GBMelBlount
10-09-2014, 01:06 PM
Through the first five games of the season, the Steelers' offense has started 24.5% of its drives from within its own 20 yard line. This cannot continue if the Steelers hope to win games and realize their full potential.
Combine a rash of special-teams penalties with mediocre kick-returning so far, and it's no surprise the Steelers rank second-to-last in average starting position after kick-offs. Perhaps the most-telling stat is that the Steelers have started seven of their 53 drives inside their own 11. Forget for a second the added difficulty of marching 90+ yards, as opposed to 80 or less, but starting from inside your own 15 yard line is vastly more difficult for reasons other than the distance required to travel.
Any mistake at this position on the field is amplified considerably because of the proximity to your own end-zone. As a result, play-calling tends to get more conservative, if not occasionally predictable since teams are reluctant to take chances. In addition, if a mistake leading to a turnover does occur, it almost always leads to points for your opponent where, otherwise, say beyond your 30 yard line, it may not.
Consider Ben Roethlisberger's fumble against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an example. The Steelers turn over the ball on their own 14 yard line and, two plays later, Tampa has a touchdown.
http://www.chatsports.com/pittsburgh-steelers/a/Steelers-offense-has-secondworst-starting-field-position-in-the-NFL-after-kickoffs-2-10530461
Combine a rash of special-teams penalties with mediocre kick-returning so far, and it's no surprise the Steelers rank second-to-last in average starting position after kick-offs. Perhaps the most-telling stat is that the Steelers have started seven of their 53 drives inside their own 11. Forget for a second the added difficulty of marching 90+ yards, as opposed to 80 or less, but starting from inside your own 15 yard line is vastly more difficult for reasons other than the distance required to travel.
Any mistake at this position on the field is amplified considerably because of the proximity to your own end-zone. As a result, play-calling tends to get more conservative, if not occasionally predictable since teams are reluctant to take chances. In addition, if a mistake leading to a turnover does occur, it almost always leads to points for your opponent where, otherwise, say beyond your 30 yard line, it may not.
Consider Ben Roethlisberger's fumble against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an example. The Steelers turn over the ball on their own 14 yard line and, two plays later, Tampa has a touchdown.
http://www.chatsports.com/pittsburgh-steelers/a/Steelers-offense-has-secondworst-starting-field-position-in-the-NFL-after-kickoffs-2-10530461