Pass protection is one of the more unsung roles for running backs in today's NFL. But it's not overlooked by the Steelers' running backs, James Conner and Jaylen Samuels.
Even when Ben Roethlisberger isn't the quarterback, they know they have to keep Mason Rudolph and now Devlin Hodges upright to keep their offense alive. And a big part of that has come from the running backs' picking up extra defenders on the blitz.
Let's take a closer look:
The Steelers currently are the second-least sacked offense in the NFL, with only five sacks allowed. The only team ahead of them is the 49ers who have allowed four, but also have played one less game.
That success comes from a combination of the protection team communicating to understand where blitzes are coming from, being physical at the point of attack and knowing where to help out the offensive line.
Conner made huge strides in his pass protection last year and has continued to perform at a high level in 2019. Watch how he picks up Tony Jefferson on the edge blitz. He comes out of play action, gives Rudolph space to throw while not going too far out to engage Jefferson. He forces him around, and Rudolph finds JuJu Smith-Schuster for the touchdown:
That's the standard, and it's certainly been maintained in this facet of the offense. But what's impressive is how the Steelers' running backs go out of their way to find the extra rusher to protect their quarterback.
Watch how Conner comes across the formation to find Brandon Carr on the cornerback blitz to maintain Rudolph's pocket on this next play. Because of his pickup, Rudolph gets time to escape the pocket and extend the play and connect with James Washington. It was just unfortunate that this was the play where he'd take the illegal head shot from Earl Thomas:
Just as Conner made a good leap in pass protection last year, Samuels looks like he's made a significant improvement as well. Last year he admitted during training camp that he had never been involved in pass protection with his roles at North Carolina State.
He wasn't good at it during the season and it was obvious. But now, Samuels is reliable in that spot. Watch him come across the formation to pick up Marlon Humphrey on another cornerback blitz to protect Hodges:
What's impressive about those plays is how these young running backs are already understanding and executing protection schemes at a high level. The Ravens threw everything at the Steelers' young quarterbacks with various blitz packages and only allowed one sack.
But with Samuels out for a month, that means Benny Snell will need to show he's ready for that role. He looked tough in training camp and preseason, but he'll have to be as ready as Conner to be consistent on the night and protect their undrafted rookie quarterback.
The Steelers will need that against the Chargers Sunday night.
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MORE CLASSROOM
Oct. 10: Finally, a defense with ball skills
Oct. 9: Hodges the gunslinger
Oct. 8: Williams’ return repairs a lot
Oct. 3: Rudolph must widen vision
