Wild-Card Sunday: The Steelers begin their quest to Tampa
By Devan Penman
No – The run game is still a disappointment
In my eyes, I am not blaming Conner, Snell, or McFarland if they aren’t as quick and powerful as previous running backs that have worn Black and Gold. As long as you have an efficient and strong Offensive Line and use specific plays to block more defenders up the field, the backs will do the work from there.
Struggles haven’t just come out of nowhere, it has been building up to the Ravens game after Thanksgiving. The left side has been the weakest point as far as the pass and rush are concerned and injuries and illness have occurred to Pouncey and Okafor. Just one-on-one blocking has gone by the wayside and it is just not working, I haven’t noticed a lot of double-teaming or stunt blocks that have helped.
Throughout the losing streak, there have been more sacks and pressure towards Ben and the running backs than the 11 games we started at. When you think you solved everything because you’re undefeated, lack of urgency and importance will come back to haunt you, and that happened with the result of tough and unexpected losses.