Breaking down the three sacks allowed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in their Week Four loss to the Houston Texans.
1. 1st and 10, 5:43 1st. 13 personnel. Playaction/bootleg
One of the few times Pittsburgh has been in 13 personnel this season. Try to fool the Texans by passing and booting off it but veteran LDE Jerry Hughes isn’t fooled and sacks Pickett as he tries to roll to his right.
Goal here is to hit TE Connor Heyward coming across the formation but Hughes is all over it. With, by design, no blockers to try and sell the run fake, Pickett has no chance. Doesn’t happen often but this is the risk of the boot. Perhaps the playfake here could’ve been a bit stronger.
But I’ll tip my hat here to the Texans for making a nice defensive play. The benefits of having a vet who is less likely to take “the cheese.”
Blame: Defensive Coverage
2. 2nd and 5, 1:24 2nd. 11 personnel (empty). Five block versus four-man rush
Mentioned this one in my long review of the Steelers’ offensive struggles. Steelers running a slant/dig and flat combination to the top with George Pickens open on the slant/dig as two Texans converge on the flat. Route is open – wide open – and though there’s some pressure, Kenny Pickett is able to fire this on. He might take a shot but welcome to the NFL. He’s done it under more serious pressure before.
Instead, Pickett keeps hitching up and moves into the pressure and is taken down. There are other issues here, Mason Cole quickly loses the block to the looping Hughes and that creates the pressure. But this ball also should’ve been out to avoid the sack. Ultimately, the blame will go on half of each.
Blame: Half of Mason Cole, half on Kenny Pickett
3. 4th and 1, 1:16 3rd. 11 personnel. Five block + RB check/release versus four-man rush
The failed fourth down play we’ve talked about endlessly. Yes, Pickett bails here but I understand his perspective of the potential interior pressure as No. 96 Malik Collins spins on LG Isaac Seumalo. Seumalo is able to pick it up, but in the moment, Pickett can’t be sure. On fourth down, you can’t take a sack, and his frontside reads aren’t there. So I give Pickett more grace here. Still, he is the one who runs into the RDE, this isn’t on Broderick Jones, so I can’t pin that on him.
Of course, the playcall here is terrible. Not just throwing, playaction would’ve at least been understandable, but a five-step drop with the first read a throw to the far hash on a concept you used earlier in the game on 2nd and 16. Bad. Clearly.
Blame: Half on Pickett, half on Matt Canada
Sack Breakdown (Game)
Kenny Pickett: 1
Defensive Coverage: 1
Matt Canada: 0.5
Mason Cole: 0.5
Penalty Breakdown (Game)
None.
Sack Breakdown (Season)
Mason Cole: 2.0
Coverage: 2.0
Kenny Pickett: 1.5
Dan Moore Jr.: 1.0
Isaac Seumalo: 1.0
Receivers: 1.0
Jaylen Warren: 1.0
James Daniels: 0.5
Chukwuma Okorafor: 0.5
Matt Canada: 0.5
PENALTY BREAKDOWN (GAME/SEASON) – ACCEPTED PENALTIES ONLY
Chukwuma Okorafor: 2
Isaac Seumalo: 1
