A Broken Run Game

November 20, 2007 by CK Stiller

A Broken Run Game
By CK Stiller

I planned on writing this article even before the Jets debacle, but it's clearly even more appropriate now. The Steelers OL is taking a lot of heat from all quarters of Steelers nation. The reality, though, is that it isn't all deserved. A lot of the problems with the passing game and rushing attack come not from the OL's inability to block, but from Bruce Arians and Mike Tomlin insisting on running the ball into 8 man fronts on first and second down. I think what this article will show is that the Ravens keyed in on the Steelers run game, and that Arians and Tomlin insisted on running anyway. Against the Jets, I've already discussed the lack of quick pass plays and throwing on early downs to help the OL. It's not surprising that of the sacks against New York, 4 came on third and long and 5 came on third down overall.

I decided to review the issues with the run game one play at a time. I will cover each running play of the first half. I will be using pictures to help get the point across. Besides for one play, I give two shots of each play (the right shows pre-snap, the left the play in motion). Unfortunately, they aren't the best quality. Notes will be given on each play to tell who is blocking who and how they did.

Let me identify the common problems the Steelers had:
-Running into the teeth of the Ravens defense. You will see that they are primed to play the run with more defenders then the Steelers have blockers on many of these plays.
-Ravens OLB's on TE's making plays.
-Parker not identifying holes soon enough when they were there.

There were a few missed blocks from the OL. Colon missed a play on the DE and it lost 3 yards. Simmons gets blown up twice. Faneca and Smith don't always get the required push. But, by and large, the run game did not fail because of the front 5 getting abused as many would expect.

Play 1

This first play establishes a trend that we will see on just about each run here. All 11 Ravens defenders are withing 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. This is actually as closest the Steelers came to spreading the Ravens out here (with both receivers outside the hash marks), so that should tell how you things were designed.
Colon comes down on DE. Mahan and Simmons double on tackle. Faneca pulls and gets ILB. Kreider lead blocker, picks up OLB. Ward coming down and takes safety. Lewis is free backside to come over and make the play.
No Steeler missed his block on this play. The backside ILB comes free. Simmons should probably have come off his double with Mahan to get Lewis. However, this play would require absolute perfection from the OL. If the safety had not been in the box, Ward would have probably been asked to block the OLB while Kreider could have come up into the hole and pick up Lewis. The result of the play is a measely 1 yard gain.

Fails because of Bruce Arians.

Play 2

First note that the Steelers are using 2 TE's and a FB. There is only one receiver on the field. One safety is deep on this play, but the other safety is creeping up. It's easy to do that when the Steelers put themselves in a jumbo package like this.
Colon/Miller come down on DE. OLB unblocked. Simmons comes down on NT alone, and is able to ride him to the ground. Mahan/Smith double DE/DT. Faneca pulls. Suggs, down in a three point stance, is one on one with Spaeth - who gets driven back and it's Suggs who traps Parker in the backfield. Davis ends up on safety. Ward tries to come in to block the same man.
This play fails first and foremost because of Spaeth. The Steelers leave him alone with Suggs, and this is a common problem throughout this first half. The Steelers TE's were dominated by the Ravens OLB's, which shouldn't really surprise anyone. Suggs and Johnson dominated.
The backside OLB is able to come and finish Parker off. Colon originally blocks down, but then seems to realize he made a mistake and tries to come off to block OLB.
Steelers lost 1 yard on the play.

Fails because of Spaeth getting abused and Colon blocking the wrong man.

Play 3

This is a 2 TE (stacked left), 2 WR set. Spaeth is the inside TE, Miller outside. Again, all 11 Ravens defenders are within 10 yards of the line.
Colon/Simmons come down on DE, OLB comes in free and makes the play. Mahan/Faneca double NT. Faneca comes off and picks up ILB. Spaeth alone on DE. Miller on OLB. Smith pulls. Ward comes down on ILB (Lewis). Smith ends up with no one to block. Backside OLB makes the play.
This play isn't a complete failure. I'll take a three yard run on first down given the set-up. This is one of the few plays where mostly everyone was able to make their blocks and get a bit of push. Smith blows his assignment and Spaeth gets knocked back

Successful 3 yard gain with Spaeth and Miller blowing blocks.

Play 4

Same personnel as the previous play, along with the same formation. Another run. This time, we get just 8 Ravens defenders within 5 yards.
Colon comes down on DE. Simmons comes down on RDT. Mahan originally helps Faneca with LDT, then comes back to Simmons for some reason. Faneca gets stood up. Smith and Spaeth double DE and get no movement. Hole is completely clogged up. Miller on OLB. Ward on CB.
No gain on is the result of play. Smith, Faneca, and Spaeth fail completely. This is one of the few plays where there is a respectable set-up for running the ball. If you have a double with your LT and a huge TE like Spaeth and they can't move their man, that's an issue. And here's the second chronic problem I saw during this game - Marvel Smith sucking it up. He did nothing in the run game all day. Faneca gets dominated man-up but probably should have had help and Mahan doesn't seem to know who to block.

Fails because of Spaeth, Smith, Faneca and Mahan.

Play 5

2 TE, 2 WR set. Miller on the left, Spaeth on the right. 10 Ravens defenders within 10 yards.
Ward on DB. Spaeth on OLB. Colon/Simmons double DE, Simmons comes off on ILB. Mahan goes to second level. Faneca has to scoop around NT. Smith has to reach around DE. Miller on OLB.
This is a nice 3 yard run play. Everyone does their job. Simmons and Mahan get the job done at the second level. Faneca, though, let's this play work. Great job sealing the NT.

Successful 3 yard run. Faneca does a great job. Mahan and Simmons throw nice blocks. Everyone gets on their man and does their job.

Play 6

3 TE set with Starks coming in. 1 WR (Holmes). Starks is outside Smith on the left. Miller outside him. Spaeth on the right outside Colon.
Colon comes down on DE. Can't get angle and is cleanly beaten inside. Parker taken down for 3 yard loss. Mahan/Simmons double NT. Mahan comes off to get ILB. Smith comes down on DE. Starks on ILB. Miller stood up by OLB.
Play fails because of Colon. All there is to it. He couldn't get around the DE to contain him and nothing else mattered. Three yard loss.

Fails because of Colon.

Play 7

2 TE, FB, 1 WR set. Miller on the right, Spaeth on the left. The Ravens are blitzing the corner over the WR. They basically have 9 defenders for the run on this play.
Miller reaches OLB. Colon reaches around DE. Simmons/Mahan double NT. ILB is able to come up and maket he play after Parker cuts back and no one comes off their double team. Faneca down on DE. Smith down on OLB/DE (Suggs). Kreider can't get to second level. Ends up taking DE with Faneca. Spaeth on blitzing DB. Parker cuts back on the play. Left side didn't open the hole. Supposed to go behind Faneca/Smith.
Left side of the line is stonewalled. Simmons and Mahan get movement while Colon seals the DE, which leaves a cut back lane for a 3 yard gain. I'll take this run all day.

Successful 3 yard run. Smith, Faneca don't do their job. Mahan, Simmons get a nice double and Colon seals off the DE.

Play 8

10 Ravens defenders are within 10 yards of the line again. 2 WR, 2 TE set. Spaeth is on the left, Miller the right.
Miller on OLB. Colon down on DE. Simmons tries to get to the second level on ILB. Mahan on NT. Faneca on DE. Smith comes down on DE originally, but then tries to get ILB. Spaeth on OLB. Ward on safety. Parker originally goes left, cuts back right.
I'm putting this on Parker. There is a crease for him to run through between Faneca/Spaeth, but he decides to cut back right, and there's no one there who can block the ILB. 2 yard run is the result. There may have been more yards to be gained here if he just hits the hole. Arians deserves some blame, as well. There simply aren't enough blockers for all the defenders.

Fails because Parker doesn't see the hole and there aren't enough blockers. Bruce Arians deserves some blame. 2 yard run.

Play 9

ESPN cuts in late on this play, so I can't see the set-up for the play. There's no where to run on this play. There's only 7 Ravens up around the line.
Colon on OLB. Simmons/Mahan double NT. Simmons comes off on ILB.
Nice blocks by Colon, Mahan, and Simmons allow this play. This is a 4 yard run. The key, though, is that there are only 7 Ravens up around the line. This is one of the few non-first down runs. It's 2-8. The Ravens are playing the pass.

Successful 4 yard run. Simmons, Mahan, and Colon throw nice blocks to open the hole. Bruce Arians for finally catching the Ravens defense playing the pass.

Play 10

2 WR, 2 TE set. Miller is on the right, Spaeth the left. There's 8 defenders in the box. The safety is creeping up on the right and even the other is only just beyond the 10 yard mark.
Miller on OLB. Colon on DE. Simmons/Mahan down on DT. Colon falls to the ground after initial push and the hole is closed.
2 yard run is the result.

Fails because of Colon, who can't get around DE and seems to lose his footing.

Play 11

2 WR, 1 TE, 1 FB set. TE on the right. The safety is creeping up again. The team motioned Ward in, bringing Ivy closer in, as well (even though he was plaing off.
Pretty straight forward. Miller on OLB. Colon on DE. Simmons/Mahan double NT and Simmons goes to second level on ILB. Davis on ILB. Play fails entirely because of Parker. Only Ivy is unblocked. Parker hesitates in the hole when their is a gaping hole between Colon and Miller with only a DB 5+ yards away to beat.
Arians and Parker fuck this play. 2 yard run. Could have been much more. Either the safety or corner is going to be left unblocked on this play.

Fails because Parker doesn't see the open hole to the right soon enough and Arians because, again, the Steelers are running into a defense playing the run.

Play 12

2 WR, 2 TE set. Miller on the left, Spaeth outside him.
Colon on OLB. Simmons on DE. Mahan/Faneca on NT. Mahan comes off on ILB. Marvel Smith/Miller on DE. Smith goes to second level for ILB. Spaeth on OLB.
5 yard run. The Ravens are playin gwith 7 in the box on this play. It's cover 3. Both safeties drop back and the corner on the left is 10 yards off. It's also a quick hitting run play, so the Ravens don't have time to come up and play it.

Successful 5 yard run play. Bruce Arians is able to catch the Ravens playing the pass, and it's not surprising that the result is a 5 yard gain.

Play 13

3 TE set with Starks in. Spaeth is outside on the right. Starks and Miller are on the left. The Ravens have 8 in the box, but that extra man is on the left. Both safeties are 10 yards off, along with the CB on the right. Given the Steelers formation, the Ravens are worrying about the pass here.
Spaeth reaches DE/OLB (Suggs), but gets beat. Colon/Simmons both come down on DE. Mahan/Faneca on NT. Faneca eventually comes off and looks to get ILB. Don't move NT. Smith on DE. Gets stood up. Miller on OLB. Starks goes to the second level but doesn't touch anyone. Parker waits too long to cut back. By the time he does, Suggs has gotten around Spaeth and safety has come up to fill the hole on the right side. Needs to be more decisive.
Play gains 3 yards, but there's potential to get more here. Parker needs to cut sooner.

Successful 3 yard run. Parker needs to cut sooner. Could have gained more.

Play 14

2 WR, 1 FB, 1 TE set. TE on the left. Ravens are run blitzing here, but their safeties are playing off.
Colon on DE. Ward on OLB. Mahan seals off NT. ILB blitzes and blows by Simmons to take Parker down in the backfield. Kreider whiffs on his block.
2 yard loss on this play. Fails because of Simmons and Kreider also misses his block.

Fails because of Simmons and Kreider.

Play 15

3 TE set with Starks. Starks and Miller on the right. Spaeth outside them. Ravens have 9 men playing the run on this play, as the left corner is blitzing.
Spaeth on OLB. Starks/Miller double DE. No movement. Starks still releases to go to the second level. Colon Simmons come down on NT. Colon releases to the second level for ILB. Simmons gets driven back into Parker.
Fails because of Simmons 1 yard run.

Fails because Simmons misses his block, and the result is a 1 yard play.

Play 16

2 TE, 1 FB, 1 WR set. Again the Ravens have 9 defenders committed to the run, as the inside corner on the left is cheating inside and has help over top from a safety. Could blitz or force him outside.
Miller on OLB. Colon on DE. Simmons/Mahan double DT. Faneca on DT. Parker heads behind Faneca, bounces back and runs right for 5.
Play succeeds because there is a crease between Simmons and Colon. Colon does a nice job sealing off his man, and Simmons and Mahan do their job on the double.

Successful 5 yard run because of Colon, and Parker quickly identifying the open lane to the right to cut back through.

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