Oct 8, 2014 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – With the Steelers struggling to score from inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, there are things they can do to alleviate the issue.

They can somehow find a way to be better inside the red zone, or they can just skip the red zone altogether and go for bigger plays.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been efficient throwing deep passes, completing 11 of 19 attempts for 323 yards and two touchdowns on passes of 20 or more yards.

But the Steelers haven’t gone deep as much as some people would like. Of Roethlisberger’s 177 pass attempts, 113 have traveled 10 yards or less. Though he has completed 87 of those short passes, unless somebody breaks a tackle or two, they’re not going to go for a big gain.

That was part of the problem Sunday for the Steelers in Jacksonville, a game in which they struggled to score against a Jaguars defense that entered the game last in the NFL in both total and scoring defense.

“I thought we should have gone deep more,” wide receiver Antonio Brown said on his weekly radio show on 970-AM ESPN Tuesday night.

The numbers bear that out. Roethlisberger attempted five passes of 20 or more yards against Jacksonville, completing four of them for 106 yards. But all of those long attempts came in the second and third quarters.

And when the Steelers got inside the Jaguars’ 20, they bogged down, with Roethlisberger completing 6 of 10 passes, but for only 25 yards and one touchdown.

The Steelers (3-2) might get an opportunity to test their deep passing game Sunday when they play at Cleveland (2-2).

Pittsburgh had eight plays of 20 or more yards in their 30-27 victory over the Browns Sept. 7, the opening game for both teams. But five of those eight plays were either runs or catch-and-run plays, while another was a long pass by Robert Golden on a fake punt.

Cleveland might be without Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden. Haden suffered a hip injury in the Browns’ 29-28 victory Sunday at Tennessee and is questionable to play against the Steelers.

“He’s one of the best in the league,” said Roethlisberger. “I anticipate him playing, though. It’s a rivalry game. I anticipate him being out there.”

Even with Haden on the field in the opener, the Steelers had plenty of success – at least in the first half when they scored 27 points. But several of those plays were the result of broken or missed tackles.

Le’Veon Bell had a 38-yard run and a pair of screen plays he turned into long gains.

“You never really expect a screen – we had two screens early that went for big yardage – you expect maybe a first down,” Roethlisberger said. “For them to go as big as they did was a byproduct with what they gave us.”

Lately, opponents have been much more cognizant of the Steelers’ screen passes, both to the running backs and the wide receivers. Cornerbacks have been playing more press coverage to take away the screens to the wide receivers. That could leave them susceptible to long passes.

“We’ve just got to execute it, find a way to get over the top of them,” said Brown.

Cleveland defensive tackle Phil Taylor, one of the Browns’ top run stuffers, had knee surgery Wednesday and will not play Sunday. … Linebacker Ryan Shazier (knee), cornerback Ike Taylor (forearm) and safety Shamarko Thomas (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday because of injuries. Defensive lineman Nick Williams, who is on the practice squad, suffered an injury to his right knee in practice. … The Steelers had officials working practice for the second straight week in an effort to cut down on penalties.