FanPost

About that run game rhetoric …

"If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected ."

Sun Tzu

The Art of War

About 500 years before Christ a Chinese general wrote a book about war called the Art of War. It’s considered a classic. Football, in large part, is nothing more than a distillation of armed conflict put on for our amusement and entertainment. And the principles of warfare apply.

Over the past couple seasons a lot of talk has centered on returning to the running game. Back a few years the team owners stated flatly that we needed to run the ball more. Last year, with the arrival of Le’Veon Bell the Steeler Nation declared that the running game was back, and coach Tomlin declared that we didn’t need to necessarily increase the number of rushing attempts, we just needed to make the attempts we were making count. This year it’s the arrival of Le’Backfield, the offensive line guru Mike Munchak and his highly anticipated zone blocking schemes, and the breakaway speed of Dri Archer driving conversations of the ‘return of the running game’.

It all misses the point.

It is neither superior offense nor defense that will allow you to prevail on the field of glory. It is rather a balance and compliment between the two. And the understanding that whether on offense or defense the superior team will always attack and surprise with the unexpected. And go about opening up a great big old can of whupass in the process.

BigAl727

The Warfare of Football

Let’s start on the defensive side of the ball. There’s a hint in the nickname ‘Blitzburgh’. We didn’t call it Cover2Burgh. Beyond the fact that it’s not nearly as sexy, Blitzburgh, the brainchild of our hall of fame defensive coordinator was intended to sow confusion in the ranks of the enemy by disguising ingenious methods of attack. These attacks were calculated risks. Given that there are eleven people occupying both sides of the line, sending two or more to focus on getting to only one of your opponent leaves some weakness somewhere. It was, therefore, imperative that Dr. LeBeau have several advantages at his disposal. He needed speed to accomplish this task, and stealth. Both of these two characteristics are at the heart of the zone blitz. He benefited from superior strength, such that a Harrison or Woodley could overwhelm an opponent with the raw power required of the bull rush. He required a deep understanding of how his schemes operated by all concerned such that when bodies started flying and plans went out the window, they could react on the field and adjust. And he benefited from versatility, not just because it helps when injury strikes, but also because it sows confusion in the minds of the enemy as to exactly what your intentions are with who you have on the field. But most importantly, the good doctor needed an offense that either allowed him to play with a close score or preferably establish a lead. Or at the very least, he needed an offense that was fully capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. Why? Simple enough: Because it meant that he could take the risk of attack secure in the knowledge that if it didn't quite work out that his team could still attack.

So what do we have this year: significant elements of speed and strength for Dr. LeBeau in Cam Thomas, Cam Heyward, Ryan Shazier, Stephen Tuitt, Mike Mitchell, etc. Greater depth of understanding in the likes of Jarvis Jones, Jason Worilds and Shamarko Thomas. Extensive versatility in the likes of Moats and Garvin. That’s just naming a few.

But it’s not just Dr. LeBeau who has significant tools here. Offensively this team appears on paper to be one that could score from anywhere on the field (and perhaps from the locker room as well). The castle walls appear to be well fortified for once with talented and healthy big bodies up front in the likes of DeCastro, Pouncey, Foster and the quintessential overachiever Kevin Beachum. And yes! There’s some bangers coming out of the backfield who will, much like Jerome Bettis did, punish you for attempting to impede their forward progress. There is the aforementioned Dri Archer, who should strike fear in the heart of any team that gives him anything more than a five yard cushion in any direction except backwards. And unlike most, I see some significant capabilities in those assigned to catch the ball: from the rock steady Heath Miller, who has a couple of good years left; to Antonio Brown, the second leading receiver in the NFL last year, who has yet to get any respect; to free agent pickups, delayed rookies and actual rookies.

It’s not about a running game or a passing game or what the league favors or any of that. It’s about establishing balance in a team such that it can attack regardless of who possesses the football. It’s about having people on both sides of the ball, that present in a way that as an opponent you have no idea what to expect.

On paper anyway, sitting here in the hazy days of July, dreaming of that Stairway to Seven, it looks like we might just have the secret sauce this year. It looks like we have a serious chance to attack from all points and propagate confusion and fear because no one will know what we’re going to do next. Mostly because we’ve demonstrated that we’re willing and able to do just about anything from anywhere to anybody.

It looks like the pieces are in place to raise some hell and kick some serious ass this year.

In other words, in the words of the immortal Bugs Bunny.


The opinions shared here are not those of the editorial staff of Behind the Steel Curtain or SB Nation. These posts are not approved in any way by the editorial staff of this web site.