What's The Problem With Rushing the Football?

[Captain Lemming]

Simply by the numbers, there isn't any evidence that BB dropping back 40+ times a game is a good thing.


The Steelers have the QB and can get in a shoot out with the best of them.

Great point JPN.
This is why you want a 15 mil QB even on a more balanced attack.
Ben is the most important guy.
But balance make him (frankly any QB) better.

[Crash]

The Steelers went 1-5 for 3 points in their opening drives in those games. I don't see how 3 punts, an INT, and one FG equates to the O pulling their weight. I'm not dismissing the Steelers D by any stretch. They looked aged and slow as the year went on. There is room for improvement on both side of the ball.

Absolutely. But for most of the people here. Because this defense can beat up on cream puffs all year they feel as if there is no problem with this defense.

[Crash]

Great point JPN.
This is why you want a 15 mil QB even on a more balanced attack.
Ben is the most important guy.
But balance make him (frankly any QB) better.

Yeah all that running made the offense look real good for 3 of the 4 games they played when Ben was out in 2010.

Or against the Ravens in 2009.

[papillon]

Well that would be a good thing. In the 5 losses last year including the playoffs...BB averaged 42 drop backs and completed 55% of his passes with a 65% rating. In his 11 wins...BB had 32 drop backs and completed 67% of his passes with a 103% rating. 40% of the season sacks came in those 5 losses and he was sacked every 13 dropbacks on the season. Including the playoff game, BA averaged 37 passing plays per game and 27 rushing plays per game. That's a +10 on passing plays. Simply by the numbers, there isn't any evidence that BB dropping back 40+ times a game is a good thing.

On thing many people are forgetting is what impact pass pro has on the OL from a conditioning standpoint. Your pounding in the trenches is what wins your the battle of attrition. Dropping back 40+ times a game helps the defense win the battle of attrition while you self inflict. Then when the time comes where you "need to" impose your will in the run game...You already wore yourself down. When I played, I would have rather run the ball every play where the yard to go was under 7 on 2nd & 3rd and smack them in the mouth on 1st down to the point where they had to sell out against the run. Then keep them guessing against the PA when they did. You could feel their bodies wearing down as your fired out and took the wind out of them as the game wore on. It got easier and easier as the game went on and when you needed to pass there was no gas left in the tank to rush the QB and when you needed to run the push came from the OL. That part of football will NEVER change even in this QB league.

The Steelers have the QB and can get in a shoot out with the best of them. Come post season, there isn't a next week if the coaches across the field dialed it up. The sure equalizer in football is an effective run game. That is a whole story in itself. But getting positive plays on the ground on 1st down thickens the DC playbook on 2nd. Having shown you can run the ball keeps that playbook thick on 3rd & medium. Equally important is the fact that the seconds are ticking away means your D is resting and making adjustments between series. Just being able to improve the effectiveness and dial it up if & when you have to will seperate the Steelers from the pack. That will put them in a small group of teams where, if needed, they could use it to take away from the other teams strength. This passing offense will benefit and I don't anticipate a drop off. If the D picks up the TO & sacks now that Woodley & Harrison are healthy...The play count & opportunities will be there.

My comment was made with dripping sarcasm. I'm fully aware of the fact that the more Ben or any quarterback probably drops back the more likely a bad outcome becomes, because the chances are that you're playing from behind and the defense is in "get after the quarterback" mode.

Pappy

[Crash]

My comment was made with dripping sarcasm. I'm fully aware of the fact that the more Ben or any quarterback probably drops back the more likely a bad outcome becomes, because the chances are that you're playing from behind and the defense is in "get after the quarterback" mode.

Pappy

You may understand that. Most here don't.

They'd rather run the ball. quit, and lose a game without even trying to win all for the sake of "balance".

[Captain Lemming]

Just because the offense bails LeBeau out that doesn't let him off the hook when his prevent defense bites him in the ass.

OK, so in order to make your point you include wins. I'll address that below:

the defense blew a 4th quarter lead in Jacksonville in 2004, Ben played.

The defense blew the lead against the RAIDERS in 2004, Ben didn't play.

READ!

I stand corrected on your comment.
Understanding clearly now, you define a "blown lead" as allowing a single field goal in the 4th quarter, in a game we won anyway by scoring but a single field goal in the 4th.

Give me a DC who gives us THREE MEASLY POINTS in the fourth, in a victory all day long.

But clearly winning is not your priority.

[Crash]

OK, so in order to make your point you include wins. I'll address that below:



I stand corrected on your comment.
Understanding clearly now, you define a "blown lead" as allowing a single field goal in the 4th quarter, in a game we won anyway by scoring but a single field goal in the 4th.

Give me a DC who gives us THREE MEASLY POINTS in the fourth, in a victory all day long.

But clearly winning is not your priority.

Winning IS my #1 priority.

You on the other hand want running the football and protecting Dick LeBeau's reputation.

Sorry, but when a defense allows an 80 yard TD drive to something called Curtis Painter up 7 points in the 4th quarter, and then the offense goes on the field and kicks a GW field goal? That doesn't excuse LeBeau's 4th quarter scheme or lets him off the hook.

Case in point, that 2004 Jags game:

The Steelers have a 14-7 lead to start the second half:

Fist play from scrimmage? Ben 17 yards to El, sets up for 1st and 10 at the 49, perfect chance to get points, what do we do?

Run run pass punt.

The defense comes on the field and gives up a FG, it's 14-10 Steelers.

Next series, the Steelers start 1st and 20.

Run run pass punt.

The defense comes back on the field, and gives up another FG, and it's 14-13 Steelers.

So instead of coming out in the THIRD QUARTER, and trying to get points? We are already in "turtle mode", and what did it get them? NOTHING!

The whole freaking half they did what you wanted, and they lost the lead.

THEN, the offense bails them out needing a FG to win on one last possession.

[Sugar]

My comment was made with dripping sarcasm. I'm fully aware of the fact that the more Ben or any quarterback probably drops back the more likely a bad outcome becomes, because the chances are that you're playing from behind and the defense is in "get after the quarterback" mode.

Pappy

Wouldn't the likelyhood of a better outcome increase if Ben weren't working behind a patchwork, musical-chairs, injury-riddled OL? What if the O is designed around those drop backs and it's not happening because of being behind?

[Slapstick]

Winning IS my #1 priority.

You on the other hand want running the football and protecting Dick LeBeau's reputation.

Sorry, but when a defense allows an 80 yard TD drive to something called Curtis Painter up 7 points in the 4th quarter, and then the offense goes on the field and kicks a GW field goal? That doesn't excuse LeBeau's 4th quarter scheme or lets him off the hook.

Case in point, that 2004 Jags game:

The Steelers have a 14-7 lead to start the second half:

Fist play from scrimmage? Ben 17 yards to El, sets up for 1st and 10 at the 49, perfect chance to get points, what do we do?

Run run pass punt.

The defense comes on the field and gives up a FG, it's 14-10 Steelers.

Next series, the Steelers start 1st and 20.

Run run pass punt.

The defense comes back on the field, and gives up another FG, and it's 14-13 Steelers.

So instead of coming out in the THIRD QUARTER, and trying to get points? We are already in "turtle mode", and what did it get them? NOTHING!

The whole freaking half they did what you wanted, and they lost the lead.

THEN, the offense bails them out needing a FG to win on one last possession.

Run run pass punt does not indicate a commitment to the run. It indicates a commitment to unimaginative and predictable play calling.

[Crash]

Run run pass punt does not indicate a commitment to the run. It indicates a commitment to unimaginative and predictable play calling.

Guess what Slap? WHIZ was the OC in that game, not Arians.

But all I hear from brain dead sheep is how the defense didn't blow leads when we played "Cowher Ball".

[Slapstick]

Guess what Slap? WHIZ was the OC in that game, not Arians.

But all I hear from brain dead sheep is how the defense didn't blow leads when we played "Cowher Ball".

So, you deny that it is unimaginative play calling?

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

My comment was made with dripping sarcasm. I'm fully aware of the fact that the more Ben or any quarterback probably drops back the more likely a bad outcome becomes, because the chances are that you're playing from behind and the defense is in "get after the quarterback" mode.

Pappy

I know it was Pap. It was generalized to this topic. 17 pages in I just piggy backed your sarcasm to throw some things into the fire. Seemed like it was going out.

[Crash]

So, you deny that it is unimaginative play calling?

Absolutely, but unfortunately that's what Art II wants. Run like Franco did.

[Slapstick]

Absolutely, but unfortunately that's what Art II wants. Run like Franco did.

No, Art doesn't want unimaginative playcalling...

He could still have Arians for that...

[hawaiiansteel]

what does Redman's last quote tell you, all you need to know in my opinion. other teams knew what was coming half of the time because Arians' running plays and designs were so predictable.


Isaac Redman Talks about the Advantages of Pittsburgh’s New Offense, his Grasp on the System and his Chance to Start at RB

June 8, 2012 – by Brad Gagnon

On if being forced to learn an offense forces everyone to concentrate harder:

“It does. It’s gonna take everybody to go home, watch film, go home and stay in the play book. As far as — last year a lot of guys probably just took it for granted, ‘I know this, I know that,’ and maybe not as crisp as we could’ve been, especially in the red zone last year. So now every single one of us is gonna have to be in our playbook knowing exactly what we need to do and exactly where we need to be.

And also, you gotta look at it, the other teams that we play, especially in our conference, they were used to us running the same plays and kinda had our playbook down and kinda knew what we were running.

Now, they got a whole new offense that they have to prepare for.”

[URL="http://sportsradiointerviews.com/2012/06/08/ike-redman-talks-about-the-advantages-of-pittsburghs-new-offense-his-grasp-on-the-system-and-his-chance-to-start-at-rb/"]http://sportsradiointerviews.com/201...o-start-at-rb/[/URL]