The Steelers were one of the better ranked teams in Football Outsiders DVOA against both tight ends and running backs in 2019, a big improvement from 2018. The Steelers still had struggles, they just did better than other teams who faced the same tight ends. One theme that shows up in the most successful offenses in the NFL and in the most efficient offenses is tight ends that line up in the slot. Targets to slot players are consistently more efficient than targets to outside receivers, and are also more efficient than targets to tight ends lined up tight to the formation.
The Steelers’ defensive issues vs. tight ends could be a blueprint for the offense
