This week’s film room is going to anger half of Steelers Nation and make the other half happy.

Those segments would be as follows: Segment A are the fans who wanted to run the ball more against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Segment B would be the fans who freaked out about a rumor leaked Sunday involving Matravis Bryant requested he be traded.

Some of the things I read over the last few days include comments in the vein of: how dare we have players such as Vance McDonald, Roosevelt Nix, and Chris Hubbard on the field! The Steelers need to make Martavis happy! Bring on the vertical game!

I’m here to tell, no, I’m here to show you that the Steelers offense is starting to click, and it will benefit Martavis Bryant (and others) in the long-term.

2 and 14 – KC 45 10:10 1st Quarter

Do you want to know how dedicated the Steelers were to run the ball on Sunday? Look no further than the team running six running plays in their first series.

Subbing in for Le’Veon Bell in a second-and-long situation, rookie running back James Conner gained all of the yards Bell lost on first down and then some, following a path blazed for him by tight ends Jesse James and Vance McDonald, and guard David DeCastro who “pulls” on the play.

The theme of this film room is going to be a consistent one: both James and McDonald had good games blocking for run plays, while DeCastro, along with Maurkice Pouncey, pull and/or get to the second level of the defense often.

Conner hits the corner after DeCastro and James set the edge and gains 11 yards on the play.

1st and 10 – PIT 25 – 6:20 1st Quarter

The Steelers take over after the Chiefs go up one point, 3-2 following a 46-yard field goal. They immediately go back to establishing the run on the first play of their next drive.

Bell lines up to the left of Ben Roethlisberger in the shotgun formation, as Jesse James motions to the right. All three interior linemen (Pouncey, DeCastro, and B.J. Finney) clear to the right, as Jesse James does just enough to keep his assignment at bay while the two Pro Bowl linemen pave the way for a 14-yard run.

1st and 10 – PIT 49 – 5:04 1st Quarter

The Steelers then change gears to their passing game, with Ben first connecting with Antonio Brown on a short gain, then attempting to hit each of his tight ends in consecutive plays.

Following a pattern, AB moves into a shallow route to clear one-on-one coverage for Vance McDonald. The play falls incomplete but shows us that the tight end and quarterback are close to finally getting on the same page. (McDonald was acquired following the preseason in a trade with San Francisco.)

This play also shows Roethlisberger making a better read of a mismatch with McDonald, versus forcing a pass to Martavis Bryant, who was covered by Pro Bowl CB Marcus Peters for most of the game. A single-high safety playing deep may have helped more if the pass was sent in Bryant’s direction (top of the screen).

These were the reads Ben was not making accurately a week earlier, where some criticized if “he still had it”. Not only does he have it, he still has plenty of arm strength to get the ball downfield, narrowly overthrowing McDonald.

3rd and 9 – 50 – 4:13 1st Quarter

Following the incomplete pass to McDonald, the Steelers were only able to run for one yard on second down, bringing up a third-and-long situation.

Typically these are the situations where fans are quick to criticize the play call, which could end up being a draw play, screen, short pass, or other variation which finds a defense on their heels defending a long pass near the down marker. This play is of that variety, except it’s nearly identical to one we highlighted above.

Spoiler: this one was successful as well, as Bell gains ten yards and converts for a first down.

The Steelers disguise this play differently, allowing Finney to engage and pulling Pouncey and DeCastro instead. Jesse James quickly engages and disengages Chiefs LB Justin Houston, moving to the second level to allow David DeCastro (a better blocker) to take Houston out of the equation. Pouncey shows his athleticism in moving upfield to double-team with James as Bell gains extra yards with his own talent.

1st and 10 – KC 40 – 3:32 1st Quarter

Continuing with the very next play, Pittsburgh sends FB Roosevelt Nix into the game, along with an extra lineman, Chris Hubbard in a “Power I” look reminiscent of the days when Jerome Bettis bulldozed through backfields.

Once again, DeCastro pulls as James and Nix create a hole which only the patient Bell can possibly squeeze through. The play goes for 13 yards.

2nd and 9 – KC 26 – 1:48 1st Quarter

A holding call (on JuJu Smith-Schuster, off-screen to the left on a receiver) negates this nine-yard gain on the same drive but illustrates how well Pouncey and DeCastro were playing together on Sunday. Bell would run up the middle on the next two plays for six yards and eight yards, before capping off the drive with a three-yard touchdown run.

1st and 10 – PIT 1 – 8:51 2nd Quarter

If film rooms could have hot takes, this would be one of them. The entire article up until this point only detailed the first quarter. While I could dig up some other fantastic runs throughout the game, I don’t feel like being a broken record. We know by now the offensive line played well, and that Pouncey and DeCastro were instrumental in its success. However, one of the gripes coming out of Sunday is hearing how players such as Nix, McDonald, and even Jesse James are being utilized in favor of a stud receiver such as Martavis Bryant.

I was snarky earlier knowing I could illustrate how invaluable each of these assets is to balance on offense, but I want to take one last shot at those who weren’t thrilled with what was felt to be a lack of play action passes on Sunday.

When getting immersed in a game as intense as this one, we all tend to forget some play calls which were called to perfection. The Steelers found ways to play winning football on both sides of the ball, and part of that strategy included this play action pass on first down with Big Ben standing in his own end zone!

Remember that Power I look from earlier?

The Steelers pulled another rabbit out of their hat, showing the Chiefs what they wanted to see: Nix in the backfield, two tight ends, and a lone receiver (Martavis Bryant) on the outside.

On this play, the Steelers fake a run to Bell up the middle, sending both Jesse James and Vance McDonald out for a pass. Bryant runs a streak right at Marcus Peters, as McDonald runs a slant behind the linebackers, opening up a play we haven’t seen the Steelers execute since Ladarius Green last season.

It’s only one game, but I’m incredibly bullish on McDonald’s progress going forward. His speed and route-running are both ahead of James, but James has shown he has improved as a blocker. Unlike Green, McDonald also proved that in this game he too is a capable blocker and not a one trick pony who needs removed in run situations. Having such versatility should only open the passing game up more for Brown and Bryant, and perhaps even Smith-Schuster in the weeks ahead.