Carter's Classroom: Building momentum

The Steelers haven't put together a complete performance since beating the Jets in early October. The 1-4 record that followed can be attributed to failures on both sides of the ball. Even their win in Cleveland was due mostly to the defense surging for eight sacks, forcing two turnovers and scoring a game-sealing touchdown.

Much like the Browns, the Colts, Thursday's opponent, struggle to protect their quarterback. The Browns have surrendered the most sacks in the league with 38, but the Colts are right behind them with 35.

The Colts are also not far behind the Browns when it comes to defense. The Browns have given up the most yards with 4,504 and second-most points per game with 27.5. The Colts have allowed 3,976 yards and 27.3 points per game.

Let's get into the film room to show what the Steelers have to continue to do on their end and how they need to take advantage of the Colts' weaknesses.



ACCOUNTABLE COVERAGE

When the secondary fulfills its assignments and takes away all the easy reads, quarterbacks are going to have to be patient going through their progressions.

That's what led to this sack below:

https://vimeo.com/192760873

Josh McCown's best option was the wheel route you see develop to the top of the screen. But his problems made that read impossible when he was too busy going through his progressions and eventually lost all space in the pocket as Arthur Moats closed in for the sack.

The Steelers' pass rush does not always have to get into the backfield immediately when its secondary does its job. That's what I saw more often Sunday with Artie Burns, Ross Cockrell, Mike Mitchell and company keeping to their assignments and giving the pass rush more time to develop.

But with the Steelers' young secondary, it would not be wise for Keith Butler to scheme his defense for his defensive front to rely on the secondary for sacks.

Enter Stephon Tuitt:

https://vimeo.com/192760857

The play above is an example of what the Steelers need from Tuitt in the absence of Cam Heyward. He attacks the B-gap of the Browns' offensive line with a solid rip move, which the guard is unable to stop, then shuts the play down with a sack before Cody Kessler could even get into his reads.

We talked in our last film room session about Butler dialing up blitzes with the secondary and how even the threat of potential pass rushers can confuse quarterbacks and offensive lines. When you get pressure like the above play from Tuitt, that will open up more opportunities for those extra pass rushers. Offensive protection units must focus to stop players like Tuitt, so they tend to lose their focus on players like Mitchell, William Gay and even Lawrence Timmons.

OFFENSE GETTING ON TRACK

The offensive side of the ball was the biggest issue Sunday as the Steelers scored one touchdown against the worst defense in the NFL. That will have to change, so let's take a look at two key moments when the offense botched third-down. red-zone opportunities.

Below is a play that falls on the shoulders of Ben Roethlisberger, who hasn't had a solid performance on the road since the season opener against the Redskins:

https://vimeo.com/192760862

Watch how Eli Rogers becomes open over the middle, right at the first-down marker. Between him, Le'Veon Bell's initial route to the flat that was open for a brief moment and Antonio Brown's one-on-one matchup at the top, Roethlisberger had three solid options here to score.

Although Bell eventually was covered, a quick pass would have given Bell a chance to beat a defensive back in open space for the conversion or even a score.

Rogers was initially covered, too, but opened up with his in route and was Roethlisberger's best bet for a first down.

Brown, however, was a late development, and I was surprised Roethlisberger did not look toward him on this play. This is usually one of those classic moments when these two hook up for a big play that makes everyone think they were reading each others' minds.

But missed passing opportunities are not always on Roethlisberger, and a perfect example was the Steelers' first blown red-zone opportunity, seen below:

https://vimeo.com/192760851

You can see Rogers run a deep post pattern that draws the attention of the safeties and any Cleveland defender in the middle of the field. With Brown and Jesse James occupying the right side of the field and Bell running in the flat, that normally is a play drawn up to attack the defense to the middle of the field underneath Rogers' deep post route.

However, what throws that all off is Cobi Hamilton's route over the middle. Watch how he runs a sort of slant from the bottom of your screen that starts to the middle, but stops as it looks like he's trying to make contact with his defender, who is stuck behind him.

Considering the rest of the routes on the play, Hamilton's path just did not make sense to me. While it's possible that Rogers or another receiving option ran the wrong route, my best guess is that Hamilton was supposed to keep coming on a crossing pattern over the middle, underneath Rogers, and be Roethlisberger's target.

Of course, Hamilton being the least experienced of the receivers adds to that theory.

Either way, the Steelers have to improve in their continuity if they want to start a run to the playoffs.

HOW TO ESTABLISH THE RUN

Like the Steelers, the Colts have a generic 3-4 defense that finds itself in a lot of situations when it has to make its nickel and dime defenses its base. Considering how much the Steelers have been working to cope with those problems themselves, their offense needs to know how to attack and defeat the principles of the Colts' defense.

The offense was able to establish the run last week with Bell's season-high 146 yard performance. The majority of that success came from the offensive line dominating the Browns physically across the board.

While they could try that approach this week against the Colts, they could also take advantage of the Colts' nickel defense package like other opponents.

Watch below as the Titans' DeMarco Murray runs for 7 yards against the Colts' defense last week:

https://vimeo.com/192760895

While you can't see it from this perspective, that's the Titans' tight end, Delanie Walker, lined up in the traditional fullback spot in their backfield.

The above play was a perfect example of what needs to be employed by the Steelers. The Titans came out with a receiving set that only had one tight end, one running back and three receivers. Doing so forced the Colts to change into their nickel package and only have six men, instead of seven, in the box to defend the run.

Walker was motioned into the backfield on that play to put him in the prime position as a lead blocker for Murray, which allowed Murray to have the first defender he confronted be a defensive back.

Between Jesse James and David Johnson, the Steelers have two tight ends who could fit that bill. Last week, James showed a solid performance in run blocking, including the lead block for Bell's touchdown at the end of the first half.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT'S GIVEN

Another trait the Colts' defense shares with the Steelers' is their aim to keep the play in front of them and tackle the ball carrier.

Watch below how Marcus Mariota has numerous passing options underneath the Colts' secondary. Though it takes him a while to realize it, he gets off the throw just in time to make the play:

https://vimeo.com/192760837

This is where Roethlisberger will have to step up as an elite conductor. Opportunities like the above play will present themselves often.

Failure to capitalize could lead to plays like the one below:

https://vimeo.com/192760884

Mariota has several options underneath the coverage, but he never makes the throw and is sacked. Roethlisberger has made similar mistakes, even last week, and cannot afford to put his offense in a hole because of indecisiveness.

A combination of a strong running game with a quarterback that is picking apart a conservative defense will work away at the focus and will of the defense, forcing them to take risks. Those risks will open up big-play opportunities.

MAKE THE SHOT PLAY

If the Steelers' offense can get rolling with the ground game and short-to-intermediate passing plays, I fully expect Roethlisberger to connect on some deep shots.

Take a look how the Titans set up the Colts for a touchdown on a play-action pass:

https://vimeo.com/192760905

Murray ran for only 70 yards on the day, but his presence was enough for the Colts' defense to honor the ground game. A consistent attack by Bell could make them even more cautious about defending the run and freeze their safeties for good play-action opportunities.

Neither of the Colts' starting safeties in Mike Adams nor Clayton Geathers have demonstrated the ability to read what offenses are doing consistently, and it's a big reason why the Colts have the NFL's highest average of allowed passing yards.

Look for the Steelers to tee off in all ways.

Carter’s Classroom appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday on DKPittsburghSports.com.