Carter's Classroom: Tables turned

Dec 28, 2016 • 3:22 pm

When the Steelers play the Ravens, physical football is to be expected. Both organizations have made their best teams with foundations in the ability to control the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball.

The previous meeting in Baltimore showed the both the Ravens and Steelers' defensive lines dominating the line of scrimmage and eliminating the ground game for either team. But since then, the Steelers' rushing attack has been the best in the league as Le'Veon Bell rose to have the second most yards in the league despite missing three games.

Sunday they faced a unit that soundly beat them weeks ago and was ranked as the league's best defense against the run. We take a look into the film room to see just how they dismantled the Raven's strongest asset on defense:

TRAP ON DUMERVIL

One thing I've noticed with the Ravens over the years is how Terrell Suggs is often very good at identifying what an offensive line is trying to do and when he needs to react against trap plays. The Steelers were more successful in trapping the Ravens' other outside linebacker, Elvis Dumervil.

Watch how Marcus Gilbert, the farthest offensive linemen to the left, doesn't even look at Dumervil (58), as he chips from Timmy Jernigan (99) to Zachary Orr (54):

Dumervil does breakdown to try to read the play, but by the time he realizes what is happening, Alejandro Villanueva has gotten down the line and made him a non-factor on the play. The trap is designed to trick defenders into running out of position so that the running back can run right into their gap.

The proper response is something that Suggs showed on third down stop later in the game. He recognized the trap and instead of running after the running back or standing still attacked the pulling lineman and cut him off in the backfield, disrupting the spacing appropriate for Bell to move.

HAT ON A HAT

This is a phrase often used by coaches for their offensive line to account for each of their blocking assignments on a given play. The Steelers did this a lot on Sunday and that caused for plenty of problems with the Ravens.

Watch how David DeCastro controls Brandon Williams (98), at the point of attack, which allows for Chris Hubbard, Gilbert and Roosevelt Nix to create a hole for Bell:

Williams is a handful and one of the best defensive tackle in the NFL. But DeCastro is able to get his hands inside of Williams' frame and control him to keep the lane clear. You'll see Williams throw up his hands at the end of the play out of frustration because he probably wanted a holding call on DeCastro.

The truth is about holding in football is that it happens on every single play and especially on running plays. But the key for offensive linemen is that if they get their hands to the chest of a defender, they can grab and hold the jersey so long as the defender can't twist one way or the other to free up a shoulder.

Once a shoulder is visibly free, the offensive lineman must let them go or the holding call will be much more obvious to penalize.

Nix, Gilbert and Hubbard each throw key blocks on this play to spring Bell. Because Gilbert is able to block Eric Weddle (32), the cornerback, Tavon Young (36) has to mind the edge and cannot fill the interior gap which Bell takes.

The one thing that could have been better about this play was how Pouncey attacked C.J. Mosley (57). Watch how Maurkice Pouncey put his head down in the above play and fails to put any block on Mosley. If he breaks down and just seals off Mosley from the play, Bell most likely has no defender in his path until LaDarius Webb at the 15 yard line.

EVERYONE IN ON THE ACT

The offensive line got help from the rest of the team on Sunday, as tight end Jesse James showed up big in his first start since the return of LaDarius Green weeks ago.

There's a lot to admire about this run, but key in on both DeCastro and James for the start of this play:

Pouncey starts off this play struggling against Williams, but DeCastro chips in with a strong shove on Williams, then proceeds bully Orr out of the play.

James comes all the way from the other side of the formation to seal off Mosley from the play with a very good block to create the cutback seam for Bell. Bell then gets a few extra yards thanks to Cobi Hamilton's persistence at downfield blocking as he picks up Weddle.

Notice how Bell always has his head up and his feet chopping on the play to be able to accelerate quickly and change directions as fast as he makes his decisions. That allows him to see and react to the blocks like James and Hamilton to maximize his running plays.

Those quick feet are also good for helping out his blockers. Watch below as Bell aids David Johnson who is matched up with Suggs on the edge:

Suggs has always been a handful and does a good job maintaining the edge at the start of the play. Johnson works hard to try to turn in Suggs but is unable to do so, but that is made irrelevant when puts his move on Suggs.

Watch how Bell approaches the interior of the line, which causes Suggs to jump to the inside gap between Johnson and Gilbert. Then watch how Bell's feet quickly burst him back to the edge, which was Suggs' responsibility on the play, to rip off the big gain.

When you can force a player that is as sound as Suggs to sellout on his responsibility during a play, you're being an elite player. He's been a key cog in the Ravens' defense for years and is made to look foolish with just a few steps by Bell.

The presence of the Steelers' ground game against the NFL's best defense against the run should be a major sign to the rest of the league about the Steelers' chances moving forward. Not only is it a defense that gives most teams fits, but it's a defense that has been a major obstacle for the Steelers in recent history.