I lied. I said there would only be one more article dedicated to the Steelers’ unsuccessful 4th and 1 play late in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Houston Texans. But we’ll stay away from the low-hanging fruit about the play call. It’s scrutinized, as it should be, for all the reasons already mentioned.
The other interesting takeaway from that play was center Mason Cole’s reaction. As pointed out by our Josh Carney, Cole’s body language after Pickett was sacked said it all. Walking off the field, he ripped his helmet off and angrily pointed to his right, ostensibly wishing the team would’ve just gone forward and run the football, something they had success with throughout the quarter.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Cole dismissed his reaction and said they have to block up whatever the call is. Whether or not he agrees with it.
“At the end of the day, the play that’s called, we gotta block it,” he said via Steelers.com. “We gotta execute. So that’s not the play call. It’s the execution. Ninety-five percent of the time.”
As you can see from the aerial view of the All-22, Cole’s reaction says it all after the play. Someone who clearly wasn’t happy with the team’s decision to pass. The running game is what began to get Pittsburgh back into Sunday’s game, making it a 16-6 game with one minute left in the third quarter. Instead of continuing to run it, the Steelers dropped back to pass.
You can see Cole’s reaction below.
After the game, Cole said the Steelers get too “scared” to run the ball when they have negative plays. He seems to be referencing the drive. On 1st and 10 a few plays earlier, RB Jaylen Warren was hit in the backfield (largely because of Pittsburgh’s predictability) and fumbled, losing eight yards on the play. Facing 4th and 1, the Steelers evidently didn’t want to risk another negative play and chose to pass instead.
Cole’s answer is diplomatic, following the same response as RB Najee Harris. And much of it is true. Players have to get the job done. But the coaching isn’t doing much to elevate the group or put them in the best chance to make the play work. That’s been a recurring issue throughout Matt Canada’s tenure and if he is fired or “parted ways with” after the season, that’ll be one reason why.
