Steelers pummel Patriots
Sometimes the final score is not a good indication of what actually happened during the game. This was one of those times.
The score was 23-17 Steelers, with less than a minute to play. The Patriots had the ball, and a touchdown would have given them the win. Anyone who read that, and hadn’t actually seen the game would probably think that it was a close game between two evenly matched teams. Nothing would have been farther from the truth.
The Steelers beat the Patriots like a drum. They dominated them in every phase of the game.
Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady, who is known for guiding a high-powered offense, was held to only 198 yards passing. He had been averaging over 350 yards per game. But the Steelers’ defense made “Tom Terrific” look like “Tom Terrible”.
Brady was visibly frustrated.
Steelers’ cornerback Ike Taylor completely blanketed Brady’s favorite target, Wes Welker. Welker came into the game leading the NFL in receptions and receiving yards, but Taylor held him to just 6 catches for 39 yards.
The Patriots couldn’t do much better running the ball. The Steelers held them to just 43 rushing yards.
The Steelers offense, on the other hand, had their way with the Patriot’s defense.
Ben Roethlisberger passed for 365 yards and 2 touchdowns. If not for one costly interception, this might be remembered as one of the best performances of Big Ben’s career.
The Steelers’ offense is usually known for going for the big play. Fans have come to expect at least one long pass from Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace each game. But that didn’t happen this game. The Steelers’ offense showed patience, and took what the Patriots gave them. That tended to be short passes to the wide receivers, screen passes to the running backs, and passes over the middle to Heath Miller. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn that the Steelers were running a West Coast offense.
But regardless of what type of offense the Steelers were running, the Patriots 0bviously had no answer for it. The Steelers marched the ball up and down the field, and the Patriots could do nothing to stop them.
I’m sure the Steelers would like to celebrate their win over the Patriots. But instead, they have to get right back to the practice field. They’ll be facing the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday, and I’m sure they’ll be looking to avenge the loss that the Ravens handed them in the season opener.
The players may not have time to celebrate, but Steelers fans certainly do. So I’m going to get back to celebrating right now.
Here we go Steelers, here we go!
Steelers coaches made some unusual and highly effective strategic decisions. Bruce had the Steelers throwing out of multiple TE sets and running out of pass formations resulting in a fast half-dozen catches by Heath releasing from the line to snag ball after ball over the middle. Fortunately these smart schemes were not undone late in the game by having Ben drop back to pass on what should have been the Steelers final clock-killing possession.
Dick meanwhile used an unprecedented amount of press coverage, used Troy to blanket NE TEs and employed many nickel and dime packages. Lewis, Allen and Mundy all saw PT. Black & Gold bump n’ run disrupted NE receivers all afternoon without giving up anything longer than a 23-yarder to Gronko. Despite 3 sacks, the Steelers without Harrison, without 4-quarters of Woodley and without much blitzing, did not bring consistent pressure. The secondary however forced enough incompletions and short throws to kill drives.
Finally a game plan that has a chance to beat Green Bay if we’re lucky enough to face them again.
1What may be even more exciting than crushing the Patriots is that the success of the quick passing game against Arizona and NE may actual cause a real shift in our overall offensive identity away from the “big play or bust” approach that has deprived me of so much hair. As Arians gains confidence in Brown we’re seeing the development of one of the most lethal passing attacks in the league.
2I think the big play game is what opens up the short passing game. The NE safeties were playing deep because they feared Wally and Brown, opening up the middle.
3This was the gameplan I’ve been waiting for. Well done, Steelers.
4@Dan R.,
I agree completely with your comment about this gameplan being one that might work against Green Bay. As I was watching the game unfold, I kept thinking, “I wonder how well this press coverage would work against Green Bay?”
BTW Dan, STOP READING MY MIND!
5Matthew & Dan R.,
I think that the quick passes and the big play passes are going to complement one another nicely. Now that Ben is getting comfortable running a West Coast type offense, he can soften the defense up with the short passes (and running game), and then hit them with the long bomb. If the defense starts playing deep to prevent the long bomb, he can kill them with the short passes and running game again.
I can’t wait to see what they pull out against Baltimore.
6I love the idea that we used more press coverage. I never understand why we always play zone and let teams carve us up. I think the change in coaches (secondary) has shown great improvement. I will continue to monitor the games and see how much we play press versus zone. I understand there is a time and a place for both.
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