As Goes The O-Line, So Go the Steelers
Photo Credit: Eric Hartline via USA TODAY Sports
The struggles of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line are no secret. Even with the signs of life they showed towards the end of 2023, the unit, as a whole, has ranked near the bottom of the league the last three years.
With major upgrades in the off-season, the unit has a fresh look and new, aggressive mindset. How will that look and mindset translate onto the field? The answer to that question will likely dictate the Steelers season.
The line showed promise in the last nine games of 2022, with the offense averaging 146 yards per game on the ground. That’s a stark contrast to the first eight where they stumbled to a measly 95 yards per contest. Some of that can be attributed to Najee Harris not being 100% to start the year. But let’s be honest, we watched the games. There was nowhere to run the football. Too many times opposing defensive lines were living in the Steelers’ backfield. It was ugly.
It’s a strange site for Steelers fans. The faithful are not accustomed to seeing their offensive line pushed around in such dramatic fashion. Pittsburgh is known for having a physically imposing O-line that can help move the ball downfield not only when they want to but, more importantly, when they need to. Not having that luxury on a consistent basis caused the offense, and really the team as a whole, to sputter. Being unable to sustain drives was a big reason the team started the season 2-6. The defense can only be on the field for so long before it starts to show cracks.
It would be silly not to acknowledge that the play calling was also affected by the o-line’s pedestrian play. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada has become public enemy No. 1 in Pittsburgh. He’s earned that distinction. But, playing devil’s advocate, you can’t call downfield passes that take time to develop when your offensive line can’t protect the quarterback.
It’s true the Steelers were better in pass protection versus run blocking. But while the line didn’t always give up sacks, the pressure on Steeler quarterbacks was often so tremendous that running basic passing plays became a challenge, especially when faced with longer down-and-distance situations. Canada’s conservative play calling was clearly a problem. However, the line didn’t always give him the confidence to open up the playbook.
It’s not that complicated: The guys on the line were just not very good, collectively or individually. Yes, they had their moments. Most NFL-caliber lineman do. Compared to other offensive lineman across the league, they were below average. LT Dan Moore Jr. and RT Chukwuma “Chuks” Okorafor graded out as the No. 57 and No. 60 best tackles in football, respectively, per Pro Football Focus. You can ignore the nerd analytic stats if you want ( I often do). But, again, we watched the games. It wasn’t pretty.
The front office needs to take accountability as well. Before 2023, the last time the Steelers spent a first-round draft pick on an offensive lineman was 2012. That year, they used the 24th pick to select David DeCastro. It goes without saying that the Steelers hit on this pick. DeCastro had an illustrious Steelers career and is a borderline Hall of Famer. Two years prior in 2010, the Steelers selected Maurkice Pouncy in the first round with the 18th pick. Pouncey was universally known as one of the top two or three, if not the top center in the league for a decade. He’s a Hall of Fame lock when his time comes. So the Steelers had success when drafting offensive lineman high. They just didn’t do it enough over the last 11 years.
Fear not, help is on the way. In the off-season, the Steelrs signed Isaac Seumalo from the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s regarded as one of the better left guards in football and will be a huge upgrade at the position. The Steelers also moved up three spots in the 2023 draft to take left tackle Broderick Jones out of Georgia. The athletic tackle should be a starter from Day 1. I know some fans are saying it should be a battle between him and Moore Jr. Not a chance! To move up to draft Jones at No. 14, only for him to be in a position battle with a guy who struggled so much, would be a disaster.
The ingredients are there for the Steelers’ offensive line to bounce back in a big way. Another year under offensive line coach Pat Meyer can’t hur, either. It may be a cliche to say that everything starts with the offensive line, but for the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers, success literally starts up front.
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