Article

Steelers Vs. Browns Sack Breakdown

By Alex Kozora

Posted on November 25, 2023 at 2:30 pm

Breaking down the three sacks the Pittsburgh Steelers allowed in their Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

1. 1st and 10, 10:28 1st. 11 personnel. Six block vs five man rush

First snap of the game. Pittsburgh backed up near the shadow of their end zone. Browns bringing nickel pressure off the edge, which RB Najee Harris picks up opposite this full slide protection.

LT Dan Moore Jr. gets beat to the inside against RDE Myles Garrett. A tough assignment, wanting to step and protect the edge off the snap, not realizing the blitz was coming and Garrett had a one-way go to slant into the B-gap. Cleveland hid and timed their blitz well.

It’s a tough assignment for Moore trying to redirect inside but the responsibility still falls on him. I don’t love the route concepts behind, too far downfield given the matchup and line of scrimmage, but I’m still putting this on Moore for full sack blame. The only good news here is that this avoided a safety. Barely.

Blame: Dan Moore Jr.

2. 3rd and 2, 6:10 2nd. 11 personnel. Five block vs four man rush

This is a clear example of “both your tackles get beat”-itis. Dan Moore beat around the edge by Garrett. RT Broderick Jones beat around the edge by Ogbo Okoronkwo. Moore beat a bit worse than Jones, who grabs and tugs at Garrett, drawing a hole to prevent the sack while Okoronkwo helps clean this up as Pickett doesn’t have much of a chance.

Steelers trying to use three-step drops to reduce the top of the drop and make it easier on Pickett. But they’re just slow off the line here. Perhaps a byproduct of playing in a loud environment on the road. Regardless, an ugly play and on third-and-short no less. Probably shouldn’t throw it with the way the running game was rolling but to the actual play, half blame on Moore, half blame on Jones.

Blame: Half on Dan Moore Jr., half on Broderick Jones

3. 2nd and 12, 9:13 4th. 11 personnel (empty). Five block + dual wing chips vs five man rush

This is actually the same pressure look the Browns used on the sack in the first example. Late in the game, Pittsburgh consistently used this “wing chippers” to contain Cleveland’s EDGE rushers. A popular tactic around the league that the Steelers have seen over the years. I remember the Buffalo Bills in past seasons employing this strategy to slow down T.J. Watt and Pittsburgh’s pass rush.

We’ve gone through this play before. While there is pressure along the interior, Kenny Pickett misses WR Diontae Johnson wide open on the crosser. Quarterbacks do miss open receivers and understanding the progression is important. Pickett looks up top for George Pickens initially before coming off it (not much separation, MOF safety) and looking at the Yankee concept, the two crossers. For some reason, his eyes take him to WR Calvin Austin III moving left to right instead of Johnson going the opposite way with more space and away from the Browns’ miscommunication that left him open.

Pickett does feel heat up the middle and in fairness, that’s difficult to navigate. It appears LG Isaac Seumalo is trying to “pop” out as their answer to this nickel blitz in this protection scheme. It’s something Pittsburgh has used in recent weeks to deal with overload blitzes that were damaging them. Mason Cole doesn’t have a good feel for it and keeps sliding away as Seumalo tries to pass off and it all ends up looking ugly up front.

Still, Pickett has this. Even a lame duck throw results in six. At some point, he’s gotta make a play and fire on an open receiver for a would-be, walk-in touchdown. And he doesn’t. He’s capable of doing it, he’s done it before, and he needed to do it here. If Pickett does, the Steelers take a four-point lead and probably win this game.

Blame: Kenny Pickett

Sack Breakdown (Game)

Dan Moore Jr.: 1.5
Kenny Pickett: 1.0
Broderick Jones: 0.5

Penalty Breakdown (Game – Accepted Only)

None

Sack Breakdown (Season)

Mason Cole: 3.5
Dan Moore Jr.: 3.5
Jaylen Warren: 3.0
Kenny Pickett: 2.5
Coverage/Scheme: 2.5
Matt Canada: 1.5
Chukwuma Okorafor: 1.5
Isaac Seumalo: 1.0
Receivers: 1.0
Najee Harris: 1.0
James Daniels: 1.0
Nate Herbig: 0.5
Kenny Pickett: 2.5 0.5