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Justin Fields went 6-for-6 on throws under 2.5 seconds against Atlanta. However, the results left plenty of room for improvement from both the players and Arthur Smith.

Hello and welcome everyone to BTSC Film Room, a new series I hope to continue throughout the season. The premise is simple: I’m a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the game of football at large. For the past few years, I have had an interest in expanding my knowledge of the game. I started by watching videos and cutups online of other people breaking down film, but never dabbled in it myself. Until now.

Before we get going, I want to set some expectations for what you can expect from this series. As I’ve mentioned, this is my first foray into film analysis. My hope for these articles is to increase my own understanding of the game and hopefully bring you all along with me. I want these articles to be a space for safe and open learning. I’m certainly not an expert, and I don’t expect you to be either. We might not know the exact terminology a team uses for a given play or formation, and there might be some concepts we come across that are entirely new to us. That’s OK! If you disagree with my analysis or have a correction you believe should be made, I’d love for you to leave a comment — a respectful one of course — or hit me up on Twitter and start a dialogue! We’re all learning here.

But let’s stop beating around the bush and get to what you came here for.

Last week, the Steelers grinded out an 18-10 victory over the Falcons. After Russell Wilson reaggravated his calf injury earlier in the week, the Steelers had to pivot to starting Justin Fields at quarterback. Arthur Smith called a pretty conservative gameplan for his young QB and Pittsburgh’s offense handily won the time-of-possession battle (35:36 vs. 24:24) and limited Atlanta’s offense to only 15 plays of offense in the second half. Of course, we’d all like to see our offense score some touchdowns, but overall they did what they needed to be done to win.

Justin Fields had a solid albeit not entirely impressive day, completing 17-of-23 passes (73.9 percent) for 156 yards. Those numbers could have looked better if not for a ticky-tacky offensive pass interference call against Pickens that wiped out a 36-yard reception and forced a punt, as well as a phantom down-by-contact ruling that nullified the yards after catch on another bomb to Pickens later in the game. Fields also influenced the game with his running ability, rushing 14 times for 57 tards (4.1 YPC) and picking up five first downs with his legs. He didn’t turn the ball over and mostly kept himself clean, taking two sacks in the game.

The flaws in Fields’ game thus far in his career have been widely discussed. He has shown inconsistent processing speed, which is one of the factors that contribute to his high sack rate. One way an offensive coordinator can help a quarterback like Fields out is to give him a few plays a game where he has a simple read designed to get the ball out of his hands quickly. This can happen in a few ways, but they tend to involve shorter routes where the quarterback either splits the field in half pre-snap based on the look the defense is giving, or it can be a one-read play such as a screen.

With that in mind, I was curious how Arthur Smith called the quick game for Fields, and then how well Fields and the rest of the offense executed it. For this exercise, I narrowed my search down to plays where the ball was thrown in 2.5 seconds or less. For transparency, it should be noted this doesn’t include plays where the ball potentially should have come out that fast, only the plays where that qualification was met.

The Steelers and Fields made six of these types of throws all game. In those, Fields completed all six passes, equating to roughly one-third of his completions on the day. Though the Steelers were efficient in completing these types of throws, the returns won’t look pretty in a box score as they netted a grand total of 12 yards and one first down. That said, a box score is free of context, so I wanted to look closer. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the good, the bad, the ugly, and try to determine if we can take anything constructive from this film moving forward.

1. Q1 04:02 — 1st & 10 on PIT 49 — J.Fields pass short right to G.Pickens to PIT 44 for -5 yards

The first play we are looking at came on the first play of the Steelers’ second possession of the game. The game is tied 3-3 and Pittsburgh has just intercepted Kirk Cousins. On their previous drive, the Steelers tied the game despite a series of sloppy plays including a fumbled snap and a badly missed throw to Van Jefferson. Likely wanting to settle his young quarterback down, Arthur Smith calls for a WR screen to George Pickens.

The Steelers come out with 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends, two receivers) and load up on the right side. As it’s first down and the Steelers are expected to run a ton this year, the Atlanta defense has to be prepared for that in this scenario. Atlanta brings out a five-man front with two inside linebackers and runs what looks like some version of a Cover 3 look here. Cover 3 is a solid early-down option against teams that like to run the ball because it protects against deep shots downfield while allowing one defensive back to creep closer to the line of scrimmage to help support against the run or any quick underneath routes.

At the snap, Van Jefferson runs a crossing route to clear out and freeze the middle of the defense. It works as linebackers Nate Landman (53), Keden Elliss (55), and safety Jessie Bates (3) are forced to react to Jefferson’s route. Fields further complicates the defenses’ eyes with a play action to Najee Harris that makes Elliss hesitate another beat before dropping back for Jefferson’s route. A pulling Mycole Pruitt helps sell this as a potential run before settling in to pass block on the left side. Meanwhile, guard James Daniels initially gets hands on Atlanta’s Grady Jarrett (97) before passing him off so he can block the nearest perimeter defender — James Smith-Williams (50) on this rep. Similarly, center Zach Frazier is asked to climb to the second level, where he picks up Landman. Broderick Jones is tasked with walling off the edge defender, which is Jarrett once Daniels passes him off. All of this is done to buy time and create space for the screen to Pickens. The hope is this creates an alley for Pickens who should pick up solid yardage or potentially produce an explosive if he can win in the open field one-on-one.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t play out here. The design isn’t overly complicated, but the Steelers’ timing and execution muddies the play, resulting in a five-yard loss. So what went wrong?

I’d again like to reiterate I don’t know how the Steelers’ staff drew this up, or how they’re coaching these concepts. I also have the benefit of rewatching the play several times in slow motion, while the players are reacting to this all within 2.5 seconds. Still, I’d like to see Pickens receive the ball as he’s coming back to the quarterback, not once he’s going back outside. Fields fakes the ball to Harris, then continues with three more steps while looking at Jefferson to sell the crosser. I’d like him to get that ball out quicker without the additional dropback, but that could be what Smith is coaching. I also would have liked the ball a little more in front of Pickens so the receiver could have a little more forward momentum. These are nitpicks. Regardless, the play still should have worked as executed up to that point. For me, the two biggest culprits for why this play ended in a loss are Pickens and Jones.

Let’s start with Jones. I won’t be too hard on him here because I ultimately think most of the blame falls on Pickens, but we’re trying to diagnose what happened. I found the endzone view to be informative. You can see at the snap, Jones goes to block the edge defender, Smith-Williams, who initially steps forward like he’s rushing. Smith-Williams is faking, however, and quickly bails into coverage. This coincides with Daniels passing off Jarrett who is still working to the backfield, but quickly changes directions once the ball is thrown.

Jones takes a bit of a misstep here, stepping inside to seal Jarrett off from Fields. The problem with that is it gives Jarrett a clear path to disrupt the area where the play is designed to go. Jones should have known the ball was coming out quickly and not to worry about Fields, and instead made sure Pickens had a clean alley to run. It’s a tough beat, but to Jones’ credit, I still think he did enough to slow Jarrett and make this play effective. My main culprit here is Pickens.

In the image above, I’ve paused where I think the play ultimately fails. Pickens hesitates a moment to read the path in front of him. The yellow arrow represents where I believe the play is designed to go, and the hole Pickens should have hit hard as soon as he made the catch. Instead, he stutter-steps as he realizes Jarrett has gotten away from Jones.

Maybe Jarrett closes the gap before he can get by, but I believe the speedy Pickens could have made it at least to the line of scrimmage if he hadn’t hesitated. Daniels has done a good job driving his defender toward the sideline, which also makes Pickens’ choice to bounce to the outside a tough one. If he could have hit the hole and followed Frazier’s block downfield, Pickens would have had a one-on-one with AJ Terrell (24) in space. Going outside puts him directly in the path of Smith-Williams and is an easier pursuit angle for Terrell.

It’s a rough beat, but not a terrible design. This is a play I expect we’ll see the Steelers hit on in the future.

2. Q1 00:19 — 3rd & 3 on ATL 34 — J.Fields pass short left to G.Pickens to ATL 31 for 3 yards

Of the quick passing plays the Steelers ran against Atlanta, this was the one they executed best. This comes on the same drive as the first play we observed. Pittsburgh converted a first down despite the initial negative play and had bled out most of the remaining time in the first quarter. Faced with a third-and-short, Smith cuts the field in half for his quarterback, asking him to pick a side. A clever use of pre-snap motion springs Pickens free and Fields finds him for the conversion.

The Falcons come out with Nickel personnel, in what initially looks like Cover 2 man, but rotates post-snap into more of a Cover 1 look. The Steelers counter with 11 personnel (1 running back, 1 tight end, 3 wide receivers) and put all three receivers to the right side of the formation.

The Steelers motion Pickens to the left and hide him behind Pat Freiermuth right before the snap, ensuring him a free release. From there he and Freiermuth run a basic “Stick” concept, with Muth running a hitch to the first down marker and Pickens running a flat. Simmons (31) and linebacker Troy Anderson double the tight end. With Hughes playing off coverage, Pickens is able to beat him to his spot at the stick and convert the first down.

A quick note, I think the Steelers can tinker around with this formation and run this play with a different look. On this play, Fields clearly decides he’s getting the ball to Pickens, his best receiver and reads the left side of the field. But if we look on the right side of the formation, I think Fields would have found another conversion had he chosen to read that side instead. With nickel corner Dee Alford (20) playing off coverage and the safety Bates rotating to play the deep middle, Jefferson’s out route and Austin’s in-breaker create a natural rub that could be exploited. After years of ineptitude at offensive coordinator, it’s great seeing Smith scheme up a play that can win in multiple ways. Keep an eye out to see if the Steelers run this play in the future with Pickens running the out route.

3. Q2 06:08 — 1st & 10 on PIT 45 — J.Fields pass short right to G.Pickens pushed ob at PIT 47 for 2 yards

Our next play comes from the Steelers’ next possession. Having already converted a couple of first downs, the Steelers offense is approaching midfield. If we exclude the fumbled snap to start the game, Pittsburgh had called a running play on four of the team’s seven first-down attempts. With Pittsburgh in empty shotgun on this play, it’s clear Smith was seeking to keep an even balance of run-pass on first down. Here he dials up a simple “Go-Out” concept. The two outside receivers run go routes, the two slot receivers are running five-yard out routes. Pat Friermuth is running an in-route here, but his chances of getting the ball on a call like this are pretty slim.

Once again, the Falcons are in nickel personnel, and once again they appear to run some version of Cover 1 man. Bates takes coverage of Pickens, and breaks downfield towards Pickens at the snap. Fields reads Bates depth and quickly pulls the trigger to get his number one receiver the ball on what should be an easy completion.

The Steelers get the completion, but it’s hard not to feel like they left some meat on the bone. Pickens rounds his route and I can’t tell for certain if that’s just how he chose to run his route or if he’s reacting to where Fields is throwing the ball. The placement here is less than ideal. Below, the green “X” marks where you’d like to see the ball. If Fields puts it there, Pickens has a shot to turn upfield after the catch. The red “X” — where Fields actually throws it — makes Pickens give ground, and Field throws it high as well. Pickens bobbles it before securing the catch, eliminating any shot at yards after the catch.

To be fair to Fields, Andersen (44) does get an arm in the throwing lane, and the awkward placement could have resulted from Fields adjusting his throwing angle to avoid getting the ball batted at the line. Still, this is an example of the Steelers making what should be a fairly straightforward play harder than it needs to be. A false start penalty and the Pickens OPI eventually killed this drive anyway, but you want to see the Steelers execute on the simple ones.

4. Q2 05:31 — 2nd & 13 on PIT 42 — J.Fields pass short left to J.Warren to PIT 46 for 4 yards

Speaking of that false start, this was the play the Steelers called immediately following that penalty. It’s another simple concept designed to get the ball out of Fields’ hands quickly without asking him to make any post-snap progressions. I’m not sure what the Steelers call this, but if you’ve played any football video games, you might recognize this play as “Mtn HB Swing.”

Prior to the snap, Jaylen Warren motions behind Fields and continues to shuffle to his left. Once the ball is snapped, Warren continues to run behind the line of scrimmage while the two receivers at the top of the screen set up their blocks. The Steelers are once again in 11 personnel running against the Falcon’s Nickel package. Austin is the left outside receiver and Pickens lines up in the slot. The play is pretty bang-bang, so I’m not sure if Atlanta was attempting to run Cover 2 or Cover 1, but it seems clear they are in man coverage if you watch how Simmons (31) follows Warren.

Again, I don’t won’t to gripe too much. The Steelers gain four yards on the play, which is usually a success. Still, it feels like they could have gotten more with slightly better execution, which might have kept them out of third-and-long.

First, I again would like to see Fields place the ball out in front of his target. Warren catches this off his back hip, which robs some of the forward momentum he could have had on the play.

Second, I’m not loving using the 5’9 and 162-pound Austin as a key blocker on a screen — more on that later. Falcons corner AJ Terrell is listed as 6-1 and 194 pounds, and he abuses Austin here, nearly pushing him into Warren as the running back hits the hole. Already contorting from Fields’ ball placement — and possibly still feeling the effects of his lingering hamstring injury — Warren has to adjust again and doesn’t show the usual burst we’re accustomed to seeing from him on these types of plays. He’s able to make Terrell miss, but the play is dead shortly after as Elliss and Simmons arrive to make the tackle.

The Pickens OPI call happens on the following play, so this wouldn’t have killed the drive had that penalty never been called. However, it’s these little details that often make the difference between a win and a loss.

5. Q2 00:32 — 1st & 10 on PIT 30 — J.Fields pass short left to C.Austin to PIT 37 for 7 yards

Pittsburgh got the ball back just before the end of the first half. Once again, the Steelers trot out their 11 personnel and Atlanta answers with their Nickel personnel. I’m less certain what coverage they are running here, but I want to say Cover 6. My reasoning is Atlanta appears to have four defenders playing zone on the side where the Steelers have three potential targets: Austin, Pickens and Warren. On the other half of the field, Hughes appears to pick up Jefferson in man coverage, and nickel corner Alford does the same with Freiermuth while Bates floats to the deep middle of the field. Cover 6 is a coverage that mashes Cover 2 and Cover 4 together, so that’s my best guess here.

Then again, it’s possible Atlanta was playing Cover 2 man and Terrell passes Pickens off to Simmons because he already sees the ball leaving Fields’ hand. Andersen (44) didn’t appear to be playing man, but it’s possible he was just respecting Austin’s speed and giving cushion so he wouldn’t get beat deep up the seam. We’re learning here, so if you know what coverage this is, please share in the comments!

Back to what the Steelers are doing. Fields was likely asked to split the field in half here. Pick a side and read it. To no surprise, he picks the side with Pickens. This is a good read from Fields as Austin finds a soft spot in the coverage to hit his hitch.

I have a few gripes with how Pittsburgh managed the clock the rest of the drive — namely not using either of their timeouts — but they ultimately got the field goal thanks to a 41-yard connection to Pickens a few plays later.

6. Q4 07:43 — 3rd & 2 on ATL 7 — Fields pass short right to V.Jefferson to ATL 6 for 1 yard

The Steelers wouldn’t attempt a throw under 2.5 seconds again until halfway through the fourth quarter. Set up in the redzone, the Steelers run a play not too dissimilar from the “Mtn HB Swing” to Warren they used earlier in the game. But instead of Warren, this time it’s Van Jefferson motioning behind the backfield.

It’s a basic play here, but unfortunately, it doesn’t pick up the first down. This one falls at the hands of Pickens and Austin, though I’d like to hear Smith explain why he keeps trying to make Calvin Austin a key blocker. Simply switch Austin and Jefferson’s roles here and I think the Steelers at least pick up the first down, if not the score.

Instead, Austin is once again blown up attempting to block some over 30 pounds heavier than him. Pickens isn’t blameless either here. He makes aggressive first contact, but he throws his shoulder without getting hands on Bates. Bates is an All-Pro and someone Smith said he tried his best to gameplan around. He easily sheds the block and combines with Terrell to stop Jefferson short of the sticks. Better blocking from the Steelers receivers and smarter personnel usage from Smith will be needed to get this offense to the next level.

Conclusion

I hope you’ve enjoyed this deep dive into the quick passing game Pittsburgh utilized last week. Pittsburgh has plenty of room to grow here, regardless of who is under center the rest of the season. Smith didn’t call anything complex, but that was the point. These plays are supposed to make life easier on the quarterback. Better execution from the players will be necessary, but you can see the framework the offense is working with. Even if the results weren’t as good as they could have been, it was refreshing to see Smith make calls — other than the Austin blocking stuff — that make sense and have clear reasoning behind them.

They’ll need more of it on Sunday against Denver.

If you have any suggestions for future film room topics, please comment below!

Ben Skowronek is back.

The Steelers are once again bolstering their wide receiver depth ahead of a game this season. Per a team announcement, Pittsburgh has elevated practice squad wide receiver Ben Skowronek to the active/inactive roster for the second straight game.

Against the Falcons a week ago, Skowronek didn’t record any catches, but he did contribute 10 special teams snaps.

Last season, Skowronek recorded eight catches for 66 yards and a touchdown with the Los Angeles Rams. On Sean McVay’s team, the 6’3, 224-pound Skowronek wasn’t just a physical receiver. He also was respected as a special-teamer and blocker, lining up in the backfield as a fullback occasionally.

NFL practice squad players can only be elevated three times in the regular season before the team has to sign them to bring them back to the 53-man roster. After the Broncos game, Skowronek has one elevation left.

Pittsburgh kicks off against the Denver Broncos at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 15.

How the Steelers can start 2-0

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a golden opportunity to start 2-0 for the first time since 2020, and only the second time since 2017. They’ll take on a Denver Broncos team that looks less than optimal, and could be competing for a top five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Regardless, the Steelers have no right to take anyone lightly – here is this week’s game plan.

Send constant heat at Bo Nix

The Seahawks sent five or more rushers at the Broncos’ rookie on 11 of his dropbacks, which was tied for fifth in the NFL, where he went 6-of-10 and only averaged 2.7 yards per attempt and just over four yards per completion while being sacked once and pressured five times. Garett Bolles may or may not play, and even if he does he isn’t 100 percent. Send heat all game. Continue to have sets where three pass rushers are on the field at the same time and make life a living hell for Nix.

Feed Najee Harris

Harris didn’t have a massive stat line in Week 1, but he was productive with his touches, racking up 79 yards on 21 touches. The Seahawks were able to run all over the Broncos, with Kenneth Walker rushing for 103 yards on 20 carries, and the Seahawks as a team ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Get the run game going early, and continue establishing long, balanced drives.

Another WR needs to step up

Two catches for eight yards from receivers not named George Pickens just isn’t going to cut it. Someone needs to step up. Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson, a potentially debuting Roman Wilson – someone. The passing game can’t be George Pickens and prayers.

Avoid the trap

The Steelers are better than the Broncos, but how many times over the years have we gone into a game with supreme confidence only to be disappointed? Losing to the Mike Glennon Bears in 2017, tying the Browns in 2018, two consecutive losses to two-win teams last season – I’m sure there are several other examples you can name. Don’t make Sunday a game we can add to that list. Take care of business and beat a team that you are better than.