Steelers running ball just fine without DeAngelo Williams

 


PITTSBURGH -- If the Pittsburgh Steelers defense holds up like this, with AJ McCarron looking frazzled every time he drops back, the Steelers hold a clear-cut advantage in the second half.
Especially as Fitz Toussaint and Jordan Todman pick up the slack without DeAngelo Williams, combining for 73 yards on 17 carries in the first half. The Steelers lead 6-0 over Cincinnati.

The holes are there to burst through, and the tailbacks are doing their part, looking quick and dodgy when sprinting past the line of scrimmage. This alleviates a lot of pressure on the rest of the offense.
With 38 rushing yards, Toussaint has nearly surpassed his season total of 42. He also has two catches for 43 yards. Toussaint and Todman are turning screen passes into nice gains. The offensive line is winning up front.


Surely the Bengals will make second-half adjustments to stop the run. That's where the good news for the Steelers comes in: Their passing game has to get going eventually.
Rarely will you see Ben Roethlisberger go 6-of-11 for 38 yards through the first 21 minutes of a game, though he started to heat up late in the half, finishing with 119 passing yards.

Heavy rains and the Bengals secondary contributed to the sluggish start. Two 15-yard penalties for pushing (one by a lineman, one by that lineman's coach!) haven't helped.
But the Steelers haven't taken their usual deep shots, opening the game early with screen passes to alleviate pressure on the running game.

The Steelers are difficult to defend; they can grind you down, especially as the game progresses. Their weapons usually get open over 60 minutes. That was obvious on the last drive of the second quarter, as the Steelers started to find a rhythm.

The question wasn't the offense scoring, but whether the defense could do enough. It's doing more than that -- it's setting a tone. McCarron can't get anything going.
The last time the Steelers allowed no points in the first half of a playoff game was the 1979 divisional playoffs against Miami, according to ESPN Stats and Info research.