Can We Learn Something
From Seattle?
By Steel Package
I certainly
think so, and if my name was Bruce Arians I would be rushing to the film room
to watch the last three games Seattle
has played.� What�s there to learn from Seattle you ask; Pittsburgh
already dismantled them 21-0 earlier in the year.� Well, it�s now week 13 in the 2007 NFL season
and Seattle is nothing
like the team we played in October.
Seattle is the latest team you can add to
the official list of finesse teams in the NFL.�
My definition of finesse, as it applies to the NFL, is establishing the
pass first and foremost to set up effective running plays later in the
game.� I�m not suggesting abandoning the
run as Pittsburgh
has built a proud tradition as a blue-collar run the ball down your throat
football team.�
While Seattle�s scheme under head
coach Mike Holmgren can trace its roots back to the Bill Walsh West Coast
offense developed in the 1980�s, it�s his variation of the theme that sets it
apart.� Holmgren adheres to a power
running game utilizing single back, I-formation sets and it was Shaun Alexander
possessing the perfect size/speed combination who made it work.� Alexander was perennially among the league
leaders in yardage and touchdowns with a record at the time of 27 touchdowns in
2005.�
This year Seattle was off to a pedestrian
4-4 start and Alexander was averaging only 3.3 yards a carry.� Whether you can attribute this lack of
production to a broken left wrist or his eroding skills as a runner, Holmgren got
tired of waiting for Alexander to return to form and decided to switch to a
pass first offense. ��I was not pleased
with how we were running the ball�, Holmgren said.� �If you believe you have the right
quarterback then you can at least think about doing it more�.�
Starting
with game nine in San Francisco, Seattle opened the game
by throwing 16 times in the first 19 plays and ended up winning 24-0.� They�ve stuck with that philosophy and now
stand at 7-4 with a 2 game lead in the division and an incredibly easy
remaining schedule.� So much so that they
are flying under the radar as a team that can advance far into the playoffs.
To quantify
the difference:
|
Seattle
|
Games 1-8
|
Games 9-12
|
|
Net Passing Avg
|
245 yards
|
270 yards
|
|
Net Rushing Avg
|
94 yards
|
99 yards
|
|
Rushing Avg
|
3.4 yards
|
4.0 yards
|
While not
staggering, a positive and noticeable difference nonetheless.� More importantly Seattle is able to run the ball much more
effectively while adhering to their pass first, pass
often philosophy.� Inserting Maurice
Morris at RB in week 9 due to Alexander�s lingering injuries may also be a clear
case of addition by subtraction.� Morris
is a much better receiver than Alexander and fits Seattle�s change in scheme perfectly. �
As a matter
of fact Morris is very similar in size, speed and overall talent IMO to Parker,
a poor mans Parker if you will.� This has
been a clear case of waiting your turn while backing up a franchise RB, much
like Michael Turner in San Diego,
and less to do with lack of talent.
Where I�m
going with this are the clear lessons Arians can benefit from going to the tape.� Sometimes things look better than they
actually are; everyone�s heard the term �wearing rose colored glasses�.� Well, when it comes to the running game and
protecting Pittsburgh�s
most valuable asset, Ben Roethlisberger, I think
Arians vision has certainly been clouded. ��Bruce Arians role as offensive coordinator
for the Pittsburgh Steelers is to develop a game plan maximizing the talent on
the roster creating the most favorable opportunities to score points.
Overall,
he�s not getting the job done.
For
example, Willie Parker�s 1006 rushing yards is a hollow number.� While impressive in the aggregate Pittsburgh�s rushing
offense is really very
mediocre.� This is not to condemn
Parker who I think is a very good player, but he�s not Jerome Bettis, and
comparisons to him are silly.� Parker fits
my current definition of a starting NFL running back.� However, Arians wearing his �rose colored
glasses� sees Jerome Bettis standing in front of him.� How else do you explain running Parker time
and time again into the middle of a stacked line for no-gain.
It�s beyond
sickening to watch runs on 1st and 2nd down for minimal
yardage leaving Ben with constant 3rd and long opportunities.� Up to the NYJ game Pittsburgh led the league in 3rd
down and long efficiency and you can thank Ben for that.� Well he can�t play Houdini forever and
eventually you have to pay the piper.
The
offensive line is no great shakes either.�
We�ve known for awhile now that while adequate in the run game they�ve
been sub-par in pass protection.�
According to FO�s current rankings Pittsburgh
now ranks dead last in
adjusted sack rate.� Think about that one
for a minute, Pittsburgh
is dead last in sacks allowed per passing opportunity.
So what to
do?� To me it�s really nothing more than getting
over the �paralysis� the Steelers leadership seems to find themselves in.� Look, Holmgren is not known for making
changes, but at least he was smart enough to realize that his power running
game just wasn�t effective anymore.� The
O-lines diminishing skills since Hutchinson
departed and Alexander�s lack of effectiveness eerily parallel what we�re
seeing in Pittsburgh.
It doesn�t
take rocket science to figure that Seattle�s
strengths, that being its solid receiving corps along with a quarterback able
to execute the game plan applies to the Steelers also.�� It makes sense to establish the game plan
around passing first to set up the run.� Arians
needs to incorporate more short to intermediate routes to cover up for the
inadequacies in the offensive line and not get Ben killed.� Whether Arians may not like 3-step
quarterback drops or slant passes to his receivers as he�s previously stated,
he needs to get over that.�
All you
have to do is go to NFL.com and look at the top and bottom teams in rushing and
passing and see that passing stats have a more positive correlation with
winning games.� To make it easy for you
I�ve done the work for you:
|
Category
|
Wins
|
Losses
|
Winning %
|
|
Top 10 Rushing
|
67
|
43
|
60.91
|
|
Top 10 Passing
|
73
|
39
|
65.18
|
|
Btm 10 Rushing
|
49
|
62
|
44.14
|
|
Btm 10 Passing
|
39
|
71
|
35.45
|
�
This may be
overly simplistic but it satisfies my point, in today�s NFL teams win games by
passing the ball first and foremost and lose more when they�re bad at it.� Running is important also but it has less
impact either way, it�s more complementary and both facets of the game need to
work to have a truly balanced team.
So my
recommendation still stands Bruce Arians, please go
watch the tapes!