The Pittsburgh Steelers’ working sport could have proven enchancment in Week Two’s loss towards the Seattle Seahawks. However a working theme of the week is “higher isn’t adequate.” Averaging simply 3.0 YPC as a group with a 44-percent success fee, the bottom sport should get in gear. Doing so means altering on a number of fronts: the scheme and the person. One tweak isn’t the treatment, however for a group struggling to run the ball, getting the group’s finest run-blocking tight finish, Darnell Washington, on the sphere extra is an effective place for Arthur Smith to start out.
Per the charting supplied by our Tom Mead, the Steelers have known as 39 working performs this season. Of the 39, right here’s the distribution of tight finish snaps.
Participant
12 Personnel Snaps
Jonnu Smith
21
Darnell Washington
20
Pat Freiermuth
14
Washington is second on the record, solely behind Smith. There’s an intent to get him on the offense. However are half the snaps sufficient? For a way good a run blocker as he’s and the way average-to-below Smith and Freiermuth are, it’s too low. Particularly when you think about the success fee. Of every tight finish’s snaps, right here is the run sport success fee with every on the sphere.
Participant
Run Success Charge
Darnell Washington
60%
Pat Freiermuth
50%
Jonnu Smith
42.9%
In equity and context, it’s nonetheless a restricted pattern measurement, and one participant isn’t liable for the entire success. There isn’t at all times a direct correlation. Nonetheless, it’s no shock to see Washington stick out with the highest mark.
Maybe probably the most attention-grabbing stat is how little the group has used 13 personnel, three tight finish units, regardless of that place being seen as a power with nice depth. Per our charting, Pittsburgh’s used 13 personnel on simply 4 snaps this season. That’s simply 3.5-percent of the entire. It’s value noting 14 personnel has been used twice this yr however even accounting for that provides as much as solely 5.2-percent. Final yr, these groupings amounted to greater than 16-percent.
That quantity received’t keep at 5-percent all season, and if Pittsburgh performs extra usually with a lead, run-heavy personnel turns into extra inviting.
Is Pittsburgh being reckless with Washington’s snap counts? No. On the floor, these numbers aren’t unreasonable. Particularly two weeks in, because the Steelers get a really feel for his or her offense, their wants, and learn how to deal with three succesful tight ends. That is about priorities. What issues most to the offense. The run or cross sport? It’s the run sport – in fact it’s. It’s the oxygen to this group. When you don’t have sufficient oxygen, nothing else issues besides getting extra air. Every thing else may be sorted out later.
All these numbers add up. Play Washington extra in 12 personnel (and even 11 personnel, although his utilization there appears honest). Use extra 13 personnel. It doesn’t require the formation packing issues in tight. Freiermuth, Smith, or each may be cut up out with Washington in-line, eradicating defenders from the field whereas retaining a top-notch run blocker like Washington on the sphere.
Execution is paramount. With out that, the personnel or scheme don’t matter. However this isn’t both/or. Pittsburgh can and must make changes in each.
