If you want to know the secret to turning a good play into a great play, it often just takes a little bit of extra effort. Not from the runner but the players around him. Just in the way run defense is an 11-man job, run blocking often requires the entire team, not just the offensive line.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ performance Sunday night against the New York Jets was proof of that. A team effort of players, especially the Steelers’ receivers, putting their hand in the pile and doing the little thing to give the runner that little bit more room. I’ll break it down by individual and collective reps.
Van Jefferson
I’ve cut these clips up in a sequence of plays under each player. No one showed more effort and willingness to do the dirty work than Jefferson. I’ll describe each clip in the below video point by point, but they all come to the same conclusion. Doing the grunt work to spring another player.
Clip No. 1 – Pittsburgh is running “Crunch,” a double-wham/down block concept they ran a bunch of times against New York. A quick-hitting play where the back is usually running off the hip of the receiver. Here, you’ll see Jefferson crack No. 35, safety Jalen Mills, a key block in this play. Najee Harris shows good vision to bounce this run off the tight end’s hip instead of up through the hole to get 1v1 in space with the left corner, who can’t make the tackle. Harris finishes the run strong for an 18-yard gain.
Clip No. 2 – Harris’ longest run of the game, 36-yards. Steelers running a gap scheme with RG Mason McCormick pulling right to left. Like the first clip, Jefferson cracks the safety, who is in the box, and walls him off as Harris runs off Jefferson’s outside hip.
This forces the Jets to “crack/replace” and make the CB take/replace the safety’s run fit in the alley. He doesn’t even have vision on Harris until Harris is basically past him and Harris breaks into daylight for a 36-yard gain.
Clip No. 3 – WR Calvin Austin III’s long catch and run. Wide open from good scheme drawn up by OC Arthur Smith. It’s going to be a big play no matter what. But Jefferson immediately transitions from receiver to blocker and picks up a DB once Austin makes the catch. Prevents the CB (No. 26) from being able to come downhill and attack Austin, giving him at least another five yards here on this 36-yard play.
George Pickens
One clip here. For as much flak as Pickens took for lackluster effort earlier in the season, he bought in here. On this rep, he stalk blocks CB Sauce Gardner and keeps him at bay on this RB Jaylen Warren toss. It’s not a piledriver putting Gardner into the third row but it doesn’t have to be. Stay engaged, run your feet, and don’t let Gardner become part of the play. That’ll do.
Multiple Receivers
Highlighting multiple receivers, not just one.
Clip No. 1 – Pat Freiermuth’s 30-yard run. Good finish by him but watch Pickens’ “airplane block” that gets taught on punt returns to avoid blocks in the back. Step in front of the defender with your hands up in the air to act as a shield and obstacle to get around. And Jefferson also finds a man and sticks as Freiermuth rumbles ahead and turns this into his longest catch of the year.
Clip No. 2 – A key third-down conversion here, Warren catching a pass short of the sticks but turning upfield and converting. Watch Pickens and WR Calvin Austin III find work. Austin gets in front of a defender while Pickens picks up a man, providing a lane for Warren to turn upfield and move the sticks. This 3rd-and-8 pickup led to a touchdown.
Clip No. 3 – Crack toss. Jefferson and WR Scotty Miller, who primarily plays in run packages, get a hat on a hat. Good strain and effort clear the way for Warren, who may have gotten more had he not stumbled. Just good effort here to lead the charge.
Clip No. 4 – Another crack toss. Again, it’s Jefferson and Miller on the frontside. Jefferson cracking the end, Miller out on the corner keeping him wide and creating a lane as Najee Harris picks up a solid gain late in the game with Pittsburgh starting to impose its will.
This is the standard. This is the level of detail Steelers receivers need to play with. It’s not just good coach speak to block hard. It’s applicable on the field. It creates the extra running lanes, it springs the back for a big gain, it allows a third-down conversion to start a touchdown drive. This is A-level stuff and must continue Monday night against the New York Giants and for the rest of the year.
