Over the first 12 weeks of this season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have done a lot of things well. That’s why they’re 8-3. However, one area where they’ve been lacking on offense is in short-yardage situations. That problem reared its ugly head in a 24-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers weren’t even close to converting on two fourth-and-short attempts. Mike Tomlin is putting some of the blame for that on himself and other coaches.
“We need to get better,” Tomlin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference via the team’s YouTube channel. “There were some game circumstances. We as a coaching staff need to adapt and adjust to replay assist.
“Sometimes we make decisions at speed and a spot of the ball might be different or a circumstance might be different, based on replay assist. I think that’s happened two or three times in the last two or three weeks. That’s been a component of performance for us.”
That is an interesting answer from Tomlin. It sounds like he and other Steelers coaches may have been a little too antsy in short-yardage situations as of late. Obviously, it’s incredibly difficult to process all the information available in the short time between plays. However, replay assist is a valuable resource of which the Steelers should make full use.
Looking at just the two failed fourth-down plays against the Browns, it’s curious to wonder if the Steelers would’ve changed their decision had they looked at the replay. The first play came on a fourth and two, which is short, but not short enough for the play the Steelers called. They tried to force Justin Fields to make a play with his legs against a formidable Browns defensive front.
Maybe Tomlin thought that the line to gain was shorter than it ended up being. Either way, he repeated that same mistake later in the game. On a fourth and inches, the Steelers had a prime opportunity to convert. However, they opted for an obvious run up the middle with Jaylen Warren. Just like the first play, it had no chance.
Tomlin explained more how much time he’s given to make calls versus when he gets the option to look at replay assist.
“It really depends on the speed at which they administer replay assists. That’s subject to vary,” he said.
Football is a fast game, especially in those tight moments like fourth and short. It’s probably hard to wait and allow time to tick down while making a decision. Tomlin saying the Steelers need to make better use of replay assist is easier said than done. He’s one of the best coaches in the league though. When the Steelers are in crunch time, Tomlin needs to make the best decision.
The Steelers did eventually convert on a fourth and short against the Browns, but it didn’t come until almost the end of the third quarter. At that point, perhaps Tomlin or other coaches had slowed down and made more use of replay assist.
That would be a good explanation as to why the Steelers were so terrible in short-yardage situations in Cleveland. Their coaches weren’t putting players in the best scenarios to succeed. Everyone is human, so mistakes will happen. It’s good that Tomlin is willing to take ownership of this problem and work to fix it. We’ll see if that helps the Steelers moving forward.
