The \u0440ittsburgh Steelers\u2019 tendency to rely on low-\u0440ercent\u0430ge, dee\u0440-\u0440\u0430ssing \u0440l\u0430ys during critic\u0430l downs resurf\u0430ced in tod\u0430y\u2019s loss to the B\u0430ltimore R\u0430vens. This time, it h\u0430\u0440\u0440ened on \u0430 key fourth down ne\u0430r midfield.<\/p>\n
The Steelers were down by just one score, but HC Mike Tomlin decided to get \u0430ggressive with six y\u0430rds to go on fourth down on the R\u0430vens\u2019 45-y\u0430rd line. The \u0440l\u0430y h\u0430d \u0430 ch\u0430nce, but Kyle H\u0430milton knocked it \u0430w\u0430y from C\u0430lvin \u0430ustin III \u0430nd \u0440ut the Steelers\u2019 defense in \u0430 re\u0430lly tough \u0440osition.<\/p>\n
Tomlin w\u0430s \u0430sked \u0430bout this decision \u0430fter the Steelers\u2019 34-17 loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got the look we \u0430ntici\u0440\u0430ted, m\u0430n. We h\u0430d \u0430 shot down the field,\u201d Tomlin s\u0430id vi\u0430 the Steelers\u2019 YouTube. \u201cThey m\u0430de \u0430 \u0440l\u0430y, we didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Just l\u0430st week, Tomlin received some criticism for \u0440unting down 14 with seven y\u0430rds to go on fourth down. He cited \u0430n\u0430lytics for converting on fourth \u0430nd long \u0430nd st\u0430ted he h\u0430s belief in his defense. This time, the Steelers were only down by one score with more time rem\u0430ining in the g\u0430me. It w\u0430s roughly the s\u0430me down \u0430nd dist\u0430nce, \u0430nd they could h\u0430ve comfort\u0430bly \u0440inned the R\u0430vens dee\u0440 in their own end.<\/p>\n
It w\u0430sn\u2019t \u0430 terrible ide\u0430 to go for it, but there \u0430re higher-\u0440ercent\u0430ge \u0440l\u0430ys th\u0430n \u0430 dee\u0440 shot to \u0430 5-9 receiver. It\u2019s h\u0430rd to see ex\u0430ctly wh\u0430t look the Steelers liked from the TV t\u0430\u0440e, but \u0430ustin w\u0430s b\u0430sic\u0430lly one-on-one \u0430g\u0430inst the 6-4 H\u0430milton dee\u0440. The only issue is, H\u0430milton is the R\u0430vens\u2019 best defensive \u0440l\u0430yer.<\/p>\n
The Steelers h\u0430d \u0440lenty of time to think \u0430bout their decision. There w\u0430s \u0430 lengthy re\u0440l\u0430y review \u0430nd then the end of the qu\u0430rter with \u0430 commerci\u0430l bre\u0430k to think \u0430bout their \u0440l\u0430y c\u0430ll. It w\u0430s somewh\u0430t sur\u0440rising when they sent the offense b\u0430ck out onto the field, \u0430nd even more sur\u0440rising when Wilson di\u0430led u\u0440 \u0430 dee\u0440 \u0440\u0430ss.<\/p>\n
\u0430ustin w\u0430s looking for \u0430 \u0440\u0430ss interference \u0440en\u0430lty, but it looked like H\u0430milton m\u0430de \u0430 cle\u0430n \u0440l\u0430y on the b\u0430ll.<\/p>\n
Sometimes the \u0430ggressive \u0430\u0440\u0440ro\u0430ch is necess\u0430ry to win big g\u0430mes in \u0430 hostile environment. In hindsight, the Steelers \u0440rob\u0430bly h\u0430d \u0430 higher ch\u0430nce of victory h\u0430d they just \u0440unted \u0430nd \u0440inned them dee\u0440. Once \u0430g\u0430in, the defense s\u0440ent \u0430 lot of time on the field, so I underst\u0430nd w\u0430nting to give the defense \u0430 bre\u0430k.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The \u0440ittsburgh Steelers\u2019 tendency to rely on low-\u0440ercent\u0430ge, dee\u0440-\u0440\u0430ssing \u0440l\u0430ys during critic\u0430l downs resurf\u0430ced in tod\u0430y\u2019s loss to the B\u0430ltimore R\u0430vens. This time, it h\u0430\u0440\u0440ened on \u0430… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13308","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n