Pittsburgh Steelers fans anticipating a radical revolution in the team’s run game need not fret, as not much is changing. At least, RG James Daniels views it that way from a schematic and execution perspective.
“There’s slight differences, but I mean, at the end of the day, we ran wide zone”, Daniels said Tuesday of the Steelers’ run game last year, via the team’s website, when asked about changes under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. “Wide zone is still wide zone. I feel like it’s still the same, but we just have to keep on getting better and doing our technique in the games and practicing better”.
One of the reasons players are facing these questions is because of how the Steelers have looked so far. Through two preseason games, the offense has not looked good, especially the offensive line. While they’ve arguably had more issues in pass protection, they have also only run well sporadically at best.
James Daniels is now the most veteran part of that offensive line short of Dan Moore Jr. in Year 4. Moore has started for three years for the Steelers, going into his fourth year, while Daniels is in his third season with the team, albeit his seventh in the NFL. While Arthur Smith is new in the equation, offensive line coach Pat Meyer is not.
It does look like the Steelers may be starting two new players this year, however, in their top two rookies. Second-round C Zach Frazier is the last man standing after the Steelers placed Nate Herbig on season-ending injured reserve. He is still listed as second-string for now, but reports suggest they plan to start T Troy Fautanu right away.
The other question up in the air is Broderick Jones—where he will play, and if he will play. The Steelers wanted to move him to left tackle, but they haven’t managed it so far, and he has also struggled during the first two preseason games. If Fautanu is healthy and ready to play, does Jones watch from the bench, start over him, or move over?
Of course, as far as James Daniels’ comments about Arthur Smith’s run game are concerned, there is always room for gray area. While he says “Wide zone is still wide zone”, the Steelers are doing more than just one style of blocking. A week or so back, Alex Kozora looked at some of the different blocking concepts they are employing.
Daniels is right in the sense that the Steelers will predominantly use zone concepts in Arthur Smith’s run game. And he did say that there are some “slight differences”, albeit perhaps a bit more than that. Ultimately, though, I think the sense of his remarks is correct.
The point is what we’re seeing right now is not the growing pains of a unit learning a new system. The offensive line is struggling because the regulars are working to build chemistry with new components, some of whom are limited or unavailable due to injury. Smith might be bringing his own system here, but nothing he asks them to do is foreign to any lineman.
