Steelers made too many mental errors against Jets
LATROBE – The Pittsburgh Steelers averaged 173 rushing yards per game last season to lead the league by a whopping margin. The next best rushing team averaged 140 yards per game. Yet, with everyone but right guard Rich Tylski back in the lineup, the Steelers couldn’t get their running game rolling in the preseason opener.
Against the New York Jets, the Steelers were held to 52 yards on 19 carries for an average of 2.7 yards per rush. Take quarterback Tee Martin’s 12-yard scramble and wide receiver Antwaan Randle El’s 11-yard reverse out of the equation and the Steelers’ running backs gained only 29 yards on 17 carries.
The game wasn’t an isolated incident. The Steelers have had a difficult time springing their backs during team scrimmages, and coach Bill Cowher has noticed.
“We’re probably further along now throwing the ball than we are running the football,” he said. “That’s probably the first time I’ve said that since I’ve been at this training camp.”
Part of the problem isn’t so much the loss of Tylski, who was released before signing with the New England Patriots and retiring, but instead the insertion of a new player, Oliver Ross, into the offensive line. But Ross wasn’t the only reason the Steelers were overwhelmed by the more physical Jets, a point with which offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey disagrees.
“I didn’t see that, to be honest with you,” he said. “New England? I’ll agree with you on that. But last week I just saw a lot of technique errors. There were not a lot of mental errors on offense. They were technique mistakes, and that’s what we emphasized the whole night in the film session, how one guy’s step can disrupt the success of the play.”
Mularkey believes that, unlike defenses, offenses can be disrupted by one mistake. He feels the Steelers’ timing was off against the Jets. He also feels his play calling had something to do with the poor running attack.
“We didn’t run the ball as much as I should have. I fault myself on that,” he said. “I think I did a poor job of that because we were having success throwing. But it’s the same story as last year. I’ll never be right if one part’s good and one part’s bad. We were having success throwing the ball and moving the ball throwing it, so I maybe got caught up in that when I should’ve run more, just to work on the run game as a matter of fact.”
A new offensive lineman is a partial explanation. Play calling is another. But the running backs have been equally culpable. Jerome Bettis appears out of shape after missing much of his off-season conditioning while allowing his injured groin to heal. Amos Zereoue is also coming back from an injury – a benign cyst on his liver – and lacks the explosiveness he displayed last year.
“Jerome will be OK,” said running backs coach Dick Hoak. “He’s not right where he was last year yet, but I watch him and he’s getting better every day in practice.”
Bettis did, in fact, appear quicker and more energetic during the team’s first two practice days this week.
“He’s starting to feel a lot better,” Hoak said. “As for Amos, I guess he was a little bit scared. One day, I guess, he reached up for the ball and tore some scar tissue in there. It popped on him. I think he’s got a little bit of a fear of that. I think that was part of it early, but I think he’s coming on now.”
Hoak has watched his inside and outside backs make slow progress, but backup halfback Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala and starting fullback Dan Kreider have played well throughout the summer.
“Fu’s had a good camp,” Hoak said. “Danny’s doing well. He’s just what we want in this offense. I hope (rookie) Verron (Haynes) comes around, and he is. He’s doing better than I thought he would. I’d just like to see him a little bigger, but you can’t have everything.”