Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Houston Texans: 5 Halftime Adjustments for Pittsburgh

It's shocking that the Steelers are only down by 10 points after the miserable first half that they played on both sides of the football. Pittsburgh has to find a way to slow Houston's offense down, and Big Ben and company have to find a way to get some points on the board fast. 

Here are five halftime adjustments the Steelers must make if they have any shot at winning this ballgame. 

1. Pressure Matt Schaub – Pittsburgh has to find a way to bring some more pressure on Schaub. He’s the type of QB who thrives when he’s calm in the pocket. Schaub has has way too much time to complete his throws, and the pressure has been almost non-existent. If the Steelers’ pass-rush can find a way to get him out of the pocket and on the move, they’ll have a good shot at forcing some turnovers.

2. Stop the Tight Ends – While Pittsburgh did a great job shutting down Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter, they’re giving up a lot to Houston’s tight ends. The Steelers’ linebackers must find a way to keep up with Owen Daniels and Joel Dreessen in space, or it’s going to be a long second half.

3. Making Tackles – Look, I don’t expect Pittsburgh to stop Arian Foster with just one body. But in the first half, it was consistently taking three people to bring him down. Dick LeBeau can’t be happy with that. Pittsburgh really needs to get back to basics, get low, and drive through tackles.

4. Better Protection for Big Ben – In the first half, Ben barely had time to catch a snap before he had a defender hitting him in the chest. I know the line is banged up, but this is starting to get ridiculous. The line MUST to a better job of identifying pressure. If Ben has no time to scan the field, he’s not going to be completing many passes. This absolutely must change if Pittsburgh has any chance of pulling this one off.

5. Establishing the Run – I know the offensive line is a mess, but the Steelers have to establish some sort of run game. Mendenhall hasn’t has any breathing room on his limited carries. If Pittsburgh can’t get him going on handoffs, they’ve got to get creative and get him involved in another way, whether it’s hitting him on a screen or splitting him out wide. If Pittsburgh doesn’t force Houston to respect Mendenhall, it’s going to be a long second half for Ben.