Breaking down the three sacks the Pittsburgh Steelers allowed in their 20-17 Week 5 loss against the Dallas Cowboys.
2ND AND 10, 5:35 1ST, 11 PERSONNEL, FIVE BLOCK VS. FOUR-MAN RUSH
Welcome to the sack breakdown, Isaac Seumalo. Seumalo wasn’t bad in his debut overall, but this is a play he’d like to forget. He just gets completely put on skates and bullrushed by Linval Joseph, who plants Seumalo in the turf and forces a fumble on Justin Fields. The Steelers get forced into a third-and-long and eventually have to punt. One of, if not Seumalo’s worst rep as a member of the Steelers. There’s not much else to say about it. He just simply got overpowered and beat.
Blame: Isaac Seumalo
3RD AND 8, 13:02 2ND, 11 PERSONNEL, SIX BLOCK VS. SIX-MAN RUSH
Mike Zimmer is known for his A-gap blitzes, and he fakes one here with LB DeMarvion Overshown, who then comes and blitzes off the edge while Carl Lawson stunts inside. It’s a creative play design, and Overshown comes free off the edge, leading Fields to scramble where he’s caught from behind by Lawson and Osa Odighizuwa. Zach Frazier does a good job adjusting on the fly, from thinking he will block Overshown to adjusting to the crash over the middle, but Dan Moore Jr. doesn’t see Overshown coming off the edge.
Ultimately, getting to Overshown is Moore’s responsibility, but he’s late after Lawson moves inside. It’s a creative scheme, so I’ll also give some credit to the rush package, but Moore not getting to Overshown before he’s a free rusher on Fields helped lead to the sack.
Blame: Half Defensive Scheme, Half Dan Moore Jr.
3RD AND 1, 6:13 2ND, 13 PERSONNEL, SIX BLOCK VS. FIVE-MAN RUSH
Frustrating play here, which looks like a designed rollout. If Fields has time, he should be able to hit WR Scotty Miller on a crosser, and Miller is open. But OT Broderick Jones gets beat at the line of scrimmage. While Fields has more than enough speed to scramble away, he knows a free rusher is now coming and decides to take off, whereas TE Darnell Washington just can’t sustain his block. This could’ve been a nice gain to Miller over the middle and put the Steelers in field goal range. While they converted the ensuing fourth down, this drive ended in a punt.
Blame: Half Broderick Jones, Half Darnell Washington
SACK BREAKDOWN (GAME)
Isaac Seumalo: 1
Dan Moore Jr.: 0.5
Defensive Scheme: 0.5
Broderick Jones: 0.5
Darnell Washington: 0.5
SACK BREAKDOWN (SEASON)
Spencer Anderson: 2.5
Justin Fields: 2.5
Broderick Jones: 2
Coverage/Scheme: 1.5
Isaac Seumalo: 1
Zach Frazier: 0.5
Darnell Washington: 0.5
PENALTY BREAKDOWN – ACCEPTED PENALTIES ONLY (GAME)
Darnell Washington: 1
PENALTY BREAKDOWN – ACCEPTED PENALTIES ONLY (SEASON)
Broderick Jones: 3
Spencer Anderson: 2
Dan Moore Jr.: 1
Mason McCormick: 1
Darnell Washington: 1
