Tim Benz: Jets' stellar run defense can't scare Steelers

The result was bad.

The explanation was worse.

Last week, the Steelers threw the football with fourth-string quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges 38 times against the Buffalo Bills.

That’s the same Buffalo Bills team that entered the game third in the NFL in pass defense.

That didn’t end well. Hodges was intercepted four times and sacked four times. The Steelers ended up losing 17-10.

So how will it play out Sunday against the New York Jets’ second-ranked rush defense?

The Bills entered that contest in the middle of the pack (14th) in rushing yards allowed per game (105.3).

Considering the Steelers’ putrid offense isn’t particularly good at either throwing (31st in the NFL entering Week 15) or running the ball (24th), one would’ve thought that the Steelers might be more inclined to test the Bills on the ground a bit more often than 14 times in 56 snaps.

One would’ve thought that.

Until the Steelers got down by multiple touchdowns early in the game and had to throw their way back to catch up.

Oh, wait. That didn’t happen.

Despite what head coach Mike Tomlin wants you to remember.

“You are going to pass more when you lose,” Tomlin said. “We didn’t anticipate it being that way. But we didn’t anticipate not being in control of the game into the latter part of the third and fourth quarters. That’s not how we like to function, particularly the current circumstance with the youth and inexperience at the quarterback and wide receiver positions. But that’s how the game unfolded.”

Here’s the problem with that explanation. The Steelers threw the ball on 10 of their first 15 offensive snaps. And they were winning 10-7 early in the third.

As TribLIVE’s Joe Rutter pointed out, from that point on, “offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner called 26 pass plays (four resulted in sacks) compared to four runs.”

So time and score had nothing to do with the 38-14 split of passing plays to running plays.

Fichtner said Thursday, “It goes back to efficiency.”

And, no, the Steelers weren’t efficient running the ball. They averaged only 3.6 yards per carry. But their main running back, James Conner, in returning from injury, had 42 yards on eight carries.

That average of 5.3 yards per carry is plenty efficient. Granted, 17 of those yards came on one carry. But I would’ve put more money on him popping a second long run in that game if he had been given more of a chance.

At least more money than I would’ve put on Hodges leading another touchdown drive with his arm.

Look at the other sideline. The Bills averaged only 3.4 yards per carry, and they had one outlying run, too — a 12-yard scramble by quarterback Josh Allen.

But Buffalo’s coaches kept the ball on the ground 38 times for 130 yards. Not to mention, that many rushes meant fewer chances for interceptions or incompletions for often inaccurate quarterback Josh Allen (31st in the league in completion percentage at 59.7%) against the Steelers’ sack-happy, turnover-generating defense.

Apparently, the Steelers didn’t see a similar value to that logical approach.

“Once we get it going, we’ve got to keep it going,” Steelers running back Jaylen Samuels said of the running game. “If it’s not working, we’ve got to find something else.”

That’s a concerning statement, too. The Jets have the second-best rush defense in the NFL. If the Steelers could get spooked away from running against the Bills, they may not even bother with another handoff against these guys if their first one doesn’t get 6 or 7 yards.

Furthermore, the Jets may be getting safety Jamal Adams and defensive lineman Quinnen Williams back into the lineup, as they both are practicing. Williams missed last week with a stinger. Adams sat out the last two games after hurting his ankle against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13.

In the days leading up to the Bills game, I was concerned the Steelers would get too conservative. That they would dilute themselves and go run-run-pass into oblivion against an excellent defense that would eat up their oversimplified offense geared to protect a quarterback who is essentially a glorified practice squad member.

Silly me.

They went 180 degrees.

If they do that again this week, they’ll probably be staring down the barrel of another Week 17 prayer vigil, hoping they win and somebody else loses to get in the playoffs.

Just like last year.

Not only might they need help getting into the postseason, but Tomlin also might need help crafting a new explanation.