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The Longest Drive

It was the longest drive the Steelers had surrendered in 3 seasons.  13 plays (fifteen if you don't count penalties) and 11 of them were passing plays.  We have been telling you for 2+ years that the ONLY way to move the ball against the Steelers defense is to spread the field and matriculate the ball down the field using quick-short passes.  The Bears found a way to do that on Sunday and the Steelers 3-4 defense once again had their biggest weakness exposed for the world to see.

Before you think we are bashing the defense or the 3-4 scheme, let's get this straight....it's the best D in the NFL.  In order to beat this defense you have to string drives like this together and you need help from the refs (deserved or not), you need some luck, you need to line up in 4WR formations, you need some missed tackles, and you need a QB who can deliver the ball quickly.  It's not so easy to create this "perfect storm" but it happens from time to time.

The Bears got help from the zebras, they got a bit lucky, and they managed to spread the Steelers out and forced their LBs to cover guys in space instead of pinning their ears back and blitzing.

On these screenshots we ask that you note the Matchups, the Cushions that DBs are giving, the Pass Rush, and the depth of Cutler's drops.  Enjoy (or not).

Pass Play 1:

Standard formation.  Playaction fools nobody and James Harrison finds himself 1-on-1 vs Peterson in the flat.

Pass Play 2:

After a 15 yard penalty on Harrison, Cutler looks to hit Hester in the middle of the Steelers zone.  Hester drops an easy pass here.  James Farrior vs Devin Hester is a matchup the Bears will take all day long.  Toward the bottom of your screen you will also notice that the Bears have a RB running out into the flat again.  This time he is matched up against Woodley.

Pass Play 3:

This is the type of formation that the Steelers eat for breakfast.  The defense covers this play very well but after a few seconds of coverage, Ike Taylor slips on the mucky field and Cutler finds Knox for an easy 22 yard gain.  This is an example of a play that the Steelers WANT to see the opposition run.  Get DBs on WRs and let Woodley and Harrison get after the QB without having to worry about TEs or covering flats.  These are the types of matchups that the Steelers will win 9 times out of 10.  This is why run-first offenses usually NEVER beat the Steelers defense....too many of the matchups in these base formations favor the Steelers.

Pass Play 4:

In a nutshell, this is what opposing offenses want to do to the Steelers each and every week.  This is what Tom Brady does to Pittsburgh, this is what Kurt Warner does to Pittsburgh, and on Sunday this is what Cutler did to Pittsburgh:  create mismatches and get the ball to a skill guy in space ASAP.  In this type of formation you can see that there is absolutely ZERO threat of a pass rush.  If Cutler can get the ball out of his hands quickly, Woodley and Harrison (and any other rushers) are completely neutralized.  At the same time, he finds himself in a situation where at the top of your screen here Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, and Greg Olsen are being covered by 2 Steelers:  Ike Taylor and James Harrison.  Keyaron Fox enters the picture after the ball is snapped but again, he is matched up against a guy he has no business covering for any length of time.

Also note that the Bears have 6 guys in to block 4 Steelers.  The RB also has the option here of  flaring out into the flat.

I think Chicago will take the matchups you see in this shot all day long.  Whether the play is designed to go short or long you are guaranteed to get a WR or TE on a LB.

Hester vs Harrison (either man to man or in a zone)--Chicago wins.

Olsen vs Harrison--Chicago wins.

Knox vs Harrison--Chicago wins.

This play is actually a great out and up move by Olsen.  Tyrone Carter nearly ends Olsen's life after he gets his hands on the rock but the play design and setup is perfect for Chicago.

Pass Play 5:

This is a 7 yard screen pass to Forte.  Not much you can do about a well timed and well executed screen but you can also see in the middle of the field that James Farrior is covering his ILB zone.  2 Chicago WRs run through his area...if this wasn't a screen you are looking at 2 Chicago WRs vs a LB (James Farrior) in space.  Who wins that battle?

Pass Play 6:

This play results in a holding penalty on Timmons.  I'll take #94 against any TE in the NFL....he's THAT athletic....but on this play he gets called for tugging on Greg Olsen's  jersey.  Cutler's pass to Knox on the bottom of the screen is incomplete but the Bears keep the drive alive and pickup a 1st down thanks to the holding penalty.  If the Bears somehow had this formation on the field and Farrior, Fox, Frazier, or some other LB other than Timmons is covering Olsen, this could easily be a 5 yard slant to Olsen that turns into 6 points.....instead.....Timmons sticks with Olsen and Cutler eventually leaves the pocket and looks for a WR.  The TE vs LB matchup is clearly where he looks first.

Pass Play 7:

I hate giving WRs this big of a cushion.  Assuming you make a great 1-on-1 tackle, you're still giving up at least 5 free yards right?  The Bears run a nice route here and William Gay trips over himself.  Knox scampers up the field for 16 yards.

Pass Play 8:

Everything on this play looks screwed up.

1.  A fringe NFL RB (Peterson) lines up at WR up top and William Gay gives the guy a 10 yard cushion?  Ohhh Kaayyyy.....former Steeler Chad Scott would be proud of that cushion.

2.  Greg Olsen is running down the middle of the field with the now OBLIGATORY 10 yard cushion and he too is wide open.

3.  Two other Bear WRs are open on the bottom of the screen.

4.  James Harrison is lined up 1-on-1 vs Johnny Knox in the slot.  Nice matchup, eh?

Pass Play 9:

Dumb call here.  Bears spread the Steelers out all drive but decide to go back to their base offensive formation on this play.  Steelers appreciate Chicago "declining" this down.

Pass Play 10:

Steelers continue to rush 3 or 4 men and sit back in the softest zone defense the earth has ever seen.  Cutler has his choice of 3 open targets but he obviously has Peterson on his fantasy team so he rockets the ball out to his RB in the flat.

Pass Play 11:

TOUCHDOWN!

Cutler finds the only Bear on the field being covered by a non-DB.  TE Davis finds a soft spot in between Tyrone Carter and James Farrior.

What did we learn here?

1.  TEs and RBs have hurt the Steelers for many years.  Force the Steeler LBs to cover instead of blitz and you make the Steelers defense play a style of defense that they really don't enjoy playing.

2.  Spread the field and turn to quick hitters in the passing game = LeBeau's Kryptonite.

3.  The Steelers give a big cushion and allow dinks and dunks because they don't think an offense can consistently move the ball on them using this method.  It requires the offense to play nearly perfect for the entire drive.  No drops, no holding calls, no sacks, no INTs, no 3rd and longs, etc....  On the odd occasion that an offense can play error-free vs the Steelers for an entire drive, they can catch lightning in a bottle like this from time to time.

4.  This is really the only way to beat the Steelers defense.  Run, Run, Pass is a recipe for disaster for any offense against Pittsburgh's defense.  You should shout "THANK YOU" at your T.V. every time a Steeler's opponent runs the ball on 1st and 2nd down.  They're doing us a favor.

5.  We have broken film like this down before.  Last year and the year before we showed you how the Patriots/Cardinals spread the Steelers out and look for drags and slants across the middle of the field.  The response we often get is "not many teams can do this to the Steelers...you need to have great WRs".  Sorry, but that is dead wrong.  The Steelers have been "quick-hit" two weeks in a row by the likes of:  Bo Scaife, Justin Gage, Nate Washington, Kenny Britt, Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, Kellen Davis, Greg Olsen, and Algae Crumpler.  Nobody on that list should scare you.  Quick thinking and quick release QBs like Warner, Brady, Cutler and Kerry Collins can hit FBs, RBs, TEs, and WRs when they are lined up in space against soft zone coverage and dropping Linebackers.

6.  Be thankful that more NFL coaches don't think outside the box when it comes to running their offense.  Not many teams are willing to line up in 4WR and 5WR formations and pass, pass, pass all day long like the Cardinals, Patriots, and Saints.

A look at the Bears passing attack  by zone: