Steelers Playbook: The Outside Zone scheme

It’s that time of year again!

What does that mean? It means we’re close enough to actual football to dust off the playbook and start looking at the schemes the Steelers prefer. Over the next several weeks, I’ll write a series of articles highlighting some of the designs used most frequently in Pittsburgh last season, and that we should expect to see again in 2025.

Up first, one of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s favorite run schemes: outside zone.

THE PHILOSOPHY

Outside zone, or wide zone as many coaches call it (you could start a fight among offensive line coaches over the differences between wide zone, outside zone and stretch), is designed to stress defenses horizontally by utilizing a wide aiming point for the running back and giving him a three-way go. He can stay on track, cut inside or bounce outside. The horizontal stretch gets defenses pursuing laterally, where they can be ridden out of their run fits by blockers. This creates seams for the back. A back must have good vision to execute the scheme well, because the seams are not pre-determined. Rather, they happen fluidly. A back must be patient in waiting for a seam to develop, then quick to accelerate once it does.

THE SCHEME

As you can see from the diagram below, blockers either reach an adjacent defender to the side of the run, or they work in tandem with one another, trading off of first-level defenders to climb and block linebackers. A lineman climbing to the second level must initially gain control of a first-level defender and secure that block until his linemate is ready to take it over. This takes a great deal of timing and repetition, thus making outside zone an expensive install. To be successful at it, linemen must communicate well and develop good chemistry. A line coach who can teach and drill the scheme effectively is essential.

USE IN PITTSBURGH

Outside zone was utilized widely in Pittsburgh last season, although not as often as Smith used it in Atlanta. In 2023 with the Falcons, he ran the play 205 times. Last season in Pittsburgh, he called it on 131 snaps.

That reduction was a product of the fact the Steelers weren’t ideally suited to run the scheme. The line had been reconfigured, with a pair of rookies (Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick) in the starting unit. Their inexperience, and the chemistry it takes to develop outside zone, suffered as a result. Also, the Steelers did not have a natural zone back in Najee Harris, who is better suited for the more aggressive gap scheme. Harris struggled at times to find cuts, or to be decisive once they emerged. Smith’s insistence on running outside zone as a toss concept didn’t help either, as it presented a full-flow scheme to the defense with nothing to restrain them from running to the football. Defenses simply pursued too fast for the Steelers to execute their combo blocks effectively, particularly when it came to blocking linebackers.

My colleague Jason Murphy and I did a deep dive on the ineffectiveness of the toss concept back in December, which you can access in the link below.

Steelers should toss the toss sweep play

OUTLOOK FOR 2025

The Steelers seem better suited to run outside zone in 2025. They drafted running back Kaleb Johnson to replace Harris, who departed in free agency. Johnson operated in a zone-heavy scheme at Iowa and seems a better fit. Also, the line should be better than it was a year ago. Granted, the tackles will be different, with Broderick Jones kicking from right to left and Troy Fautanu stepping in on the right side. But the chemistry on the interior should be solid. Frazier, McCormick and Isaac Seumalo have plenty of reps together, which should help with communication. The tight ends return as well, which is a plus.

Hopefully, Smith will add more play-action off of the scheme than he did a year ago and will lean less on the toss concept. Outside zone can be one of the best plays in football when executed well. With a year under their belts in Smith’s offense, and some tweaks in personnel and philosophy, the results in Pittsburgh should improve.

For my video breakdown of the Steelers’ use of outside zone last season, check out the Twitter player below.

Starting a series of articles for the Steel Curtain Network about schemes the Steelers ran last season that I expect to see again in 2025.

Up first, Arthur Smith’s favorite run play — outside zone. Here’s a video breakdown: @SteelCNetwork pic.twitter.com/XQKXSa6Sel

— Kevin Smith (@KTSmithFFSN) May 24, 2025

For more of my work, follow me on Twitter @KTSmithFFSN, and tune into my “Call Sheet Daily” podcast, which runs every Monday-Friday on most major platforms.