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The Steelers are headed into the 2020 postseason and are getting ready to as soon as once more face the Cleveland Browns. In a sport the place a number of key gamers have been held out, it appears to be time to interrupt down a development which occurred all through the season.
Let’s get a fast reminder of the place this nerdiness is coming from.
Vertex– a single level the place two or extra traces cross.
Generally to make an awesome level, it takes two totally different programs of study to come back collectively and construct off one another in an effort to drawl a correct conclusion. On this case, the 2 strategies are statistical evaluation and movie breakdown. Enter Dave Schofield (the stat geek) and Geoffrey Benedict (the movie guru) to come back collectively to show a single level based mostly on our two traces of considering.
The subject at hand this week is wanting on the Steelers receivers and the accomplishments they made as a unit. Whereas nobody participant (with one small exception) put up stats to have particular person awards, the gamers mixed to do a number of issues which weren’t seen within the NFL in 2020 in addition to in Steelers franchise historical past.
Right here comes the breakdown from two totally different traces of study.
The Stats Line:
First off, I need to handle the problem of there being one participant who set particular person data when it got here to receiving with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Chase Claypool did set some rookie data each with the Steelers and the league. Whereas Claypool lead all rookies with 9 receiving touchdowns in 2020, he additionally tied the Steelers franchise file of receiving touchdowns (9- Louis Lipps, 1984) and whole touchdowns (11- Lipps, 1984 & Franco Harris 1972).
Now that we’ve that little bit of housekeeping full, the place the Steelers actually set data in 2020 was the quantity of receivers they needed to attain sure milestones.
When it got here to receiving yards, though the Steelers didn’t have a 1000-yard receiver, they’d 3 gamers who eclipsed the 800-yard mark for the primary time in franchise historical past. With Diontae Johnson‘s 923 yards, Chase Claypool‘s 873 yards, and JuJu Smith-Schuster‘s 831 yards, the Steelers bought extra manufacturing out of their high three receivers than the vast majority of the NFL in 2020. The Steelers have been considered one of three NFL groups that had 3 gamers over 800 yards to associate with the Carolina Panthers and the Dallas Cowboys.
One other class the place the Steelers had unfold the ball round greater than they ever had earlier than got here within the type of receiving touchdowns. For the primary time in franchise historical past, the Steelers had 5 gamers who had at the very least 5 receiving touchdowns. The Steelers had James Washington and Eric Ebron every with 5 touchdowns, Diontae Johnson with 7, and each JuJu Smith-Schuster and Chase Claypool with 9 receiving touchdowns every. The closest the Steelers it ever come earlier than to having 5 gamers attain this mark was in 2007 when 4 gamers reached 5 touchdowns in Nate Washington, Heath Miller, Santonio Holmes, and Hines Ward. This quantity additionally blew away the rest of the NFL as there have been eight groups who had 3 gamers with at the very least 5 receiving touchdowns however no workforce even had 4 gamers attain this quantity.
One other attention-grabbing notice when it got here to receiving touchdowns is it was solely the second time within the Ben Roethlisberger period have been a operating again didn’t have a receiving landing on the season. The one different yr this occurred was in 2015.
So by having so many weapons during which to make the most of within the passing sport, the Steelers unfold the ball extra evenly in each yards and touchdowns than they ever had earlier than. In what methods did they make this occur? Though the case was predominantly made with stats on this occasion, checking the movie will certainly assist to see how the Steelers used so many receiving threats to their benefit.
The Movie Line:
Mike Tomlin has talked all season concerning the offense taking what the protection offers them, however a extra correct description of how that works may be attacking the place the protection isn’t defending. The Steelers depth at huge receiver is very precious as a result of the receivers are versatile however have totally different strengths. The Steelers fast passing offense tried to place defenses in conditions the place they’ve to choose a receiver to cowl, both leaving a receiver open or giving them a 1-on-1 to win.
Week 1, 1st quarter, 0:14. James Washington is the receiver to the underside of the display, JuJu Smith-Schuster is second from the underside.
Smith-Schuster runs among the finest choose routes I’ve ever seen on this play, driving his defender straight into the cornerback that needs to be protecting James Washington. Washington does the remaining, powering by means of 2 defenders to get the landing.
When the Giants tried to regulate to Smith-Schuster’s rub routes, the Steelers used that in opposition to them to attain once more.
Week 1, 4th quarter, 5:28. Diontae Johnson is the receiver to the underside of the display, JuJu Smith-Schuster is second from the underside.
Smith-Schuster’s defender steps as much as jam him and hold out of his workforce mate’s path. It really works, the cornerbacks keep away from one another, however Smith-Schsuter blows previous his defender for a landing.
This reveals the final concept behind a lot of the Steelers brief passing sport, and it reveals why in Week 7 the Titans would begin taking part in their linebackers briefly zone over the center to stop the Steelers from always abusing their defenders.
Week 7, second quarter, 0:57. Diontae Johnson is the receiver to the underside of the display, Chase Claypool is second from the underside.
You’ll be able to see why they’d begin conserving their linebackers in zone beneath. The Steelers ship Claypool in movement, and he takes the protection out of the play, and with a blitz clearing the center of the sphere, Diontae Johnson has room to work, make his defender miss, and stroll in for the rating. Claypool’s deep risk has been utilized regularly in 2020 to again off defenders and hold safeties away from beneath routes. That works nicely with Diontae Johnson’s change of path that makes him a monster to defend 1-on-1 and a continuing yards after catch risk.
When the Baltimore Ravens copied and improved on Tennessee’s second half changes, they added the good thing about having cornerbacks that matched up nicely with the Steelers receivers. Marcus Peters tended to comply with Chase Claypool, whereas Marlon Humphries matched up with JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jimmy Smith did a unbelievable job on Diontae Johnson. The tide in that sport turned when the Steelers took out their operating again to place 4 receivers and tight finish Eric Ebron on the sphere collectively.
Week 8, third quarter, 13:27. Eric Ebron is the second receiver from the underside.
You’ll be able to see how the Steelers attacked the Ravens hybrid zone, and because the line backer to the highest of the display does his job serving to defend Smith-Schusters publish route, the linebacker to the underside passes of Eric Ebron to nobody, and Ebron scores.
Week 10, 1st quarter, 1:57. Chase Claypool is the receiver to the highest of the display, Eric Ebron is second from the highest.
The Bengals don’t need to make the identical mistake because the Ravens, so that they sample match right here. Ebron runs proper on the linebacker in entrance of him, who’s going to want to change to Claypool. Ebron backs him up earlier than reducing exterior to the pylon. If the nook is sluggish to change to Ebron, he’s open, if the CB hangs again like he does, Chase Claypool is open. Jessie Bates is a unbelievable free security, he reads the play and if Ben Roethlisberger is a bit slower getting the ball to Claypool, Bates has a superb shot on the ball. As an alternative, he makes them pay.
The Level:
The Steelers gifted depth at huge receiver permits them to place defenses in robust spots attempting to defend these combo routes, and depends on Ben Roethlisberger studying the play, and getting the ball to the suitable receiver shortly. Dropped passes and poor go safety induced this offense critical issues for a month, and but the Steelers tied the franchise file for many passing touchdowns in a season, whereas recording solely the second 3 to 1 landing to interception ratio in franchise historical past.
With out a true primary receiver that Ben Roethlisberger might depend on it doesn’t matter what the state of affairs, the Steelers have discovered energy within the total group, and it really works as a result of the gamers have proven humility and a concentrate on profitable it doesn’t matter what their private stats appear to be.
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