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On the Steelers: Line holds back no-huddle offense
Sunday, December 19, 2010
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
[url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10353/1111665-66.stm"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10353/1111665-66.stm[/url]
The offense has bogged down lately and, in the past, the remedy was quick and effective. Run the no-huddle. The quarterback loves it, he is in his prime and he once delivered a Super Bowl victory deploying it to perfection.
This season, though, the no-huddle has been no mas, a little-used weapon on a team that could use every tool in its offensive bag.
"This is the least amount, other than my first two years, that we've run the no-huddle," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said.
He said he does not know why.
"I've come to him a couple of times and said, 'Let's do it,' " Roethlisberger said of conversations he has had with coordinator Bruce Arians. "He said, 'Whoa, hold on, maybe next series; let's do this."
There are simple reasons Arians has used the no-huddle less often this season despite its past effectiveness and Roethlisberger's pleas. The reasons are Maurkice Pouncey and all their new starting linemen, rookie receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown, and even veteran Antwaan Randle El, who returned to the team after a four-year hiatus.
"You've got a rookie center, rookie receivers, a different line every week, three linemen who have never been here, a receiver who's never been here," Arians said. "Ben plays so fast, those guys can't stay with the pace, so it's extremely hard."
The problem, as Arians noted, is if one of those players misses a call in the no-huddle, the play can blow up into something ugly.
"It only takes one missed code word," Arians said.
But with the quarterback lobbying for more use and the rookies and new linemen approaching the 14th game of the regular season, Arians might be convinced to use it more in the playoffs than he has in the regular season.
"We have to get better at it because it's been really good for us," he said. "It's something you keep working and working and working on."
The Steelers practice the no-huddle as often as they have in previous years, starting Thursday. Roethlisberger said he is not limited physically to running it despite his broken nose and right foot.
"I like the change of pace, I like the up-tempo, it's hard for defenses to substitute; there's no time," Roethlisberger said. "So you kind of get basic packages. I do like it. Sometimes you're limited because you can't use certain plays that you have. I like it. I just think we haven't done it a lot yet. Hopefully, we'll get to it if we keep going. I think we have enough weapons with 88 and 84 coming along. We need to start."
The run: Numbers are deceiving
Is it time for the Steelers to stop trying to hammer that square peg into a round hole and abandon their ineffective ground game?
On the surface, the Steelers' running game seems to have revived since last season, when it ranked 19th in the NFL with an average of 112.1 yards per game. They have averaged 120.2 yards this season, ranking 10th. But their average per rush has fallen off from even that slow pace, from 4.19 yards to 4.08, and the production of their horse, Rashard Mendenhall, has declined since a fast start.
Mendenhall ran for 332 yards in his first three games on 64 carries. That's an average of 5.19 yards. Since then, he has run for 741 yards on 211 carries, an average of 3.51 yards. He has 1,073 yards and a 3.9 average overall.
He topped 100 yards twice in the first three games and only once since then.
The blocking for the run may be the prime culprit, but Roethlisberger has shown no matter what quality offensive line he plays behind, he can be effective. He has a 94.8 passer rating with 13 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
The Steelers' stars on offense all are in the passing game -- Roethlisberger, Mike Wallace, Hines Ward and Heath Miller. Maybe it is time they lean on them more.
Thursdays with Bruce
The most appealing interview of the week often is when Arians is permitted his one time to speak, Thursday after practice. The past Thursday was no different.
Arians on why the Steelers will not try to stay away from All-Pro New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis:
"In 17 years, I don't care who's over there, where they're at because you don't know where they're gong to be. You read your reads, and coverage dictates where you throw. You start throwing away from people, you start throwing into coverage and you're going to have problems. A guy's got to beat him and you got to throw it and catch it. He is a heck of a player, as is Antonio [Cromartie], but you can't dodge players, whether it was Deion Sanders or whoever it has been in the past. You just take your reads and you throw the ball where it belongs."
Arians on how to avoid holding penalties in the offensive line:
"A guy has to let go. You can call it on every play if you want to. We've bounced outside and made some long runs, and the referee's or umpire's decision, their judgment was we restricted a guy; our judgment was we let go. You can't win. So, you got to keep your hands in, you have to do a better job of keeping your body in position.
"Most of our holding penalties have occurred on an inside running play that bounced outside. A guy's got inside opposition, and he has to feel the defender and let him go."
Arians on All-Pro Jets center Nick Mangold: "I wouldn't trade Pouncey for him."
I wouldn't trade [Maurkice] Pouncey for [Nick Mangold."
Ed Bouchette: [email="ebouchette@post-gazette.com"]ebouchette@post-gazette.com[/email].
Read more: [url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10353/1111665-66.stm#ixzz18Xn9dcIT"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10353/11 ... z18Xn9dcIT[/url]
Sunday, December 19, 2010
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
[url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10353/1111665-66.stm"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10353/1111665-66.stm[/url]
The offense has bogged down lately and, in the past, the remedy was quick and effective. Run the no-huddle. The quarterback loves it, he is in his prime and he once delivered a Super Bowl victory deploying it to perfection.
This season, though, the no-huddle has been no mas, a little-used weapon on a team that could use every tool in its offensive bag.
"This is the least amount, other than my first two years, that we've run the no-huddle," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said.
He said he does not know why.
"I've come to him a couple of times and said, 'Let's do it,' " Roethlisberger said of conversations he has had with coordinator Bruce Arians. "He said, 'Whoa, hold on, maybe next series; let's do this."
There are simple reasons Arians has used the no-huddle less often this season despite its past effectiveness and Roethlisberger's pleas. The reasons are Maurkice Pouncey and all their new starting linemen, rookie receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown, and even veteran Antwaan Randle El, who returned to the team after a four-year hiatus.
"You've got a rookie center, rookie receivers, a different line every week, three linemen who have never been here, a receiver who's never been here," Arians said. "Ben plays so fast, those guys can't stay with the pace, so it's extremely hard."
The problem, as Arians noted, is if one of those players misses a call in the no-huddle, the play can blow up into something ugly.
"It only takes one missed code word," Arians said.
But with the quarterback lobbying for more use and the rookies and new linemen approaching the 14th game of the regular season, Arians might be convinced to use it more in the playoffs than he has in the regular season.
"We have to get better at it because it's been really good for us," he said. "It's something you keep working and working and working on."
The Steelers practice the no-huddle as often as they have in previous years, starting Thursday. Roethlisberger said he is not limited physically to running it despite his broken nose and right foot.
"I like the change of pace, I like the up-tempo, it's hard for defenses to substitute; there's no time," Roethlisberger said. "So you kind of get basic packages. I do like it. Sometimes you're limited because you can't use certain plays that you have. I like it. I just think we haven't done it a lot yet. Hopefully, we'll get to it if we keep going. I think we have enough weapons with 88 and 84 coming along. We need to start."
The run: Numbers are deceiving
Is it time for the Steelers to stop trying to hammer that square peg into a round hole and abandon their ineffective ground game?
On the surface, the Steelers' running game seems to have revived since last season, when it ranked 19th in the NFL with an average of 112.1 yards per game. They have averaged 120.2 yards this season, ranking 10th. But their average per rush has fallen off from even that slow pace, from 4.19 yards to 4.08, and the production of their horse, Rashard Mendenhall, has declined since a fast start.
Mendenhall ran for 332 yards in his first three games on 64 carries. That's an average of 5.19 yards. Since then, he has run for 741 yards on 211 carries, an average of 3.51 yards. He has 1,073 yards and a 3.9 average overall.
He topped 100 yards twice in the first three games and only once since then.
The blocking for the run may be the prime culprit, but Roethlisberger has shown no matter what quality offensive line he plays behind, he can be effective. He has a 94.8 passer rating with 13 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
The Steelers' stars on offense all are in the passing game -- Roethlisberger, Mike Wallace, Hines Ward and Heath Miller. Maybe it is time they lean on them more.
Thursdays with Bruce
The most appealing interview of the week often is when Arians is permitted his one time to speak, Thursday after practice. The past Thursday was no different.
Arians on why the Steelers will not try to stay away from All-Pro New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis:
"In 17 years, I don't care who's over there, where they're at because you don't know where they're gong to be. You read your reads, and coverage dictates where you throw. You start throwing away from people, you start throwing into coverage and you're going to have problems. A guy's got to beat him and you got to throw it and catch it. He is a heck of a player, as is Antonio [Cromartie], but you can't dodge players, whether it was Deion Sanders or whoever it has been in the past. You just take your reads and you throw the ball where it belongs."
Arians on how to avoid holding penalties in the offensive line:
"A guy has to let go. You can call it on every play if you want to. We've bounced outside and made some long runs, and the referee's or umpire's decision, their judgment was we restricted a guy; our judgment was we let go. You can't win. So, you got to keep your hands in, you have to do a better job of keeping your body in position.
"Most of our holding penalties have occurred on an inside running play that bounced outside. A guy's got inside opposition, and he has to feel the defender and let him go."
Arians on All-Pro Jets center Nick Mangold: "I wouldn't trade Pouncey for him."
I wouldn't trade [Maurkice] Pouncey for [Nick Mangold."
Ed Bouchette: [email="ebouchette@post-gazette.com"]ebouchette@post-gazette.com[/email].
Read more: [url="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10353/1111665-66.stm#ixzz18Xn9dcIT"]http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10353/11 ... z18Xn9dcIT[/url]
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