Chalk Talk: Admission of the problem is a start

KARL ROSER / STEELERS

George Pickens during Steelers practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

Some of the Steelers' personnel decisions have been ... interesting. Take this play, for example:

This is third-and-3 on fringe field goal territory. The call is Mesh, which can be a beater of either man or zone coverage and relies on speed to create separation, especially against man coverage. However, the Steelers had 13 personnel (one running back, three tight ends) Ben Skowronek as the lone receiver.

Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, I asked Smith what the logic was behind some personnel decisions and specifically mentioned this play. The answer wasn't as simple as some may want, but there was admission that they've failed some in this regard.

"We've got to be better there in those substitution things," Smith said. "You don't want to call a timeout. You've gotta trust that the guy's got a helmet. That's part of it, too. That's why I'm careful (answering questions). You want to be transparent (and say) here's what happened. But then sometimes that sounds like an excuse. We certainly need to be better. That was not the intent, if that's what you're asking."

A factor in some of the substitution issues, mentioned earlier this week by Mike Tomlin and then today by Smith, has been their adjusting to replay assist and the impact it has on play calling. Replay assist, which is new this season, will often help on-field officials with correcting calls on the field. That can impact a play that initially is ruled a first down but is changed due to the ball being re-placed short of the sticks after replay assist intervenes. That's something the Steelers dealt with on their fourth-and-short situations against the Browns.

"Sometimes it's chaotic," Smith said. "It sounds like excuses, but I'm just giving what's going on on the ground. You put a first-down call in. (The officials) say they pump (the play clock), but the problem is by the time they pump it and you change the logistics of that and change the personnel and get into your scheme things, so you call a run that gets you a hat on a hat, give Cleveland credit. We’ve got to be better there."

Navigating replay assist sounds like a legitimate hurdle. The Steelers were not happy with the officiating crew in Cleveland, including the defensive side of the ball. Multiple players told me they weren't allowed to substitute during the situation in which the Steelers were trying to accept the penalty for illegal touching late in the game.

However, that wasn't the case on the third-down play above. There was no replay assist that changed anything. That's a situation in which they got in their own way. And, this has happened previously, for whatever reason. MyCole Pruitt should never be the lone tight end on the field when the team is in 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end).

All of that said, Smith's admission of needing to correct substitution issues is a start. We'll see if there's more of the same in future games or if this issue is actually addressed.