The Steelers destroyed the Panthers, 52-21, at Heinz Field on Thursday. While there's plenty of praise to go around, the team's flawless execution in the red zone is a major sign of progress.
Let's dig deep ...
TWO-MINUTE DRILL
• Where scheme beat team: Under Todd Haley, the Steelers never ranked higher than No. 12 in the NFL in red-zone efficiency and once ranked 19th. But in Randy Fichtner‘s first nine games, the Steelers are No. 1.
Ben Roethlisberger led the offense to touchdowns in all four red-zone possessions against the Panthers, increasing the offense's success rate to 78.57 percent, a monstrous improvement from 53.03 percent last season:
The key has been the variety.
Watch James Conner's opening touchdown against a goal line defense that spread the Panthers out across the line to account for the formation with two receivers bunched up with a tight end and Antonio Brown lined up wide.
That forced star linebacker, Luke Kuechly to aggressively protect the A-gap, where you can see he gets shoved down the line by David DeCastro. The Steelers recognized the Panthers' alignment and there was no help behind Kuechly, which allowed for Matt Feiler and Jesse James to crash their men down the line and give Conner his choice of lane to jump through:
James' blocking at the point of attack held up defensive end Wes Horton and forced him to try to arm-tackle Conner. This is better than just running right at a defense and hoping for your guys to just win battles because the Steelers recognize how thin they are behind their defensive front and exploited it.
Taking advantage of a defense that vacates the middle of the field can come in a variety of ways, and Roethlisberger showed that with his third quarter touchdown pass to Vance McDonald. The Panthers had already been shredded by a 75-yard touchdown to JuJu-Smith Schuster and a 53-yard touchdown to Brown. That forced their safeties to help towards the outside, where the receivers were lined up.
As soon as Roethlisberger saw that alignment, he knew he had McDonald in single coverage against Kuechly. McDonald runs a very good post route and finishes at the top of the play by going up and securing the ball with both knees in bounds. He did get away with a bit of a push on Kuechly, but that's the area of NFL officiating the league continues to give slack:
The best NFL quarterbacks dissect defenses by recognizing what they're trying to do and attacking the vulnerabilities on any given play. The truly elite quarterbacks do this most consistently in the red zone. Roethlisberger threw three of his five touchdowns in the red zone against the Panthers, each a result of smart decisions and patient recognition of the scheme in front of him.
Look at Jesse James' touchdown reception in the third quarter, where you can see the Panthers use double coverage at the start of the play on Brown at the bottom of the formation. That's been a common strategy by the defenses when they face the Steelers because they knew how often Brown is targeted in big situations.
But on this occasion, that double coverage clears out the flat for James to catch the ball at the 6 and have a one-on-one chance within five yards against Donte Jackson for the score. James simply has to turn upfield and head to the pylon:
Throughout his career, there are numerous examples when Roethlisberger would have got caught staring down Brown or any general intended receiver in moments like that, unable to shift through his progressions and find the soft spot in the defense. That has not been the case in 2018, as he is distributing the ball to everyone on the field.
Nine different players caught passes for the Steelers against the Panthers. Even Roosevelt Nix got into the action when he was the target of a screen rather than one of the lead blockers to plow the way. That's innovation, and it came again when the Steelers went to rookie running back Jaylen Samuels on a screen.
The game was practically over and the Panthers were on their heels, so the Steelers spread them out using three wide receivers lined up to the left and James by himself split out wide to the right. The Panthers' defense is spread out in a zone defense while only rushing three, backpedaling to see where the Steelers were going. By the time Samuels had the ball, DeCastro, Feiler and company were out leading the way and Samuels made an athletic leap from the four to score:
Scoring in a variety of ways like this in the red zone is one of the best ways to keep defenses on their heels. Teams such as the Patriots put an emphasis on stopping those players in the big moments and forcing Roethlisberger to win with his role players instead of the superstars.
It's undeniable Roethlisberger and company have found a balance, and Roethlisberger credits Fichtner for the unit's chemistry.
"There is really good chemistry there," Roethlisberger said after the game. "We've obviously known each other a long time. The biggest thing I tell [Randy] is he is a very excitable person, so he gets really loud in the headset sometimes, so I have to tell him to dial it down a little bit; that's just Randy loving and being passionate about the game."
Fichtner's passion is translating to this offense's ascension to being elite in the red zone for the first time in Roethlisberger's tenure.
Dale Lolley has much more on this subject.
• All about the tackling: Missed tackles were a main problem of the Steelers in 2017, as Pro Football Focus revealed with their number-crunching on that team:
Last season, the #Steelers missed a tackle on 16.1% of run plays (31st in NFL).
They added sure tackling veterans this offseason in S Morgan Burnett and LB Jon Bostic, who ranked 1st and 8th respectively at their positions in tackling efficiency. https://t.co/R2sUJejvPY
— PFF PIT Steelers (@PFF_Steelers) July 19, 2018
Because of that, our commitment this season is to keep a close eye on this facet.
Nobody should be shocked to see Jon Bostic lead the Steelers with 10 tackles. He led the team coming into the game with 46 tackles and further separated himself from the pack. The Panthers' offense has had a lot of its success in the middle of the field where Christian McCaffrey, Greg Olsen and Cam Newton play. That's also why we saw Javon Hargrave in the mix of leading tacklers with six, along with Vince Williams and Morgan Burnett:
Most of the yards and scores surrendered by the Steelers came from the Panthers hitting the spots vacated by the defense -- not because of missed tackles. That is why the missed tackle total is so low. That's been the case all season as I mentioned in Carter's Classroom this week, and they rose the challenge against a unit I noted would be a benchmark test.
Questions of tackling problems might have become a thing of the past for this team.
• Top matchups: Each week we evaluate three key matchups between the Steelers and their opponents and break down how they impacted the game:
• Norv Turner's offense vs. Keith Butler's defense: The Panthers entered with the second-best rushing offense in the league through innovative play calling that infused options, reverses and a variety of run schemes to confuse opponents. Panthers' offensive coordinator Norv Turner was going to challenge the discipline of Keith Butler's defense with that plan, but the Steelers were ready. The Panthers averaged 143.9 yards per game. The Steelers limited them to just 95. Advantage: Steelers.
• Steelers' interior offensive line vs. Luke Kuechly: The Panthers' longtime defensive star is undoubtedly Kuechly. He's been a great cover linebacker while also an aggressive force against the run, so limiting him behind the line of scrimmage was vital. Between Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Ramon Foster, the Steelers negated Kuechly. Though he finished with eight tackles, only one was for loss and the Steelers' offense was able to do whatever it wanted. Advantage: Steelers.
• Pass rush vs. Cam Newton: Whether or not the Steelers shut down Turner's various run schemes, I knew this game would come down to stopping former NFL MVP Cam Newton on the money downs. Doing that would mean rattling him with pressure and maintaining those rush lanes to prevent him from hurting the Steelers with his legs. The Steelers accomplished both as they sacked Newton five times and limited him to 10 rushing yards. That translated to winning big on third down, where the Panthers only converted four of 11 first downs. Advantage: Steelers.
Had a big play or a decent game 
Very impressive, multiple big plays
Elite performance
Gave up a big play without redemption 
Total performance was a disappointment
Horrible, inexcusable
QUARTERBACK: A+
This was Roethlisberger's most complete game of the season.
Ben Roethlisberger:
That might've been the best game of his career, when Roethlisberger completed 22 of 25 passes for 328 yards and five touchdowns for a perfect passer rating of 158.3. He had two more touchdowns than incomplete passes and rushed for 27 yards, including an 18-yard run that was his longest since a 19-yard run in 2013. He understood every look the Panthers' defense presented and executed at every opportunity. If this is the Roethlisberger the Steelers get for the rest of the season, their offense might be unstoppable.
RUNNING BACKS: A
The Steelers finally split their carries from just being on Conner, but he still managed to have a major impact on the game.
James Conner:
While Conner didn't have huge numbers, he still showed to be a problem the Panthers didn't have many answers for with 65 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. The Steelers made an obvious point to rest him after getting 31 touches against the Ravens just four days before the game. He also left in the second half with a concussion.
Roosevelt Nix:
Not jut as a powerful lead blocker, but also with two solid receptions for 17 yards and a forced fumble on special teams.
OFFENSIVE LINE: A+
The line did allow Roethlisberger to be sacked once, but it controlled the line of scrimmage consistently and challenged the NFL's eighth-ranked defense against the run.
David DeCastro:
Not only was DeCastro instrumental in blocking throughout the game, but he set the physical tone as well. When Roethlisberger received the head shot from Eric Reid, DeCastro was the first person to rush to his defense. He's always there as the enforcer for his teammates, just as he's always there to make key blocks for the offense.
Maurkice Pouncey:
Pouncey was equally imposing on the Panthers' defensive front, as he, DeCastro and Foster neutralized the middle of the Panthers' defense. The Panthers sent various blitzes up the middle to disrupt Roethlisberger, but the only sack surrendered came off the edge.
Matt Feiler:
Despite giving up a sack to Julius Peppers, Feiler had another solid night. He came up big in the run game and continues to negate the absence of Marcus Gilbert even better than the effort of Chris Hubbard last year.
Alejandro Villanueva:
He's hit a tear of great play while the Steelers have been on this five-game win streak, and it showed against the Panthers. You can tell the chemistry between him and Foster is among the best of any tackle-guard tandem in the NFL with the way they shift their pickups of pass rushers that try to overload their space.
Ramon Foster:
The oldest member of the offensive line isn't showing his age, as he was at his best in the middle of the line. Whether it was the run game or in pass protection, he knows exactly where he's supposed to be an how to handle various rush techniques and situations.
WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: A
When only three incomplete passes are thrown from your starting quarterback, you've had a big day.
Antonio Brown:
Brown caught all six of his targets for 96 yards and a touchdown. It was highlighted by his 53-yard touchdown reception when the Panthers left Jackson in single coverage against him. It was also his NFL-leading 10th touchdown reception of 2018. He isn't racking up the yards he has in the five previous seasons, but he's maximizing his output by finishing plays when he gets the chance.
JuJu Smith-Schuster:
Smith-Schuster had two drops in the game, but he still had one of the biggest plays of the game when the first play went for a 75-yard touchdown. When he can finish plays like that, it adds another threat that defenses have to honor. He would've had a higher grade had he pulled in a great throw in the end zone over Captain Munnerlyn.
Vance McDonald:
His touchdown reception over Kuechly was a reminder of how dangerous he is to defenses that leave him in single coverage. Kuechly is one of the NFL's best inside linebackers and is proficient in coverage. So McDonald beating him for a score is a big deal.
Jesse James:
James contributed well as a blocker and his touchdown reception was one of the final nails in the coffin for the Panthers. He's found his role as the team's second tight end and is doing well while defenses are busy focusing on the big names on offense.
DEFENSIVE LINE: A-
The Steelers' linebackers remained clear for the most part throughout the game. But they also maintained the interior pass rush lanes to keep Newton in check.
Cam Heyward:
Heyward's two sacks brought his season total to 4.5, but he was also instrumental in maintaining the middle of the line against the run. Watching his consistently violent hands has made his performance the norm, but it should never be unappreciated.
Stephon Tuitt:
Tuitt only had two tackles, but he did a solid job of not allowing the Panthers' offensive line to control his gaps. It wasn't a highlight game by any means, but he did a lot of the little things defensive linemen never get enough credit for.
Javon Hargrave:
He tallied the second-most tackles of the game for the Steelers with six, despite playing only 33 snaps. He's not a defensive tackle who attracts double teams, but when he can occasionally win in the middle.
LINEBACKERS: A+
Their effort in keeping a Panthers' offense contained was vital. They made splash plays and the consistent role plays that kept the Panthers from having big plays that could break the game open and help them come back.
Jon Bostic:
His 10 tackles across the field continued to show that Kevin Colbert was right to bring him in through free agency. There's no void in run defense in the middle of the Steelers' defense anymore, and it's because Bostic is both making the tackles and directing traffic.
T.J. Watt:
Watt's versatility has put him in position to make plays, but it also has the potential to confuse opponents when they incorrectly guess his assignments. That's what happened when he got his sack and forced fumble on Newton, because he lined up wide enough to look like he might be in coverage, and that led to him never being touched:
He had a similar result when he pressured Newton in the first quarter and got him to throw an interception to Williams. He still has to work on his hand techniques, but he's getting there.
Bud Dupree:
Dupree has been in his element in recent weeks as Butler is finding ways to allow him to use his explosiveness and quickness to win in space. It seems Butler is allowing him win the way Dupree knows how, instead of forcing him to beat people off the edge through traditional means. He's staying home against the run and maintaining his spot, while also adding to his sack total this week.
Vince Williams:
Between his interception returned for a touchdown and his sack of Newton, Williams already had a big day. But when you also consider his four tackles in 40 snaps, you have to give him his due.
SECONDARY: A-
The only touchdowns were surrendered to McCaffrey, which highlights how well the secondary limited the Panthers' receivers.
Joe Haden:
Haden's number was rarely called all game, as the Panthers knew their receiver group wouldn't win much outside the numbers against the Steelers' top cornerback.
Coty Sensabaugh:
Have to credit the other cornerback outside the numbers as he had a pass defensed and didn't give up any penalties like his big pass interference last week against the Ravens.
Terrell Edmunds:
Edmunds did drop an interception he should've caught, but his four tackles in just 33 snaps highlighted how he flies around the field and is fitting in with the defense. He's already showed he's solid with communication in the defense, but he still needs to become a playmaker.
Morgan Burnett:
The second touchdown pass to McCaffrey came as a result of miscommunication from Burnett and leaving him open. He's done a solid job with tackling as he added another five, but he needs to show more in coverage.
Artie Burns:
He had one drive on the field and was called for a pass interference penalty. Not much else to be said.
THE ROAD AHEAD
The Steelers take their five-game win streak to Jacksonville, but will have a long week to prepare thanks to the Thursday game. Bostic and company get to show they're not the same defense as last year.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Steelers vs. Panthers, Heinz Field, Nov. 8, 2018 - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS