Eagles' Dallas Goedert Is Revealing That 1 Steelers Great Is The Formula To Exploit Relentless QB Sneak Attack

As the page turns after each season, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the entire NFL see rule changes leading into the next campaign. Some may be minor, while others may be more prominent. On the other hand, some team owners may propose for a new rule change and may not be granted their wish. As we look ahead to the upcoming season, the owners met at their annual meeting earlier in the offseason to discuss any rule changes. We saw some reportedly unpopular opinions revolving around the new kickoff return rules, while there was another rule proposal that was not granted.

The quarterback sneak has been one of the oldest plays in football. Further, with the first rules of the sport of American football in 1869, there were limitations of how offensive players could throw the football. This led to a rush-heavy offense and forced the quarterback to use his legs instead of his arm to pick up yards.

If we fast forward to more recent as the game of football has evolved, the quarterback sneak has as well. In the mid-2000’s college football scene, University of Southern California running back Reggie Bush coined the phrase of the “Bush Push” when he would push quarterback Matt Leinart for extra yardage on called quarterback sneak plays. That tactic was not legal in the NFL until the rule changes in 2005, thus allowing NFL quarterbacks to gain help from behind on quarterback sneaks. That rule and strategy remains in force today's NFL.

Looking now to today’s NFL, that pushing strategy is arguably more prevalent than ever. In 2022 alone, there was a record 308 quarterback sneaks in the NFL; that set a new high in league record books. Of those, a first down was converted on 83 percent of them. But of the entire league, there was one team who seemed to perfect the quarterback sneak and the Steelers hold the key to running it themselves, but also stopping it.

The Steelers' Formula To Effectively Exploit The Quarterback Sneak

As a part of their Super Bowl run in 2022, the Philadelphia Eagles were one of the most effective offenses at running the football. They were relatively split on calling run plays versus pass plays, but with quarterback Jalen Hurts, they excelled at the quarterback sneak. They led the league in quarterback sneaks with 41, and converted a league-high 37 of those. Tight end Dallas Goedert saw a lot of what went into the offense’s impressive success and what had to happen to achieve a 90 percent success rate. Goedert joined Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take crew with Dan “Big Cat” Katz and PFT Commenter and talked about the first step of establishing an effective quarterback sneak attack.

“Our O-line, the interior, and the worst part about it is they work on it,” he said. “They work on [Jason] Kelce going low, the other ones going a little bit higher than Kelce. If Kelce can take one guy’s legs, you know we got two or three yards.”

The Steelers’ new guard, Isaac Seumalo, played next to Kelce in that sequence. In the first score of Super Bowl LVII, Seumalo helped pave the way on the interior of the right-hand side to allow Hurts to score the first touchdown of the game. Earlier in the offseason, Kelce praised Seumalo’s football intelligence, as well as his elite ability to execute blocks and overall athleticism at the position. With Seumalo bringing that intel the Eagles’ used in their league-leading quarterback sneak attack, the Steelers’ Kenny Pickett may be able to take his skills to the next level.

While he isn’t s true dual-threat quarterback, Pickett showed he has what it takes to pick up yards on the ground. But if we simply look at his ability to run in between the tackles in short-yardage situations, Pickett was surgical in knowing where he needed to get the ball, and then reaching that mark. In his first regular season game against the New York Jets, he scored a pair of touchdowns within two yards of the goal line.

Against the New Orleans Saints, he snuck the ball into the endzone from the one-yard line to secure the victory in the fourth quarter. In the back-to-back games against the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens that featured game-winning drives, Pickett converted 5/5 quarterback sneak attempts with the help of Najee Harris and others behind him to keep drives alive. The foundation of an elite Steelers’ quarterback sneak is obvious, and it appears that it can drastically improve now with Seumalo’s insight.

For the defense, the question remains of how to stop such an imposing attack. Defensive captain Cameron Heyward was vocal earlier in the offseason, voicing his frustrations with the offenses’ ability to move the ball at-will against defensive linemen. However, Goedert revealed that it is actually the Steelers who showed how to effectively stop the Eagles' quarterback sneak; and it is arguably the only way to stop it for any offense.

“I don’t know how you do stop it,” he said. “Unless someone goes Troy Polamalu and jumps over the top, [it’s tough to stop].”

As a part of his Hall of Fame career, Troy Polamalu was a menace for quarterbacks at the line of scrimmage. He possessed the incredibly-unique ability to be lined up 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, only to collapse on the offensive line in unison with the ball being snapped. Polamalu’s way of jumping the line with precision timing is something that can’t necessarily be taught and remains as being one of the most impressive skill sets of any football player in the world.

Perfecting the quarterback sneak would add a significant safety net for Pickett and the offense in 2023. Instead of needing to pick up a full 10 yards in a span of three plays, they could be able to afford to, say, pick up eight to nine yards on first through third downs and still be comfortable enough to pick up the fourth-down conversion on the ground. The Eagles proved the strategy expands the offense’s chances of scoring within the five yard-line, and this may be the answer for the Steelers’ pedestrian redzone offense.

While this would rely on the protection of Pickett’s health on a weekly basis, it would add another layer of the Steelers’ rushing attack, especially in goal-to-go situations. Seumalo has already said he’s ready for the challenge that awaits him at training camp later in the summer, and there is a good chance we’ll be able to see Pickett sneak it against Heyward and company with Seumalo deep in the mix.

Do you like the current quarterback sneak rule? Do you think the Steelers should use it the same way the Eagles did? Let us know in the comments below!

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