When the Steelers took the field as a team for the first time in four months last week, the first team period of the first practice was dedicated to goal-line offense. The Steelers ran seven plays inside the 10, then broke off into their normal practice routine.
The significance of the drill was not lost on the team’s top offensive players. The Steelers ranked second in the league in total offense and passing offense in 2014, but they settled for field goals after many good drives because of an inefficient goal-line offense.
The Steelers were 28th in the league in touchdown percentage in goal-line offense. Red-zone offense (inside the 20) is the more popular statistic, but goal-line offense (inside the 10) gives a tighter snapshot of how teams operate when things are most condensed on the field.
The Steelers did not fare well the closer they got to the goal line, scoring 20 touchdowns on 74 snaps (27 percent) inside the 10. Houston led the league in touchdown percentage inside the 10, scoring on 22 of 49 opportunities (45 percent).
In short, the Steelers could drive the ball down the field better than any other team in the NFL, but they were not efficient at converting those drives into touchdowns. Despite being second in the league in total yards, the Steelers were only seventh in points scored.
“Inside the 5, that’s where you separate yourself,” running back Le’Veon Bell said. “A lot of times, when you’re down there in a tight red zone, four points is a lot. You get seven instead of three, that’s a lot in the NFL. We realize that.
“Early in the year, we weren’t good in the red zone. We got better near the end of the year. We can’t start off slow this year. That drill is something we started near the end of the season. I’m glad we’re doing it in OTAs this year.”
Coach Mike Tomlin opened practice again Wednesday and Thursday with the same drill. The Steelers want to avoid another slow start with their goal-line offense. They had just six rushing touchdowns inside the 10 in 2014 and only two of those came in the first 10 games, both from LeGarrette Blount. Bell did not score on a rush inside the 10 until the 11th game of the season against Tennessee.
Later in the season, things improved with some personnel changes. After receiver Martavis Bryant was inserted into the lineup, the Steelers scored touchdowns on 6 of 10 trips inside the 10 in a four-week stretch. They also improved their running game inside the 5, scoring four times from the 1 over the final four games of the season after failing to score on a touchdown on five snaps inside the 5 in the first four games of the season.
“You have to finish in those situations,” left guard Ramon Foster said. “Everyone can defend the pass. This is a passing league. If you’re able to run, it opens up a lot of things down there.”
The increased attention on the goal line could pay dividends if the Steelers eschew the new 32-yard, one-point extra point and opt to go for two points from the 2 after touchdowns.
That’s where the numbers don’t add up for the Steelers. Under Tomlin, they have been one of the best teams in the league at converting 2-point attempts. Over the past five seasons, they have converted 8 of 10 2-point attempts. In 2014, they were 4 for 4.
It’s a small sample size spread out over the course of five seasons, but it is odd that the Steelers were not more efficient in goal-line situations in 2014.
“I think goal-line offense is going to be important this year,” Foster said. “Teams will opt for [2], especially in bad weather. It might seem easier. We have to be prepared for it — to defend it and to go for it ourselves. It might be that some teams specialize in it, so we have to do it, too.”
Foster believes the running game has to be a big part of that. After the Steelers finished second in the NFL in passing yards and total yards in 2014, teams are going to be more aware of the budding skill players around quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Being able to run in any circumstance, whether it be in the goal-line offense or anywhere else on the field, will make the Steelers more dangerous.
“We can’t be the same,” Foster said. “Teams will look at us and look at the passing yards we had. They’ll look at our third-down efficiency, and we’ll have to come with a different approach. The run has to be better. We were 16th. We have to shoot for higher than that. We have to be better than 16th to make our offense go. Ben is a great quarterback, but we have to make it easier on him, too. To be able to run on any down is going to be key. We have to make sure Le’Veon and our stable of backs get theirs. It makes our offense more of a threat. It can’t all be on Ben’s arm.”
Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1.
First Published: June 1, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
