Big Ben must lead his team to more Touchdowns on scoring drives. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-US PRESSWIRE

Pittsburgh’s Red Zone Offense

As I alluded to before, if there is one issue I have had with the Steelers’ Offense this season, it has been Red Zone related.  It seems that each and every time the Steelers have found themselves in the Red Zone this year, things like penalties, drops, missed blocks, turnovers, and any other assorted miscues have prevented Big Ben & Co. from truly “cashing in” with Touchdowns.  In fact, on the season, Pittsburgh’s Offense has only scored Touchdowns on 52.38% (17th in the League overall) of their scoring trips into the Red Zone this season.  Essentially, for every two successful scoring trips Pittsburgh has taken into their oppositions’ Red Zones’ they come away with 10 points.

For a team like the Steelers that ranks 2nd in Time of Possession per Game (34:49), their Red Zone miscues and struggles are a big reason why they have only averaged 23.3 points per game this season (17th overall).  Pittsburgh has possessed the ball for a much longer time than their opponents this season, and ate clock and put together awesome drives because of it (37:00+TOP last weekend).  But too many times these drives have turned into 3′s instead of 7′s on the scoreboard, and the Steelers have allowed all of their opponents to “hang around” and stay within striking distance because of it.  Nothing against the suddenly solid Shaun Suisham, but I would rather see him on the field for Kickoffs and Extra Points as opposed to Field Goal attempts.  Although Suisham has done a terrific job so far this season (14 of 15), and his only miss was due to the genius strategy of Mike Tomlin in Nashville, more Extra Point attempts means more Touchdowns being racked up by the Offense.

While the Steelers  must continue to improve their Touchdown Percentage in the Red Zone, this week it is especially important that they bring their “A Games” and take advantage of every opportunity they are able to cross the Redskins’ 20 Yard Line.

Washington’s Offense & Why They Are Dangerous

So what exactly makes the Redskins such a dangerous macthup for the Steelers and will put the pressure on Big Ben & Co. to execute better in the Red Zone and in all areas tomorrow?  Well, it all starts with their running game.

As I alluded on on Wednesday, Washington will likely (and should) lean on their running game and try to exploit the Steelers’ aging and inexperienced Defense.  This type of strategy, if executed properly, will do two extremely important things for the Redskins: First, Washington will be able to take advantage of their extremely efficient and well-executed Zone-based running scheme, and utilize the underrated but talented Alfred Morris (658 Yards) and Robert Griffin III (468 Yards) to control the clock to wear Pittsburgh’s Defense down progressively.  Second, and most importantly, controlling the clock with a run-based attack keeps Big Ben and the Steelers’ Offense on the sidelines, and not in a position to hurt the Redskins vulnerable Pass Defense (32nd in Yards per Game Against overall).  If Washington is able to not only win the Time of Possession battle, but run the ball effectively to do so, Big Ben and the Offense will not be treated to the same kinds of extra/extended possessions they have had the luxury of this season.

Washington will go to the run, and go to it often, because as I alluded to earlier in the Week, the Redskins have one of the League’s best ground attacks, and rank 1st or Tied for 1st in Rushing Yards per Game (177.7), Total Rushing Yards (1,244), and Rushing Touchdowns (11).  The running game is the staple of their Offense, and must be contained at all costs tomorrow afternoon.  Quarterback Robert Griffin III might not have the most statistically gaudy passing stats (133 for 189, 1,604 Yards, 7 TD’s, 3 INT’s), but his completion percentage (70.4%) is fantastic and besides his overall accuracy as a passer, it has much to do with the play-action passing game and the matchups that threat of the run has created for their Offense.  In fact, the Redskins rank 1st overall in Total Yards per Attempt (8.0) through the first six games.

Overall, the Redskins have shown a knack for putting points up on the scoreboard because of their solid play on the Offensive side of the ball.  Washington’s Offense has average 28.7 Points per Game (5th overall), but most importantly, the unit has been able to convert their Red Zone chances into Touchdowns at a higher rate than the Steelers have this year at 59.09% (8th overall).  With these solid and efficient numbers, plus the fact that the Redskins are a dangerous running team and can control the clock because of their ground attack, the pressure will be on Pittsburgh’s Offense to match them if their Defense cannot contain the opposition.

Final Thoughts

Like it or not readers, but “Productivity in the Red Zone” will be the name of the game this weekend for the Steelers’ Offense.  The pressure will be on Big Ben & Co. to not only put points up on the board, but finish drives with 7 points as opposed to 3 points to extend or gain important leads.  I am not at all worried about the Steelers ability to move the ball, especially through the air, as Washington’s Defense has been an absolute sieve against the pass this season.  Washington’s Defense ranks 32nd in Pass Attempts Against (42.6), 32nd in Completion Percentage Against (63.42%), 32nd in Passing 1st Downs per Game (16.3), 31st in Pass TD’s per Game (2.3), and all signs point to Big Ben having an absolute “field day” tomorrow afternoon.

But as much faith as I have in the Steelers’ Offense, their Defense must find a way to stop Washington’s potent Offensive attack.  The Steelers’ Defense got a bit lucky last weekend as they faced a Quarterback with a “Pop-Gun” arm without any secondary weapons behind his All-Pro Wide Receiver, and had a +14:00 Time of Possession advantage.  Pittsburgh’s Defense will have a whole new set of challenges tomorrow as they will face the dual threat “RGIII,” must find a way to shut down the Redskins’ effective running game, and try to shut down an Offense currently averaging close to 30 points per game.

If the Defense cannot hold and has issues getting off the field, “7′s” will be needed by Big Ben and his weapons to stay in the game.  And even if the Defense holds in the early going, “7′s” are just as important because early leads will force the Redskins to begin to turn away from their ground game and look more towards a passing game without the luxury of play-action.

There has been quite a bit to like about the Steelers’ new Offense, but some more scoring and Red Zone effectiveness with Touchdowns can only make the unit as a whole more lethal.  My hope is that tomorrow will finally be the day that possessions which used to be “3′s” begin to turn into “7′s,” especially with a high-scoring team like the Redskins coming to town.  I am sure Pittsburgh’s Offense will improve in said area, but if this team wants to make a postseason push, they had better improve sooner as opposed to later.

Stats Courtesy of: Team Rankings.com, ESPN.com

Courtesy http://sportsocracy.org/

Ed B from the PPG wrote an interesting article in the PG+ section this morning (somehow I can always go back to reading PG+ stuff if I just wait two weeks after being told I have to subscribe – weird).  He said that the Steelers at one point had their own RGIII – Kordell ‘Slash’ Stewart.  Say wha?

Anyone who reads this blog and is old enough to remember the Stewart years of 1995-2002 knows that Stewart had the potential to be a great ‘new age of quarterback.’  He could run/catch/pass – hence ‘Slash.’  Eddies position is that were Stewart to have the right coaching in place, he could have become a great QB.  But, with the awful transitional years between 1998 -2000 of bad offensive coordinators and coordinators who couldn’t gel with the young QB, Stewart’s talents went to waste.  Steeler Nation somehow became impatient with his inability to grow and mature as a super star QB – I guess being the losing QB in two home field AFC Championship games will sour the perception of you from the fans.  By 2002 he was out the door.

RGIII and Stewart have many similarities, but also many differences.  RGIII has a better pocket presence, even though his tendency is to run with the ball.  Stewart could run very good WR routes, but we have yet to see RGIII do anything like that.  RGIII went in round one, Stewart in round two of the draft – a difference for sure, but does it equate to level of talent?

So – is RGIII the first of his kind or was Kordell Stewart… or was :gag: Mike Vick or Cam Newton?

Foote and the rest of the Defense must stop the run to have any chance of success. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE

The Redskins Running Game (2012)

Just like any Mike Shanahan coached team/Offense, the Redskins’ running game is an efficient and well-oiled machine.  So far this season, Washington ranks 3rd in Total Rushing Attempts (229), 1st in Total Rushing Yards (1,244), 2nd in Yards Per Carry (5.4), T-1st in Rushing Touchdowns (11), and 1st in Rushing Yards Per Game (177.7).  Last weekend, the Redskins rolled up 248 Yards on the ground against the defending Super Bowl Champions!  What makes these numbers even more impressive though is the fact that the Redskins have received so much productivity from two members of their most recent Rookie class.

Just like Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, Reuben Droughns, and pretty much every other late-Round Running Back drafted by Mike Shanahan, Alfred Morris has already become the next unlikely, yet successful. featured Back in the Shanahan Offensive system.  To Morris’ credit, the Rookie from Florida Atlantic has shined this season to the tune of 138 Carries, 658 Yards, 4.8 YPC, and 5 Rushing Touchdowns, and proved himself to be quite the formidable Zone runner.  Morris has performed so well this season that he currently ranks 2nd (behind Arian Foster 659 Yards) in the League in Total Rushing Yards .

Unfortunately for the Steelers, Morris is not the only running threat they must contain.  Quarterback Robert Griffin III is a former track athlete with moves and speed to burn on designed runs.  Griffin III will surely have some designed runs drawn up for him in the game-plan, and is a threat to break contain and turn what could be a Sack, into a positive play on the ground.  Washington’s electric signal-caller rolling on some designed draws and play action bootlegs off of Zone fake handoffs with Morris scares me plenty.  But what truly frightens me is if “RGIII” is able to break loose and turn up the field for a 76 Yard dash like he did against the Vikings two weeks ago.  On the year, “RGIII” has tallied 468 Yards on the ground on only 64 Carries, and is just as adept at using his legs as he is using his arm (70.4% Completion Percentage in 189 Attempts).

The Steelers Run Defense (2012)

To be completely fair to the Steelers, their Run Defense has not been what one would call “statistically atrocious” so far this year.  In fact, Pittsburgh has done a decent enough job against the run this season if one looks squarely at a couple of different statistics.  The Steelers currently rank 6th in Total Rushing Yards Allowed (555) and 9th in Rushing Yards per Game Allowed (92.5).  Yet as stout as those numbers seem, those specific statistics are a tad skewed once one considers the fact that Big Ben & Co. rank 2nd in Total Possession (34:49) per game.  In addition, because so many Offenses are playing from behind against the Steelers in the 4th Quarter, they have found success against and attacked the Pittsburgh’s inconsistent Secondary (The Steelers have actually led in the 4th Quarter in all of their 6 games).  When one looks closer at the stat sheet and the situational stats, Pittsburgh’s Defense actually ranks 19th in Yards per Carry Allowed (4.1), and as a unit have had their struggles so far this season against the run as age, undisciplined play, and solid Backs have burned them.

Let us not forget how much success Zone scheme runners like Darren McFadden and Chris Johnson had against the Steelers’ Defense over the past few weeks.  I am sure that we all remember how McFadden lit the Steelers up for 113 Yards on only 18 Carries (6.3 YPC), and a 64 Yard Touchdown in Week 3.  McFadden would have definitely racked up more Yards during the game on the ground, but as I stated before, since the Raiders were behind for most of the game and in the 2nd Half, his opportunities on the ground were limited.  “CJ2K” had a nice game against the Steelers in Week 6 as he rushed for 91 Yards on 19 Carries.  And just like McFadden, Johnson’s chances were also limited because the Titans Offense was forced to/found success through the air in the 2nd Half of the game when they attempted to play catch-up.

Final Thoughts

To win Sunday’s game, or at least have a legitimate shot, the Steelers must stop Washington’s running game, period.  If Griffin III is allowed to be in 2nd & 5 or less and 3rd & 4 or less situations all game long, it could be an extremely long day for Pittsburgh and their Defense.  Winning on 1st & 2nd Downs against the run is a task every Defense tries to accomplish on a game-in-game-out basis.  But against the Redskins and their Rookie Quarterback, stuffing the run to create 2nd and 3rd & Long situations is an absolute “must” for the Steelers.  This strategy in turn will help to lessen the blow of the play-action passing game off of the Stretch/Zone plays which are staples of the Shanahan Offense.

The last thing that the Steelers’ inconsistent Defense can stand to do is become undisciplined against the run, lose the Time of Possession battle, and subsequently allow the Redskins to not only force Big Ben & the Offense to sit on the sidelines and wait idly as “RGIII” & Co. finish extended drives (mostly on the ground) with 7′s and 3′s.  The run game is the “bread ‘n butter” for this Washington Offense, and like it or not “Steeler Nation,” if Pittsburgh’s Defense loses in this area, things could turn sour in a hurry on Sunday afternoon.

Chime in Readers:  Will the Steelers’ Defense step up against the Run this weekend?  If so, why?  Can the Steelers pull out a victory?  Share your answers, as well as any other comments, questions, or concerns in the section below.

Stats Courtesy of: Team Rankings.com, ESPN.com

Sifting through the wreckage of L’Affaire d’ Skippy…

The Pittsburgh Steelers bid farewell to their long-time kicker with a short bitterly worded press release which was as much a burial as a good-bye.  The final paragraph read, “Jeff Reed was in his ninth year with the team in 2010, but was just 15 of 22 on field goal attempts this season.  Reed ranks second in team history with 919 career points (307 PATs, 204 FGs).”   Ouch.   Either one of the ladies in the PR Department is an unhappy notch on Skippy’s bedpost or somebody in the front office ordered them to twist the knife before throwing him overboard.

When Santonio Holmes was traded, the press release was very diplomatic, noting his career accomplishments and noting what they got in return.   It didn’t say, “Today the Steelers traded Santonio Holmes for a clipboard and a couple of jockstraps.  Holmes, with 235 catches for 3,850 yards, currently ranks 3rd on the all-time yardage by a pothead list.  In 2009, he had over 1,000 yards receiving and was 1 for 1 in beaning chicks with a shotglass.”

I do think releasing Jeff has been in the plans for awhile.  His off-field stupidity coupled with his outrageous salary demands already put him in a hole.  He just dug it deeper by whining about his contract to the media (something the Rooneys despise) and then struck oil by claiming the “front office” aka Art Rooney II, “lied” to him when they promised he’d get a new contract before the season.  Actually, I do believe the front office lied to him because the front office which used to be run with honor and integrity has become dishonest and hypocritical in recent years.

I don’t think this is “a message to the players.” since Reed is but a lowly kicker.  Real football players think about their kicker about as much as they think about what their having for lunch.  I doubt Willie Gay or Trai Essex are somewhere thinking, “Man, I better play better or I’ll get cut next!”  Google any kicker and you’ll see they played for a list of teams.  It’s an expendable position.  If better options at CB, OL, or DL were available, they would already be here.

Let’s talk some Shaun Suisham.  As you can see by the video above, he’s got a very strong leg.  He was originally discovered by the Steelers but cut in training camp back in 2005.  He’s a Canadian so instead of drunken man whore jokes I can now roll out my repertoire of Canuck humor.  Since being cut by the Rams in training camp, the Black and Gold will be the first uniform he’s worn this season and his fifth team in the past six years.

Comparing their career numbers, Suisham and Reed aren’t much different.  Suisham, who will also handle kickoffs, has a 60 yard average against Reed’s 61 yards.  Suisham’s career kicking percentage is 79% vs. Skippy’s 81%.   Of course, those numbers can be skewed by distance and place.  For example, Suisham’s career percentage at 40-49 yards (75%) is actually significantly better than Reed’s (65%) although much of that probably has to do with Heinz Field where anything over 40 yards is anything but a gimme.

Although I wonder how much the Heinz Field Curse is overblown.  The entire rationale to franchising Reed was because few people can kick at the Ketchup Bottle.  In 2010, Skippy was 4 for 9 (44%) at home.  His opponents, same wind, same field conditions, were 7 out of 9 (78%).  Once Reed started blowing kicks at home, I knew his career in Pittsburgh had the life expectancy of the first towel dispenser he saw after hearing he had been released.

Sorry, had to work one more Sheetz joke in for old time’s sake.

The big red flag with Suisham is his ability to kick under pressure.  Suisham has played in exactly two important games in his career and performed badly in both of them.  Last year, the Redskins had a chance to upset the then-undefeated Saints but Suisham shanked a 23 yarder which always classy Washingtonians have dubbed “The Choke.”  Suisham was later released and hooked on with the Cowboys.  He contributed to their annual playoff meltdown by missing two kicks (both over 40 yards) in their NFC Divisional loss to the Vikings.

The Steelers play more than their share of big games so if this guy isn’t a big game kicker, we may be in for a long year.  Then again, the Patriots once had the Big Ben of kickers, Adam Vinatieri, but didn’t want to pay him.  They replaced him with a kid named Stephen Gostkowski and haven’t really missed a beat.  So “clutch” kicking is not exactly irreplaceable.  Although let’s hope the Steelers don’t find out the hard way that statement doesn’t always hold true.

Speaking of former Steelers cut loose, Fast Willie Parker was cut by the Redskins.  Looks like they discovered what we saw last year:  He’s now Medium Speed Willie.  Still, running backs drop like flies during the season so a veteran back up can usually find a job (Does the name Najeh Davenport ring any bells?).  Here’s hoping FWP latches on somewhere because that would be a sad ending to what was a short but glorious career.

Now, let’s talk the Steelers.  Proving that Bruce Arians is indeed bringing the Flying Circus to town, the Steelers kept six wide receivers while keeping only four running backs and zero fullbacks.  David Johnson, a FB/TE hybrid will be the blocking back in I formations.  Arians will also use the Pony Backfield, which is when Issac Redman lines up at fullback and the hand-off can go to either him or Mendenhall.  The Steelers used this formation a lot in the Chuck Noll days with Rocky and Franco so it’s nice to see it back in the playbook even though I’d like a true blocking fullback on the roster.

Rookie Antonio Brown will handle returns with Stefan Logan getting cut.  Logan, who has been scooped up by the Detroit Lions, was a victim of being a specialist who wasn’t very special.  He was brought in as the next Devin Hester and despite setting a single season Steelers record for return yardage, didn’t return any for TDs which soured the staff on him.  Part of me wonders how he’d do returning kicks on a team with halfway decent special teams blocking.

Brown showed potential as a receiver and did an okay job returning kicks so I understand the move, although he also made a couple really dumb decisions in the third game (not bringing out a kick in the end zone, fair catching a ball inside his 5) so let’s hope his youth and inexperience don’t flare up too often.  Arnaz Battle was also kept so he’d likely be the fallback option if Brown fails.   Battle is an all-around good special teams guy so it’s nice to see Mike Tomlin valuing that this season.

Cut day was a bloodbath for the Draft Class of 2009.  Guard Kraig Urbik, defensive lineman Sunny Harris, cornerback Joe Burnett, and fan favorite running back Frank “The Tank” Summers were all axed.  Harris is a bit surprising only because the team lost him off the practice squad last season then eagerly signed him back when given the chance.  The Tank was a converted fullback who had primarily been a running back in college.  He never really adapted to the position change and as a result has shown pretty much nothing.

Burnett is a bit of a surprise.  He saw game action last year (rare for a Steelers rookie) and, admittedly, did not play well.   But considering how lousy our secondary has been, it’s a bit odd they’d give up on him after only one year.  Rookie Crezdon Butler came on strong in the final two preseason games so they evidently liked his upside more than Burnett’s.  And, once again, the Steelers kept a special teams ace, Anthony Madison, who is a way below-average cornerback but is one of the best gunners in the league so I commend Tomlin for learning from past mistakes in that area.

Finally, Justin Hartwig was cut.  First round pick Maurkice Pouncey was expeced to play guard for a year since the center has to learn all the protection calls but he caught on faster than expected.  Plus, Hartwig’s play has really fallen off in the past year.  He looked perfectly capable in 2008 when the Steelers went to the Super Bowl but he was constantly getting pushed around last year.  I thought it might be due to injuries at both guard positions but he still looked terrible with the first team offense this presason.  With Pouncey blowing guys off the ball in games and at practice, it became a no-brainer to stick him at his natural position and bid Hartwig good-bye.   We’ve been asking for a revamped offensive line and this year we have it with three new starters (Pouncey, Flozell Adams at RT, and Trai Essex at RG) from what we had a year ago.

And those, ladies and gentlemen, are your 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers.