Everyone thinks I support Tomlin and company no matter what, but taking a look at this https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2018/9...-for-a-qb-ever
There are some things to take issue with from a plan and execution point of view. The biggest problem is 4/6 TDs were on plays were the Chiefs lined up with 5 receivers (WR/RB/TE in some combination) and then went vertical on the Steelers. This is a package and a set of route concepts that Butler has never had an answer for. Like not once. Saw it pinball up the Steelers in that shootout in Seattle awhile back and it has been a problem for almost as long as I can remember. So this is a coaching problem.
TD 1 - 5 receivers and for some reason the Steelers stay in base and have an odd combo short and long zone coverage on the TE with VW and Bostic. Why? No one knows. This seems to be a bad process that leads to a terrible result. All-22 film will tell more and hopefully the folks at Steelers Depot or somewhere break this down further.
TD 2 - 5 in the pattern again and they are in at least nickel (I think). The question is what are 42 and 28 doing on this play? Doesn't appear to be much besides covering grass and not responding to the routes quick enough. Is this how the coverage is taught? Or are the players slow in picking up their keys and moving? Is it taught correctly and players are making good reads, just too slow to respond? Either of these, mean that once again the Steelers are responding to a formation and set of offensive concepts known to trouble them with duct tape and bailing wire rather than a well honed plan.
TD 3 - more standard short area running package. Edmunds needs to put Hunt on the ground. The play design does put Edmunds in a high stress position and is designed for the offense to bet on the great RB winning the one on one battle. But if offenses can do it, so can defenses. You draft safeties in the first round to make that play 10/10 times. Reasonable or not that is the reality. So not a coaching issue here, but a player execution issue almost totally.
TD 4 - were are back to the empty set 5 in the pattern here. This time the Steeler respond with some sort of sub package that appears to have Watt responsible (#90?) for dropping into a middle zone. It appears that Watt either doesn't get deep enough on his drop or he plays it to the outside and the KC player leverages it inside. Here, I am not sure I can fault coaching. I mean if you have to pick someone to turn and run with a TE, Watt is not the worst idea anyone has ever had. Either he didn't run it right, or the safety didn't squeeze down quick enough. So again, execution?
TD 5 - Appears to be some sort of short yardage or goal line package by both teams. Burns just needs to get his head around quicker. Plain and simple. Nothing complicated to deal with here. Either get your head around quicker or close on the receiver with more violence and push him out of the back of the endzone. Also, sometimes crap happens and you get beat. I'm not losing too much sleep over this one. QB throws a dart on a bit of scramble drill an the offensive player beats the defender to the spot. Happens. 40% of Ben R's TDs come this way.
TD 6 - Again the empty set with 5 guys running routes. This time, Hill slips the jam at the line and beats Burns up the sideline. Also, Dupree held Kelce on the play. Overall, I don't have a real big problem with this defensive approach. If you insist on leaving LBers out there, Burns one on one on the outside and Dupree running with the TE certainly a far better idea than zoning it up with the ILBs. As to the specifics of Burns play, he missed the jam and Hill needs the slightest space to make anyone in the league look foolish. Ask any CB in the league what happens in single coverage when they miss the jam on AB. Crap happens.
So what is my complaint? For the most part, the plan was okayish. But on at least 1 of the TD plays the plan was just asinine. It was to roll out a coverage scheme/approach that hasn't worked when better players were running it. On the other plays, one has to question why these guys can't align their zones. In other words, to properly defend all these vertical routes simultaneously the various defenders need to pass guys from one zone to the next. I suspect this is really complex. These mental midgets can not seem to get it right. SO....either coach better or stop asking them to do it! How the hell was it surprising that KC's offense had this approach? Everyone knew they were going deep this year. We knew it since the moment Mahomes was drafted. So the Steelers plan for dealing with it was...? Repeat the same process as before hoping for different results? That is frustrating.
Now ALL the above being said. Can we talk about how in love I am with KC's offense? It is just so so so good. They are going to make a ton of teams look foolish and under-prepared this year. Do yourself a favor and read this -- https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2018/9...losive-offense