Behind the Steel Curtain
Revisiting an Arthur Smith staple.
Welcome back to BTSC’s “One random Steelers play” series. (Here’s the first edition if you’d like a reminder of how this works).
The TL:DR? In this dead part of the summer, we’re using a random number generator to find a singular play from the Steelers’ 2024 season, then using it as an excuse to talk about last season and some general football insights.
This week, the random number generator chose the 137th play of the Steelers’ Week 3 clash against the Los Angeles Chargers. For any “One random Steelers play” superfans out there (*crickets*) this is the second straight time the generator has chosen play No. 137.
The context: Steelers ball on the Chargers’ 37-yard line. Pittsburgh is up 20-10 with 3:07 left in the fourth quarter. It’s second and six.
Here’s the play:
As always, we’ll pause pre-snap:
The random number generator gods did us a favor on this one — after talking about multi-tight end sets all week in regards to the Steelers’ trade for Jonnu Smith, here’s Pittsburgh doing exactly that last year.
You could call this 22 personnel or 13 personnel (first number is backs; second is tight ends) as Connor Heyward is listed as a TE/FB on the Steelers’ roster. He’s lined up at fullback here in an offset I-formation but motions in from receiver. I’m curious how others would define it, but for the sake of this play, I’d say it’s 22. Ultimately, it’s just semantic.
And while Jonnu Smith isn’t much of a blocker, it’s actually a preview of sorts of how the Steelers could use their bevy of tight ends in 2025: Darnell Washington in-line, Pat Freiermuth on the line of scrimmage in a condensed formation, and Smith as a motion man lining up all over the place.
As evidenced by the number of tight ends on the field, as well as the context, the Steelers are trying to run out the clock here. The Chargers counter with a 3-4 formation to crowd the box; they also blitz safety Derwin James.
The Steelers’ play-call is an Arthur Smith staple: split zone.
Here’s what I wrote about split zone in the article linked above:
Remember how outside zone is built around moving the offensive line laterally in one direction? That horizontal emphasis can mean the defensive end on the backside of the play is left unblocked; if he’s athletic enough, it results in an easy pursuit tackle of the running back if the run doesn’t develop fast enough.
That’s when split zone comes in, with an H-back or tight end moving the opposite direction of the zone run and cutting off the backside defender. It also creates some misdirection and adds a lead blocker if the ball-carrier decides to hit the cutback lane.
That last part is especially true. Although the Steelers’ play here is a zone run to the left, split zone can operate as a counter run of sorts if the runner follows...
