It’s become a running joke. And you gotta laugh to keep from crying. You don’t need to hear anything else but “the pony backfield” to know it’s training camp. For years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have trotted out their pony package – two running back groupings – in the summer. And for years, it’s disappeared once the regular season starts.
This summer has started the same way. Through three practices, Pittsburgh has used as many pony backfields as any grouping. Anthony McFarland has been the biggest benefactor. Often in these groupings, there is the traditional deep back behind or sidecar to the quarterback. The other is aligned in the slot or as a wing. They’re often motioned across on jet action to either receive a handoff or more likely, window dressing to pull the linebacker’s eyes, or will run a route on a pass play.
Based off my camp notes where it’s directly mentioned, the team has run pony looks on seven plays. The actual number is higher than that, probably low double-digits, accounting for a fair percentage of the team’s total offensive snaps. Assume it’s even ten Pony sets and it makes up 8.2% of the team’s total offensive plays (10 of 122).
They’ve been valuable reps for McFarland, currently clearly the team’s third-string running back. That could change; after all, he’s the veteran running ahead of rookies, but McFarland has shown burst and caught the ball well. Competition behind him may be thinning. Rookie Alfonzo Graham suffered a right arm/shoulder injury Saturday while rookie Darius Hagans has had just a few carriers so far.
In the 2021 camp, McFarland was used plenty in Pony looks and may have had a role during the season. But he injured his MCL shortly before the year began, spending the first half of the year on injured reserve and never getting back on the moving train.
Though it’s been used far more often in the summer than it has in the fall, Pony was utilized late last season. According to our charting, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren were on the field together for eleven snaps last season. All came after the bye week and most over the final stretch. Two in Week Ten against New Orleans, two in Week 16 against Las Vegas, three in Week 17 at Baltimore, and four in the finale versus Cleveland.
Pittsburgh ran the ball eight of those times, netting a 15 and 31-yard run. Passing the ball was an adventure with penalties on two of the three plays, an ineligible player downfield and an offensive pass interference.
Still, the Steelers showed some willingness to utilize it. And it makes sense. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are two talented players and Pittsburgh wants to be a run-heavy squad. Obviously, it won’t be used often, sprinkled in here and there, but 2023 might finally be the year the Pony show goes on the road. Or maybe this is again all smoke and mirrors, a summer plan that looks good but isn’t enacted once the games matter. Time will tell.
