Playing quarterback in the NFL can be a little like conducting a band. You have to stay in rhythm or everything falls apart.
Getting backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky into a rhythm earlier is one of the keys for the Steelers (7-6) as they head into Saturday's critical game at Lucas Oil Stadium against the Indianapolis Colts (7-6).
Trubisky opened the Steelers' Week 14 game against the New England Patriots by completing just three of his first eight pass attempts for 19 yards. To make matters worse, one of those passes was intercepted and returned to the Pittsburgh 11, setting up a touchdown as the Steelers fell behind 21-3.
The Steelers have dealt with slow starts over the course of this season and have still come back to win games. But coming back from a disastrous start is something altogether different.
The way to do that, according to Steelers interim offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner, could be to narrow down what's asked of Trubisky, especially early in the game.
"That's what all our thoughts are about, how do we skinny down the game plan in the effort where he can play fast and get the ball out of his hand, get it to the play-makers," Faulkner said Wednesday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "Our thoughts are always wrapped around better ways to do that."
That could be especially important against the Colts.
Indianapolis has aligned in zone defenses 88.5 percent of the time this season, the highest percentage of zone defense in the NFL. The Colts also have blitzed just 19.2 percent of the time, according to NFL NextGen stats. As a result, opponents have gotten the ball out of their hands quickly and in rhythm for the most part this season, throwing the ball in just 2.49 seconds. Only two teams have opponents getting the ball out more quickly against them this season.
That could bode well for Trubisky.
When he's thrown the ball in 2.5 seconds or less this season, he has a 106.7 passer rating, completing 35 of 50 passes for 315 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions. When he's held the ball for 2.5 seconds or more, his passer rating falls to 22.7, as he's completed 16 of 34 passes for 148 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions.
It's a limited sample size for Trubisky, who will be making his second start of the season for an injured Kenny Pickett, but it's not all that different from his career numbers. In the 68 games in which he's played in his career, Trubisky has a 95.5 passer rating when he gets rid of the ball in 2.5 seconds or less, but 75.1 when the throw comes out in 2.5 seconds or longer.
Faulkner recognizes that.
"Absolutely," he said. "And like I said earlier, we're trying to streamline things so he can do just that, plays he's comfortable with, so the ball can get out his hand quickly and get it to the guys, put the guys in spots we want them in so they could get the ball out, be the ones that are receiving the ball when it comes out quick."
That would include wide receiver George Pickens.
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The Steelers' leading receiver has seen his production slow since Week 7. Over the first seven games of the season, he averaged 4.5 receptions and 83.3 yards per game. In the past six, those numbers have dropped off to 3.1 receptions for an average of 38.1 yards per game.
But Pickens averages 1.72 yards per route run against zone defenses, the best of any of the Steelers wide receivers.
"That's something that we're always thinking about, trying to scheme and get done," Faulkner said of getting the ball to Pickens. "Then we've got to throw the ball to him. We're going to continue to never tire on trying to get GP the ball. We know what kind of talent he is."
However it happens, the onus is on the offense to help the Steelers pick up a win.
And with a pair of teams currently sitting in playoff spots – the Steelers are sixth, the Colts seventh – the importance of this game can't be overstated.
"You are just always toeing a line and you're not trying to create any panic or do anything like that, but at the same time heighten their sense of urgency on what is going on," Faulkner said. "I don't feel like I need to say anything other than, 'Guys, we are in the playoffs right now.' We are. We will be for the remainder of the year. That's got to be our mentality and our urgency."
