Steelers News: The offensive personnel grouping where the Steelers dominate

It has been a one-of-a-kind offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020. With the scheduled start of training camp now behind us, it looks like we’ll have to wait until opening weekend to see the Steelers take the field. Just because the NFL has cancelled the preseason doesn’t mean we stop providing you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over throughout the offseason!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how the Pittsburgh Steelers run the 00 offensive package better than anyone.

Let’s get to the news:

• Which offensive package do the Steelers run better than anyone? That’s right...5 WRs.

Picking the NFL’s best offenses at every personnel grouping for 2020

By: Matt Bowen, ESPN

00 personnel (5 WRs)

Why it works: With five wide receivers on the field, opposing defenses can expect empty formations. But with only a five-man protection scheme, defenses can bring pressure and force the quarterback to unload the ball quickly.

The team that ran it the most: The Steelers ran 17 snaps of 00 personnel, with 15 of those snaps coming in the first two weeks of the season, when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was healthy. After that? Just two snaps for a total of 1 yard. Outside of the Steelers, only five teams lined up in 00 personnel: the Cardinals, who registered four snaps, along with the Bears, Miami Dolphins, Buccaneers and Patriots with one snap apiece.

The team that ran it the best: During those first two games of the 2019 season, Roethlisberger completed 7 of 15 passes for 38 yards in 00 personnel. Remember, the ball has to come out hot here. However, with the limited snap counts across the league for 00 personnel, the Steelers are the only team that registered viable numbers here.

The team to watch in 2020: It has to be the Steelers. Over the past two seasons, Pittsburgh has run 49 snaps out of 00 personnel, with the Bills and Cardinals checking in at No. 2 with four snaps apiece. And the personnel is in place for the Steelers to at least show some five-wide-receiver looks in 2020 with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, James Washington, Ryan Switzer and rookie Chase Claypool.

To read the full article, click HERE (ESPN+)

• Ike Hilliard hasn’t had a lot of time with his receivers, but he is getting a grip on the job at hand.

Catching on quickly

By: Mike Prisuta, Steelers.com

Ike Hilliard has had success working with rookie wide receivers in the NFL previously, but never under the pandemic-influenced restrictions teams have been forced to work around this season.

So be it, the Steelers’ new wide receivers coach reasons.

“Every year is the same for me,” Hilliard emphasized. “I’m not going to make any excuses. We’re going to get these guys ready to play. These kids are extremely talented, it’s just our job to get the most out of them.

“We’re not gonna make any excuses about how much time we missed in the offseason on the grass or any of those things. We’ve worked virtually, we’ve worked hard. We have to now make sure that when we do get real snaps we maximize those and we get the most out of those players on a snap-by-snap basis. It’s gonna be no different this year. These young men are going to be productive and we’re all going to be proud of the product we put on the field.”

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Looking for some bang-for-your-buck at QB for Fantasy Football?

Best, Worst and Sleeper QB values for fantasy

By: Adam Rank, NFL.com

Anybody who has played fantasy football over the years knows the basic tenants of the game is to wait on a quarterback. It’s one of those common knowledge things we’ve all known since birth. Kind of like how you to look both ways before you cross a street. Don’t swim after eating. And Han shot first. Like, everyone knows these things.

What I would like to do today is to use that in practice. By looking over average draft position of quarterbacks, I have found the best, worst and sleeper values at the position. And look, every draft is different. There are some leagues where the managers won’t take a quarterback in the first eight rounds. And then I have home leagues where three quarterbacks go in the first. But this, again, is based on current ADP and can be used as a rule of thumb moving forward.

Let’s get started.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

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Is Alex Highsmith the next Chad Brown??

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