Bubble Screen

I was one of the biggest haters of the BA Bubble Screen but will admit that it can be used successfully if implemented in the right situation. The problem with it the past 2 or 3 years was that it was so predictable and if we as fans can see it coming then the other teams know it as well.

I hope to see it about 10 times this season as opposed to the 3-5 times a game that it was used last season.

 

How many of these plays were true bubble screens? They typically ran the bubble screen out of the bunch formation didn't they? How many of these are being confused with the times that Ben recognized that the CB was playing five yards off the line and audibled to a quick strike to Wallace who then was able to average a quick 5-10 yards which would account for the 6 ypa?

I have to agree with many of the thoughts here. The bubble screen is a great play but it has to be used right and it helps to set it up with a series of plays from similar formations and then throw it in there and it can gain some nice chunks of yardage. To me the calling of bubble screens under BA was as mind boggling as when the ran three fake reverses in a single game that fooled no one. Only reason to run three is so that on the fourth you can hand it off and a regular reverse and they will be looking for the fake.

 

6.2 yards per attempt is not the same as 6.2 yards every time. That means that we had plenty of occasions where our WR broke a tackle and got 5, 10, or maybe 20 yards. We also had plenty of occasions where it killed drives. It cost us a whole game against Baltimore week 9, and it would have cost us the playoff game against Denver if not for an accidental whistle by the refs. Yes, we lost that game in the end, but we wouldn't have even had a chance if the refs didn't bail us out by sucking.

I don't hate the play itself. I hate the way it was used and when it was used. Heath Miller was often the lead blocker on those. Now, he's the most versitile blocker on the team and possibly the league, but even with a head start he can't run 12 yards in the same amount of time a cornerback can run 6 yards. Why did BA expect him to? Why did we run it in the red zone, when all the DBs were scrunched up? My god, why did we EVER run it when the CB was within 3 or 4 yards of the LOS? Why did we put so much faith in David Johnson's ability to make blocks in space? Oh wait, that describes the whole running game...

Reading stats like 6.2 yards per attempt or 4,000 yards passing is the exact kind of thinking that gets NFL Network analysts wondering why we would ever cut ties with our extremely successful OC. There is nothing wrong with the "perception" that BA used that play like an idiot. In other words, negatively.

 

I gotta scratch my head at some of you folks. One play cost the Steelers game vs the Ravens? Sorry but the defense was on the field for the go ahead/winning TD. The Ravens needed to drive 92 yards in 2mins to score that TD. Call me crazy but the defense should had kept the Ravens from scoring the winning TD under those circumstances. Would have cost the game vs Denver? Well it didn't. Generally speaking, one play doesn't win or lose a game. The Steelers loss the game vs the Broncos for several reasons. Most of those reasons were due to the players performances on the field.

They rarely ran the WR screen on 3rd down. Not sure how you can suggest the play killed drives? There were times the play extended drives. I can't say if Heath Miller or anyone else was the lead blocker on any of those plays. I don't have the ability to watch or break down each play. As was shown, the play gave the offense positive results most of the time.

A lot of times, coaches call plays with the idea that a player should be able to beat one defender. Beating one defender can happen a number of ways. Breaking a tackle is one way an offensive player can beat a defender.

Bottom line on this issue is the play produced positive results more often then not. You can review the link I posted for yourself. I have a feeling you will still feel the play wasn't called at the right time ect ect ect. Possibly because you felt like BA was an idiot or whatever. The only thing is that BA may not be the one that actually called the play or changed the play at the line based on the coverage. If Ben didn't like the play as called based on the defense ect, he could had change the play at the line.

It will only be a matter of time before people start attacking Haley for not calling plays at the right time, formations, poor situational play calling, ect ect ect. This record was over played in the Cowher era whenever people disagreed with the offense.

 

I'm aware of the fact that most games contain more than one play. Without Suggs' INT, we win that game in my opinion. If the refs don't let us keep control in the Denver game, we don't even force overtime in my opinion. And given the circumstances, I don't think those opinions are stretches at all. Not even close. It would be a stretch to think otherwise.

 

the reason i think we ran the bubble screen was we had players out there to block for it. thats why we ran it out of the bunch. we never could run any type of screen because our linemen couldn't get out to block for it , hence the bubble screen.

 

That interception falls squarely on Ben's shoulders and his alone. There's an interview with Suggs from after that game and he talks about how Ben gave it away.

“He was talking to the receivers too long,” Suggs said.

“Wallace was their number one [target] and he just gave him an extra look. So I said, ‘If you don’t throw the screen, then so what.’ But if he does, then I have a chance to pick. I should have scored, but I didn’t. It was a blessing.”

 

Part of the reason was that you had at least one crushing blocker out of the receiver position (Ward). Numbers show the effectiveness dipped towrds the end of the season as well. (Ward being less apart of the offense)?

 

I don't know if we will find out this year. It might take 3 seasons for Ben to be comfortable within the offense. I don't believe Ben had free reign with the play calling. I do believe that he had the free reign to change plays at the line. Many times, I believe there were two or three plays called in the huddle. I believe Ben had the option to change plays at the line. I don't believe that experienced QB's always run plays as they were called by the OC. Experience QB's such as Ben have the option to change plays at the line. Several factors happen pre snap and post snap that may change the outcome of a designed play. This all goes back to fans not knowing the inner workings of the Steelers offense and often times forgetting how players didn't execute their assignments. Poor execution has a way of ruining plays.

The point I made and prove is that the bubble screen wasn't as disastrous as fans remember. The numbers suggests that the bubble screen was successful more often then not. In the grand scheme of the offense, the bubble screen wasn't called that much. How can a play that wasn't called that much gain so much attention?

In any event, people are going to believe what they want regardless of the information provided.

 

Another note, I believe people are confusing the actual Bubble Screen playcall with the bunch set (WR stack) formation they ran it out of.

 

Man dude is dreaming, what games were he watching. The Bubble Screen was a disaster for us. Knuckle Head BA called it to many times during a game. How about this, I remember when Ben throw it to the left side during a game against the Ravens/Ratbirds at Heinz field and Terrell Suggs intercepted it, if I'm not mistaken, the Ratbirds won that game. It was a simple play because BA used it to much and the other teams knew when they were going to run it. CASE CLOSED!!

Please don't let Haley start using it. It would be like a nightmare for Steeler Nation. The only thing I can say is that Haley probably will use it at some period, when the defense least expect's it, probably to Rainy and it will go for a big gain. Everybody will call Haley a genious for using it at the right time. After that you probably won't see it again until it is least ecpected.

 

The answer to your question about how a play that wasn't called that much gain so much attention? Simple, it was very disastrous most of the time it was called. People on this post have gotten it right for you by saying, it was used to many times, it was used at the wrong time, and other teams knew when it was being ran and defended against it very well. If you break it down by dividing it, 45 divided by 16 games = 2.8 times a game, almost 3 times a game out of the same formations. You think the defense knew? I tell you what, I coached football which means we had to scout the other teams and break their film down, same as the nfl! If you have good film you can break it down and find out a teams tendencies. Now just think how the nfl does it with all their high tech stuff! In high school the average amount a offensive plays ran was about 45 to 50 plays. A high scoring teams was over 50 plays a game. When you break down every one of those plays you come up with formations, passing plays plus screens, and running plays. If you know how to do it like a real D-Coordinator, when you go to practice that week, after film study and break down on the black board with the defense, they will know all the formations, the passing plays including screens and the all the running plays. When I got them out on the the field I would show them the important formations and what they did out of those formations, all the important running plays and passing plays. I would have all the important running play cards, and all the important passing play cards including screens and giving them to the coach who would be running the scout team. They ran the plays and we ran our defense accordingly. They were prepared for what ever.

Also, every man on defense knew every Gap and every Technique going down the offensive line so that they were prepared for how ever the offense lined. Also they knew that if they seen anything unusal like some weird formation, to call time out! What happened, we won most of the time, but we won the 4A State Championship in Maryland in 1999, at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, the same High School that Derrick Willliams played at in High School before he got their.

So in conclusion, yes the play was ran to much, at the wrong time, and the defense knew when it was going to be ran most of the time, which makes it a very disastrous play most of the time. A good D-Coordinator would have his defense ready for that play. From 1-3 yards and less then that is very exceptable for the defense. It was a simble and very negative play that should have been thrown out of the play book! I rest my case.

 

Thank you E dog finally somebody that knows what they are talking about.
BA is not an OC, he maybe a position coach, and that is even up for discussion.

 

Generally speaking, people on both sides of the argument are wrong. Those that want to "burn the play from the playbook" and pray that Haley will never use it will miss out on its advantages. Those that say it was money and the players, not BA were at fault, and wonder what we're complaining about are simply ignoring reality.

It's a decent play that can get us some quick, easy yards. If misused/overused, it becomes riskier and riskier, and results in killed drives, lost yards, turnovers, cranky fans, etc. In my opinion, if you're going to call it as often as BA did, then you should have two plays called in the huddle, in case the CBs aren't 10 yards off the ball. There were so many times last year I was grading a play like that, and I saw our guys like Heath and DJ trying to hustle out there faster than CBs and LBs that were not only closer to the WR, but also higher in numbers. We ran it a lot of times when it seemed like it was dead before it ever got started. I'd watch a failed WR screen, go back to the beginning and look at the defense, and wonder just how in the hell we ever expected to get away with that. Sometimes it just wasn't possible and we ran it anyway.

Now, maybe BA always did have a backup and Ben refused to use it because he loves these screens so much? Maybe. I doubt it.

 

I agree the correct use of the play at the correct time is key.....Plus I will add there is more than one Read to that play...There are 3 primary targets than can be used....
#1 You can use the WR as we normally do..
#2 You can use the inside WR blocking to the outside to sell the block and run the wheel...
#3 You can use the outside WR to sell the inside block and run the slant...

I am sure there a lot more wrinkles some of which inlude the Hook and Ladder,a Pitch play off of th pump fake,a draw off the fake ,which I have seen the Steelers do....Anyway you get my poiny..There are 3 main ways to use this play to attack and a lot of wrinkles also....The key is to keep them guessing and use all the main reads and even sprinkle in a trick play from time to time.....