The Steelers' offense took a while to get going in Sunday's 27-14 win over the Browns. However, they came out of halftime with two great drives, both resulting in touchdowns that put the game out of reach.
What exactly did Arthur Smith and Co. do to attack the Cleveland defense?
This week's mid-week Chalk Talk is dedicated to the first drive of the second half, so you can get a good look at how Smith sequences his playcalling and why it worked so well:
This is exactly what players were talking about when I spoke to them after the game. There's a purpose behind everything they do. It won't always look pretty, but Smith tries to get the defense to buy something he's selling, then change things up on a future series. But, he also makes sure to leave enough familiarity in those play calls so nothing seems amiss.
This is expert-level play calling. Of course, you'd hope to see this more consistently over 60 minutes. But, it's hard to complain with results. 27 points again. With Russell Wilson, who also deserves his flowers for his play, this offense is averaging 27.4 points per game and elevated the offense as a whole to 10th in scoring. They are also averaging 372.1 yards per game. With Justin Fields, they were averaging just 298.3 yards per game.
I've been saying it since Week 1. Steeler Nation, you've got a real offensive coordinator. He's not perfect, but he's a professional who knows what he's doing.
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THE ASYLUM
Chris Halicke
8:43 pm - 12.10.2024South SideChalk Talk: Smith's playcalling, sequencing
The Steelers' offense took a while to get going in Sunday's 27-14 win over the Browns. However, they came out of halftime with two great drives, both resulting in touchdowns that put the game out of reach.
What exactly did Arthur Smith and Co. do to attack the Cleveland defense?
This week's mid-week Chalk Talk is dedicated to the first drive of the second half, so you can get a good look at how Smith sequences his playcalling and why it worked so well:
This is exactly what players were talking about when I spoke to them after the game. There's a purpose behind everything they do. It won't always look pretty, but Smith tries to get the defense to buy something he's selling, then change things up on a future series. But, he also makes sure to leave enough familiarity in those play calls so nothing seems amiss.
This is expert-level play calling. Of course, you'd hope to see this more consistently over 60 minutes. But, it's hard to complain with results. 27 points again. With Russell Wilson, who also deserves his flowers for his play, this offense is averaging 27.4 points per game and elevated the offense as a whole to 10th in scoring. They are also averaging 372.1 yards per game. With Justin Fields, they were averaging just 298.3 yards per game.
I've been saying it since Week 1. Steeler Nation, you've got a real offensive coordinator. He's not perfect, but he's a professional who knows what he's doing.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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