Steelers OC Randy Fichtner ranks 2nd in pass-heavy play-calling

Under offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner, the Pittsburgh Steelers love to air it out.

ESPN writer, Mike Clay, performed an extensive analysis of NFL playcaller tendencies for every team and found that the Steelers have a penchant for airing it out — so much so that offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner is ranked as the second pass-heaviest playcaller in the NFL.

Here is what Clay wrote about Fichtner:

Fichtner took over for Todd Haley as the Steelers’ playcaller in 2018. There’s not much to take away here, as the offense was heavy on volume, passing and production with Ben Roethlisberger healthy in 2018, but quite the opposite without him in 2019. Both offenses were below average in aDOT (especially to the tight end) and both were above average in RB targets.

In Fichtner’s first outing as OC (he was promoted from quarterbacks coach) in 2018, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger led the league with an astounding 675 attempts. In doing so, Roethlisberger broke his previous career-high of 608 set in 2014, the only other time he threw 600+ passes.

2018 wasn’t that long ago, but the Steelers are now without a significant part of that offense — wide receiver Antonio Brown. However, thanks to the double-teaming of Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster led the team in receiving yards with 1,426 (to Browns’ 1,297).

There is no better word to use to describe the 2019 offense other than disastrous. Due to injuries and the loss of Roethlisberger for the season, Smith-Schuster wasn’t able to live up to “wide receiver No. 1” billing. The QB carousel of Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges resulted in a paltry 2,981 yards passing on 510 completions.

To say the least, 2020 will be an interesting season for the Steelers offense. There are three new faces — rookie WR Chase Claypool and free agents Derek Watt (fullback) and Eric Ebron (tight end). Add to that Smith-Schuster (in a contract year), Diontae Johnson, James Washington, Vance McDonald, and the receiving talents of running backs James Conner and Jaylen Samuels, and the Steelers should pose a nightmare for defenses. With a plethora of weapons available at Fichtner’s disposal and the return of Roethlisberger, the sky is the limit.

Only time will tell if Roethlisberger can return to form and be able to air it out to Fichtner’s standards. Either way, the NFL is a passing league, and the Steelers seem up for the challenge.

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