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Thread: Pittsburgh Steelers: Has The Offense Improved Enough?

  1. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by hawaiiansteel View Post
    Steelers may involve fullback Johnson in passing game more

    By Mark Kaboly
    Published: Monday, June 10, 2013



    Steelers fullback Will Johnson's statistics last season:

    Receptions 15

    Yards 137

    Touchdowns 1

    Yards after catch 81

    Targeted 22

    Neither offensive coordinator Todd Haley nor running backs coach Kirby Wilson specifically told Will Johnson he will be used more in the passing game this year. But three weeks of organized team activities may have revealed their intentions for the Steelers fullback.

    With Heath Miller recovering from knee surgery that likely will keep him out at least the first part of the season, and with no viable replacement at the position to put a dent in his team-high 71 receptions, the Steelers could turn more to their bruising-but-soft-handed fullback.

    “We are doing a lot more; that's been evident (during OTAs),” Johnson said. “In the red zone, they put some angle routes in there for me. We are doing a lot of things. If they are impressed, they will show me by adding plays where I can get out in some routes, particularly in space. That's how I will know if they are interested in using my hands.”

    Johnson's just interested in continuing what has been a Cinderella story. He missed his window into the NFL, worked three part-time jobs, accidentally was seen at a workout not meant for him and wound up playing in all 16 games for the Steelers last year.

    “I will do whatever I can do to make myself more valuable to the team, and if that means catching passes, then I am fine with that,” Johnson said. “You have to be ready for everything, but my main focus will always be blocking. I don't mind catching the ball that's fine and all but first and foremost is blocking.”

    Johnson (6-foot-2, 238 pounds) was an important part of the Steelers offense last year when he was an emergency replacement for David Johnson, who tore his ACL in early August. Will Johnson started seven games. He rushed only twice for 7 yards but was a solid lead blocker and even part of the passing game. Johnson was in the pass pattern 134 times, targeted 22 and caught 15 for 137 yards, including a Week 8 touchdown reception against Washington.

    Johnson was on the field a lot. He played in as many as 32 snaps (about half of the offense snaps per game) a handful of times last year.

    “I want to perfect my craft,” Johnson said. “I want to become a better coachable player, and if there was anything that was lacking last season, I am trying to focus in on that and sharpen that.”

    Johnson's biggest problem last year was sustaining blocks.

    “My initial attack is there, but I need to stay on them longer and finish them,” he said.

    So Johnson is working out with the tight ends hitting the blocking sled and working on line-of-scrimmage blocking to help him when he is in the standup position outside the tight end.

    “Every day I am learning something different, especially using the outside zone scheme,” Johnson said. “You can see that I am still learning how to read it.”

    Johnson, 24, doesn't mind the extra work, especially knowing how he went from working odd jobs to scoring an NFL touchdown within a couple of months last year.

    “It was definitely a dream come true, but is something that you can't take for granted,” Johnson said. “Coach (Mike) Tomlin tells me all the time to not become complacent and satisfied, to set a new goal and continue to strive to reach it. I will become a better player because of it. Hopefully I can continue to build off last year's success.”

    [URL]http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/4170397-74/johnson-steelers-game#ixzz2VsgQO6SC[/URL]
    I think Will Johnson has great potential to help fill the gap while Heath is out. Will J is 100x the player that Dennis Johnson was at FB. To come in as a rookie and do what Will did last year is a great sign for the future.
    "My team, may they always be right, but right or wrong...MY TEAM!"

  2. #22
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    I'm a big Will Johnson fan. Not just because I think the guy can play but because of his attitude. We need a team full of that.

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shawn View Post
    I'm a big Will Johnson fan. Not just because I think the guy can play but because of his attitude. We need a team full of that.
    Will Johnson is a great story. Out of football and on the street but a few short months later he is on an NFL roster. With a season under his belt he will only get better.
    "My team, may they always be right, but right or wrong...MY TEAM!"

  4. #24
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    Report hints at the idea of Steelers throwing deep more in 2013

    By Neal Coolong on Jun 12 2013



    A report indicated the Steelers were throwing the ball deep more often in minicamp. A "coy" Ben Roethlisberger would neither confirm nor deny if that's going to be a larger part of the offense this year.

    Tribune Review reporter Mark Kaboly laid out a quiet nugget of intrigue in his notebook Wednesday. In it, he asked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to confirm whether what he saw - much more deep passing in the first session of the Steelers' full team minicamp - was a glimpse of things to come.

    Roethlisberger neither confirmed nor denied Kaboly's observation.

    '"I don't know," said a coy Roethlisberger. "We are going to have to wait to see what happening in game one. I don't want to unveil any secrets yet."'

    Rookie wide receiver Markus Wheaton is not in attendance, and won't be this week, because his class at Oregon State has not yet graduated. But when he arrives, it's enticing to think about designed deeper passing with the speed they have in Wheaton, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders in a three-wide receiver formation.

    While none of them have the blazing speed of departed WR MIke Wallace, the ability all of them possess with inside route running can set up double-moves aimed to get the ball deep and exploit softer coverage on any of them.

    Perhaps that's why Roethlisberger is smiling. Wheaton is a more polished receiver than Wallace, Brown or Sanders were upon entering the league, and if the Steelers did lose something when Wallace signed with the Dolphins in terms of deep passing, it may not be as much as some feel it is.

    [URL]http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/6/12/4422324/steelers-offense-2013-deep-passing[/URL]
    Steel Maniac's Time-Based Prediction: Lamar Jackson will be a bust and total flop in the NFL.

    What Actually Happened: Lamar Jackson became the youngest two-time NFL MVP winner ever.

    Gloat gloat gloat


    Boom........

    Hahahahahahaha

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by hawaiiansteel View Post
    Report hints at the idea of Steelers throwing deep more in 2013

    By Neal Coolong on Jun 12 2013



    A report indicated the Steelers were throwing the ball deep more often in minicamp. A "coy" Ben Roethlisberger would neither confirm nor deny if that's going to be a larger part of the offense this year.

    Tribune Review reporter Mark Kaboly laid out a quiet nugget of intrigue in his notebook Wednesday. In it, he asked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to confirm whether what he saw - much more deep passing in the first session of the Steelers' full team minicamp - was a glimpse of things to come.

    Roethlisberger neither confirmed nor denied Kaboly's observation.

    '"I don't know," said a coy Roethlisberger. "We are going to have to wait to see what happening in game one. I don't want to unveil any secrets yet."'

    Rookie wide receiver Markus Wheaton is not in attendance, and won't be this week, because his class at Oregon State has not yet graduated. But when he arrives, it's enticing to think about designed deeper passing with the speed they have in Wheaton, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders in a three-wide receiver formation.

    While none of them have the blazing speed of departed WR MIke Wallace, the ability all of them possess with inside route running can set up double-moves aimed to get the ball deep and exploit softer coverage on any of them.

    Perhaps that's why Roethlisberger is smiling. Wheaton is a more polished receiver than Wallace, Brown or Sanders were upon entering the league, and if the Steelers did lose something when Wallace signed with the Dolphins in terms of deep passing, it may not be as much as some feel it is.

    [URL]http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/6/12/4422324/steelers-offense-2013-deep-passing[/URL]
    As I have said, losing Wallce will prove to be addition through subtraction. We will have three more complete WRs on the field and the defense will have to guess who is going deep versus knowing who is going deep because it is pretty much his "one trick"
    "My team, may they always be right, but right or wrong...MY TEAM!"

  6. #26
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    Offensive Line Question Marks Could Be Bad News For Big Ben’s Health And Steelers

    Jul 6th, 2013 by Dominic Di Tolla



    After a somewhat tumultuous (by player losses and salary cap fixing, not Aaron Hernandez tumultuous) offseason, the Steelers received a bit of good news over the weekend regarding the status of Ben Roethlisberger’s once-injured knee.

    Roethlisberger reportedly said that his knee is “better than ever,” and it is assumed that he will return to the team once Training Camp begins at the end of this month.

    I certainly hope that “Big Ben’s” knee will provide him with some extra mobility during the 2013 campaign, especially due to the fact that his offensive line has more questions than answers surrounding it as a unit.

    Although the Steelers do have some big concerns in the offensive trenches, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the fact that the franchise does possess one of the best centers in the league.

    Maurkice Pouncey has started all 45 games during his professional career with the Steelers. Best of all, Pouncey has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons with the team. Pouncey has a great mix of size, speed, and agility for a center, and his athleticism and down-field blocking prowess will only be utilized more now that the Steelers will employ more of a zone-based running game.

    The Steelers were also very lucky when they locked up the ever-reliable Ramon Foster this offseason for a relatively cheap contract this past offseason as well. Since Foster made the team as a UDFA back in 2009, he has quietly emerged as one of the team’s most reliable options in the trenches. Foster has started 42 games since his rookie year, and has chipped in at both guard and tackle.

    Last season Ramon really came into his own after he stepped in for an injured David DeCastro and started at right guard for the injured rookie. In addition to his work on the right side in 2012, Foster started the final three at left guard once DeCastro returned to the lineup in Week 14. As steady as Foster and the All-Pro Pouncey are though, the Steelers still have enormous question marks looming at their other three starting positions.

    I will admit that I am less worried about DeCastro than I am about Pittsburgh’s projected starters at left and right tackle. The former Stanford Cardinal guard definitely had his ups and his downs during his shortened rookie campaign, and Bucky Brooks of NFL.com is of the impression that Pittsburgh’s 1st round pick in 2012 will improve greatly this year. Nevertheless, the talented guard will only have three regular season games under his belt by the time he heads to his his second training camp. Moreover, DeCastro must prove that he can anchor the right side of Pittsburgh’s offensive line and be an absolute mauler on the strong-side.

    The biggest question facing the Steelers’ offensive line is: “Who will man the left and right tackle spots?”

    Pittsburgh’s coaching staff obviously feel that Marcus Gilbert and Mike Adams were capable of manning Ben’s blind-side this past offseason, especially since they allowed Max Starks to walk to San Diego as a free agent. I believe that the loss of Starks could be huge, particularly because neither Gilbert nor Adams has started a regular season game at the left tackle position at the N.F.L.-level.

    Gilbert is the more athletic of the two and is the better pass-protector in my opinion so it was no shock that he received most of the reps on the left side. Unfortunately, Gilbert was much more inconsistent during his second year in 2012 and he was limited to only five games due to an ankle injury. To his credit, Adams started six games and stepped up to play well on the right side during his rookie campaign. However, Adams’ season was also cut short due to an injury and both projected starters only have a combined 24 starts between them.

    Kelvin Beachum is a solid role player and a terrific “swing-tackle” to have on game-days behind Adams and Gilbert. Beachum however reportedly took a number of second-team reps at the center position during the spring, and the Steelers’ coaching staff appear to be making him a “jack-of-all-trades, master of none” type of lineman. If anything happens to Pittsburgh’s top six in their offensive line rotation though, then the situation could become dire for Big Ben’s health and the Steelers’ fortunes.

    The recently signed Guy Whimper, whose performance in Jacksonville made Jonathan Scott’s stint in Pittsburgh look Hall of Fame-worthy, is the only backup with any extended professional experience besides Beachum and the seldom-used Jon Malecki. Behind Whimper are developmental prospects like Joe Long, Justin Cheadle, Nik Embernate, and Mike Golic, Jr., none of whom I should mention have logged any snaps in a professional game.

    There is talent along Pittsburgh’s offensive line, make no mistake. In fact, the team’s starting five could develop into one of the best young units in the league. I just hope that Ben’s knee is as “good as new,” because he might have to be moving around quite a bit if his guys in the trenches struggle mightily once again this year.

    [URL]http://nicepickcowher.com/2013/07/06/offensive-line-question-marks-could-be-bad-news-for-big-bens-health-and-steelers/[/URL]
    Steel Maniac's Time-Based Prediction: Lamar Jackson will be a bust and total flop in the NFL.

    What Actually Happened: Lamar Jackson became the youngest two-time NFL MVP winner ever.

    Gloat gloat gloat


    Boom........

    Hahahahahahaha

  7. #27
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    Steelers offense to be 'faster-paced than ever' in 2013

    By Neal Coolong on Aug 4 2013



    Why shouldn't the Steelers increase the tempo of their offense in 2013? Ben Roethlisberger wonders that, and with the right personnel packages, it could be the boost this group needs.

    Tribune-Review reporter Alan Robinson gave a devotion to the number three in a notebook published Sunday.

    Under the subhead "Three New Wrinkles," he mentioned the Steelers' offense will be run faster than it ever has before. In his words, not Patriots or Chip Kelly fast, but the pace will be bumped up a few notches.

    Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been a long-standing advocate of a no-huddle offense, giving him the ability to make decisions at the line of scrimmage, and attack the defense that's on the field continuously.

    There are pros and cons to this, like with anything. The depth and versatility of both the offense and defense is the question. Multi-faceted players like Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell and Markus Wheaton could spell trouble if the wrong defensive package gets stuck on the field. Wheaton can be utilized in a short or deep passing attack, just as Brown can, and Bell has shown the ability to run, catch and block, giving defenses a hard time basing personnel decisions on his presence.

    If the Steelers want to work up-tempo this season - as many teams in the league are now doing - they run the risk of rushed mistakes costing them downs. This ultimately detracts from their time of possession - something offensive coordinator Todd Haley emphasized frequently in 2012.

    But with what seems to be a more physical camp, increased fitness will be one of the gains they'll have. If they have the right playmakers on the field, it's a weapon Roethlisberger should be able to use to strong gains.

    [URL]http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/8/4/4587322/steelers-offensive-preview-2013-up-tempo-todd-haley[/URL]
    Steel Maniac's Time-Based Prediction: Lamar Jackson will be a bust and total flop in the NFL.

    What Actually Happened: Lamar Jackson became the youngest two-time NFL MVP winner ever.

    Gloat gloat gloat


    Boom........

    Hahahahahahaha

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