Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts was a story of the Pittsburgh Steelers missing chances. Chances for takeaways, for stops, to put points on the board, and to keep drives alive. An early sign of that came late in the first quarter when the Steelers failed to convert on 4th and a half-yard. Instead of a conventional QB sneak, Justin Fields took the snap from shotgun and was tackled short of the mark.
Asked to explain the decision to operate from shotgun on the play, Mike Tomlin didn’t show regret for the call.
“Everybody plays in shotgun and pistol football these days, man,” Tomlin said postgame via the team’s website. “Some of these guys get to the NFL level and they’ve never taken a snap from center with their hands under. It’s just kind of a function of today’s ball. You got a lot of things at your disposal.
“I don’t think your running game is minimized in any way. There’s too many teams that run the ball extremely well out of that posture. The Baltimore Ravens, for example. I think it’s a moot point in today’s game.”
Here’s a look at the play. A new wrinkle, the Steelers bringing in a sixth offensive lineman in center/guard Ryan McCollum, perhaps seeing action due to James Daniels’ injury that thinned the Steelers’ depth. RG Spencer Anderson, replacing Daniels, attempted to pull as Fields followed behind. Neither back, Najee Harris nor Connor Heyward threw a block, LT Dan Moore Jr. slipped off his block, and the line didn’t create the push needed.
Fields was tackled so short of the sticks it didn’t even need to be measured. The Colts took over at the Steelers 39-yard line and finished the drive with a field goal, pushing their lead to 17-0. Pittsburgh came back in the second half but a field goal proved to be the difference, Indianapolis winning 27-24.
While there’s something to be said for execution, the call had too may layers to it. Though Pittsburgh had its issues running up the middle, a QB sneak would’ve been hard to prevent Fields from getting a half-yard. Perhaps Tomlin could argue under-center snap issues creates a concern. Fields was stepped on during the first play, and there’s been problems between him and Frazier throughout the regular season. But if there’s a lack of trust for a clean exchange on fourth and a half-yard, Tomlin shouldn’t have gone for it in the first place.
Though teams run plenty out of shotgun, the most successful short-yardage team is the Philadelphia Eagles, whose rugby-like tush push comes from under center. Hindsight is always the smartest coach but it was pretty clear the Steelers should’ve just barreled ahead in that moment and snuck it with Fields.
