If I'm Wisenhunt, this is how I gameplan against the Steelers in the SB

by steeler1275 on Jan 27, 2009 5:58 AM EST Comment 19 comments

The line is approx 7 points, in favor of the Steelers. That would suggest that the Steelers are a much superior team. But if I'm a Steeler fan (and I am), I'm nervous. The game is all about matchups, especially in this day and age of parity. And the Cardinals have a few pieces that match up well with the Steelers. I'm admittedly only a fan, but here are a few things I would incorporate into my gameplan if I was Wisenhunt.

- Have DRC (Cromartie) follow Santonio Holmes all over the field. DRC is only a rookie but Cardinal fans in the know say that DRC has really raised his level of play recently. Athletically, he also matches up with Santonio really well. This allows the less talented Rod Hood to match up with a less than 100% Ward.

- Play an attacking upfield style of defense. Shoot the gaps, run stunts. Play the run on the way to the qb. I could see this giving the Steeler oline fits. There's always a chance that Parker could break one or, more likely, that Roethlisberger will be able to elude the rush and make a few plays downfield. But there is also a good chance that Parker is bottled up most of the day and Roethlisberger gets sacked 4+ times. And the Steeler offense for the most part has not been good enough to overcome negative plays on drives this year.

- Don't hesitate to play Adrian Wilson in the box and send him in to blitz. This is Wilson's strength anyway. Send him through the A gap of off the edge. Chances are good that he's going to get past the o-line. And if a Steeler rb is going to pick him up, I like Wilson's chances in that one-on-one matchup.

- With this style of defense, you leave yourself vulnerable to a deep pass downfield. But who on the Steelers is capable of making those plays consistently. Holmes is the best downfield threat but that is why DRC is locked up on him. Ward is not a deep threat. Sweed can't catch a cold. When was the last time Miller caught a pass running down the seam? There's a possibility that Nate could hurt the Cardinals deep, but he doesn't have the strongest hands. So I take those chances.

- On offense, run the ball often, about 50% of the time. Edge isn't what he used to be and the Cardinals running game was abysmal during the year, before picking up a bit in the postseason. The Steeler run defense was also 2nd in the league this year. So I'm not expecting to gash the Steelers. My only desire is to keep the Steeler defense honest. If the Steelers can just play pass defense, there is a good chance they hit Warner enough times that the ball comes out.

- When I do pass, max protect most of the time. Let Fitz and Boldin run downfield. If needed, let Breaston complement them. With targets like them, you don't need to flood the field with 4-5 wr.

- Much like Ben did last week in avoiding Reed, advise Warner to avoid Polamalu. He is the one db with very good ball skills who could return a pick for 6.

- Go deep often, or at least several times. Even if Fitz is well covered, who on the Steelers can go up with him and intercept the ball? At worst it'll result in an incompletion. But there's a good chance that Fitz makes another tremendous catch or two or draws pass interference. The one caveat is Pola, but even he is just too short compared to Fitz.

- With this style of offense, the Cardinals will likely not put up too many points on the scoreboard. But they'll likely put up enough points where the Steeler offense will have to show up and deliver in order to win.

What would you do?

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Coaches Coach

AND Players Play. You hear it all the time and its so true. I like this game plan, I really do. The only question is can the players execute it against a team who is physically more imposing than they are. Is it possible of course! But I think it will take the steelers making mistakes and not executing their game plan in order for the Cards to win. Will Larry make some catches, of course. But as Rivers has shown you can have some big plays and still lose. You can pass for over 300 yards and still lose against this pittsburgh defense. But what is scary is I think this Defense is out to make a statement. They want to prove a point that they are one of the best defense ever, in order to do that you must stop this offense cold. I think that is what they have their mind set on and well it will be nothing like the Cards have seen all season. They saw the Falcons, Panthers, and Eagles in the regular season before they played them in the superbowl. They knew what needed to be done to beat them. This is their first time playing the steelers this year. I throw last game out as they probably did too. This team is so different from last year when they played it doesn’t make sense. So when the players play I expect the most physical team to win despite the game plan. But it was a good game plan :).

by tannofsteel84 on Jan 27, 2009 9:13 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Even in last year's game

Only 14 points were scored on the defense. Steve Breaston returned a punt 73 yards for a TD. It was the Cardinals’ first punt return for a touchdown in 14 years. It came after the initial Pittsburgh punt was called back by one of the Steelers’ 11 penalties. Also BB threw 2 INTs. One when the Steelers had the ball third-and-goal at the 2. Tomlin said this after the game:

“That had all the makings of a typical loss. By that I mean we weren’t able to run the ball successfully, the turnovers that we acquired, we gave up a big play and we had way too many penalties. When you do that, you lose.”

I really believe all those things will have to go wrong again for the Cardinals to even have a chance to win because our defense is EVEN BETTER this year and WILL be out to prove something..

by Jonny B. on Jan 27, 2009 10:59 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I forgot to mention FWP only 37 yards on 18 carries.

by Jonny B. on Jan 27, 2009 11:01 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You’re defensive scheme is right on. Dockett, Berry, and Wilson could make it a long day for Ben.

Offensively, the Cards won’t be able to run consistently, but if they spread us out and run a couple delays, draws, and screens, they could have some success while keeping the defense off balance a little. Fitz against Taylor and Clark downfield is a good matchup for Arizona, but they’ll have very limited shots at that. I sincerily believe that if the Steelers use a 2-4-5 nickel and rush Harrison, Woodley, Keisel, and Smith, the Cards will have no chance of blocking them with any consistency. In a max-protect situation, you’re talking about having 5 DB’s and 2 LB’s covering 3 WR’s. You could always throw up a prayer to Fitz, but that doesn’t seem like a good way to run a consistent offense.

I think a lot of the Cardinals’ offensive success depends on Breston’s and Boldin’s ability to break and evade tackles on short and intermediate routes. In general, it’s hard to go deep without having the running game going. Warner can kill the blitz, but if you get to him with a 4-man rush, he can start to break down.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Jan 27, 2009 10:04 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

also

If the Cards try to run 50% and only average around 3ish ypc, I don’t think they Steelers are going to change their plan on defense at all. We know they can’t beat us with the running game, so they have to prove us wrong to make us change anything. They’re going to need to break off a big run or two AND consistently get 3-4 yards on other rushes for us to pay them any credence. The Ravens ran on us a lot in the second game, but still only scored 9 points.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Jan 27, 2009 10:13 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

DRC on Santonio in my mind is not a good matchup, Even if hines is not 100% Ben doesn’t target Tone as his #1, that reverts to Heath. Ben won’t force the ball to tone if DRC is all over him.

I think that is actually a good matchup for the team as a hole. DRC is overally agressive and Tone will get his shot is DRC shadows him all day.

I'll drink your Milkshake, I'll drink it up!

by drinkyourmilkshake on Jan 27, 2009 10:06 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

On the other hand, DRC breaks on the ball better than Holmes. I can already see Ben and Holmes talking on the sideline after one of their “miscommunications”. Ben is using his hand to show how he thought the route was supposed to go.

I’m a little nervous that Hines won’t be 100% and Holmes will be shut down by DRC. If we can run, I don’t think the game will be very close, but counting on our running game is a scary proposition.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Jan 27, 2009 10:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

I really, really, really hope that they make use of Heath and Moore this game if Hines isn’t able to get separation. We don’t need to beat the Cards with our Offense, just not beat ourselves. Reliable Heath Miller and Moore are the best options to move chains and keep the defense honest and keep Ben from getting annihilated on the blitzes.

by Chicago Steeler on Jan 27, 2009 10:51 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If this happens

I will go out on a limb and say Washington or gulp…Sweed will make big plays to win this game. It would be so ironic for Sweed to make a huge play and put an exclamation at the end of a season that right now has ???

"The team that scores the most points wins."
John Madden
(Master of the obvious)

by PixburghArn on Jan 27, 2009 11:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hell ya!

Get it Sweedy! Make the catch heard round the world! that would be awesome.

by Hochuli loves Broccoli on Jan 27, 2009 5:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Good plan up to a point

Overall I think this is a good approach to the game for the Cardinals, but there’s always room for a good discussion about its merits or practical application. To me it’s like a boxing match where a journeyman “opponent” with a limited arsenal is matched up against a legitimate contender. The journeyman will have a game-plan, but can he execute it against a faster, harder puncher? Once in a while, but not often … and usually only if the better fighter is over-hyped because of wins over soft opponents, or if he makes a big mistake and lets his guard down. In the Steelers’ case, their defense is not overhyped. The only chance for the Cardinals is if the Steelers’ offense makes some big mistakes.

For example with your game-plan on defense. The Cardinals being aggressive in the box, shooting the gaps and stunting, bringing Wilson. This is a good idea. Their front seven is athletic and pretty quick. But overall they don’t have the big bodies that can clog up the line and “stuff the running back on the way to the quarterback”. Their front seven is comparable to San Diego’s and Parker got positive yardage between the tackles, and the line eventually wore out the Chargers. The other thing to note is that while an aggressive pass rush will get to Ben a few times, if it’s over-aggressive he will step away from it and have all day to look for guys downfield. This is what McNabb was able to do with his legs and strength, get away from pressure and make some plays against the Cardinals. Their secondary has played less than a season together in its current configuration (DRC moving in after a month, Rolle switched to a new position) and will get burned badly if the pass rush doesn’t keep Ben in the pocket. In general, if I’m Whisenhunt I would be much more conservative defensively, keep Wilson back most of the time to read and support run defense, and force Ben and the O-line to make long drives.

On offense, your game-plan is basically designed to eat up time (running ball 50 per cent) and try to keep the defense off balance and the game close. I’d be much more aggressive on offense if I’m Whisenhunt. They have to try to run a little bit, but running 50 per cent of the time is going to result in three-and-outs and put Warner under pressure on passing downs. I’d spread out with 3 or 4 WR and try to chip away with short routes to set up the deep ball, and running occasionally out of shotgun. If they can keep the game close at halftime, maybe they can be more aggressive with the run in the third quarter. The problem is keeping the game close and this will only happen if the Steelers’ offense makes mistakes. In three of the games they lost (Indy, Giants, Titans) and even the AFC championship against the Ravens, the games turned around because of self-inflicted blunders by the offense in the first half. To me, that’s the only way the Cards keep it close, regardless of what their game-plan is.

by steeler.lifer on Jan 27, 2009 11:34 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Good thoughts

I’m not sure I’d compare AZ’s front 7 to the Chargers, though. Everyone up front for the Chargers is big and slow – and that’s the type of defense we can beat. The Cards run a 4-3, and they’re a little undersized. This makes them a lot more like Tennessee (when we played them) and Indy. We had trouble against both of those defenses, which is why I’m not counting on the running game in this one. Also, Dansby is a better athlete than anyone in the Chargers’ front seven. And then there’s Adrian Wilson, who’s in the front 8, if you will.

charity standing orders

by BadMaafala on Jan 27, 2009 12:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

We ran well against the Giants

The Cardinals run sort of a hybrid defense that often has only three down lineman but you’re right, they’re much quicker overall in the front seven than the Chargers and more exotic in their schemes. I’m not sure Dansby is a better athlete than Shaun Phillips (certainly no quicker), but he is a better all-round linebacker. What I meant was that the Chargers and Cardinals were similarly effective in rush defense statistically (Chargers ranked 11th, 4.0 ypc, 102 per game; Cardinals ranked 16th, 4.0 ypc, 110 per game). Football Outsiders ranked Ariizona 15th against the rush; the Chargers 21st against the rush, with Arizona’s ranking probably boosted by the high number of fumbles they forced.

I look at how well Mewelde Moore ran against the Giants (84 yards in 19 carries), a traditional 4-3 D with both size and quickness on the front line, and I see reason to be optimistic Parker (or Moore) could have a better day than that against the Cardinals. I’d love to see Moore get more action than he’s had recently. A winning formula for me would be Parker and Moore getting 30-plus touches between them (15-20 carries for Parker, 10-15 runs and catches for Moore). Moore’s ankle injury has kind of flown under the radar but he could be a key guy if healthy.

by steeler.lifer on Jan 27, 2009 7:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Heath Miller is the key

If the Cardinals blitz LBs and Wilson to bring pressure (as they did against the Eagles), Heath should be able to get open consistently, either on hot routes or seam routes. Some guy I never heard of, the Eagles TE, went off for 11 catches and 2 TDs against the Cardinals. Heath is a good route runner and excellent receiver. If Hines is out or ineffective, Heath will be Ben’s primary option on third down. That should help break down the Cardinals defense.

Also, DRC is good, but he is still a rookie. The Eagles WRs were able to get separation on at least some plays. Our WRs are clearly better than the Eagles WRs. And DRC can only cover one guy at a time. When we go three wide with Heath as the fourth option, I don’t see how they cover everybody. Ben just needs to make sure he has a hot option for when the Cardinals bring their big blitzes. Over the past several games, the Steelers have gotten much better at picking up those blitzes long enough for Ben to make a quick pass.

by Steelin on Jan 27, 2009 2:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

If I'm Whiz

I spread the Steelers out and go 5 wide. I throw quick passes almost every down. I use the plan Gannon and Brady used against the Steelers in 02 and 03 and throw about 50 passes. Get rid of it quick to negate the rush.
AZ can’t run on the Steelers D and they should just come to that realization. Get the ball in the hands of Fitz, AB and Breaston and make the Steelers D chase them all over the field.

When You Run The Ball Good Things Happen

by 5020 on Jan 27, 2009 5:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

let’s hope they try that against the best pass defense in the league. a few three-and-outs/interceptions could certainly do us well.

Brandona

by PrimantisStillersNAt on Jan 27, 2009 6:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Steelers have 4 good CBs

Now that everyone is healthy, the Steelers can put out Ike, Deshea, McFadden, and Gay in their dime package, along with Clark and Polamalu. Also, Timmons goes in at LB. That is more than enough speed to keep the Cardinals receivers in check. And with no threat of a running game, the front line will just head straight to the QB every play. If Warner doesn’t find an open receiver in about 1.5 seconds, he gets hit, and when he gets hit, he fumbles.

I think the Steelers will open by keeping both safeties deep (Tampa-2) to protect against deep passes to Fitzgerald. The Cardinals will try running the ball and throwing short passes until they can get one of the safeties to bite on a short route and leave Fitz 1-on-1 deep. If the Steelers can slow down the short game with their front 7 and keep the safeties deep, the Cards will not be able to get the big play.

by Steelin on Jan 27, 2009 7:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Short Pass Offense

I think the short pass is where they’ll be most successful. However, it’s not easy to complete those passes down after down. Driving the length of the field that way requires something like 12-13 completions. That’s a lot of plays to execute properly.

They’ll need to have something else working in their arsenal, too.

by Varmint on Jan 28, 2009 12:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

I love it when I see teams try to run on us. It means a wasted down 75% of the time. However when you have three great playmakers at WR? Granted it might mean a turnover or two for our D, but the chances of a mistake or Ike attempting to catch a ball and tipping it into a receivers.

When you run it versus the Steelers you have to beat 11 men to get a long touchdown. When you pass it you’re normally dealing with 2. And a couple of crappy pass interference penalties go a long way.

by Chicago Steeler on Jan 28, 2009 1:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs