If you want to build a game plan to slow down the Pittsburgh Steelers offense, you must eliminate play-action. In both games against them this season, the Baltimore Ravens did. Without that, the Steelers lose a core part of their Russell Wilson-led offense, reducing big plays and preventing the offense from getting into a flow.
The data and the tape tell that story. Below are Pittsburgh’s successes in key categories—completion percentage, yards per attempt (YPA), and QB rating—with Wilson as the starter against Baltimore compared to all his other starts.
| Team | Completion % | YPA | QB Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAL | 57.9% | 7.1 | 75.6 |
| Non-BAL | 68.5% | 9.6 | 105.5 |
If you’re interested in the raw stats, they are:
Ravens Games: 11-of-19, 135 yards 1 TD, 1 INT – 2 sacks, 1 scramble
Non-Ravens Games: 37-of-54, 520 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs – 4 sacks, 1 scramble
While Wilson has only thrown one touchdown off play-action in the non-Ravens’ games, his overall numbers are clearly better. Pittsburgh has generated more big plays. Against Baltimore, things have been much tougher.
Below is a collection of each play-action rep in the Week 11 and Week 16 games.
Week 11 Play-Action Cut-Up
Week 16 Play-Action Cut-Up
There was some success, though even then, it didn’t come easy. WR Calvin Austin III’s 44-yard sideline toe-tape was the biggest play, while TE MyCole Pruitt got wide open and made a nice snag Saturday. In Week 11, there was a 20-yard screen to RB Najee Harris, though the Ravens defended those better in the rematch.
But overall, the plays weren’t there, especially the “true” play-action, the Steelers’ work under center. Their boot-action, which is a staple of the offense, was a mess. Baltimore routinely took those away, forcing throwaways, scrambles, or Wilson’s pick-six.
This is how the Steelers’ offense can be limited. When they can’t marry a strong running game with their play-pass, there are problems. It’s why they struggled against Cleveland in Week 11, unwilling to use play-action much because of the threat Myles Garrett possessed, and why the offense put up a collective 35 points in the season series against Baltimore.
Limit Pittsburgh’s play-action, and you limit the offense as a whole. With Wilson, Pittsburgh was incredibly effective on play-passes, far more so than under Justin Fields. But Baltimore muted that element of the game, and it’s a key reason why they held Pittsburgh in check.
