a one back set so he could chuck it 46 times a game.

    We should have kept Kuhn a few years ago he went on to have a decent career with the Packers.
     
  13. MadtownDruankard

    MadtownDruankard Well-Known Member

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    But our head coach is great so it must be the assistant coaches fault .
     
  14. 86WardsWay

    86WardsWay Well-Known Member

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    Run another fake punt with Nix in there and he will try and get everyone to at least believe we're improving.
     
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  15. Lizard72

    Lizard72

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    Part of it is the line doesn't block well going straight ahead. it was built for pulling guards and a center to allow Bell to pick and choose what he wanted to run through. Issue with that is the bigger power DL tend to blow those plays up by engaging and lot letting go and the RB's they have can't make it on their own.

    I'm going to guess that with Finney at center they may be a little better at going straight ahead.
     
  16. Hanratty#5

    Hanratty#5 Well-Known Member

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    With Finney at center and a healthy Bennie Snell this week that should fix the short yardage problem.
     
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  17. BigBensBigBong

    BigBensBigBong Well-Known Member

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    The best play in these situations requires at least some misdirection so the defense gets out of position to defend it. I think any coach who runs it straight up the middle or other simple run with no misdirection is a horrible loser.
     
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  18. Lizard72

    Lizard72

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    Unless you have the guys to block it straight up.

    What I wouldn't give for Dawson and Faneca right now.
     
  19. BURGH43STEL

    BURGH43STEL Well-Known Member

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    Probably since the days of Bettis the offensive line was never a good short yardage power run unit. They are good at pulling and getting to the 2nd level. Defenses don't respect our QB enough to beat the defense to "stay out of the box."

    Such is life in the NFL when there is a deficiency at the QB position.
     
  20. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    Is Kuhn still playing? I’m not sure how he is relevant.

    Nux is a very good blocker. Without him, they have no fullback at all. Nobody said losing him was the entire problem. The injuries to Conner and Snell have hurt. The loss of Roethlisberger is an issue. The declining play of the line is part of the problem. The loss of Nix is one of many factors contributing to the short yardage ineptitude.
     
  21. Roonatic

    Roonatic Well-Known Member

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    Not with Bennie in the slot. Coach Fitchner needs to figure this out.
     

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