All it took was nine plays and 75 yards to erase the Pittsburgh Steelers’ lead. That’s what the Cincinnati Bengals did, albeit briefly, to take a 21-20 lead late in the fourth quarter Sunday. The defense felt helpless. Andy Dalton marched down the field, aided by one pass interference penalty, hitting his tight ends and backs underneath, finding A.J. Green down the middle, and only needed one third down, which they converted, to do so.
How did the Bengals make it look so easy?
Some of it was on the individual. Good plays by the offense, poor reps from the defense. A lack of pass rush sure didn’t help. The Steelers failed to record a single pressure the entire drive.
But another problem was schematic. On at least four plays, Dalton had a very good idea of what the coverage was going to be. The Steelers made little effort to hide it.
It’s an issue that’s hindered this defense throughout the year: defending teams out of empty. As I’ve written about in the past, I get it’s a difficult task, especially in an era where offenses are scoring more than ever before. But the Steelers haven’t offered up much of a solution. Patrick Mahomes went 15/19 in empty back in Week Two.
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