Breaking down the four sacks the Pittsburgh Steelers allowed in their 19-17 Week 18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and the four sacks they allowed in their 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card and looking at the final totals.
Week 18 vs. Bengals
8:30 1ST, 3RD AND 3, 11 PERSONNEL, FIVE BLOCK + CHIP/RELEASE VS. FOUR-MAN RUSH
Trey Hendrickson dominated the entire game against Pittsburgh, and it started on Pittsburgh’s third offensive play of the game. He walks Dan Moore Jr. back into the pocket, collapsing it, and then breaks free for the sack. For a second, it looked like Pittsburgh had Hendrickson contained after Moore forced him inside against Isaac Seumalo, but he again comes free and makes the play. Russell Wilson had an opportunity here to rip one to George Pickens, and he held onto the ball a tick too long, which became a theme late in the season. It wasn’t a great rep by Moore, but he doesn’t get the full blame because he did force Hendrickson inside late. Wilson had a chance to make a throw but didn’t take it.
Blame: Half Dan Moore Jr., Half Russell Wilson
0:16 2ND, 1ST AND 10, 11 PERSONNEL, FIVE BLOCK VS. FOUR-MAN RUSH
Both Isaac Seumalo and Dan Moore Jr. get beat here, but Trey Hendrickson is the first to Russell Wilson after beating Seumalo pretty handily. It’s been a pretty solid year for Seumalo in pass protection, but a loss here ends the half on a sour note with a sack.
Blame: Isaac Seumalo
4:09 4TH, 2ND AND 9, 11 PERSONNEL, FIVE BLOCK VS. FOUR-MAN RUSH
Moore gets beat to the outside by Hendrickson, who gets to Wilson before he even senses the pressure. Moore’s season started strong, but he finished poorly, and this was an example of the type of rep that just can’t happen. There’s not much chance for Wilson to do anything, and Moore gets smoked from start to finish.
Blame: Dan Moore Jr.
0:24 4TH, 2ND AND 7, 11 PERSONNEL, FIVE BLOCK VS. FOUR-MAN RUSH
I really wanted to give the full blame to Wilson here because this is a sack he absolutely cannot take. He’s gotta be aware enough to throw the ball away and not try and make something happen, as he does late before running into Hendrickson and taking the sack. He has to throw the ball away when nothing is open downfield, but Dan Moore Jr. again just gets cooked by Hendrickson. It’s a situation where he has to be better, too, with Pittsburgh playing for playoff seeding and needing to get confidence back amidst a three-game skid that became a four-game skid after this loss, largely due to this play. It was just a bad rep at a bad time, and while Wilson made a poor decision not to throw it away, Moore’s inability to do anything against Hendrickson stood out.
Blame: Half Russell Wilson, Half Dan Moore Jr.
SACK BREAKDOWN (GAME)
Dan Moore Jr.: 2
Russell Wilson: 1
Isaac Seumalo: 1
Wild Card Round vs. Ravens
4:45 1ST, 1ST AND 10, 11 PERSONNEL, SIX BLOCK + CHECK/RELEASE VS. FIVE-MAN RUSH
Pittsburgh ran a successful flea-flicker in Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles and tries to do it again here, with little success. After Ben Skowronek blocks CB Marlon Humphrey, he comes through untouched when Skowronek releases, and with nothing open downfield, Russell Wilson pump fakes and then holds on too long for the sack. It’s a shot play without many options, and if nothing is there, Wilson has to get rid of the ball. Instead, he takes a brutal sack. I can’t really blame the offensive line here as they do their job to let the play develop, and with nothing open, Wilson has to know to throw it away.
Blame: Russell Wilson
9:38 2ND, 2ND AND 5, 11 PERSONNEL, SIX BLOCK VS. FOUR-MAN RUSH
Wilson has a chance to hit WR Van Jefferson coming across the middle here, but he takes off and is forced out of bounds by Nnamdi Madubuike. The play didn’t result in a loss, and Pittsburgh converted on 3rd and 5 on the next play, so it was not a huge mistake, given that they were able to convert. However, Wilson again gets the blame here because he could’ve made a throw and didn’t.
Blame: Russell Wilson
0:23 3RD, 3RD AND 8, 11 PERSONNEL, SIX BLOCK VS. FOUR-MAN RUSH
Ok, we can stop blaming Russell Wilson here. Kyle Van Noy comes in untouched, with the Ravens showing blitz pre-snap and the line protection moving to the right. Jaylen Warren does a good job getting enough of a body on him to let Wilson escape. But then OT Calvin Anderson loses against Madubuike, who is able to bring down Wilson and force a punt in a big spot. Anderson was replacing Dan Moore Jr., who got injured earlier in the game, and he’s responsible here.
Blame: Calvin Anderson
7:19 4TH, 2ND AND 15, 11 PERSONNEL, FIVE BLOCK VS. FOUR-MAN RUSH
The man who made this list more than most early in the season, OT Broderick Jones, is responsible for the last sack of the Steelers’ season. Jones lost from start to finish against Odafe Oweh. Jones seemed to be upset with C Zach Frazier after the play for some reason, but Jones just didn’t get set quick enough and then lunged at Oweh, who easily got around him for the sack.
Blame: Broderick Jones
SACK BREAKDOWN (GAME)
Russell Wilson: 2
Calvin Anderson: 1
Broderick Jones: 1
PENALTY BREAKDOWN – ACCEPTED PENALTIES ONLY (GAME)
Isaac Seumalo: 1
SACK BREAKDOWN (SEASON) – FINAL TALLY
Broderick Jones: 9.5
Dan Moore Jr.: 9.5
Coverage/Scheme: 7
Russell Wilson: 6
Isaac Seumalo: 3
Spencer Anderson: 2.5
Justin Fields: 2.5
Mason McCormick: 2.5
Calvin Anderson: 2
Zach Frazier: 1.5
Darnell Washington: 1.5
Arthur Smith: 1.5
Calvin Anderson: 2
PENALTY BREAKDOWN – ACCEPTED PENALTIES ONLY (SEASON) – FINAL TALLY
Broderick Jones: 8
Isaac Seumalo: 5
Zach Frazier: 4
Darnell Washington: 4
Dan Moore Jr.: 3
Spencer Anderson: 2
Mason McCormick: 2
Ryan McCollum: 2
