How the Steelers Were Able to Shut Down Matthew Stafford in 2nd Half of Week 11

November 20, 2013   ·   Curt Popejoy   ·   Jump to comments

If there is a single area to point at in the Pittsburgh Steelers 37-27 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday, it was the halftime adjustments the Steelers made on defense.
Want a better understanding of just how lopsided the two halves were? Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Russell S. Baxter put it out there in this tweet.
NOT LION: #Lions: 379 total yards in first half, 72 total yards in second half in 37-27 loss to #Steelers on Sunday #NFL
—Russell S. Baxter (@BaxFootballGuru) November 17, 2013 So, what was the big difference between the two halves? The changes were subtle but effective, and they allowed the Steelers' defense to dictate the tempo and to some degree the play-calling in the second half.
To give a clearer picture of just how this happened, let's take a look at two very similar plays, one from each half, that had very different results.
The Lions come out in 11 personnel (one running back and one tight end) with star wide receiver Calvin ...

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