Steelers Playbook: The Toss-Counter concept

In today’s installment of Steelers Playbook, we’re looking at the toss-counter run scheme. This concept was not used in high volume last season by the Steelers but was often successful when called.

Philosophy

Toss-counter is a constraint play, which means it’s designed to protect one of the team’s core concepts. It works in tandem with both outside zone and stretch-toss. These are Arthur Smith staples that I broke down previously:

https://www.steelcurtainnetwork.com/steelers-playbook-the-outside-zone-scheme/

When defenses are active in pursuing stretch-toss, which is a full-flow run play where the blockers and ball-carrier are all moving in the same direction, Smith will call toss-counter to exploit that movement. Its blocking scheme looks similar to stretch, but it contains a pre-determined counter that hits opposite of the initial flow. When timed and executed well, it’s a nice way to slow down a defense that is pursuing aggressively.

The Scheme

Toss-counter looks just like its companion at the outset. The quarterback tosses the football to the running back while all the linemen move in the direction of the toss. But whereas the linemen all reach-block on stretch, trying to cut off defenders as they pursue, here they attack their back shoulder and try to wash them away from the football. This is because the ball-carrier, upon receiving the toss, cuts back the opposite way. He then looks to puncture the line of scrimmage inside the kickout block of a lead blocker and to get vertical as quickly as possible.

One of the variations the Steelers ran last season looks as follows. The H-back motions across the ball just before the snap to block the backside edge player, while the linemen zone-block away from the cut. If a safety is inserting into the run fit on the back side, the wide receiver will “push-crack” to him, leaving the running back one-on-one with the corner:

The Steelers ran this concept from a variety of looks last season. They used H-backs and wide receivers to handle the backside edge, and they ran the play from both under center and out of the gun. I don’t have numbers to clarify its overall effectiveness, but in the games I studied they were highly successful with this concept.

Use in 2025

Toss-counter should remain in the playbook for 2025. Smith dialed back his use of outside zone last season from in previous years, probably because he didn’t feel he had the right pieces to run it well. With the line largely returning, and rookie running back Kaleb Johnson, who ran an extensive amount of outside zone at Iowa, in the fold, I’d expect Smith to lean back into it as his favorite run concept. If that’s the case, he’s going to need counter plays, and the toss-counter in particular, to serve as restraints to protect outside zone.

For my video breakdown of the toss-counter concept, click the player below. And for more of my work, follow me on X @KTSmithFFSN, and tune into my “Call Sheet Daily” podcast, which runs every Monday-Friday morning on all major platforms.

Steelers fans — here’s another playbook segment, this one breaking down PIT’s Toss Counter concept. Take a look: #steelers @FFSNSteelCity pic.twitter.com/R7z2wf3Emm

— Kevin Smith (@KTSmithFFSN) June 16, 2025