Steelers run game lacks results this season

By Scott Brown, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

There were dropped passes and penalties, including a silly one for having too many men in the huddle.

But what irked Bruce Arians most about an offense that managed only one touchdown last Sunday in Kansas City is that the Steelers averaged 3.9 yards per carry.

"It's got to pick up for us to be where we want to be," the Steelers' offensive coordinator said Thursday. "It's not the number of carries, it's the quality of the carries. When we run it, we have to run it better."

Sledding for the Steelers' running backs may not get any easier Sunday.

The Cincinnati Bengals visit Heinz Field for a 1 p.m. game, and they bring with them the NFL's fifth-ranked rushing defense (92.7 yards allowed per game). They limited the Steelers to 3.5 yards per carry Nov. 13 in Cincinnati.

The AFC North rematch represents the Steelers' first game in December, and that may be as significant as it is symbolic.

The importance of the running game is magnified at this time of year, especially in cold-weather climates, where weather is such an X-factor. That reality may explain the timing of Arians calling out the running game.

Read more: Steelers run game lacks results this season - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_770014.html#ixzz1fOcl05Ax
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What's this? A chance to bash Arians? OK.

For the past two seasons, Arians has talked about not running more ... just running better. But a running game isn't like a light switch that can be turned on and off. The running game has to be established. You can't just run the ball when you need to (or when you feel like it) and expect it to work.

I like what Redman said later in the article:

Quote :

"That wind starts blowing, it starts to get cold, that ball starts to get hard, you've got to be able to run the ball, make teams start to quit and give up. It's something we really haven't done this year is run the ball down teams' throats."

No, they haven't.
And here's an interesting quote from Arians talking about Marcus Gilbert:

Quote :

"He's actually a better run blocker than Flo right now," Arians said of Flozell Adams, who played right tackle last season. "Flo did an unbelievable job with what he had left in his body last year. His mass covered up people more than he moved them. Marcus is getting movement, and he and Ramon (Foster) have become a pretty solid side as far as run blocking."

OK, so if our line is doing a "pretty solid" job of run blocking, then why the hell aren't we running the ball more? Especially when they've done a piss-poor job of pass blocking. I think this is just another example of Arians trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

I look at Marshawn Lynch as an example. He gains a few peddley yards here and there, then he'll break one for a long one. If you don't hold teams to the run, then they can sit back and play the pass, then when they know you're going to run (yes I believe Arians telegraphs the play calling), they can squeeze the line of scrimmage.

I would love to see a better mixture of run during the game, especially mixing it up between Mendenhall, Redman, and Dwyer!

Quote :

OK, so if our line is doing a "pretty solid" job of run blocking, then why the hell aren't we running the ball more? Especially when they've done a piss-poor job of pass blocking. I think this is just another example of Arians trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

He didn't say our line is doing a "pretty solid" job of run blocking he said Foster and Gilbert are. The last time I checked there are more than two pieces to the puzzle.

supytalpeht wrote:

Quote :

OK, so if our line is doing a "pretty solid" job of run blocking, then why the hell aren't we running the ball more? Especially when they've done a piss-poor job of pass blocking. I think this is just another example of Arians trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

He didn't say our line is doing a "pretty solid" job of run blocking he said Foster and Gilbert are. The last time I checked there are more than two pieces to the puzzle.

Fair enough. Although how many pieces of that puzzle are solid at pass blocking?

To quote myself:

Wallace108 wrote:

But a running game isn't like a light switch that can be turned on and off. The running game has to be established. You can't just run the ball when you need to (or when you feel like it) and expect it to work.

It seems that Mendy would agree (talking about the lack of big run plays because of the lack of running):

Quote :

"When you work at it and concentrate on and focus on it, those plays come. When it's spotty like it has been, it's hard to create a play like that."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11337/1194309-66-0.stm?cmpid=steelers.xml#ixzz1fRuW5fUX

Arians, however, believes that it's a light switch that can be turned on and off at will:

Quote :

"The biggest disappointment for me was our rush per average; I didn't like our per-carry average," said offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. "It has to pick up for us to be where we want to be. We have to run the ball closer to 4 [yards] per carry. It's not the number of carries, it's the quality of the carries. And when we want to run it, we have to run it better, I think."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11337/1194309-66-0.stm?cmpid=steelers.xml#ixzz1fRulRoaZ

Mendy counters:

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"The more you run, the more you wear the defense down," Mendenhall said. "The more you do it, the better chance you have of success."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11337/1194309-66-0.stm?cmpid=steelers.xml#ixzz1fRuz8afs

I agree with Mendy.