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Steelers News: Improved third down success

  • November 18, 2018 9:13 PM EST

     

     The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in winner’s row after a solid performance vs. the Atlanta Falcons at Heinz Field in Week 5. With the Cincinnati Bengals looming ahead in Week 6 Youth Terrell Edmunds Jersey , the Steelers will hope to “stack wins” for the first time this year and improve on their 2-2-1 record. Something I did last season and I’m going to start again is the Black-and-Gold Links article. This is an article where I take stories from quality news sources across the Internet, and add them here for your viewing pleasure. I won’t be posting the entire articles, but I’ll link each story and author so that you can read the full article. Today we talk about how the Steelers’ have slowly improved on third downs this season. It hasn’t always been glamorous, but both the offense and defense are trending in the right direction regarding third down success. Let’s get to the news:Steelers improve play on third downs offensively and defensivelyBy: Chris Adamski, Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewDuring the previous week’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens, it was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ poor play on third downs that made a large portion of the difference.Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, the Steelers flipped the third-down script. It helped win them a game.The Steelers’ offense followed a 2-for-12 performance in a 26-14 defeat to Baltimore by going 9-for-12 in Sunday’s 41-17 victory against Atlanta. The defense was also better, holding the Falcons to six third-down conversions in 14 tries after the Ravens had gone 8-for-17.“We call that the money down,” linebacker L.J. Fort said of third downs, “so you’ve got to get off the field, got to make a play, make a turnover. And I think we did a good job with that today.”Facing a team that was one of the best offenses in the NFL over the season’s first month (29 points and 411 yards per game coming in), the Steelers held the Falcons to season lows in points and yards. They forced Matt Ryan into three three-and-outs and held Atlanta to 2-for-7 on third downs in the second half.“I think we just wanted to stop the run early and it made them have longer down and distances to try to get especially on third down,” linebacker T.J. Watt said.Offensively, the Steelers matched or exceeded their third-down conversions from each of the past three games by the end of the first quarter Sunday. The Steelers had as many third-down conversions over the game’s first 4 陆 minutes as it had all of the previous week’s game.Included in the Steelers’ success were four conversions in five tries on third-and-1 – all James Conner runs – as well as conversions on third down with 10 and 13 yards to go.Three of the offense’s four touchdowns came on third downs.Steelers’ L.J. Fort, Tyler Matakevich excel in Vince Williams’ absenceBy: Chris Adamski, Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewVince Williams grimaced in the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room late Sunday afternoon.The inside linebacker described being forced to watch from the sidelines because of injury for the first time in his six-year NFL career as “pretty terrible.”But then Williams smiled.“But you know what? The win makes it better. I’ll take it like this every time if we get the win, and I am just so proud of them boys,” he said.Sunday, “them boys” were the two men who combined to take Williams’ spot at right inside linebacker.With Williams out because of a hamstring injury, the Steelers’ struggling defense turned to a a pair of players with a combined 10 seasons on NFL rosters but who had combined to start one game.But Tyler Matakevich and L.J. Fort helped anchor the middle of the Steelers’ defense during a 41-17 victory against the Atlanta Falcons at Heinz Field.“Tyler and L.J. played so well,” outside linebacker T.J. Watt said. “We have so much confidence in them that we don’t have any wavering opinion whether they are in the game or not.“They just go do a great job of going about their business as if they are the starter each and every week, and it shows. When they go out there, we don’t miss a beat.”Fort started his NFL debut for Cleveland as an undrafted rookie out of Northern Iowa on Sept. 9, 2012. He had a sack and an interception that day, but he didn’t start another game.That streak stayed alive Sunday because Matakevich (three seasons, 36 career games) earned his first NFL start when he took the field for the first defensive snap.Matakevich played most first and second downs and obvious run situations, with Fort typically coming in on passing downs, third downs and in the dime subpackage.“It was a good rotation that was successful for us today,” Fort said.How the Steelers defense woke up from its deep sleepBy: Jeremy Fowler, ESPNCam Heyward entered the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive backs room last Monday to deliver what corner Mike Hilton called “a fun little spiel.”Well, not that fun.“It woke us up a little bit,” Hilton said.Teammates say Heyward, a defensive end and team captain, stressed that the Steelers can’t be a defense that gives up 400-plus yards a game, and only supreme focus would change things, so no one will be above criticism.Something had to give. The Steelers’ 1,682 yards and 12 passing touchdowns allowed were franchise worsts through four games.After holding the high-powered Atlanta Falcons to 324 yards and 17 points Sunday, Heyward downplayed any special meetings or pep talks during the week, simply conceding the level of detail had to be better.”And it was,” said Heyward, who finished the game with 1.5 sacks. “You didn’t see 12 men or 10 men on the field. It was communication from a whole lot of people. It’s not one person. Everyone had to execute.”Tim Benz: Feeding James Conner makes Steelers well-balancedBy: Tim Benz, Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewAs the Pittsburgh Steelers approached their game against the Falcons, the public debated the Steelers’ running game: “Were the Steelers avoiding using James Conner because he was ineffective? Or was Conner ineffective because he wasn’t being used often enough?”It was really a chicken-or-the-egg argument.I still don’t know the answer. But after seeing Conner run Sunday against Atlanta, I suddenly have a craving for an extra large omelette.Conner was exceptional against the Falcons, rushing for 110 yards. He also had 75 yards receiving.“It’s not a relief,” Conner said. “We just feel like we are back on track. We were playing Steelers football.”As we outlined in advance of the Steelers’ 41-17 victory over the Falcons, the most troubling aspect of the Steelers’ approach to running the football in their two home defeats against Baltimore and Kansas City is that they either got away from the run or didn’t bother trying to establish it during contests that were highly competitive into the third quarter.At times, that was easy to understand, given the inconsistent nature of Conner’s running and the blocking in front of him. During other stretches, the question needed to be asked: “Why not run when the offense was becoming so one-dimensional through the air?”Entering this week’s NFL games, the Steelers ranked 27th in yards per rushing attempt and 28th in total rushing attempts.So they were unenthusiastic about trying to run, and they were bad when they actually tried.Sunday against Atlanta, they were excellent in both categories. They ran as many times as they passed — 29 apiece. And when they did run Youth Maurkice Pouncey Jersey , it was effective, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Conner averaged 5.2.“He did a hell of a job,” tackle Marcus Gilbert said of Conner. “We just kept our composure. We believed in ourselves. We had efficient downs.”Steelers vs. Chiefs, Week 2: Setting the stage, and picking the winner of this AFC matchup This is the part of the season where I shamelessly plug the Kansas City Chiefs. I think Kansas City is a great town. Their fans are convivial, well-mannered, and pleasantly Midwestern. Their home jerseys are the perfect shade of red. Their all-white away uniforms, complete with the red helmet, are among the best in football. Jamaal Charles was great. Dante Hall was amazing. The BBQ is top-notch. Andy Reid looks like the titular character from a vibrant, fairytale epic about a magical, sexagenarian walrus and his gaggle of red men. They’re always in contention. There are bad things, though. Despite having been regular fixtures in the AFC playoffs since the beginning of this decade, the Chiefs have one playoff win since 1993, a 30-18 road victory back in the 2015 postseason over a Houston Texans team whose starting quarterback was the wretched Brian Hoyer. They are responsible for two of the most impossibly astounding playoff collapses—they blew a 21-3 lead, at home, to the Tennessee Titans last season and, stunningly, a 38-10 lead to Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton, and a bunch of scrubs wearing Colts uniforms in 2014—in NFL history. They are 2-7 against the Steelers in the Ben Roethlisberger era. (Pragmatically, they are the Bengals). Famously, they once went 19 games without throwing a touchdown to a wideout.And though their franchise has historically been blessed with solid quarterback play, the Chiefs have never drafted a functional NFL quarterback of their own...[Move trailer narrator voice] Until now. In preparation for the eventual departure of noodle-armed check-down artist Alex Smith, the Chiefs traded up in the 2017 NFL Draft to select canon-armed gunslinger Patrick Mahomes 10th overall. It’s still kinda early to fire off any thermonuclear takes about what is essentially a rookie quarterback—albeit one who used his actual rookie campaign as a de facto redshirt season—but Mahomes, after dropping a series of highlight-reel bombs in each of the past two preseasons (seriously, go watch this gorgeous off-balance dime) and torching the San Die...erm, Los Angeles...Chargers in Week 1, looks like a pretty legit quarterback. In front of a hilariously pro-Chiefs crowd at whatever derelict MLS venue the Chargers currently finds themselves in, he threw four touchdowns against a Chargers secondary that is, at least on paper, one of the best outfits in the league.More specifically, he threw the ball all over the yard. Tyreek Hill (more on him in a second) was the primary beneficiary, catching seven passes for 169 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown, but no fewer than seven Chiefs caught at least one pass. Spreading the ball around and getting everyone involved in the passing attack has always been Reid’s modus operandi, but having a guy under center who can proficiently orchestrate that kind of passing attack and throw the ball 70 yards downfield represents a pretty significant concern for the remainder of the NFL. Also, one of Mahomes’ touchdowns went to Anthony Sherman, a fullback. It ruled. More fullbacks should score more touchdowns. What the Chiefs lack in quarterback scouting aptitude they more than make up for in successfully uncovering stud running backs. Kareem Hunt led the whole NFL in rushing as a rookie last season and is a safe bet to finish among the top five or so rushers again this season—that is, of course, assuming he fends off backup Spencer Ware, who, before blowing his knee out last preseason, looked like he was going to be the next Great Chiefs Running Back. Either way, containing Kansas City’s backfield is gonna be a problem, especially since Hunt, Ware, and all-purpose utility tool DeAnthony Thomas are such proficient receivers. They’re loaded at tight end and receiver, too. Travis Kelce is by far the best tight end in the league not named Rob Gronkowski, and the receiving corps, composed of Hill, Chris Conley, and Sammy Watkins, a former top-five draft pick seeking his third career revival in as many seasons, can overwhelm opposing secondaries with speed and power. But this is all secondary to Hill. Even without the creative offensive system T. J. Watt Jersey , the big-armed quarterback, and the bounty of effective skill players to divert attention elsewhere, Tyreek Hill would still be the kind of dynamic, game-breaking presence who defensive coordinators ought to game plan specifically against; having those things just makes the proceedings a lot more one-sided. On any given play, he’s obviously a threat to simply jet past whatever defensive back is unlucky enough to line up across from him and score a long touchdown, but he’s also a crafty ball carrier, capable of grabbing slants and screen passes and zig-zagging his way, untouched, through complex labyrinths of defenders, and a reliable pass catcher, snagging 75 passes last season to go along with nearly 1,200 yards. He’s not particularly fumble-prone, either, losing just a single fumble on 266 career touches thus far, though he does get noticeably looser with the football on special teams (five total on 80 career returns). Unfortunately, he’s an ace punter returner, having four career punt return touchdowns to his name, including a dazzling 91-yard foray to open the scoring against Los Angeles, so it isn’t as if his fumbling proclivity on special teams gives the opposition any sort of advantage. If Keith Butler and (special teams coordinator) Danny Smith have been getting a lot of shuteye this week, the Steelers are in trouble. Your level of concern about Kansas City’s defense should depend on the availability of safety Eric Berry, who did not play against the Chargers; he’s still nursing an Achille’s injury that he suffered against New England in Week 1 of the 2017 season. Injuries are always fickle and unpredictable things, but managing a player’s recovery from a torn Achille’s tendon—an injury that can very legitimately render professional athleticism totally useless—is a particularly sensitive process, one that often involves playing the long game, constantly and carefully monitoring flare-ups and strains. I am not a qualified healthcare professional, but being that Berry hasn’t practiced this week (or since the beginning of August), it doesn’t seem likely that his season debut will come against Pittsburgh. With Berry presumably out and Marcus Peters having been traded to the Rams, Kansas City’s secondary is vulnerable, and the Steelers would be wise to exploit it. Of course, considering that the Chiefs allowed the Chargers to rush for 123 yards on only 22 carries, perhaps it would behoove the Steelers to feed James Conner once again.Prediction: Steelers 24, Chiefs 23I’m giving the Steelers the slightest of nods because a) the game is at home, where Ben Roethlisberger actually plays like Ben Roethlisberger instead of, like, Chad Henne and b) Ho Flo might dump a bunch of rain on Pittsburgh, making Heinz Field something akin to the boggy morass they played on in Cleveland. If it doesn’t rain, spot each team an additional touchdown. Here is a very hot, but probably very incorrect and very bad take: this is my prediction regardless of whether or not Roethlisberger plays. Ben is objectively better at home than he is beyond the confines of Heinz Field, but he’s barely over .500 in early season games (he’s 21-20-1 in September for his career). Screw it; let the Josh Dobbs era begin. I wholeheartedly welcome our new soft-spoken overlord.By the time you read this, either the Bengals or Ravens will be 2-0, which is a disgusting thing to say and I’m surprised my computer even allowed it. Falling to 0-1-1 isn’t gonna throw a wrench in the Steelers’ postseason hopes (I think...), but it would be preferable to not fall a game-and-a-half behind one of your primary rivals two games into the regular season. Thus, I’m concerned that this grim reality could transpire if the law of averages plays out and enables Kansas City to steal a win, but this kind of thinking is exactly why I continue to pick the Steelers to beat the Patriots, so you are free to take this bit of analysis—or all of it, whatever—with a grain of salt. Unsung Player of the Week: Special teamsIt feels like it’s been a while since we’ve seen a Chris Boswell game-winner. He missed his chance last week, shanking a forty-something yarder in overtime against the Browns, but the field was a disaster and the weather was terrible. What I’m hoping is that those aforementioned points have been reinforced by every person Boswell has encountered over the past week, because the absolute last thing the Steelers need is for their robot kicker to come down with a case of the yips. Futher, it would be nice if Jordan Berry could crush some high, booming punts...directly into the stands. Please do not kick the football anywhere near Tyreek Hill. Better yet, let’s just hope the Steelers never have to punt.

     

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