The Pittsburgh Steelers had 10 different players catch a pass in their Week 13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, and one reason for that was getting players who usually have a large role in the run game involved in the passing game. WR Ben Skowronek, who serves as a blocking wide receiver and has also lined up at fullback this season, and TE MyCole Pruitt both had receptions, and OC Arthur Smith called what the Steelers were doing “unconventional warfare” with going to some pass looks with players usually involved in the rushing attack.
“Yeah, a thing that we try to work really hard on is if you’re going to operate that way, you have to have enough counter punches off it. It goes back to the question about getting everybody involved. So a little bit it’s unconventional warfare,” Smith said Thursday via transcript provided by the team. “Make something look like you’re doing this, but you’re really doing something else. Saw a little bit with C.P. [Cordarrelle Patterson], Pru [MyCole Pruitt], Skowronek, those guys, so you just hope it doesn’t become so obvious. Certainly, the execution was great, and those guys were on the same page and that really kind of opens other things up.”
The Steelers are a team that began the season prioritizing the run and it’s still been a big part of their offense. Players like Pruitt and Skowronek, when they’ve been healthy, have seen a lot of action on run plays as blockers. Both of them have been trusted to lead block, as Skowronek, who had experience lining up in the backfield with the Los Angeles Rams, lined up at fullback for one snap in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens while Pruitt has done it 12 times this season.
Per Pro Football Focus, Skowronek logged 66 snaps in the backfield in 2022, and maybe that’s something that he can continue to do with the Steelers. Regardless, when he and Pruitt are in the game, the defense might lean run, but the Steelers can and have countered that by getting them involved through the air.
Arthur Smith also mentioned Cordarrelle Patterson getting involved in the passing attack, but Patterson had lined up at receiver earlier this season. He began his career as a receiver, and his versatility is something that defenses are constantly aware of. But he can become more of a featured target through the air, and he had three receptions for 37 yards against the Bengals. Pruitt had two grabs for 21 yards while Skowronek had one catch for 23 yards.
While the Steelers’ offense has had success with Russell Wilson throwing the deep ball, they worked the ball underneath well against the Bengals, and the involvement of someone like Patterson can grow in the quick and underneath game.
The Steelers’ use of “unconventional warfare” is another good example of the run helping set up the pass, as defenses have to be on their toes to defend the run with Pittsburgh’s ground game having success this season. Skowronek’s role throughout his career has always been a bit unconventional for a receiver, but his blocking ability has led to him and Pruitt becoming important pieces of the run game. With that, the defense now has to be wary of their involvement in the passing attack with the Steelers spreading the ball around and having to think about the Steelers disguising their intentions.
The playbook is evolving under Arthur Smith, and Pittsburgh’s offense seems to be heating up at the right time. Without a lot of top-flight weapons through the air, the Steelers are getting creative and using almost everyone they can. We’ll see if they can continue to spread the ball around and find success with a layered passing game.
