With Spencer Anderson starting for the injured Isaac Seumalo, the Steelers tried to get creative with their jumbo package—with limited success. While they didn’t run it often, when they did, they kicked Anderson outside and brought Andrus Peat in at left guard. In fact, they started the game that way—and Peat false started immediately.
All told, the Steelers ran the jumbo package with Anderson six times. When he did play tight end, Peat stayed in at guard for an extra snap with Anderson out of the game before returning. Of their five non-penalty plays, though, three were runs, all successful plays for Jaylen Warren. They also had one of two successful passing plays, both to Warren. Still, there is room for criticism regarding how they managed it.
“Well, it certainly didn’t help right off the bat when [Peat] takes a false start penalty in the first game that he plays”, Gerry Dulac said on 102.5 WDVE about how the Steelers employed Anderson within the jumbo package. “But I haven’t had a chance to talk to the coaches in terms of what they wanted to do and what they were thinking”.
“They want to run that heavy package with Spencer Anderson. You would think maybe they might try somebody else in that role as opposed to taking Anderson out of that left guard spot and having them do that”.
The Steelers’ jumbo package features Spencer Anderson as an extra lineman, usually with 300-pound TE Darnell Washington on the same side of the formation as he is. While they usually run out of the look, they throw as a tendency breaker. Even Anderson ended up catching a pass, as the fifth read on the play.
Despite the unusual approach to the jumbo package by pulling Spencer Anderson out of the line, the truth is the Steelers managed it well. Even considering their following plays with Peat remaining at guard, they largely worked. One produced an eight-yard pass, another a four-yard run. The third—or rather second of three plays—resulted in Aaron Rodgers’ interception targeting DK Metcalf, but that was entirely quarterback error.
Even if it largely produced fine results, surely the Steelers would prefer to have a simpler approach for their jumbo package that doesn’t require moving Anderson back and forth. The obvious solution is to get Isaac Seumalo healthy, but it doesn’t seem they want to try another lineman out there.
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