Tim Benz: Steelers offense has gone from ‘however we choose’ to how do they fix it?
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It may be hard to remember this, but at one point the 2020 Steelers (11-3) did manage to win 11 straight games.
One of those wins was even against the mighty Cincinnati Bengals.
You know, the 3-10-1 AFC North cellar-dweller that just used a third-string quarterback to upset the free-falling Steelers 27-17 on “Monday Night Football.”
On that afternoon (Nov. 15), the Steelers didn’t get much from the run game en route to a 36-10 victory at Heinz Field. The Steelers rushed for a measly 44 yards on 20 carries. It was the third consecutive game in which the Steelers rushed for under 50 yards.
However, head coach Mike Tomlin was defiant about suggestions that his team was getting out of balance when it came to a reliance on the short pass game versus running the ball. After all, Roethlisberger had just thrown 46 times for 333 yards during a game in which the Steelers never trailed.
“We can give it to you however you want it,” Tomlin insisted. “If you want to pack a bunch on the line of scrimmage, we’re going to throw it. You play two high safeties, we’re capable of running it. That’s what I mean when I say we strive to be a balanced group. We want to be able to move it however we choose — or maybe overcommitments from defenses that dictate it. We’re okay with that, too.”
Well, Tomlin now has his wish. The Steelers offense is balanced. It is really bad at both running and throwing.
During the team’s current three-game losing streak, coordinator Randy Fichtner’s group is last in the NFL (32nd) in rushing at 51 yards per game. It is second to last (31st) in yards per pass attempt (5.0). It is fourth from the bottom (29th) in yards per pass completion (8.6).
So what happened? How has this offense gotten so askew? For most of the first 11 games, it did whatever it wanted or whatever the opposing defense dared it to do. Now it can barely get a clean snap without adventures.
Based on what Tomlin said Tuesday, now it is about the non-existent run game after all.
“I think it starts first with negativity in the run game,” Tomlin said. “When you don’t have consistency in the run game, that erodes other elements of play. It minimizes your play-action passes, etc. I think the inconsistencies in the run game is the fruit of some of the issues.”
That assessment essentially confirms a point that I’ve been preaching for a while now. Which was that the absence of a run game was only going to be deemed important once its absence was noticed.
In other words, the efficiency of the short passing game was masking the impotent run game. Until the defenses focused solely on stopping the short passing game. Which eventually did get out of sync.
But don’t buy that part about play-action too much. It’s true that the Steelers barely use it (just 9.3% of the time according to Pro Football Focus — last in the NFL). The numbers show that whether Roethlisberger is the quarterback or not in years before this one, the Steelers use play-action less frequently than most teams.
So that’s not a new variable. Meanwhile, the Steelers seem to be going out of their way to swat away many other potential variables that could lead us to answers about the struggling offense.
Last week, Tomlin dismissed any fears that the Steelers offensive line can’t hold protection long enough to extend deeper pass routes, hence all these quick throws we constantly see. So did offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva.
Roethlisberger insisted we shouldn’t be concerned about his health. Tomlin has repeatedly expressed faith in the running backs. Roethlisberger
So the Steelers have gotten really good at telling us where offensive problems don’t exist. However, I’m still waiting to hear clear acknowledgment as to where they do exist.
I mean, Fichtner bemoaning a lack of practice time?
Well, sure. Those are valid reasons. But I feel like we are skirting the greater truth.
That greater truth is the offense is broken.
Defenses have figured it out. They can’t run. They can’t effectively, consistently throw deep or intermediate routes. They can’t block efficiently in the run game or for very long in the passing game. The quarterback is either too old, too injured, too heavy-footed, or too inaccurate to be relied on for this much of the offense.
And frankly, the reasons for Roethlisberger’s recent struggles are inconsequential. Whether it’s health or general erosion of his skills at 38 years old, to throw 45-50 times a game is obviously a foolhardy foundation for an offense.
I just know that this offense went from “We do whatever, whenever” to “We can’t do anything.”
Tomlin doesn’t have to tell us why the offense has come off the tracks. He and Roethlisberger just have to fix it.
Immediately.