1. No run zone
By any measure, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ run defense has been elite through three weeks this season. It ranks No. 1 in the NFL by total yardage allowed (54.0 per game), No. 1 in average yards per carry (2.766) and tied for No. 1 in touchdowns ceded (one) and opponent carries of at least 20 yards (zero).
A deeper look reveals further successes: No. 1 in the NFL in rushing yards allowed on first down (60 on 32 attempts, a 1.9 average) and on plays run to the right side (1.96 per carry). The subjective grading of Pro Football Focus agrees, too: it rated the Steelers as the AFC’s best run defense through Week 3.
Footballoutsiders.com takes the evaluation of the Steelers’ run defense a step further in its analysis. It, most basically, notes that the Steelers’ opponent per-carry average for running backs (excluding rushes by quarterbacks or receivers) is tops in the NFL at 2.33. But then, it goes nest level in finding the Steelers best in the league in a host of categories it calls Adjusted Line Yards, Power Success and Stuffed Percentage, as well as ranking the Steelers third as best in the AFC in limiting “Second Level Yards.”
“Adjusted Line Yards” weighs carries by length and adjusts for down, distance, situation, opponent and formation – the Steelers are dominating in that metric at 2.07 while the No. 2 New York Jets are at 2.91 and the league median is 4.33.
Put simply, a “Power Success” of 100% tells us the Steelers have not allowed a first down on carries on third-and-1 or fourth-and-1 all season. The Steelers’ “Stuffed Percentage” of 31% translates into the rate of opponent carries that net 0 or fewer yards. Finally, “Second Level Yards”
Through three games, the Steelers have allowed only four carries of eight yards or more by opposing running backs.
Watching the #Steelers run defense…
Played at a different speed than the #Giants last night. Physical, high-effort, disciplined. Multiple defenders to the ball.
Held Saquon Barkley to six yards rushing — on 15 carries. @NFLMatchup pic.twitter.com/p68mFsbpzw
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) September 16, 2020
2. Slot jackpot
JuJu Smith-Schuster has become the Steelers’ go-to slot receiver. Smith-Schuster has taken 73% of all snaps run out of the slot by any Steelers wide receivers on the roster, according to PFF. Only three players across the NFL, regardless of position, ran more snaps out of the slot than Smith-Schuster’s 92 through three weeks. Per PFF, 82.1% of all of Smith-Schuster’s snaps begin with him in the slot. Only five players in the league have more than his 13 receptions after beginning a route there, and no one can match the three touchdown catches he’s had from it.
Smith-Schuster has caught 13 of the 14 passes thrown his way when he begins a route in the slot, second-best percentage in the NFL.
And shoutout to Juju for the route on the first touchdown, too.
Gets Yiadom leaning with the sell upfield. Nuance in the route gets him a ton of separation here. pic.twitter.com/sR4KiA38Tv
— Derrick (@derrick_daKidD) September 17, 2020
3. Snell… no?
PFF’s subjective ratings slot Benny Snell Jr. as the worst running back in the NFL for any player with at least 16 carries this season. Snell rates as the worst runner among running backs and the worst in regards to fumbling in the PFF ratings.
Of note, though: according to NFL Next Gen Stats, Snell has faced “eight men in the box” on 31.03% of his snaps. Only two qualifying running backs in the NFL so far this season have faced so many defenders so close to the line of scrimmage so often.
Swapping wide receivers on the 80-man roster Friday, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed former Clemson player Ray-Ray McCloud and waived former Penn State pass catcher Saeed Blacknall. https://t.co/cN0KOCV4y2
— TribLIVE.com (@TribLIVE) August 21, 2020
4. Special, or not-so special
The Steelers made plenty of changes with their special teams units in 2020 , ranging from the departure of most of their top “core” special teamers to the replacement of their punter and primary kickoff returner.
It’s only three weeks, but the results so far have been mixed. Football Outsiders’ all-encompassing metric ranks the Steelers 17th in special teams play, roughly league average. The two highest-profile additions to the unit have had highly disparate effects: veteran Dustin Colquitt so far is performing like one of the NFL’s worst punters, but late signee Ray-Ray McCloud is showing he can be among the best kick returners.
Through Week 3, the Steelers rated last in the league in net punting average (36.8 yards) and were second-worst in the Football Outsiders metric for punting. Thanks in large part to McCloud, though, the Steelers were rated third in the league by FO in kickoff returns. McCloud already had returns of 49 and 33 yards in only five attempts – the longest of Ryan Switzer’s 38 kick returns for the Steelers in 2018-19 was 35 yards.
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Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris by email at cadamski@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Categories: Sports | Steelers/NFL
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