Buffalo Ran This Play 26 Times. Pittsburgh Couldn’t Stop It.

Buffalo Ran This Play 26 Times. Pittsburgh Couldn’t Stop It.

Hey everybody, Alex Kazora, Steelers Depot.com, back with some more Pittsburgh Steelers tape breakdown and analysis of the Pittsburgh Steelers run defense. Pitiful, embarrassing, pathetic, whatever word you want to use for it is app 249 yards Buffalo rushed for on Sunday and they did so primarily just off of one play, one look, one scheme. The Pittsburgh could not stop. Let’s talk about it. Before we start, if you guys could like this video, subscribe to the channel, and check out the site steelersdepo.com. Would really appreciate that. We have about a dozen clips to go through. It’s going to be a lot of the same, and we’re going to get a very similar look on all these runs. So, I may talk about it early on in the video, but I won’t talk about formationally throughout for the Bills offense because it’s the same run scheme. inside zone duo out of 12 personnel or 11 personnel tight splits, you know, reduced splits by the receivers and Pittsburgh just could not stop it. Very first run of the game, James Cook bouncing it wide. Talked about he knows the Pittsburgh’s corners, struggled to tackle and tested them early and often and love bouncing to his right throughout the game. in Pittsburgh trying to slant down a gap here. You’re getting, you know, Watt and Duggar and Eckles all slanting down. Porter cannot allow this one to bounce so wide. He’s bad. He’s late with his eyes. Allows Cook to turn the corner for 19 yards. And you corner playing off here. Kind of probably loses. Cook behind the line of scrimmage. Doesn’t know the back has made his cut until it’s too late. But you got to stay at home. Do your job. Don’t slant down like everybody else. And Porter allows this one to the outside. And when you allow that cut back lane for a really good lateral runner like James Cook, somebody with excellent vision and big- time explosiveness, he’s going to take advantage. And so, Porter done his job and contained this thing. This run probably doesn’t go for a lot. Instead, it’s a big run to start. And you see Mike Tomlin’s reaction because I’m sure all week I talked about these kinds of run schemes and Cook’s ability to bounce and get out and watch Tomlin right there. I’ll run it back. You might have missed it. I think the broadcast showed a good clip of Tomlin’s frustration on this one kind of slamming his fist. But look at at Tomlin at the bottom right there because he knows talk about it all week, rep it, and then allow it on game day. Really hurts. Pittsburgh deployed a variety of alignments and fronts and personnel groupings in an effort to stop the run. Nothing worked. Obviously, this is one of them though. Pittsburgh’s 335 and so trying to stop the run while still respecting the pass and trying to find that blend. So, three down linemen with three linebackers and five DBs against 11 personnel. And I think one issue in this game of the many was Pittsburgh’s defense did not have good vision on the football. They were too attached on blocks. They weren’t always in their gap and they simply did not key the ball. When you can’t find where the ball is at and you got a good zone runner like James Cook, you have no chance. Want to watch YA Black here. I think he’s king the outside knee of the tackle here, but he never really gets eyes on the football. So keying the knee is fine, but then you got to get eyes on the football. The head drops. The right tackle engulfves him. He’s glued to this block. He’s too attached. He’s too chest to chest. Got no eyes on where Cook is at. He can’t get off the block. A good lane here for James Cook as he presses and gets vertical. Also, the backside DBs here just very late with their eyes, too. Not they’re not responsible for where this run hit, but they’re just late to help and rally and you just no one getting off a block either. So, it’s a combination of things as all these runs will be, but I just don’t like the lack of vision on the football from Black from the DBs. Nobody getting off a block here. It’s a big lane for Cook to get going. I always try to be mindful of run schemes and what players are being tasked to do and the wrinkles that I may not be able to see from the outside. But the culprit on this play looks like linebacker Patrick Queen although he was awfully animated post play seemingly at somebody else. Pittsburgh one gap every man to a gap here. We see Konu Benton slant into the opposite gap here. Malik Harrison in his gap. It looks like Patrick Queen responsible for this a gap between center and the right guard and he just can’t fill it. And the tackle is able to climb over the top and seal him off. And a big run lane for the backup running back Ray Davis as he explodes up field. So Pittsburgh trying to slant and get downhill and penetrate. You got Benton kind of slanting backside. I think that’s fine. It’s probably what he’s taught to do on this play. They’re trying to kind of exchange gaps to throw off the Bills run scheme. You got the front side here is good with Herburgg and uh Hayward and Harrison. Got, you know, backside here with Black and Benton. The A gap here for Patrick Queen as he floats over. He just can’t get downhill. He can’t attack it. And Davis has a big run. Now, Queen looks animated here. I’m not sure who. I can’t tell who he’s pointing any eye at. You know, Benton certainly can do better getting off that block. you know, YA Black’s getting bodied and and stuck by a tight end, a good blocking tight end and Jackson Haw, but still it’s a tight end against YA Black. Wanted to see a better job there, him getting off of blocks. And so, there’s again often layers on these big runs. But just looking at the gap that Davis went through, I would put this one on Patrick Queen who did not have a good game obviously and then left with a hip injury. The very next run back to the well again. We’re seeing 12 personnel under center duo inside zone runs. Guys not getting off of blocks. Guys not able to key the football. Watch TJ Watt here backside. He does have contains. Probably worried about the boot. This is still relatively early in the game, but he’s late finding the football. Big lane here for Ray Davis. And so I I think two common factors, guys not getting off of blocks, guys not using their technique well, and then guys just not keying and finding the football were certainly big factors in this game. So I think Watt you can ding here certainly front side on this. Well, really the cutback, you know, YA Black again struggling on that tight end. Jackson Haw trying to be able to fall back a gap here as the running back cuts. The lateral agility not great there for him. You got knocks up on Jaylen Rams. He does a great job sticking to him, getting the back free. And you just have these running backs untouched into open space. So many yards before contact was play. Nobody getting a hand on him. Benton, he’s knocked off balance. And so you’re getting these running backs into the second level with a full head of steam, not being touched at all. Like it’s a training camp, non-padded, no tackling drill. Just really bad. Again, seeing the Bills formation, the wide receiver motioning back. See this a lot throughout the game. The same run scheme. TJ Watt talked about that post game. Digging out the safety in Kyle Duggar. And it looks like Duggar gets into the same gap as TJ Watt on this play. So, you can’t have two guys in the same gap. Watt does a good job point of attack. Sheds the block. If Duggar is able to fill, the back has nowhere to go. You got Duggar getting cracked on top of TJ Watt on this play and that creates the lane for the running back to run off his hip. James Pierre unable to make the tackle and this thing again untouched runners into the second level and talented ones at that. James Cook highly paid this summer by Buffalo. Also probably a little late in run support by James Pierre playing off. Pittsburgh played their corners off here a lot in this game. So maybe could have triggered a little bit quicker, but you know, because when the receiver cracks, they’re challenging the corner. The corner has to replace that. But still, Duggar, I think, can do a much better job here, not overlapping the gap with TJ Watt being able to get off the block here. Be a little better, take a little better angle, a little a little better positioning. I don’t know if he’s trying to stay inside of him here, but he can’t get cracked like that so easily. And this run starts to bust out again. Similar to the first run, Cook knows you could test the edges in this game, challenging those Steelers corners, bouncing this one to the right immediately. And Porter is able to make the tackle, but it’s a first down. And the Bills will take that every single time. So to that right side into the boundary. Cook knows he can certainly gain that edge time and time again and did so routinely. The Steelers corners tackled okay in this game, but you’re still getting four or five yards even on the runs where things were okay and that’s certainly keeping Buffalo on schedule. So, same looks overall out of 11 or 12 personnel. These insert blocks by receivers, the duo blocks, you know, from 12 personnel by these tight ends. Pittsburgh just could not stop it. I’m a little unclear on this play who has edge and contain responsibility. You see Watt and Wilson trying to shift gaps here late, probably trying to throw the blocking scheme off. So the O line and the tight ends don’t have a clear picture of who’s in what gap. So again, Pittsburgh tried a lot of things in this game at its core schematically, I don’t think was a big issue because Pittsburgh spun the dial of trying every single thing. But is it Watt having outside contain here? Is it Pton Wilson? is at the safety. Ramsay coming down again getting cracked. Corner does a good job to replace here. A nice rep from Asante Samuel Junior Jr. So, credit to him this run. Didn’t go for a ton on this play, but we’re seeing Cook certainly feel the freedom to bounce to the right every single time. Challenge those cornerbacks and still have a good a decent gain, a healthy gain on the play. So, guys stuck on blocks here. Was wad held? Yeah, he probably could have called that one, but it’s hard to complain when you allow 249. It certainly was not the reason why Pittsburgh struggled in this game. Chest to chest again. Should it be Watt outside? Is it Wilson scraping over the top? Ramsey triggering down? I can’t really tell you for sure, but we’re just kind of seeing these same looks and same runs by Buffalo. Pittsburgh rolling through all of its groupings. This is its 25 look with three inside linebackers. So, two down linemen with five linebackers on the field. You have Wilson playing kind of an outside linebacker role against 12 personnel. This was not effective or Buffalo ran through it all game long. But again, just don’t see the vision on the football. Don’t see guys getting off of blocks. Watching Payton Wilson on this play gets off balance. Head drops. Doesn’t have vision on the football here as Knox blocks him. Big lane. Receivers Kraken. Man, that 14 is that Shavers did a great job in this game. And Pittsburgh just tried so much, but these tight ends washing down. There’s Haw again, man. 85. Big game from him. Washing down. Hulkcom. I think he’s in the right gap. I think Hulk wants to to have this gap here. So, is it, you know, totally on him? You talk about falling back a gap and just trying to make a play, but you got guys in gaps here, but there’s that one lane that opens up. And I’ll show you the uh aerial view, too. Just watch Payton Wilson right here on Knox. See the eyes drop. No vision on the football at all. completely offbalanced over his toes. He can’t do anything to get off that block and even try to slow down James Cook, let alone get a hand on him. Don’t like the safety support. The safeties were not good supporting downhill. Duggar, I thought struggled in this game. Just not being physical and aggressive enough. Really taken on the block here by by the uh receiver Shavers. So, just didn’t see the physicality, the intensity, the the vision. We’re kind of going through a litany of issues here. Eventually, Pittsburgh just said, “We’re going to put everybody to the tight end side. We’re going to move everybody to the to the strength and just make sure they can’t run it to the right side.” And Buffalo eventually said, “Okay, we’ll run it weak side. We’ll put the ball somewhere else.” And you just don’t have the numbers here as Davis runs this thing weak side. We’ll kind of show that here in a second on the snap of the football. You got four blockers, the center, the guard, the tackle, the receiver, three defenders here. You got four on four over here, but you’re just outnumbered to this side. Big lane opens up. Malik Harrison can’t get over the top in time. And another huge run for Buffalo. This time it’s Ray Davis. So, you’re committing everybody to this side. You know, Harrison shifted over. Wilson shifted over trying to take away any potential bounce. You got a DB over there, safety in the middle, but a big lane here. I don’t know if there could be some coaching points to Black and Hulk on this play, but you don’t have the numbers. And Buffalo big lane again, running backs completely untouched. Unbelievable. The yards before contact here. And another big run. Very next play, got multiple players in the same gap, it appears. We’re looking at rookie YA Black and linebacker Malik Harrison. We’ll pause it. Take a look at it. Same look, under center run. 12 personnel. This time they’re going to run weak again. So you got Black Harrison in the same gap. Harrison trying to close it down. Black can’t make the tackle. And this thing gets out into the second level again. You got black in the A gap. You have Harrison also in this playside A gap. Who’s backside A gap? Doesn’t look no one obviously. I think black’s okay here. It’s probably, if I had to guess, Malik Harrison. You got Duggar downhill in the alley filling edge contain. You got, you know, backside here. Everybody in a gap. Again, you want to see these guys get off of blocks better. You know, Benton and company. But if Harrison’s able to, if it is on him, able to get into this a gap here between center and right guard instead of kind of getting over the top here where ya black is at, then there’s no running lane and this thing gets bottled up. So Pittsburgh just not being in their gaps regardless of who’s at fault here. Nobody in this gap. No one getting off of blocks besides Black. But then he can’t make the tackle and this thing runs out again. Third and one late in the game again. Pittsburgh saying we are not letting you run to this side. We are tired of getting run to this side. The right side was James Cook’s money maker in this one. So you have five guys over here, but then Cook just says, “Okay, I’ll take it up the middle. We’ll counter that just fine.” Big lane on third and one. You don’t get runs like that and holes like that up the middle on third and one in obvious run situations, which they all basically are third and one, I should say, but most, you know, you get my point. So I don’t know. I’m not even sure if there’s really blame here. I’m sure there is, but you know, Pittsburgh just trying to focus so much energy on taking away those runs that hurt them throughout this game, these runs to the right side, that you leave yourself prone to getting beat elsewhere. And Buffalo able to counter punch when need be. So Pittsburgh again, that three inside linebacker package of Wilson and Harrison and Hulcom now in the game for the injured Patrick Queen. Dugger down. And you have Ramsey coming down too. Obviously playing everybody up here assuming run stuff for Benton on the double team. You know, Black gets engulfed. Just just wow. What a lane there. Final example. Very late in the game. Game’s over at this point. Not the most offensive rep of the afternoon. Just kind of one thing to note here. I do think the corners tackled okay. I thought Porter did an okay job, but when you’re just okay in this game, it’s not really saying a whole lot. But just watching Asante Samuel on this play. He made the good tackle earlier. His first game since week four, September of last year. So there’s some maybe level of grace to give him. But I’m just watching him on this play. You want to trigger, you want to get downhill and touch the ball carrier. Asante Samuel Jr. just everybody else gets a hand on him before Samuel jumps in just waiting and waiting and waiting and there finally touches his back. Basically does not make the tag. Well, I just don’t like the trigger here from Samuel. want to see him come downhill. We’re seeing 14 Shavers again, cracking the safety. When that happens, that corner’s got to come downhill, replace. And I didn’t see the uh intensity and physicality from Samuel on this rep. Like the rep earlier, that open field tackle that was good, but this one left a lot to be desired. And again, same stuff, receiver motioning. This time, it looks like it’s out of 11 personnel. That Sawyer did a nice job here. couldn’t make the tackle, but want to see that corner come downhill, fill that gap, make that play. One last look. So, I know that was not fun to watch. It wasn’t fun for me to go through it either. So, misery loves some company. Pittsburgh’s run defense been very inconsistent all season. Very hot and cold. And it was ice cold in this game clearly. So, where Pittsburgh goes from here, we’ll see. As of this recording, don’t know for sure if Derek Comr returns. You guys may know by the time you watch this video for Sunday against Baltimore, a team that certainly will test Pittsburgh on the ground again, as they did in their final two games last year, including running for 299 in the wildard win that sent Pittsburgh home a year ago. So, let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Appreciate you guys watching. Please like this video, subscribe to the channel, and check out the site steelers depot.com. Thank you again, and we’ll talk to you soon.

Breaking down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ ugly run defense in Week 13’s loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Check out more at Steelersdepot.com.