The Steelers basically play 2 fronts. They play their 4-2-5 and go to a big package at times when they go 3-4. That's what they do. They don't change much each week and they play fast. They do like to play a ton of man free with this front but they play off man which allows their dbs to be factors in the run game. They often play combination coverage.(See my other post)
In this game, you will see how the Steelers matched personnel with different fronts and looks.
After watching them all year, you knew Butler would commit to stopping the run. That's what they do.
Here's my YouTube video on their run schemes:
The Steelers did what many thought they would do against the Titans and go to their 3-4 look vs 12 personnel.
When Keith Butler gets 12 personnel 21 you will often see the Steelers in the 3-4 look. They prefer go to a bigger package while other teams will stay in nickel and that gives teams an advantage in the run game.
The 3 fronts they play the most out of it are :
1. 3-4 defense with 2 de in 4i tech with Dupree and Watt as OLB. They rarely slant or move in this front. Looks like the nose is either a 2 gap player at times or he falls back into the backside A gap
In the 3-4 The OLB become Dupree and Watt and they bring an extra defensive lineman in the game and play the 2 de in 4i technique . It makes it very hard for teams to run the football against them on early downs.
2. They will play an under front with a shaded nose a 5 tech and a 9 tech. They will play this to 12 with an on the ball te wing situation.
3. Swarm front-( ( dont know what they call it but it reminds me of the old desert swarm front)They play some unique looks with Watt and Dupree, either blitzing one of them or putting them over the center and disrupting things. Still with 3-4 personnel. You see Dupree 48 over the ball and will blitz the A gap. Rarely do they ever drop him or watt into coverage with this look.
They do it often as shown vs The Titans and Browns in several clips down below and go into each game with a unique swarm look with either Dupree or Watt being the blitzer.
4. The last thing they will do is go nickel on early downs and send the Sam lb and play man free.
1st and 10, 1st series of the game.
The Steelers go 3-4 vs The Titans who are in 12 personnel with a tight wing set. They roll weak with the Safety
The Titans They get 5 yards but holding penalty brings them back. See Video A.
After an incompletion its 2nd and 17.
The Titans go 11 personnel and the Steelers go to their 4-2-5 look.
The Steelers hold them to 2 yards playing solid gap control defense . The Sam fold inside and plays C gap and watt is the contain edge defender. see video A
The clips are shown below:
Video A
1st series 2 carries for 7 yards but the 1st 5 yard carry was negated by the holding call.
2nd offensive series for the Titans
1st and 10
They go 21 personnel and the Steelers stay in their 3-4 front and go to a cover1 man free 1ook. Titans go play action. Haden makes a great play at cb
Vs 13 The Steelers play an interesting look.
1st and 10
You can say it becomes a bear look with the ilb blitzing a gap.But the LB is their all pro Dupree.
This really disrupts things as he gets great penetration, blows the center up, but Henry makes him miss and they get a 5 yard gain. The video is in video B.
See Video B below(There are 3 clips.)
After a completion, they go back to their 3-4 big package vs the Titans 12 personnel.They run split zone and have the hback come across and block dupree.
Tough assignment as Dupree attacks it real hard and blows it up.
Dupree does a good job and takes away the cutback lane. (see video B below )
After a 3 yard gain.
2nd and 7,
Titans go back to 12 and the Steelers go to their under front. The Titans run Jet with Power behind it but no one blocks TJ Watt.
He runs it down on the backside and forces a 3rd and 9 situation. (See video B below)
Video B
After a lucky reception, its 1st and 10 on the 22 yard line
Its 1st and 10 and the Titans go 21 personnel.
The Steelers go back to there 3-4 scheme and hold Henry to 2 yards on an iso weak. The discipline of the ilb to take it on,blow it up and force it back.
1ST AND GOAL
TITANS BALL ON The Steelers 8
The Steelers go man free.
#56 the linebacker does a great job squeezing down giving the h back no surface to block him.gets a piece of the tackle, squeezes and blows it up.
They stuff it and the next 2 plays The Titans throw the ball and score and make it 14-7
The Titans get. it back late in the 1st half with about 3 minutes to go. They run on the 1st 2 possessions.
1st and 10 (the next 2 plays are in the video below)
The Steelers put Dupree over the center again
show 4-2 but he comes and blitzes. If you see the film, Tannehill checks to outside zone to the right because he sees the look and realizes he has a 3 man surface that way. If 90 doesn't make the play it could have been a decent gain because the Center and right guard handle it.
after that play its 2nd and 14
most teams would play soft zone maybe ,its 2nd and 14 with 2 minutes to go in the half not The Steelers.
They run their mike pressure man free concept. The Titans motion to 2x2 and get 9 yards on the inside handoff. If 98 played it a little more aggressive and spilled it , may have only been a 3 yard gain.
These 2 clips are shown above
After holding them on. 3rd down, the Steelers get the ball back and go up at half 24-7.
STEELERS RUN GAME VS. The Bengals.
The biggest issue for the Steelers is their banged up linebacker corps. It effects the run game, the defensive packages and the rookies are no where near the players they are replacing. #27 Marcus Allen who gets over matched at the point of attack. They gave up a 152 yards to the Bengals run game and their run defense was not at it's best vs. The Bengals.
Vs The Browns in the 1st time they played, the Steelers blew them out. On 1st down you saw the Browns go 12,13 and 21 and run the ball. The Steelers matched and went 3-4. Here they go 3-4 personnel and play a version if what I call their swarm stunt. They take watt and let him be a blitzing lb. This causes a tough time for the Browns to run the ball vs. it. The will lb gets freed up to make a play in the backside a as the guard has to take watt.
On a 2nd and 3 they run the same stunt and get a sack for -7.
They get 13 personnel and go regular 3-4 defense. The Steelers love to play with 2 4i's in this front and make it extremely difficult to run the football.
They do a good job and 97 makes great play on the backside as the Browns can't cut off the backside. No real running lanes for the rb as every gap is taken away.
The last thing the Steelers will do is play 12 with nickel personnel. They will often play nickel and bring he sam off the edge and play man free. They are disciplined and play combo often depending on formation and alignment.
Here the Browns have 2nd and 4.
The SS does a great job on the play below as the Browns try to run boot vs it. Great job by the Steelers defense on the play with excellent discipline.
Another game I analyzed was the Bengals game.
The Steelers linebacker unit has been very beat up as of late.
OLB Bud Dupree is out for the year and was replaced by rookie Alex Highsmith. Spillane was replaced by Avery Williamson. Last week the biggest move was the loss of run stuffer Vince Williams and filled that spot with rookie Marcus Allen. This is a huge drop off..
This play looks like a communication issue. The Bengals run zone with rpo action. Williamson #51 chases the #3 wr which usually the steelers would play man free to. The Steelers lose the cutback player. and #27 the rookie gets washed so a nice 11 yard gain. I think this was a mistake by williamson that cost them 11 yards.
On a big 2nd and 5, the Bengals run right at the rookie #27 Allen. He gets reached and it leads to an 8 yard gain because he doesn't maintain his gap. The rookie Allen has to be more physical and attack the los.
The Steelers give up 31 yards on 2 plays down 17-10. The first is a simple outside zone running play. Bengals get 8
On the next play 2nd and 2,
Here you see a rookie issue in the zone read. 2nd and 2 , 3-4 defense, assume their in a base call so the olb 56 the rookie has the qb. They are in man free so no help from the secondary. The rookie messes up his responsibility and the Bengals get a big td run on 2nd and 2 for 22 yards.This was a big play late in the game. It put the Bengals up 24-10.
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