The Steelers Laid Some Building Blocks On Sunday Night
Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
After two weeks of looking like a team with a major identity crisis, the Pittsburgh Steelers got back to playing their patented brand of football on Sunday night. It might not have been the flashiest performance in team history, but it was quintessential Mike Tomlin. A back-to-basics effort not only netted them a much-needed 23-18 road win over the Las Veags Raiders, but it also laid some foundational building blocks the Black and Gold can use as they construct their season.
Kenny Pickett Got His Mojo Back
While he’s still not recieving Joe Montana comparisons, Pickett played more like the quarterback Steeler Nation has come to expect. The second-year starter had a strong performance and, at least for one night, got his groove back.
Pickett was decisive with his throws all night long. He took exactly what the defense gave him. This was exemplified by his 72-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III in the first quarter. Allen Robinson was open on a shallow cross, but it would have taken an accurate throw and Herculean effort by Robinson to run for the first down. The correct read was Austin, who had gotten a step on his defender. The single-high safety was occupied by the deep comeback route by George Pickens on the opposite side and couldn’t recover. The throw was on time and pinpoint-accurate.
Kenny Pickett & Calvin Austin (72-yd TD)
🔹 Austin's Speed: 20.45 mph
🔹 Air Distance: 46.0 yds*
🔹 Target Separation: 5.9 yds
🔹 Completion Probability: 48.4%*Pickett's 2nd-longest completion by air distance of his career and 1st deep TD of the season#PITvsLV | #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/ZL7UsMj2Xj
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 25, 2023
In the first two contests, Pickett held on to the ball way too long at times, running into sacks or throwing interceptions resulting from panic in the pocket. His decision-making felt more like the evolving starter we saw in the final eight games of last season. He took some hits, as the O-line is still a work in progress, but he never got rattled. Look at his third-and-two throw to Robinson to help put the game away: Rolling left directly in to the blitz, he got his shoulders square and made an accurate pass to ice the game.
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The Offensive Line Showed Up
The Steelers’ offensive line was manhandled over the first two games. The lack of aggression has been evident. The scheme has been lackluster. Just look at this excellent breakdown of the two-point conversion try against the Browns: Blown assignments, no aggression, and horrendous technique and scheme were all on display.
This was really good from Baldy. The offensive line is just not being aggressive enough. So far, they've regressed from how they performed late last year. #Steelers #NFL https://t.co/2XkZUsk0lE
— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) September 23, 2023
Offensive line play is a mentality, but the guys up front also need to be put into a position to succeed. On Sunday night, the Steelers scrapped all the outside zone plays and got back to double-teaming guys at the point of attack and running downhill between the tackles. This line is built to maul, not chase guys in a zone blocking scheme.
The results were mixed, but Pittsburgh was able to run the ball when they needed it most. Even late in the game when Vegas had nine guys at the line, Pittsburgh was still able to grind out a yard or two to move the clock.
Max Crosby is an elite pass rusher and the Raiders’ front seven is extremely underrated. Pittsburgh’s O-line was able to neutralize the pass rush for the most part, surrendering just one sack. They still need work (please start Broderick Jones), but this was a step in the right direction.
The Defense Owned the Line Of Scrimmage
The Steelers came into the game with the worst rush defense in football. While the Raiders couldn’t run the ball against the Buffalo Bills last week, they still had the NFL’s rushing leader from 2022, Josh Jacobs, in the backfield. Pittsburgh held Jacobs to 62 yards rushing on 17 carries, with 20 of those yards coming on two separate 10-yard runs late while the Pittsburgh defense was in prevent defense.
Add in the constant harassment and four sacks of Jimmy Garoppolo, and it’s clear the Black and Gold owned the line of scrimmage throughout the game by being stout at the point of attack. By standing up the offensive linemen, the D-line allowed for linebackers and safeties to play downhill. In addition to adding to the pressure of Garoppolo, both were able to run through holes on the backside of the Las Vegas offensive line to limit the ground game.
The Steelers also limited the missed tackles that had plagued them through their first two games. Yards after contact were virtually non-existent.
This was a typical Mike Tomlin victory: Play great defense, limit the penalties, run the football and make enough plays on offense. While it was just one game, this was huge for the Steelers’ confidence.
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