FanPost

Quick Tempo Passing NOT Clicking Yet !?!

Dear Steeler Fans,

Is it me or have you noticed how (prior to last week's win over Titans) the Steeler Offense isn't clicking with quick slants, passes, or quick outs.  Like many of you I watched [in horror] as Ben drops back and as he finally plants his feet he is being piled on, grabbed, sacked, pressured by the Defense - Ravens, Texans, and Colts come to mind !!  

And I'm sure like me, we've all yelled at the TV and pleaded with Arians & Ben to throw some quick passes - slants to give the Offense a few yards and a little momentum, that way the Defense doesn't keep on pinning their ears back to crash into our backfield.  The other benefit - Ben doesn't incur a concussion, foot injury, bloody nose, etc.                   BUT I noticed how Ben came to the line in Texans game and looked as though he called an audible - the TE Johnson came off the line and looked as though he was running a longer skinny post, while Ben threw the ball over the line within a second or two and TE Johnson never looked back.  Johnson was open, it would have gained 4 to 8 yards.  Ben sort of cringed and you could tell Johnson 'should' have looked back and expected the quick slant or pass.  Than in the Texans game - our new weapon WR Brown (maybe Sanders) as well on a 2nd down and long.  Came off the line in his route and Ben had tossed it to a spot, almost instant as he came up from the snap.  The ball was quick and on spot, the WR was running a longer pattern - and yet would have been wide open for a five step turn around or basically a hook.  BUT the WR didn't turn around.  This past week with the Titans game prior to Halftime - Ben was calling signals for the Offense while they tried the 2 Minute Offense, keeping the Titans on their heels ....this was a potential knock-out punch with another TD or score prior to Halftime.  NOPE, Ben as he called the play / signals ....obviously was trying to trick the Titans into thinking he would spike the ball to stop the clock.  And looked RIGHT at Sanders, Brown, & Wallace in the 3 - WR set to the Offenses right side.  And he snapped the ball and motioned to the ground but pulled up and threw out a quick hitch / bubble pass / WR dump .....AND yet our WR's didn't even move a step or two forward.  Instead our favorite antagonist CB Finnegan came over and picked off the pass.  WHY ??!!??  I'm sure there are other examples of how the quick slants and passes aren't working.  And I'm not trying to say the season rides on these plays to be successful.  I just want to believe that the Offense is working on this since our O-Line is challenged and Ben will NEED these type of plays and execution to occur so the opposing Defense can't continue to terrorize or disrupt the Offense if Ben just keeps dropping back 4 to 5 steps.  The STEELERS need to give Ben other options to keep the Defense a little more honest or guessing what play were going to run.  Come ON Pittsburgh!  

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