Everyone knows the method for each Pittsburgh Steelers sport.
The offense appears a hair above incompetent for 50 minutes, being reliant on George Pickens’ wild catches or superhuman performs by Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. The protection appears unimaginable (sans a number of blips), however the quarterback play is simply barely above common. Kicker Chris Boswell appears like probably the most spectacular offensive participant.
And but, they preserve successful video games.
I’m satisfied the Steelers put a magical barrier on the tip zone, for either side of the ball. They power opponents into taking part in their type of soccer, a tough and tumble rock combat that’s extra akin to the Battle of Verdun than it’s a soccer sport (the Battle of Verdun is called the longest battle in fashionable historical past, for the non-history heads). The Steelers simply power groups to play into their fingers, and simply drown you in it. In opposition to a Baltimore Ravens’ offense that was largely thought-about top-of-the-line offenses in soccer, Pittsburgh put them in a sieve, holding them to a -0.13 EPA per play, 40% Success Charge and compelled three turnovers (Pittsburgh had a -0.27 EPA per play and 32% Success Charge, however hit all of their discipline objectives and didn’t flip the ball over twice). They do that to everybody, however the truth that they might do that to a model of the Ravens offense and QB Lamar Jackson that we haven’t seen earlier than is extremely spectacular.
How they do it, the method that retains this Steelers workforce on the high, hasn’t modified since 2020. They’ve a deep and proficient defensive entrance who’s taking part in out of their minds thus far this season. EDGE TJ Watt will get the entire consideration, however with out Alex Highsmith on the sting there have been quite a lot of questions on how they’d survive. Effectively they merely elevated the Nick Herbig utilization, traded for Preston Smith, and saved the machine flowing. Herbig had some actually spectacular performs on Sunday, utilizing his blazing velocity across the nook to be able to power this fumble on RB Derrick Henry to start the sport.
2nd play of the sport, first sport again in additional than a month. Nick Herbig forces Lamar to offer the ball on this learn/possibility after which chases Derrick Henry for his first fumble in over 500 rushes. What a play. #Steelers pic.twitter.com/NC8OOfDBCk
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) November 18, 2024
DTs Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton make life tough up entrance in each aspects of the sport, however on Sunday it was the linebackers that caught my eye. Patrick Queen had a monster day in his revenge sport, main the Steelers in tackles, forcing a fumble and recovering a fumble as effectively. Elandon Roberts had good moments in run protection, and Payton Wilson merely made one of the crucial unimaginable performs you’ll ever see, intercepting Jackson on a wheel route that he barely even sees.
Above anything, they only know cling round. The protection is aware of the place their strengths and weaknesses are, and might maximize their strengths whereas avoiding the weaknesses being probed too simply. That’s simply actually good teaching and an ideal tradition of successful and success introduced on through the veterans within the locker room. It’s easy to say “X workforce is aware of win,” however the Steelers actually do. They know win ugly, they usually can drag you into the muck and preserve you there, which is required as a result of the offense largely is, effectively, mucky.
Like I mentioned on the high, the Steelers had a 32% Success Charge on Sunday. For comparability, the Jacksonville Jaguars had a 31.3% Success Charge on Sunday and misplaced 52-6. On the season, Pittsburgh’s Success Charge is 40.4%, twenty fifth within the NFL and simply barely above the twenty sixth workforce within the NFL, the Las Vegas Raiders. I’m probably not certain what to make of this offense and the way far they’ll go come playoff time, as a result of whereas the offense appears like one of many worst within the NFL at occasions, they’re at all times one George Pickens catch, or one large run away from being again within the sport. With the volatility they signed up for at QB, that is the sport they need to play. They’re just like the boxer who simply hangs round till the eleventh spherical, after they lastly land one which ends the combat. If they’ll preserve their opponent inside vary for that strike, then the Steelers at all times stay harmful, which is what makes them an issue after we get into the colder months.
Above anything, the Steelers are extremely well-coached, they usually have an identification that they absolutely imagine in. How far will that take them? We gained’t actually know till we see it, however they’ll be a tricky out.
