Article

Sack Breakdown: Steelers Vs. Browns

By Alex Kozora

Posted on September 24, 2023 at 11:00 am

As we do for every game, we’re breaking down every sack the Pittsburgh Steelers allow. Talking about what went wrong and whom we put the blame on.

Let’s talk about the two sacks given up to the Cleveland Browns in Monday night’s Week Two win.

1. 1st and 10, 9:30 3rd. 12 personnel. Five block + TE/RB chip vs four man rush

Initial protection is good and there’s nothing available downfield for Kenny Pickett against the Browns’ zone getting depth and taking things away. Up front, center Mason Cole is working to refit his hands on the three-tech as RG James Daniels slides and gives RT Chukwuma Okorafor help, as designed by many of Pat Meyer’s protections.

But Cole stops his feet and loses the edge with the three-tech getting past. Elsewhere, LG Isaac Seumalo loses the leverage battle and gives up his block. Pickett is initially flushed by Cole’s defender but contained by Seumalo’s.

Overall, there is a coverage component to this but there’s enough here to put this one on the line.

Blame: Half on Mason Cole, half on Isaac Seumalo

2. 3rd and 10, 9:41 4th. 11 personnel. Five block vs five man rush

This one comes with an easy explanation. Pittsburgh in their BOB (big on big/back on backer) protection with Jaylen Warren responsible for any blitzer. Here, the linebacker No. 44 comes through the B-gap. But Warren doesn’t see him and releases into his route, all while slipping and not even giving Pickett the chance to dump it off to him.

The linebacker comes in free and easily takes Pickett down. I know some will argue blame falls on the LG Isaac Seumalo. But this slide protection is to the left with Seumalo starting it to help out center Mason Cole with the dangerous Myles Garrett aligned into the A-gap. The line’s job is to take those d-line threats away. The back is responsible for the ‘backer.

Blame: Jaylen Warren