Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs at Steelers: 3 things we learned

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Ben Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Todd Haley helped the Pittsburgh Steelers destroy the Kansas City Chiefs defense in Week 4.

Ben Roethlisberger threw five touchdowns in a 43-14 win, thanks largely to a dynamic and aggressive scheme called by Haley. It was a grand design rendered to attack Kansas City’s reliance on man coverage.

Roethlisberger found his receivers at will, targeting coverage-beaters at every level of Heinz Field. His performance wasn’t the only thing bringing Haley’s ideas to life, though.

The return of dual-threat running back Le’Veon Bell also helped. His threat as a receiver expanded what Haley could do with formations to isolate mismatches in the Kansas City secondary.

There was also much to admire about the way the Steelers approached things on the other side of the ball. Defensive coordinator Kevin Butler riffed on the zone-heavy formula the Steelers operated through the first three games of the 2016 NFL season. Butler went back to something close to Pittsburgh’s blitzing roots to attack protection and make it a night of misery for Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith.

Here’s what we learned about the Steelers after this emphatic win:

1. Todd Haley’s aggressive passing concepts the key to Pittsburgh’s offense

Few offensive coordinators in the NFL are as bold as Haley. He’s all about attacking downfield any chance he can. It’s a mentality that shows up on every Steelers pass play, from alignment through to execution.

Like any smart coordinator, Haley wants to exploit a defense’s weak point. But he’ll also turn your strengths into weaknesses. Against the Chiefs, that meant challenging man coverage by spreading out the defense with empty backfield sets featuring five eligible receivers.

In particular, the Steelers used bunch and trips looks beautifully. Darrius Heyward-Bey’s touchdown, the game’s first, was a prime example.

He lined up with Antonio Brown on the outside and tight end Jesse James flexed into the slot on the right. At the snap, Heyward-Bey ran a deep cross from right to left, toward stand-in cornerback D.J. White. The inexperienced cover man was fooled into following a quick out run by in-line tight end Xavier Grimble, the only pass-catcher who began on the left of the formation.

White went with Grimble, dropping the coverage on Heyward-Bey, who reeled in a 31-yard strike from Roethlisberger.
Another spread set with an empty backfield helped Wheaton collect two points. James flexed into the slot on right, alongside Wheaton and Sammie Coates, while Bell split wide on left, with Brown flexed into the slot next to him. Wheaton on a crosser along the goal-line was Roethlisberger’s best read.

Antonio Brown’s first touchdown was another treat for lovers of a smart passing game. The Steelers motioned DeAngelo Williams out to empty the backfield again. As usual, the Chiefs responded with man coverage, meaning safety Ron Parker had to take Brown, while KC’s corners locked up the three-receiver bunch on the other side of the formation. It was a mismatch with inevitable results from four yards out.

This was the essence of Haley’s plan. He was using five receivers to spread the Chiefs out and create favorable matchups against man coverage. All the movement led to the type of confusion that saw Parker take the inside deep crosser and drop Brown on the post, leading to a 38-yard score.

The Steelers are close to impossible to stop when their playmakers have the sort of room Haley’s designs and Kansas City’s insistence on man coverage gave them. This passing attack is the best route to a seventh Lombardi Trophy for Pittsburgh.

2. The blitz revived Steelers’ defense

While Haley enjoyed himself by staying aggressive, Butler also had a ball attacking the Chiefs. He pushed the blitz button early and rarely missed a chance to send pressure after Smith.

One of his favorite ploys was to send linebackers through the inside gaps. Lawrence Timmons and Vince Williams frequently rushed the middle on delayed pressure. Butler also moved outside linebacker James Harrison into the mike position in sub-package sets.

It was a smart move against a Chiefs O-line suspect along the interior, and struggling all night to cope with tackle Cameron Heyward, who had three sacks.

More on FanSided:

The back-to-the-blitz approach worked wonders for a defense humbled by the Philadelphia Eagles last week. Most of all, Butler’s attacking system got the most out of the core players on his unit, playmakers such as Heyward, Harrison and Williams.

3. Le’Veon Bell will take Pittsburgh’s offense to another level

The Steelers might just be unstoppable now that Bell is back and in the groove. Okay, so this is not so much a lesson, as a reminder — a reminder that Bell makes this offense better every time he’s on the field.

Play defensive coordinator for a moment, and ask yourself: How would you stop Pittsburgh with Bell in the lineup? Roethlisberger can target a host of talented receivers led by the great Brown. Play man coverage and the Steelers will spread you out and pick the shakiest cover man to target. Drop off into zones and Bell will be turned loose on the ground.

Widen your splits up front to counter his speed on the edges, and veteran bruiser DeAngelo Williams will enter the fray to work you over between the tackles.

There are just too many weapons available now Bell is back. He’s not only back, but already looking like he’s missed no time at all, after rushing for 144 yards on 18 carries and catching five passes for 34 yards.

The Steelers have the best offense in the AFC, maybe the entire league, with Bell in the backfield. Defensive coordinators beware.

More from FanSided

This article originally appeared on

share

Get more from Kansas City Chiefs Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Kansas City Chiefs

Pittsburgh Steelers

National Football League