In many ways, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2016 season was their most recent successful one. It was the last time Pittsburgh won a playoff game and the team’s last appearance in an AFC Championship Game. But Super Bowl aspirations were quickly doused by – who else – the New England Patriots, dominating the Steelers in Foxborough. Former players, such as wide receiver Chris Hogan, say the offensive game plan was no clearer or better executed than that day. Former
Reflecting on the game with ESPN’s Kevin Clark, Hogan says he knew the Patriots had the Steelers’ number.
“I will say the AFC Championship Game against the Steelers at home,” Hogan said when Clark asked about the best game plan that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels schemed up. “Seemingly, Pittsburgh runs the same defense every single year: Cover 3, Cover 3 Man on the outside. You know exactly what they’re doing.
“The game plan that we had going into that game. [WR Julian Edelman] was running juke routes on linebackers all day long. We had no-huddle in there. First play of the game, we ran a play and we went straight into no-huddle.”
It’s similar to what Julian Edelman has said about Pittsburgh in the past. Hogan’s comments over Edelman’s “juke” routes reference the option routes over the middle. New England’s “Hoss Y Juke” was a staple concept that could put Edelman in the slot. At the time, Pittsburgh had a bad habit of walking linebackers out on receivers against spread and empty sets, refusing to travel cornerbacks, and putting the defense in bad situations.
“We knew that once we went no-huddle, that Cover 3 zone, that’s all it was going to be.”
That 2016 game proved how overly simplistic Pittsburgh’s plan was. New England scored on three of their five first-half possessions, opening the game with a field goal before twice finding the end zone before the break. One of those scores was Hogan catching a touchdown off a trick play, a wrinkle the Patriots knew they’d catch the Steelers off guard with.
“We had the flea flicker drawn up,” Hogan said. “We had different formations drawn up, and we went no-huddle for the majority of that game. And they just couldn’t stop it.”
New England finished the game with 36 points and 431 total yards. The Patriots didn’t turn the ball over, Tom Brady was only sacked twice, and the New England offense sizzled on third down, converting 11-of-17 tries. Hogan had a career day, finishing with nine receptions, 180 yards, and two touchdowns.
It’s a key reason why Pittsburgh struggled to get over the hump in that era. New England had better coaching and a more adaptable scheme. That’s what made Bill Belichick a successful head coach. Fortunately, the Steelers’ defense has evolved in recent years to solve some of the issues that teams like the Patriots presented. The defense doesn’t get burned by empty or receivers in the slot like they used to. But it’s a reminder of why Pittsburgh fell short so many times before and why the team’s Super Bowls in 2005 and 2008 were aided by avoiding New England in the playoffs.
