Steelers film room: Is the dam really about to break on offense?

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Two weeks into the NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have more wins than they do touchdowns. After two road victories and very few points scored, the Steelers are the kind of statistical anomaly that have pundits pumping the brakes on any Pittsburgh optimism — that is if they bother to spend any time talking about the Steelers at all.

It’s hard to blame them. If Pittsburgh’s 15.5 points per game were to hold for the rest of the season, that would put them roughly four points fewer than the three worst offenses of 2023 — Washington (19.4), Arizona (19.4) and Las Vegas (19.5).

Despite those putrid comparisons, there is a sense of optimism around the team, even if it isn’t felt on the outside. This week, Smith told his players, “The dam is ready to break,” implying that he believes the offense is close to scoring more points on a regular basis. The box score might show it, and maybe I have some bias, but if you’ve watched this offense so far, it’s hard not to feel like the Steelers are building something.

Several plays that would put them in line for points or extended a drive have been halted by penalties. We can argue how many of those have been poor officiating and how many have been dumb, self-inflicted ones, but the point remains: if the Steelers’ can cut down the penalties and continue to have a low turnover rate, this offense seems capable of more.

This week, I took a look at the lone touchdown drive of the Steelers’ season: a 12-play, 7:34-minute drive on the team’s second possession against Denver. The drive showcased the vision this team has been building towards in recent years, with some of the same blemishes. But what made this drive different was the Steelers played good situational football and limited mistakes to early downs.

As always, this series is meant to be a learning exercise for both myself and you, the readers. If you have any insight on something I missed or a correction, please leave a respectful comment below.

Now, let’s dive in.

Q1 9:30 — 1st & 10 at PIT 22

After forcing the Broncos’ second straight three-and-out, the Steelers started their second drive deep in their own territory. The Steelers' first possession had been a three-and-out of their own: a stuffed run, an incomplete pass, and a Justin Fields scramble that came just short of the sticks.

They didn’t start the second drive much better. On this first play, the Steelers come out in 12 personnel, but with Darnell Washington and Mycole Pruitt. With these two in and Pat Freiermuth — a better pass catcher — on the sideline, this signals to the defense that a run play could be coming.

The Steelers put both of their receivers to the left of the formation and then motion Pruitt to the right where Washington is already playing inline next to the right tackle. Denver responds with five men on the line and what looks like a form of Cover 1 man. This works for Denver as the Steelers run play action, but only have three route runners.

None of them win downfield. Pruitt releases late in the play after looking for a block and not finding anyone, but that feels improvised. If chip and release had been part of the playcall, he needed to release sooner than he did when he had no defenders to engage. Instead, he releases just as pressure is reaching the quarterback and Fields manages to gain a yard on a scramble.

This was the Steelers' second possession of the game. First play they run a play action with max protection and nobody wins downfield. Fields manages to squeeze a 1-yard gain out of it pic.twitter.com/4VU1x9v14s

— Ryan Parish (@RyanParishmedia) September 20, 2024

Q1 8:50 — 2nd & 9 at PIT 23

Faced with a second-and-long, this time Smith calls for 11 personnel with Connor Heyward playing as the tight end. With this grouping on this down and distance, Smith is once again playing with the presumed tendencies of this offense. While it’s certainly possible to run out of 11 personnel, it’s more favored for the passing game. And if the Steelers intended to run, why would Heyward be in there instead of one of the better blocking tight ends in Washington or Pruitt? This is the double-edged sword that is Smith’s playcalling. You can see the logic behind it and it’s awesome when it works. But when it doesn’t you question some of his personnel decisions. On this play, it works for a modest gain.

Prior to the snap, Heyward motions from the left to the right. Shortly after, Calvin Austin follows suit, motioning from the slot on the left to the right of the formation.

These motions are done in an effort to pull defenders away from the side of the field where Pittsburgh intends to run. It also makes the right the strong side of the field. Runs can go to either side, but defenses have to respect the numbers game and it makes sense that an offense would run to the side where they should have more blockers. Denver’s slot corner follows Austin on the motion and then Pittsburgh runs Najee Harris to the weak side for a 4-yard gain to set up third-and-manageable.

2. Steelers motion Heyward and then Austin to try to pull defenders to the other side of the field. Slot corner Ja'Quan McMillian (29) follows giving PIT one less body to block and Najee grinds out 4 yards to the weakside. Good work by Anderson, Frazier and Daniels to open a lane pic.twitter.com/8NcUPLmbx1

— Ryan Parish (@RyanParishmedia) September 20, 2024

Q1 8:12 — 3rd & 5 at PIT 27

Crucial down for the Steelers. After punting on their first drive and seeing the Steelers' defense forced two three-and-outs to open the game, the Steelers need this first down and to string a drive together.

Pittsburgh stays in 11 personnel and Denver again counters with its nickel package with five defenders up front on the line. The Steelers isolate Freiermuth to the left of the formation and put all three of their receivers to the right. The Steelers have not thrown to the middle of the field often this season, but I like seeing Smith put Pickens inside here and hunting a matchup. On this play, Denver’s star cornerback Patrick Surtain II has not followed Pickens, giving Pittsburgh a more favorable matchup for their best weapon. Pickens promptly wins this route and Fields hits him for the easy first down and some change.

3. Not necessarily my favorite design when looking at all of the complementary routes here, but on 3&5 I do like the Steelers moving Pickens into the slot and breaking tendency to attack the MOF. He beats his man on a simple slant and then quickly YACs it up pic.twitter.com/Cjur0pKWFO

— Ryan Parish (@RyanParishmedia) September 20, 2024

Q1 7:28 — 1st & 10 at PIT 40

With a new set of downs, Pittsburgh once again comes out in 11 personnel, this time coming out in empty shotgun and subbing in Ben Skowronek as the third receiver. Denver counters with six on the line, three cornerbacks and a safety playing straight-up man with no help behind them.

Pittsburgh has Washington lined up in the slot and I would have liked to have seen the offense adjust here and move him back inline. I’m not sure whether Pittsburgh thought Denver was bluffing on how many defenders they were sending, or what they were seeing, but Broncos edge rusher Jonathon Cooper gets a free release to the quarterback. The offensive line slides left at the snap, so this doesn’t appear to have been a blown assignment. It’s a shame because Skowronek wins big on a double-move post route, but Fields has no time to let that develop.

4. First down, Steelers go empty. Not sure why they decide to let Jonathon Cooper (0) get a free run at the QB here, but the line slides to the left, so this wasn't a blown assignment. This time Surtain (2) follows Pickens into the slot. Pickens wins but Cooper forces JF left pic.twitter.com/Czm4kFZXHS

— Ryan Parish (@RyanParishmedia) September 20, 2024

Even if Skowronek wasn’t the primary target for that play, Pickens once again won on a slant route. This time Surtain follows Pickens inside, but he can’t keep up with Pickens who easily crosses his face. Again, the unblocked defender is truly unfortunate here as it forces Fields to his left as two different receivers are winning big.

In the two stills below, it shows how difficult it would have been for Fields to have made a throw here. Already being forced to his left, he would have had to make a throw with less-than-ideal mechanics, greatly reducing the chance it succeeds. In the second photo, you can see Cooper is already prepared to chop at Fields’ arm if he winds up to throw, which likely would have caused a fumble.

Thankfully for the Steelers, they have one of the game's most athletic and exciting runners under center. What could easily have been an easy unblocked sack for Denver turns into a 16-yard gain thanks to Fields’ speed and quick burst.

Q1 6:51 — 1st & 10 at DEN 44

With another fresh set of downs, Pittsburgh comes out this time in 13 personnel (meaning three tight ends are on the field). I’m still learning how to identify run schemes, but this appears to be a weakside zone run call. At the snap, Spencer Anderson doubles the nose tackle, with Anderson sticking with him and Frazier quickly climbing to go block linebacker in the second level.

Dan Moore Jr. and Washington double the man in front of them and James Daniels and rookie tackle Troy Fautanu are tasked with winning individual matchups. The Steelers mostly win their matchups here for a solid gain, though Frazier shoves linebacker Alex Singleton into the running lane where he was able to recover and make the tackle. Still, you take a four-yard gain on first down with no complaints.

Also a side note. It isn’t shown in the still from the endzone view, but in the sideline view in the tweet below you can see pre-snap that Freirermuth motions outside of the receiver before motioning back inside. It won’t mean much for this play, but put that feather in your cap and remember it for later. Much like Tim Robinson in a drive-thru, ARTHUR SMITH IS DOING SOMETHING!

5. Solid gain of 4 yards on first down by Warren, another run to the weakside. Great job by Daniels and Fautanu to win their 1-on-1s. Nitpicking, but if Frazier puts Singleton (49) on the ground Warren's got an explosive gain. Instead the rookie pushes the LB into the run lane pic.twitter.com/xQIiYPmULp