It feels like a long time ago that the Titans stuffed the Steelers running game on the NFL’s opening night to 36 yards rushing on 23 feeble attempts.
That game had many wondering if not-as-Fast Willie Parker would be pushed aside eventually for Mewelde Moore and Rashard Mendenhall.
For now, the plan in Pittsburgh is to have a three-back rotation.
Parker will take two series, Mendenhall will take one, and Moore will get the majority of passing-down and no-huddle offense work. The plan isn’t different than what the Steelers did against Tennessee. In short-yardage situations, offensive coordinator Bruce Arians says that whoever is in the game will stay there.
This plan will inevitably have Moore on the field during many, if not most, crucial situations in the game, especially because the Steelers have expanded their no-huddle approach.
Arians points out that most of the Pittsburgh offense can now be used in the no-huddle if the team wants.
“That package has tripled in size now, and it’s damn near the whole offense,” Arians said. “It’s evolved to where he can almost use 80 percent of the playbook in it, and [Ben Roethlisberger] gotten very proficient at it.”
The Mike Tomlin Steelers have been great at playing to their strengths, and their passing game has all their best offensive players: Roethlisberger, Heath Miller, Hines Ward, and Santonio Holmes.
Roethlisberger has never topped 500 pass attempts in a year, but this Steelers squad begs for it.
“Well, we’re not Buffalo, we’re not the K-Gun of Jim Kelly,” Arians said, “But we could be, we could be very easily.”
