The display sport might be an efficient instrument to maintain defenses off stability, a excessive proportion cross with YAC potential if schemed and executed properly. At the moment I needed to take a look at and supply information context for a way the Pittsburgh Steelers have fared in comparison with the remainder of the NFL in 2024, and previous seasons.
For starters, the Steelers have 35 display makes an attempt in 2024, which ties for twenty fifth within the NFL. By means of Week 14, that averages to 2.7 makes an attempt per sport. Extrapolating that for the remainder of the season, they’re on tempo for roughly 45 makes an attempt, comparable quantity to final season, and display passing for OC Arthur Smith his final two seasons as Atlanta’s head coach.
So, not a lot amount, however what concerning the high quality? Let’s study that, beginning with growth and bust charges:
Increase Fee – price of passes with an anticipated factors added (EPA) higher than 1.
Bust Fee – price of passes with an anticipated factors added (EPA) lower than –1.
The opposite aspect of the coin is an 11.4 bust price for Pittsburgh this season, rating twenty third. It has felt like both a pleasant play with YAC, or a lack of yards far too typically. Hopefully Pittsburgh can get rid of the adverse performs extra throughout the remainder of 2024.
Selections on when to make use of it may assist that objective. Final week was instance, operating them a number of performs in a row or the identical drive, and usually worse outcomes on second makes an attempt. However total, it’s nice to see the very best display sport in Pittsburgh since QB Ben Roethlisberger retired.
Let’s have a look at some numbers on the receiving finish:
RB Najee Harris: 7 Rec, 93 YDs, 131 YAC, 15 YAContact, 3 MTAK, 4 1DNs, 0 TDs.
RB Jaylen Warren: 7 Rec, 53 YDs, 85 YAC, 41 YAContact, 2 MTAK, 2 1DNs, 0 TDs.
WR George Pickens: 6 Rec, 25 YDs, 36 YAC, 13 YAContact, 1 MTAK, 1 1DN, 1 TD.
WR Calvin Austin: 4 Rec, 23 YDs, 25 YAC, 12 YAContact, 0 MTAK, 1 1DN, 0 TDs.
RB Cordarrelle Patterson: 3 Rec, 3 YDs, 14 YAC, 3 YAContact, 0 MTAK, 1 1DN, 0 TD.
TE Pat Freiermuth: 2 Rec, 13 YDs, 18 YAC, 14 YAContact, 0 MTAK, 1 1DN, 1 TD.
WR Van Jefferson: 1 Rec, 1 YD, 6 YAC, 2 YAContact, 0 MTAK, 0 1DN, 0 TD.
As anticipated, the Steelers RB duo prepared the ground in quantity, yardage, pressured missed tackles, and chain shifting display performs. Harris averaged 13.3 yards per catch, and 18.7 yards after catch, regardless of it not being after contact as typically as his dashing. Completely different story for Warren, who considerably leads the group with 41 yards after contact, at 5.9 per try to Harris’ 2.1.
Warren has 7.6 yards per catch, and 12.1 yards after catch, creating extra whereas enjoying typically in apparent passing conditions the place the protection is anticipating it extra. Each gamers deserve a ton of credit score for Pittsburgh’s improved display sport.
The last word objective is to get on the scoreboard, and seeing two touchdowns for the Steelers is clearly unbelievable. One was from the third most focused Pickens, along with his 17-yard TD in opposition to the Bengals that includes his missed sort out and first down as properly. That accounted for almost all of his 25 display yards on six catches although, so growth/bust outcomes.
Freiermuth had the opposite rating, again in Week 5 in opposition to the Cowboys, a flip cross from six yards out. It’s been good to see that play used lower than underneath former OC Matt Canada, which failed typically in previous seasons with its predictability.
Whereas Smith makes use of tight ends within the flat steadily, solely two display targets to Freiermuth this season appears felony. Encouragingly had one final Week in opposition to Cleveland, and possibly one other in Week 15 with extra targets obtainable, as Pickens doubtless lacking one other sport.
Austin is one other candidate, who has carried out some good issues when it comes to yardage (5.8 yards per catch), and is perhaps smart to restrict the usage of others like Patterson and Jefferson contemplating their poor outcomes total.
Zooming again out to a group degree, listed here are common throw depths and yards per try:
On the entire, issues may stand to enhance, significantly in yards per try. Regardless of having an above the imply common throw depth that ties for eleventh with a number of groups, Pittsburgh is simply above common with 5.9 yards per try that ties for fifteenth within the NFL.
Whereas that’s true, it’s already a lot better than the final 5 seasons:
Steelers YPA:
2019: 4.7 YPA.
2020: 4.5 YPA.
2021: 4.1 YPA.
2022: 4.6 YPA.
2023: 4.1 YPA.
2024: 5.9 YPA.
Fortunately, the Steelers are getting over a yard extra on common on display performs than the earlier 5 seasons, once they had been horrendously under common in all the span. One of many many parts that has regarded higher underneath Smith, who was above common three years within the span, together with final season and a second-best mark of any group from 2019-2023 again as OC with the Titans.
No shock from my research that I linked at the start of the article, with Smith deserving credit score for total offensive enhancements, together with the Pittsburgh Steelers display sport.
I additionally needed to see how Pittsburgh’s two TDs fared throughout the league with landing charges, together with Adjusted Web Yards per Try (ANY/A = ([Pass Yards] + 20[Pass TD] – 45[Interceptions] – [Sack Yards])/([Attempts] + [Sacks]).), among the best all-encompassing stats to measure passing success:
The Steelers sit fairly in each stats, with a 5.7 landing price that ranks fifth, and a 7.1 ANY/A that lands at eighth-best. So nice to see them land comfortably above the imply, and nearly all of the NFL.
They’ve additionally been a lot better in every because the 2019 season:
Steelers TD Charges and ANY/A:
2019: 1.9 TD price. 5.1 ANY/A.
2020: 2.5 TD price. 5.0 ANY/A.
2021: 4.5 TD price. 5.0 ANY/A.
2022: none. 4.6 ANY/A.
2023: none. 4.1 ANY/A
2024: 5.7 TD price. 7.1 ANY/A.
Wow. Pittsburgh ended a two-year drought of no display touchdowns this season, together with posting an ANY/A that’s two full factors above some other season since 2019. Effectively under league common in that span total, and all 5 seasons in ANY/A. Roethlisberger’s remaining 2021 season was the one glimmer of hope, with a decent TD price.
Sure, Smith’s outcomes had been higher at his earlier teaching spots as soon as once more, as you most likely anticipated. Notably in the identical two seasons I referenced earlier (2019 and 2023). From 2019-2023, Smith achieved a sixth-best 8.9 ANY/A with the 2019 Titans, and extra lately the absolute-best 10.2 TD price final yr with Atlanta.
Each stats have been higher throughout the board for Pittsburgh this yr, a unbelievable breath of contemporary air, and the display sport is not any exception. Smith’s potential affect was clear to see on paper, and so glad it has come to fruition within the Metal Metropolis.
To shut, here’s a rankings desk of the 2024 information I compiled for the examine:
Thanks for studying and let me know your ideas within the feedback.
