Merry Christmas To All The Steelers- To The Rest Of The League Goodnite.

The Pittsburgh Steelers tend to finish seasons strong, just as they did in 2005 when they needed to win out.

Not only did they make it into the playoffs, but they were the very first 6th seeded team in history to win it all… their league-leading 5th Lombardi Trophy.

The Steelers also have a tendency to play down to teams and pick their games up a level when playing tough competition. That has never been more clear than this season. 

The Steelers are only 2-5 when playing teams under .500, but 5-2 when playing teams over .500.

Fortunately for Pittsburgh, they do not play any more teams with a losing record. And they certainly will not play any if they find a way of making it into the playoffs.

Things are finally beginning to look up for the Steelers following a 5 week slump that literally had everybody thinking the season had been lost.

Well, Christmas has arrived and every Steelers fan may very well be getting an unexpected holiday gift…football in January.

Pittsburgh was down, but never out.

Like the final play of last week’s win over Green Bay, it is very fitting that Christmas is a holiday known for miracles.

There may be more to come.

I’m sure I haven’t said anything that every Steelers fan doesn’t already know, I simply wanted to take this as an opportunity to wish everybody on Bleacher Report a very merry Christmas and a happy New Years.

 

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Steel Window? Steelers Deal with 43 Points Allowed in Last Two Fourth Quarters

After being ranked No. 1 over the past two seasons, this year’s Steelers defense is amazingly still ranked sixth overall, first against the run.

Sounds reasonably decent, yet it isn’t.

For any Steelers fan that has watched the team this season, that may be a little hard to believe, as this year’s defense is nothing compared to last season’s.

This is a perfect example of how stats can sometimes be misleading and don’t factor in important game situations.

Last season, the Steelers allowed 10 points or fewer to five of their final seven opponents. Teams are scoring far more than that in the fourth quarter alone this season.

In fact, the Steelers have given up 43 points in the final quarter—22 to Green Bay, 21 to Oakland—over their last two home games. Overall, the Steelers’ 121 points allowed in the fourth quarter are the second-most in the league. And, unfortunately, it has only been getting worse, as evidenced by a third of that being given up in the past two weeks.

The Steelers also hold the title of allowing the most touchdowns in the final 15 minutes this season, at 11.

On top of that, they aren’t forcing turnovers. They haven’t intercepted a pass in six games, and no Pittsburgh cornerback has picked off a pass all season.

The Steelers recently acquired Joey Galloway, a wide receiver. Maybe they should focus on getting a cornerback, or another safety?

Pittsburgh will obviously benefit from the return of Troy Polamalu, who has been out all but five games this season, but, in the meantime, I certainly hope Mike Tomlin has something up his sleeve to help turn our defensive problems around.

I have not given up hope that the Steelers can gain their seventh win. Everything that has needed to happen to keep them alive has happened. All of the pieces for an end-of-season miracle seem to be falling into place.

Don’t be surprised to see Polamalu out on the field very soon. Until things come together, though, Pittsburgh needs to put more focus on stoppings its opponents when it matters most.

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Offensive Football 101: Offense For Dummies

Of course an offense’s first goal is to score. The easiest way to do this is to evaluate the team you are playing as to their strengths and weaknesses on defense.

If the team you are playing has a defense that is strong against the run, then you should focus more on passing plays. If the team you are playing has a defense that is strong against the pass, then you should focus more on the run.

All the while, knowing your offensive strengths while trying to minimize your weaknesses, of course.

Also, it is common sense to have an offense that is good at mixing things up, as to be less predictable. If the other team knows what is coming, they will stack their defense to cover it.

This is offensive football 101 and it is common sense.

But within those set rules each team has its own identity as too their own offensive style and what defines them as a team.

Some teams, such as New Orleans and Indianapolis, focus mainly on the pass while throwing in running plays. Other teams, focus more on the run while throwing in passing plays.

This is what separates the great teams from the average. Any team incapable of being good at both will more than likely not succeed in winning the big one.

If you are only good at one, say passing, and you run into the best pass defense in the league, then you are in trouble.

All great teams need offenses capable of adjusting from game to game to the opposing team’s defense and their strengths and weaknesses, by adjusting their own game plan and being good at both the run and pass.

Some team’s seem to forget these basic truths and simply stick to their strengths, and neglect trying to mix things up or trying to expose the other team’s weaknesses. Against certain teams, your weaknesses could now be a strength.

A lot of teams can be way too predictable on offense.

While other teams realize this, but their weaknesses are simply too weak to get the job done. And you end up seeing coaches trying in vein to get something going that just isn’t working, instead of moving on sooner to what is working. As Arians did with the Steeler’s running game last season. He was obviously forcing the issue.

Which is how I know the Steelers still understand the importance of a good running game. They will do everything in their power to become good at the run again, and in fact, focus on it because their passing game is already strong. They will not be able to mix things up without being successful at both again.

Though teams can win while being good at only one, they more than likely will not be successful or accomplish their goal of winning it all. Their weakness will eventually be exposed and used against them.

In no way, does that mean a team can not have an identity as being better at one over the other…as long as they mix things up.

I feel there is a clear advantage at being better at one over the other and this is why…

Another goal of a team’s offense is to try and take as much time off the clock as possible during their attempt at scoring. The more time they can be on the field, the less time the opposing team’s offense will be on the field. The less time the opposing team’s offense is on the field…the less they can score.             

Having a good running game is the best way of taking time off of the clock. A dropped or incomplete pass stops the clock, while a run allows it to continue rolling. Just another reason having a good running game is so important.                        

Keeping your offense on the field by running the ball also keeps the opposing team’s defense on the field, and your defense off the field. This will help to wear out their defense by late in the game and keep your defense fresh.            

While it is of utmost importance to be both good at passing and running, being good at the run will do more for the teams chances of winning the game.

And while it is of paramount importance to mix things up; again, being good at running the ball will do more for the team’s ultimate goal of winning it all.

In my honest opinion, it makes more sense to me that while it is important to be good at both the pass and the run, it is of more importance to be run oriented in your offensive style.

The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to have been thinking along those same lines over the past 40 years and have consequently become the single most consistently successful football team in the league over that period of time.

For them to lose their way now would be a mistake. They need to find the run again.

The fact that the Steelers were ranked 22nd offensively last season shows the importance of a good running game and the fact that you need to be able to do both, which they couldn’t.

The fact that they won the Super Bowl shows that there are exceptions to every rule.

So, even though a lot of people want them to stay more of a passing team, thats fine. But they still need to find a way of becoming a good running team again. It is way too important.

They will not win the Super Bowl again unless they can improve their running game and mix things up a whole lot better.

Which is why I have many reservations about Arians.

But that is the making of a whole new article; although, “Arians: Offensive Football for Dummies” could’ve worked for that one as well.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Proving Plan B’s Sometimes Work

I am truly amazed that people could actually look at last season and see it as a change in the Steelers philosophy on offense, as opposed to what it actually was—the Steelers’ plan B offense in action.

The fact that the Rooney’s are not big on change and the fact that the offensive and defensive philosophies of the team have remained the same for so long, is something that has made Pittsburgh as successful and competitive as we have been over the past 40 years. Even more so than any other team in the league.

Consistency breeds consistency.

Tomlin was not brought in here to change the offensive and defensive philosophies of the team. Nor is he looking to change them. He is looking to improve upon them, and he has done a fine job thus far.

He was brought in because fundamentally he agreed with the philosophies and could bring his knowledge, youthfulness, and exuberance to the table.

The run simply didn’t work last season as they would have liked, but it most definitely will be back and will remain the signature of the Steelers offense. It’s what makes us the team that we are, the team that we have been over the past 40 years.

The fact that we can adapt and pass if needed is simply icing on the cake but not a sign of a change as big as that. It was the Steeler’s plan B offense in action. And although it was good enough to win it all, in no way should it become the norm. Nor should we drop our whole offensive philosophy as a consequence.

That is what Tomlin has made us…more multidimensional.

We will certainly throw the ball more often than in the past. That is for certain. But there is a big difference in passing more- which we will do- and becoming a pass heavy, pass first team- which we will not do.

Tomlin will not change our run-first philosophy or our identity as a time consuming, ball control offense.

It is way too important, especially to our defense which benefits from it, and as a result, is at the top of the league year in and year out.

As soon as our offensive line gels and they start playing together more efficiently as unit, and as soon as the injuries are not an issue, we will once again see an offense based on the run.

Once the running game is back on track, everything else will follow suit and start to click.

A good running game will make opposing defenses more honest, opening up our passing game. With the play action pass clicking on all cylinders. As a result, Ben should have great numbers this season as well.

Also, the opposing defenses will be on the field longer as we eat up time of possession, tiring them out by the fourth quarter. Our defense, however, will be on the field less as well as the opposing teams offense. This bods well for our chances of success. As has been proven over many years.

To change to a pass first offense would not be a smart move. It is a move that I am sure is not being made. To even suggest it is lunacy. For us fans that have been fans since the late ’70s, its common sense.

Also, the fact that Arians went to a different style of running had more to do with a change from Bettis to Parker, not a change in philosophy.  It is not another sign of us heading towards a pass first offense.

As long as Arians can learn from his mistakes and not be so predictable in his play calling, he would take less heat from the fans. He needs to show more creativity, especially in his running plays. Maybe that shows he isn’t the best fit for this style of offense.

If he can do that, however, then he can become the guy we all hoped he could be. As of now, he still has a whole lot to prove.

This upcoming season, barring more injuries, we will see what our offense was meant to be- run first. Of that I am certain!

But if not, it is nice to know that when plan A isn’t working, sometimes plan B can be more than capable of getting the job done.

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