3rd and 1. 4th and 1. Turnover on downs.
Far too often, that's how it's gone for the Steelers over the last two years. And now, with a decree from on high, Pittsburgh's finesse offense will look to implement something long-time fans of the team know a lot about. Physicality.
"The charge from (Steeler owner Art Rooney II) was to be more physical, to run the football," Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Matt Canada said Tuesday during the team's minicamp. "As an offensive lineman, you're going to like that. We're going to come off the ball and do that."
Canada's hiring was perhaps the first in a chain of events designed to make the Steelers tougher on the offensive side of the ball.
What has followed has been a combination of player additions and mindset changes to help the Steelers get needed yardage in critical situations.
The team spent its first two draft picks on versatile, offensive bruisers in Alabama running back Najee Harris and Penn State tight end Pat Frieremuth.
They then used consecutive picks on offensive linemen in center Kendrick Green and tackle Dan Moore.
Addition is one thing. But to anticipate rookies to fully change an offensive identity is a tad unrealistic. And, because of that, the mindset of experienced players has to ratchet up another level.
But how can an offensive line, with a blend of new and old pieces, suddenly get more nasty in the trenches?
"You set the tone for what it's going to be," said the team's offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, who is in his first year in the role after taking over for Shaun Sarrett. "You create an environment in the room and carry that out to the field. You're demanding of it every single day, and you don't move away from that line.
"This is who we're going to be. This is how we're going to live. If you can't do it, you can go home or be on the sideline with a hat on. It's not a democracy in our room. This is what it is."
Klemm believes he can get that needed toughness out of his players.
"The majority of guys already have it in them," he said. "Once you create that culture, you just feed off it and you grow."
That said, Pittsburgh's issues — particularly in short yardage situations — need to be fixed by a buy-in from the entire offensive unit.
The run game centers around the offensive line and tight ends, yes, but the receivers have to play their role, too. And turning pass catchers into run blockers can be one of the more challenging tasks for a coaching staff.
"Our guys that have size need to utilize that," wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard said. "With JuJu (Smith-Schuster) and Chase (Claypool) and our other guys, in terms of physicality, whether it's the run or pass game, it all starts with hand usage and fits.
"With the running game, we all know that we want to improve. A big component of that is what we do on the perimeter."
Everyone seems to be on board and willing to go in the same direction. But offseason work like OTAs and minicamp does not feature tackling or pads. So that's where Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has to find ways to get his team to understand Rooney's instruction to be more physical.
"With everything that we do, we have the opportunity to develop our personality," Tomlin said. "Not only through physical labor, but mental approach. So, although we're not carrying pads, yes, we are laying the foundation for that agenda."
