The Pittsburgh Steelers have a tendency to shy away from the middle of the field, whether Aaron Rodgers or Mason Rudolph. Or any other quarterback who came before them, for years upon years, and Chris Hoke can’t make sense of it. Especially not after yesterday’s game repeated the pattern.
“We’ve been talking about this for several years now. So it just tells me that they’re not interested in going over the middle of the field”, Hoke said on KDKA’s Nightly Sports Call following the Steelers’ loss to the Bears. “I’m not sure why but the reality is that is the trend so that is the story right now. I’m not sure if they’re just not confident going over the middle of the field and they’d rather go outside and that they think it’s a lower percentage of something happening”.
As you can see from yesterday’s passing chart, Mason Rudolph continued the pattern of the Steelers avoiding the middle of the field. He didn’t attempt a single pass between the hash marks, though he didn’t pepper the boundaries, either. The chart reflects a lot of short passes, screens aimed at setting up yards after the catch. He only completed one pass of 10-plus air yards, and that was to Ben Skowronek.
Chris Hoke was particularly frustrated with the Steelers’ aversion to the middle of the field because he believes Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph can operate in those spaces. And he believes it’s making things very hard for the offense to operate.
“It leaves you scratching your head”, he said of the Steelers’ offense. “If they would go to the middle of the field with a [Pat] Freiermuth, who can run a really good seam route, a lot of teams are playing zone against the Steelers [and] he really is a zone breaker, zone killer. Get the ball to him. It would open up this offense and make it much easier for them to move the chains and put points on the board”.
Alex Kozora did offer a theory as to why the Steelers may have avoided the middle of the field on offense. And it’s similar to what we’ve actually heard them say in the past, especially under Arthur Smith. “I imagine the plan was to stay away from Kevin Byard and attack the Bears backup CBs”, he wrote. “On paper, a plan I don’t disagree with”.
I'll need to watch the All-22 and it's an area that's lacked for too long but Sunday, I imagine the plan was to stay away from Kevin Byard and attack the Bears backup CBs.
On paper, a plan I don't disagree with. https://t.co/2vvo8exdLr
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) November 24, 2025
“That was my respect to Jessie Bates. Don’t let their best player wreck the game”, Smith said about the Steelers not throwing over the middle on offense against the Falcons last year. In other words, don’t let great safeties affect the game. Kind of what offenses started doing to Minkah Fitzpatrick.
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