{"id":6842,"date":"2016-11-29T22:58:18","date_gmt":"2016-11-30T03:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=6842"},"modified":"2016-11-29T22:58:18","modified_gmt":"2016-11-30T03:58:18","slug":"steelers-offensive-line-key-to-playoff-run","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2016\/11\/29\/steelers-offensive-line-key-to-playoff-run\/","title":{"rendered":"Pittsburgh Steelers Line Paving a Road to the Playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no coincidence that the end of the Pittsburgh Steelers<\/strong> four-game losing streak coincided with the best performance all year by Le\u2019Veon Bell<\/strong> and company.\u00a0 This may be the easiest road to the playoffs for the Steelers and if they implement it, the Steelers could very clinch\u00a0the AFC North<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

When it comes to statistical analysis, this may be the first Steelers offense since Todd Haley<\/strong> took over at Offensive Coordinator that has really needed to win the time of possession war.\u00a0 The less time the defense is out there, the better the Steelers look.\u00a0 If the other team\u2019s star offensive players are looking at the tablets that Bill Belichick<\/strong> loves so much (just kidding) they can\u2019t be gashing the Steelers defense for big plays.<\/p>\n

Ironically, running the ball with Bell consistently may be just what the doctor ordered when it comes to the Steelers defense.\u00a0 But the coaching staff needs to get on board. \u00a0Lean on\u00a0Bell’s rushing in the 4th quarter when it\u2019s time to \u201ctake the air out of the ball\u201d as people commonly refer to it.\u00a0 Ex-Steelers Coach Bill Cowher<\/a><\/strong> was a master at it, and perhaps it\u2019s a way to cover up a team that\u2019s more flawed than pundits thought to go into the season.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Steelers Line Paving a Road to the Playoffs<\/h2>\n

Help the wide receivers<\/h3>\n

The defense wouldn\u2019t be the only benefactor of leaning on the offensive line and Le\u2019Veon Bell through the home stretch, the offensive passing game could use assistance as well.\u00a0 Antonio Brown<\/a><\/strong> is one of the best receivers in the league but sadly doesn\u2019t have the size to leap over double teams the way Julio Jones<\/a> <\/strong>does.\u00a0 Some defenses have mitigated his effect on the game, especially since there is no true vertical threat playing opposite Brown.<\/p>\n

So far this season Sammie Coates has had 16 receptions for 371 yards and 2 touchdowns in games the Steelers win and 4 receptions for 54 yards in the Steelers\u2019 losses.\u00a0 Add in the fact that Darrius Heyward-Bey<\/a><\/strong> and Markus Wheaton<\/strong> are done for the season and suddenly the Steelers miss Martavis Bryant<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s playmaking ability more than ever. If the coaching staff took a moment to\u00a0look at the big picture, it suddenly looks pretty reasonable to lean on the offensive line.<\/p>\n

Tight End Play<\/h3>\n

Besides the absence of a deep-threat receiver across from Brown, the play of the Steelers\u2019 tight ends has dropped off significantly from last year.\u00a0 There are the obvious stats like Roethlisberger went 1\/6 for 5 yards when targeting tight ends against the winless Browns.\u00a0 The oft-used \u201ceye test\u201d will show anyone that\u2019s examining the Steelers offense that Ben and the Steelers\u2019 biggest free-agent signing of the off-season, Ladarius Green<\/a><\/strong>, had his best game of the season against the Colts<\/strong> but still have to build up some chemistry.\u00a0 Hopefully, this last third of the season will give them time to do so.<\/p>\n

But there is a running play the Steelers use called the trey counter<\/em> where the blocks of one and sometimes both tight-ends are absolutely essential.\u00a0 The way the Steelers prefer to run it left tackle Alejandro Villanueva<\/a><\/strong> and any tight end on his side of the line block down on the defenders.\u00a0 Then the Steelers pull Pro-Bowl guard David DeCastro<\/a> <\/strong>and a tight end from the right side of the offensive line to \u201ckick out\u201d or push any other defenders towards the sideline essentially making a lane for Bell to run through.\u00a0 When it\u2019s been executed effectively it is the bread and butter of the Steelers\u2019 running game.<\/p>\n

Last season when running the trey counter the Steelers had good old Heath Miller<\/a><\/strong> and Matt Spaeth<\/a><\/strong> as their tight ends.\u00a0 Miller was an effective blocker and Spaeth was more of a lineman than a pass catching tight end anyway.\u00a0 No one will ever confuse Jesse James<\/a><\/strong>\u2019 and Xavier Grimble<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s execution of the same play with their predecessors.\u00a0 Their blocks are inefficient and sometimes they\u2019ll block the right player, only to see him spin off the block and make the tackle. \u00a0The coaching staff has been looking for solutions.<\/p>\n

They used\u00a0Chris Hubbard<\/a><\/strong> (a backup lineman) as a tight end to help with the efficiency of the blocking game.\u00a0 Roosevelt Nix<\/a><\/strong> the Steelers fullback, if he can stay healthy, may be another answer.\u00a0 Unless some of the areas of concern mentioned above get worked out down the home stretch of the 2016 season, these may only short term answers. \u00a0At the end of the day, the Steelers’ linemen may have to go back to actually creating lanes so Le\u2019Veon Bell can run to an AFC North Title.<\/p>\n

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Main Photo:<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n