Bengals were first to expose Steelers’ pass defense
PITTSBURGH – The Cincinnati Bengals haven’t achieved much while losing 12 of their last 14 games, except maybe this: They gave the NFL a schematic for attacking the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. Down by two touchdowns late in the fourth quarter of an essentially meaningless game Dec. 30, Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski switched to a no-huddle spread offense. What happened probably surprised the Bengals as much as it did the Steelers.
A couple of Jon Kitna touchdown passes, a recovered onside kick and an overtime field goal later, the Bengals had their signature victory of the season – and offensive coordinators suddenly had a new way to take on the NFL’s No. 1 defense.
That loss did nothing to damage the Steelers’ 2001 season, but they’re still feeling the repercussions of it nearly 10 months later. The Patriots and Raiders employed copycat schemes of the once-fashionable run-and-shoot offense in remarkably similar victories over the Steelers (1-3) last month.
The losses set the tone for the first month of the Steelers’ season, one that has seen their defense plunge into the bottom third of the league statistically while allowing 30 or more points three times.
Steelers coach Bill Cowher mildly disagreed Tuesday with suggestions the loss in Cincinnati established a pattern, though he understands it’s hard to argue with the numbers. Raiders coach Bill Callahan, in a nod to the Bengals’ success, said he planned all summer to go after the Steelers with the no-huddle.
“I just looked at the tape again and I went into it thinking that’s what they (the Bengals) did, but a lot of the big plays came in regular sets and off play action,” Cowher said. “It wasn’t until they got into the fourth quarter that they spread it out and it was against our dime defense, to be honest, so I don’t know what anybody took from that.
“I don’t think anybody took the ideas (from that).”
Whatever the Bengals did, Kitna had the game of his career, going 35-of-68 for 411 yards and two touchdowns against a defense that had allowed only 578 yards in its previous three games.
Now, Kitna is starting again after coach Dick LeBeau experimented with Gus Frerotte and Akili Smith, but the Bengals – rather than going back to the no-huddle – simplified their offense in a 28-21 loss Sunday at Indianapolis. Corey Dillon ran for 164 yards in his best game of the season as the Bengals went to a conventional, straight-ahead blocking scheme, even while Kitna was passing for 244 yards.
As a result, Cowher isn’t certain what the Bengals will do Sunday, though he expects to see the no-huddle again until the Steelers prove they can stop it.
“Maybe we brought out the best in Kitna last year, but he’s had some success in the league and he runs the offense well,” Cowher said.
“I think they picked the best one (QB), personally.”
Another trend that Bengals game started is more alarming to Cowher than the spread offense: the Steelers’ tendency to turn the ball over. Since that game, Pittsburgh has 25 turnovers in seven games, including the playoffs.
Not surprisingly, the Steelers are 2-5 during that span, and are currently tied with winless St. Louis for next-to-last in the NFL in turnover ratio.
NOTES: LB Kendrell Bell, whose injury absence has visibly affected the defense, expects to practice Wednesday. He has missed all but a few plays of the opener with a sprained ankle. … Cowher said he wouldn’t have gone for a two-point conversion in the first half, as Saints coach Jim Haslett did. The Saints didn’t convert, and the missed point left them vulnerable to a possible game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter. … Despite the slow start, the Steelers are only one game out of the AFC North lead. Cowher said, “You can’t get caught up in it and overreact. Where you are in early October (isn’t necessarily) where you’re going to be at the end of December.”