Chalk Talk: What happened to the Steelers' running game?

The Steelers have had a lot of problems on offense this season. And, believe it or not, it's not all Matt Canada's fault.

Believe me, I have plenty of concerns regarding Canada's offense, including his tendency to predictably repeat concepts, all of that smoke-and-mirrors motion and, really, his overall system that seems like it's better fit for college. However, players still need to execute the plays that are called. And, simply put, that's just not happening.

Kenny Pickett is an easy one to pick on because the accuracy just hasn't been there through the first two games. He's missing too many layups. He's also not reading defenses too well, either. 

Here's an example of Canada giving Pickett a do-over. This is a spacing/stick concept that's good for attacking Cover 1, Cover 3 and just about any man coverage, which the Browns utilize quite a bit (as they should since Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome are phenomenal cornerbacks).

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The first time around, Pickett decides pre-snap to go to Najee Harris in the flat, hoping the stick routes clear a path for him to have a 1-on-1 with a cornerback in space. However, the defense heavily plays to that side, outnumbers the three routes and closes in on Harris in a hurry:

Watch it again and notice how wide open George Pickens gets on the weak side of the play. Try not to bang your head against the wall.

Now, Canada sees what the Browns did and goes back to the concept later in the quarter. There's probably communication of that to Pickett, because this time around, he doesn't even think about anyone else. Pickett zeroes in on Pickens, who is wide open again, but flat out misses the throw:

That's what's been frustrating about watching Pickett's film thus far. That might have been another touchdown. And, it's not Canada's fault. In fact, he deserves credit for noticing what the defense is doing against the concept and tries to exploit it.

However, the woes on offense go beyond the passing game. I went into a lot of detail in last week's breakdown. Now, I want to focus on a running game that's been virtually nonexistent for two games.

The Steelers are averaging 48 yards per game on the ground thus far. In a word, that's abysmal. But, what might be more alarming is Harris and Warren have combined for only 25 carries in the first two games. In both games, the Steelers' first drive of the game ended after three plays, and they never called one running play.

For a team that clearly wanted to establish an identity on the ground, that seems ... counterproductive. After all, this is a team that found its identity on the ground during a 7-2 stretch to finish the season while averaging 146 yards rushing.

Sure, the opponent has something to do with the game plan. Both the 49ers and Browns have strong fronts, especially the former. The Browns were terrible against the run last season, but made additions during the offseason such as Dalvin Tomlinson to try and remedy that issue. 

However, there was clearly an intention to prioritize the passing game and get Pickett in a rhythm early. In turn, the running game suffered because of it. When opponents see the passing game isn't working, they predicted the Steelers to turn to the running game to get things going.

In both games, the Steelers predictably ran the ball on the first play of their second drive, and neither team was fooled. The 49ers were one step ahead of the Steelers deploying 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends), daring them to run with five down linemen:

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... and the Browns weren't fooled either, stacking eight defenders in the box:

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Spoiler alert: Both of these runs lost a total of five yards.

Sure, you can point the finger at Canada for being predictable. However, the offensive line was simply terrible in executing both runs. Blame the playcalling all you want, but the failure here is also shared with a severe lack of execution.

The Steelers are running a zone concept to the left side. There is clearly a communication issue between Mason Cole and Isaac Seumalo because they both double team the tackle in the B gap (3-technique), and not only do they get beat, but nobody peals off to try and get Fred Warner on the second level.

The Steelers are running another zone concept here, where the first option for the running back should be through the B gap. They have the leverage they need as the Browns' defense is lined up over the strong side. Chukwuma Okorafor should seal the edge, James Daniels and Cole should double team the 3-technique, then Daniels peal off to go attack Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah on the second level. With Connor Heyward coming over in motion, Harris could follow him through the gap and potentially get a big gain.

Obviously, that's not what happens. Okorafor seals the edge, but Daniels doesn't get nearly enough of the 3-technique, making it nearly impossible for Cole to lock him down (it's a lot to ask a center to get over and block a 3-technique without any help, even in a zone concept). The play gets even more blown up when Daniels whiffs on Owusu-Koramoah. This is just failed execution. There's no two ways around it.

Now, for zone concepts to be most effective, offensive linemen not only have to be athletic, but communication is critical. Unlike gap/man concepts, zone requires blockers to step in unison and work in tandem to wall off defenders while each lineman runs along their track. In gap/man concepts, lineman simply block down the line of scrimmage from their initial starting point and away from the designed hole.

Personally, I prefer gap/man concepts over zone, though every good playbook should have a good mix. And, some of the better running teams in the league prefer gap/man, as well. The Ravens are a heavy gap/man team, while the Giants, Browns and Eagles embrace a healthy mix of both concepts, with the former two favoring gap/man over zone. All four of those teams finished in the top six in rushing last season. 

However, there is a distinct advantage of zone concepts, as they create multiple options for the running back. If the primary attacking point is taken away, the runner usually has one or two other options, depending on what the linebackers do: Up the middle if the linebacker closes off the primary option, or cutting back completely if the defense over-pursues the play side.

The Steelers were actually better at running zone last season, averaging 4.2 yards per carry. They averaged only 3.7 yards per carry on gap/man schemes. Regardless of the philosophical differences any of us have with the Steelers' running game, they've proven they are a better zone-running team. They proved it last season.

Now, could Canada and the Steelers be a bit more assertive and creative with trying to establish the run? Absolutely. Against the 49ers, the Steelers called two running plays during the first three drives. Against the Browns, they didn't run at all during the first drive, then predictable went run, run, pass in their second series.

However, the blocking has been terrible thus far. The film has been rather ugly for Cole. Seumalo has been very disappointing. Dan Moore and Okorafor are getting pushed back on the edge far too often, with Moore flat out whiffing at times. Daniels has probably been their best run blocker thus far, but as you can see from just one example, there's still too much inconsistency. And, considering the good moments Darnell Washington had as a blocker against the 49ers, he got a bit of a reality check against the Browns. Look at him get pushed back into Harris here:

There is still time to work out the kinks, just as the Steelers eventually did last season. And, while an earlier bye week typically is unfavorable for teams due to the long stretch of football without a break as the weather worsens, maybe it'll provide another opportunity -- just as it did last year -- for this team to correct fatal flaws quicker than they did in 2022.

One way or another, the offensive line has to play better if the Steelers seriously want to run the ball. And, if they can't run the ball, any hopes of making the playoffs this season will disappear. The issues with the passing game will naturally correct themselves and not stifle the team's efficiency and production if they can figure out how to run the ball effectively.

This should be priority No. 1 on the South Side.