Russell Wilson has long made a name for himself by making throws downfield outside the pocket. In order to do that successfully, the receivers, tight ends and running backs have to cooperate. We saw more of that in Sunday's 44-38 win over the Bengals.
For the most part, Wilson's main target on such plays has been George Pickens. Too often, players are too slow to break off their routes when the play gets out of structure. They need to recognize this stuff sooner and find open space to give the quarterback easier answers.
Pat Freiermuth did exactly that in Cincinnati, specifically on two occasions. One helped convert a third down, the other resulted in a touchdown. This is stuff you should love to see. I broke those down here:
I've asked a few different people on the South Side about how often improvisation is something that's practiced. I've asked Wilson before, especially because he and Tyler Lockett were a dangerous combination on such plays in Seattle, and he said these situations require practice in order to carry over into games. Mike Tomlin agrees, and makes it a point to stress these situations unilaterally during practice.
"It's a component of everything that we do," Tomlin said during his Tuesday press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "Sometimes we're more intentional about it than others based on a variety of circumstances, talents of people that we play, or the schematics that they deploy. We're capable of thoughtfully extending plays, not only for our offense but for our defense, to make sure that we're capable of functioning under those circumstances. Big plays happen on play extensions, for both sides. It can be offensive positivity, offensive negativity, and so it certainly is an area to focus on and work. And during team development, I like for it to happen naturally, but if it didn't happen naturally enough, I'll create circumstances where it does."
It's one thing for offenses to function properly in structure. In fact, it's necessary in order to be a productive unit. But, these plays that can be made out of structure is what can really put an offense over the top. And after Sunday's outburst of 37 points by the offense and 520 yards, it's now the 10th-ranked scoring unit in the league. Plays like these are a key reason why. And getting more guys involved in it will only make them even more lethal.
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THE ASYLUM
Chris Halicke
7:59 pm - 12.03.2024South SideChalk Talk: Scramble drills pay off
Russell Wilson has long made a name for himself by making throws downfield outside the pocket. In order to do that successfully, the receivers, tight ends and running backs have to cooperate. We saw more of that in Sunday's 44-38 win over the Bengals.
For the most part, Wilson's main target on such plays has been George Pickens. Too often, players are too slow to break off their routes when the play gets out of structure. They need to recognize this stuff sooner and find open space to give the quarterback easier answers.
Pat Freiermuth did exactly that in Cincinnati, specifically on two occasions. One helped convert a third down, the other resulted in a touchdown. This is stuff you should love to see. I broke those down here:
I've asked a few different people on the South Side about how often improvisation is something that's practiced. I've asked Wilson before, especially because he and Tyler Lockett were a dangerous combination on such plays in Seattle, and he said these situations require practice in order to carry over into games. Mike Tomlin agrees, and makes it a point to stress these situations unilaterally during practice.
"It's a component of everything that we do," Tomlin said during his Tuesday press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "Sometimes we're more intentional about it than others based on a variety of circumstances, talents of people that we play, or the schematics that they deploy. We're capable of thoughtfully extending plays, not only for our offense but for our defense, to make sure that we're capable of functioning under those circumstances. Big plays happen on play extensions, for both sides. It can be offensive positivity, offensive negativity, and so it certainly is an area to focus on and work. And during team development, I like for it to happen naturally, but if it didn't happen naturally enough, I'll create circumstances where it does."
It's one thing for offenses to function properly in structure. In fact, it's necessary in order to be a productive unit. But, these plays that can be made out of structure is what can really put an offense over the top. And after Sunday's outburst of 37 points by the offense and 520 yards, it's now the 10th-ranked scoring unit in the league. Plays like these are a key reason why. And getting more guys involved in it will only make them even more lethal.
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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