Steelers Film Room: Providing protection for Ben Roethlisberger key to Steelers' success

With or without Le'Veon Bell, the Steelers will have an advantage in their Wild Card playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens.

A healthy Bell is more important, and it wouldn't appear most normal people could recover that quickly from such an injury, so the thought of this game, in terms of the Steelers' offense, is really about pass protection, and the ability of the Steelers' receivers to make plays.

Paper Champions highlighted this play in his Steelers Film Room piece after the Steelers' 43-23 win over Baltimore in Week 9.

He wrote:

The timing doesn't allow the corner to recover late. So with this play, you have a combination of great play design, great routes, great protection and great execution. That's what leads to 43 points against a fierce division rival.

This is an empty set but one that still utilizes two tight ends. Coming to the line, the Steelers have a built-in check that would allow them to shift into a heavy set, one providing a run look. The Steelers will likely employ several of these kinds of plays, protecting their weakened run game (assuming Bell can either not play or won't be effective enough).

The Ravens' secondary is banged up, and the result of that is one of the weaker units we've seen out of a Ravens' defensive backfield. They've done a great job over the years coaching their defensive backs, and the injuries to several players probably cost this team a few games.

Translation: This is a very good football team, but one with a big weakness.

They make up for it with perhaps the best team pass rush in the NFL. Providing time for Roethlisberger will give the Steelers the ability to attack them down the field.

When he has time, he will beat them. He has in the past, and with the best group of receivers he's had leading into any game he's played against the Ravens, good things will happen. It will have to, because if the Steelers are going to win this game, it will be largely on the arm of Roethlisberger.

Another clip broken down by Paper Champions, this one after the Steelers' 51-34 win over the Colts in Week 8. Roethlisberger is given time on this throw, and the scheme and execution by multiple Steelers' receivers shows the potency of this offense.