Breaking down the two sacks allowed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday’s Week 16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
1. 3rd and 10, 13:02 1st. 11 personnel. Five block vs. four rush.
Third down sack to end the Steelers’ first drive of the game. Dan Moore Jr., who has struggled with power all season, gets bull-rushed back here by ROLB Frank Clark. Gets into Moore’s chest and runs him back, collapsing the pocket and forcing Roethlisberger to move off his spot and get depth. Moore’s first punch has been inconsistent and he’s had problems with the bull rush all season long.
On the right side, the LDT crosses Trai Turner’s face down the line. As Roethlisberger slides to his left to avoid Moore and Clark, Jarran Reed sheds Turner and is the first man to meet Roethlisberger. Clark gets back into the action and cleans things up. Otherwise, Roethlisberger would’ve kept the play alive.
Overall, Moore got the pocket collapsed and force Roethlisberger to move while Turner’s guy was able to cross face and get even more pressure. Blame goes half on each of those two, Moore and Turner.
Blame: Half on Dan Moore Jr., half on Trai Turner
2. 1st and 10, 11:50 4th. 11 personnel. Play action. Five block vs. four rush.
Another 1st and 10 sack. A strip-sack-fumble-turnover at that. Steelers running play action and a fake end around to Chase Claypool in what’s supposed to be a RB screen to Najee Harris. The Steelers, of course, are the worst RB screen team in the NFL and have been for years now.
Here, Kendrick Green gets beat off the line of scrimmage almost immediately. With LG John Leglue sliding away and then getting out into space, Green doesn’t have any help here. He’s lunging a bit and isn’t sliding to stay square to the block, though I’ll credit the 1T (Tershawn Wharton) for his get-off and burst.
Green gets beat and Roethlisberger isn’t even able to turn around before he’s hit, losing the ball and recovered by the Chiefs. Only Green’s tackle saves a touchdown and further embarrassment.
It’s the second time in two weeks Roethlisberger has been sacked off play action before he even got to turn around. Maybe under-center play action should be scrapped the final two weeks. Roethlisberger probably wouldn’t mind.
Blame: Kendrick Green
Sack Breakdown (Game)
Kendrick Green: 1
Dan Moore Jr: 0.5
Trai Turner: 0.5
Penalty Breakdown (Game)
Kendrick Green: 1
John Leglue: 1
Sack Breakdown (Season)
Dan Moore Jr.: 7.5
Trai Turner: 5.5
Ben Roethlisberger: 5
Coverage/Scheme: 4
Kendrick Green: 3.5
Joe Haeg: 3
Wide Receivers: 1.5
Zach Gentry: 1
Kevin Dotson: 1
Chukwuma Okorafor: 1
Chase Claypool: 1
Najee Harris: 1
Penalty Breakdown (Season)
Chukwuma Okorafor: 7
Kendrick Green: 6
Kevin Dotson: 5
Trai Turner: 5
John Leglue: 3
Dan Moore Jr.: 2
