PITTSBURGH — The idea that empty, quiet stadiums would have a different impact on NFL games this season is not a new one. It's been a topic of discussion since the summer when it became apparent that teams would be playing at limited or no capacity due to the pandemic.
Players have complained about the drab atmosphere, which inevitably leads to emotionless sequences in games when it's crickets instead of thunderous roars after big plays. They're human, and it's understandable. That's the emotional component.
The strategic component comes in when coaches and players listen intently and pick up on verbiage that would otherwise be undetectable during a normal season when raucous crowds make it more difficult to pick up the verbal communication teams use.
The issue is at the forefront this week after the Colts successfully picked up the Steelers' communication on Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field, where the Steelers have played before no crowd for much of the season. Receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster said the Colts were calling out the plays the Steelers were running before the ball was snapped, and Colts quarterback Philip Rivers adroitly dissected the Steelers' defense pre-snap.
"Honestly, there is a lot to be said about the noise level, the quietness of it because you could hear so much," Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said.
If there is one major change due to the pandemic when it comes to on-field strategy, it's this aspect of the game. It's become a regular part of game-planning and film study. In normal years, players study the All-22, or coaches tape, which gives the sideline and end-zone view of the play. There is no audio on the All-22.
This year, the television copy of the game is just as valuable — if not more — for many players because that's where the verbal communication can be decoded. T.J. Watt is big on watching the TV copy so he can pick up the quarterback cadence and the audibles at the line of scrimmage.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick said it's become so prevalent that quarterbacks will use non-verbal communication just as they would when there are sellout crowds.
"They know we're listening to what they're saying and that they're listening to what we're saying," Fitzpatrick said. "They understand, in a quiet stadium, everyone is going to be listening to what they're saying. They're doing more hand signals, more quiet communication, huddling up a little bit more, stuff like that."
The Colts used it to their advantage to jump out to a 24-7 lead before the Steelers adjusted and roared back for a 28-24 victory. Rivers led the Colts to 21 points in the first half, and it could have been 28 had a 68-yard screen pass that put the Colts deep in Steelers territory not been called back on a penalty.
It's not the first time a veteran quarterback has been effective against the Steelers in an empty stadium. Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson led his team to 21 first-half points at Heinz Field in the third game of the season. The Steelers adjusted and shut the Texans out after halftime, but there is something to be said for veteran quarterbacks being experienced and cagy enough to exploit an opponent's verbal communication.
"They listen to what we say; we listen to what they say," Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. "That's the biggest difference. I know Philip studies the game like crazy. Philip has a great football mind. Most quarterbacks look at the safeties. That's their read. Philip looks at the totality of the package. He understands how it all goes together. He's studied the game his whole career. Guys like him you don't like to play because you're not going to fool them. They're going to fool you a little more than you can fool them because they can change the play on the field, and you can't change the play on the sideline. Someone like him is always difficult to defend because of the things he hears. He gets recorded games from the networks. They figure out what we're saying. We're aware of that. Everyone in the league does that now. Hopefully, if this vaccine goes well, we won't have to worry about that anymore."
You can bet Butler doesn't want to see the Colts in the first round of the playoffs next week at Heinz Field for that very reason. In any year, the Steelers would rather face the Dolphins, who have rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa under center. But it's even more of an advantage to face inexperienced quarterbacks because they won't be able to make the checks at the line of scrimmage and dissect a defense like a veteran can.
Roethlisberger, who came into the NFL with Rivers in 2004, said the gamesmanship can be used against defenses that are calling out plays, too. The Colts were calling out the wrong play on Diontae Johnson's 39-yard touchdown catch, a diving grab on a vertical route.
It's all part of the chess match that is NFL football in this crazy season of twists and turns.
"On Diontae's touchdown, they were yelling, 'Slant, slant slant!'" Roethlisberger said. "The coverage that they gave us, actually, we should have run a slant. I almost changed the play, but I didn't because they were yelling it. I heard them. Diontae heard them. Their DB heard them. I was like, 'Good. We want them to think we are running a slant because we're running a fade. This could end up working really well.'
"I think it can hurt and help, if that kind of makes sense. There are absolutely times in games where you hear a defender say, 'Hey, watch this,' and you're like, 'Man, that's what we called.' Some of that is dumb luck. Some of that is maybe tendencies. We can hear stuff that they talk about.
"It is one of the most unique years when it comes to strategy, when it comes to trying to trick people. Sometimes you even are trying to do dummy signals and saying dummy things just to make things happen or to trick other teams. There are times in that first half that we are calling things out, but once again, are we getting lucky, or do they know something? It's hard to tell."
