The Detroit Lions (8-6) and Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6) will square off in a Week 16 battle with NFL playoff implications. For the majority of the year, both teams have spent the season alternating wins
and losses, but the Steelers are coming off their first two-game win streak since the opening weeks of the season, as their offense has found new life.
Let’s take a closer look at the Steelers’ coaching staff, the scheme they run, and some scouting notes from previously viewed games.
Steelers head coach: Mike Tomlin
NFL coaching seasons: 25 seasons (DB coach with Bucs, 2001-2005)
Defensive coordinator: 1 season with Vikings (2006)
NFL head coaching seasons: 19 seasons with Steelers (2007-present) — never had a losing season
Influences: Tony Dungy, Monte Kiffin, Jon Gruden, Brad Childress, Dick LeBeau
Super Bowl Champion: 2008 (HC, Steelers), 2002 (Bucs, DB coach)
Playcaller: No
Dan Campbell on Tomlin:
“Steelers, man. Got a lot of respect for this team, got a lot of respect for Mike Tomlin, been doing it for a long time, hell of a coach. Their brand of football, same style, always competitive. And once again, they’re in the race for this division over there. They do it the right way, they do it the hard way, and they make you try to earn it at the end of the game. So, we know this’ll be one of those physical battles. We’ve got to play smart, take care of the football and be very efficient. But he’s always run a good program, and we know we’ve got our hands full.”
“I do know him, but I wouldn’t say it’s something where I call and we talk all the time or anything like that. I’ve just got a ton of respect for him. I know what he’s about and the way he goes about his business. Anybody that I know that’s ever come across Coach Tomlin speaks so highly of him, so he’s one of one.”
Offensive coordinator: Arthur Smith
NFL coaching seasons: 17 seasons
Offensive coordinator seasons: 4 seasons (Titans 2019-20, Steelers 2024-present)
Head coaching seasons: 3 seasons (Falcons 2021-23)
Previous coaching positions: TE coach, OL coach, Offensive/Defensive quality control
Influences: Matt LaFleur, Mike Mularkey, Ken Whisenhunt, Mike Munchak, Joe Gibbs
Offensive scheme
Passing game: West Coast
Running scheme: Wide Zone (Shanahan)
Staples of scheme:
- Smith takes a lot of his offensive principles from LaFleur (Packers HC) from their time in Tennessee
- Lots of West Coast principals (pre-snap motion, bunch formations, play-action)
- Prefer to be heavy up front: 11+ 6OL (9.75%, 1st in NFL), 12 (30%, 9th), and 13 (16.57, 2nd) personnel
- Almost exclusively single-running back looks
- Run-heavy power-based focus – deploy 2 RBs evenly
- TEs and WRs are used in the blocking game at the line of scrimmage
- Play-action is down this season (22.4%, 25th)
- The goal is not to be explosive, but instead efficient, setting up favorable 2nd and 3rd downs
- A slow grinding approach leads to a lack of possessions and a lack of yardage
Scouting notes
- Rodgers not pushing the ball down the field; conservative passes (ADOT: 6.03 yards, 46th)
- Skill players make up for short passes with yards after catch production (Most YAC in NFL)
- Rodgers has thrown the ball beyond 10 yards on only 22.7% of his passing attempts (Last in NFL)
- Averaging 5.8 air yards per attempt, and just 3.3 air yards per completion (Last in NFL)
- Things have changed in the last two weeks: Most notably in Week 14 against the Ravens’ single-high looks
- Leaning on veteran WRs in the passing game in recent weeks
- TE Darnell Washington is a mismatch at 300+ pounds
- TE Jonnu Smith (experience with Smith) has been a disappointment, especially as a blocker
- No. 1 team in deploying a 6th OL (9.74%), with some recent games seeing large spikes (upwards of 30%)
- Pressures (100, 1st) and pressure rate (21.9%, 1st) are terrific… but much of that is Rodgers throwing quickly — Sacks (25, 10th) and sack rate (5.6%, 11th) are more representative but still solid
- On third LT (Broderick Jones on IR, Andrus Peat dealing with concussion), Dylan Cook
- Cook started his first NFL game in Week 15 and did not allow a pressure (primarily faced Bradley Chubb)
- LG Isaac Seumalo was injured in Week 15 and forced from the game
- Rushing game is efficient (DVOA: 12), and successful (44.3%, 7th), but limited (92.5 yards per game, 28th) due to fewer offensive possessions
- Lack explosive plays in run game: 30 rushes of 10+ yards (30th in NFL)
- Not much push from offensive line: 0.66 yards before contact (31st)
- Time of possession in 2025: 45.74% (Last in the NFL)
- 41.8% of the Steelers’ offensive drives have ended without achieving a first down
Dan Campbell on Steelers’ offense:
I like (Kenneth) Gainwell, he’s a good back. And he is, he’s versatile. He’s got vision, he’s pretty sneaky that way, shifty. And he is a good receiver. And then (QB Aaron) Rodgers has done a great job of finding those throws, getting the ball out. He’s got some big targets. (WR DK) Metcalf is still a load, he’s a weapon, his run after catch has really shown up this year. I mean it’s always been there, but a lot more underneath throws and letting him make something happen. They’ve got three tight ends over there that can block and run. Arthur Smith’s doing a hell of a job, he’s running his system, and it fits what they’re about. It fits what they do.”
Dan Campbell on Steelers’ QB Aaron Rodgers:
“He plays fast. He plays fast and he’s accurate. I mean, he’s always had the accuracy. He’s got such a quick release. I mean, he can process it like that. And it’s with a flick of the wrist that thing is in the receiver’s hands at a perfect location to where they can do damage once they get it into their hands. So, that has gone nowhere, his ability to get it out and play fast is still there, very much there.”
Defensive coordinator: Teryl Austin
NFL coaching seasons: 22 seasons
Defensive coordinator seasons: 9 seasons (Lions 2014-17, Bengals 2018, Steelers 2022-present)
Previous roles: Secondary coach (Seahawks, Cardinals, Ravens, Steelers)
Influences: Jim Caldwell, Marvin Lewis, Dean Pees, Keith Butler, Chuck Pagano, Ray Rhodes
Key Staff: Gerald Alexander (DB coach – Lions second round draft pick in 2007)
Defensive scheme
Base: Attacking 34 (presents like a 42 in subpackages)
Coverage: Single-high structured with a mix of zone (Cover-3) and man (Cover-1)
Staples of scheme:
- Traditional defense that hasn’t changed much in the last two decades
- Cover-3 (30%, off-zone) and Cover-1 (19%, press-man)
- Cover-2 (20%) vs. specific opponents, and situationally, but not used a ton
- Blitzburg defense – Blitz (31.2%, 9th)
- Attack to stop the run (also why they stay in single-high)
Scouting notes
- Single-high (50% of the time) opens holes in the secondary, lean on it for run defense
- Cover-3 zone looks more like defenders are covering space, rather than a player
- Secondary is late to adjust to crossing routes
- Vulnerable over the middle due to LB coverage
- Give up a lot of passing yards (242.4 yards allowed per game, 27th) and YAC (28th)
- Blitz leads to volume pressures (184, 12th) and sacks (40, 5th) come quickly (2.59 seconds, 5th)
- Success rate is low, on average (31.6%, 25th) because opponents pass a lot (37 pass attempts per game)
- Run defense is average to slightly below-average (DVOA: 17th, Rush yards allowed per game: 120.9, 19th, Rush yards per play, 4.4, 18th, EPA per rush: 0.01, 24th)
- Team split runs evenly between attacking the inside and outside of the Steelers’ defensive front
- Struggling to get off the field (3rd down: 42.42% conversion rate allowed, 27th; 4th down: 75.76%, 31st)
