The Steelers may have just gotten a little bit of an appetizer in their loss to the Dolphins Sunday night.
This weekend, they'll get the RPO entree.
Philadelphia — the NFL's last unbeaten team — has just about mastered the run-pass option that Miami used to decimate Pittsburgh's defense during the first quarter in the Steelers' 16-10 defeat Sunday.
"You could call them similar because they run RPOs, but I think their scheme is different," said Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin Thursday. "The RPO structures, a lot of that's the same, but I think in terms of scheme and overall, how they want to run their offense, it's different than Miami and how they call their plays, but there are some similarities."
What separates the Eagles from the Dolphins is the abilities of the quarterback. Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa entered Sunday's game with just four rushing attempts for one yard. Eagles passer Jalen Hurts has run the ball 77 times for 293 yards, and scored six touchdowns.
"I would say he's similar to Tua in some ways, but man, they're both really good," defensive end Cam Heyward said. "Mobility wise, RPO games, throwing the ball down field to some pretty talented receivers… but I think (Hurts) does a really good job of running the ball."
"I think I think he has the ability to take off and run more," Austin added. "He's a strong guy, good runner, real decisive, knows what to do with the ball. So that does become an issue. Maybe where you weren't expecting to run last week, it could happen this week."
Hurts isn't the only element in the RPO game. Woodland Hills and Penn State grad Miles Sanders has rushed for 485 yards and scored four touchdowns. And the Eagles sport strong pass catching options in receivers A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert.
The Steelers could benefit from familiarity, however. They've now spent two weeks preparing for teams that heavily lean on RPOs.
And, really, as bad as the Steelers looked early in South Florida, they did turn it around, not allowing a single point after halftime and doing more than enough to win the game, even though it still ended in a loss. And that gives the defense maybe some added experience and confidence heading to Philadelphia.
"It does help that we've seen it, and we've just got to go play it again," Austin said.
"It's all about stopping first down, getting them behind the chains," Heyward added. "When they stay on schedule in those RPOs, it allows them to just keep doing it. When you do stop that, then it allows them to open up their playbook and have to dial up something a little bit further down field. So when they do do that, we got to make them pay."
Despite his success, Hurts has been sacked 15 times this season. So there could be a chance, after falling to record a sack last week, to get Hurts on the ground, and maybe force a turnovers — something Philadelphia has done just twice all season, both on tipped passed thrown by Hurts.
"It's a lot of quick passing right now," Heyward said. "We're not getting enough situations where we can rush the passer, and then RPO games are so quick that it takes away from the rush.
"It allows them to run play action looks, and it really puts the defense in harm's way, because if you cheat up, then stuff behind you is going to get by. "
The Steelers, at 2-5, are double-digit underdogs as they head East this weekend. But there is some optimism that the defense, following an embarrassing performance in Buffalo three weeks ago, could be peaking, having allowed just 34 points over the last two weeks.
Now, the next step, especially given the team's struggling offense, is to find ways to set that offense up with short fields, or by scoring themselves, on turnovers.
"I know we're playing an opponent that's only turn the ball over twice in six games," Heyward said. "So we've got our work cut out for us. But we've got to make sure we take advantage of those opportunities."
