The Steelers Are Re-Committing To Trench Warfare
Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Fellow yinzer Pat McAfee took a virtual visit to the local theme park, Kennywood, on his show last week. It was spurred on by an eyebrow-raising image from WPXI of a cinderblock holding up what appeared to be an integral component of the famed rollercoaster, The Racer. For those who don’t know, The Racer is a very important part of the childhoods of kids who grew up in Pittsburgh. Who knows how long that cinderblock was keeping the ride together?
Since arriving in the Steel City, T.J. Watt has been the proverbial cinderblock that has kept the Pittsburgh Steelers from falling apart. Through the season-ending injury of Big Ben, the dismantling of the Killer B’s, and bottom-of-the-barrel offensive play, T.J. has held everything upright.
Like many superheroes, the people ask too much of Watt. The Steelers look like they are making an effort to lighten the load.
Markus Golden isn’t a new name in the Steelers locker room. He was the third man in rotation at outside linebacker for the Black and Gold last year. The former Arizona Cardinal managed to record four sacks despite a limited snap count. After he and the Steelers front office explored free agency, both parties agreed to run it back for 2024. It isn’t a sexy signing, but it’s significant.
In a vacuum, this will provide the edge group added depth, giving Watt and Alex Highsmith two capable backups in Golden and Nick Herbig, who can spell them throughout the game. It proved successful last year, and with Herbig expected to make a second-year leap, the edge rushing room has come together nicely.
But this signing didn’t happen in a vacuum. It comes on the heels of Pittsburgh drafting yet another offensive tackle in the first round in Troy Fautanu, center Zach Frazier in the second, and guard Mason McCormick in the fourth. All three have the potential to be contributors in the upcoming season.
Despite the heavy investment in the offensive line, it would have been fair to question the assumption that the Steelers’ unit was back to their glory days. But all reports out of camp suggest that they might just be as good as everyone hopes.
Not only are the three rookie o-linemen showing that they belong in the league, but there is more to be excited about in the trenches. Spencer Anderson, the 7th-round guard from the 2023 Draft, is making waves early in training camp. His performance has caught the attention of many media members in Pittsburgh. Matt Williamson, a former NFL scout who now writes DK Pittsburgh Sports, has lauded Anderson’s abilities, going so far as to say that if needed, he would be comfortable with Anderson as a starter.
Nate Herbig has also continued to play center with the starting group in camp, and he’s playing well in the early goings. At the moment, it is unclear whether Frazier will take over starting duties job before the season begins, but Herbig is proving he is a capable starter in the NFL. Fautanu is pressing Dan Moore Jr. as well, who could find himself bumped out of a starting role by Broderick Jones, should Fautanu earn the right tackle job.
All told, the Steelers have 10 legitimate offensive linemen who could perform if called upon. That is a far cry from two years ago when the offensive line was far and away the biggest weakness.
Instead, the question mark for the Steelers, at least as Gerry Dulac highlighted on the Rich Eisen Show, is the defensive line. There’s a small concern over whether Cameron Heyward can return to form and Keanu Benton continues to make a jump this year. With depth provided by veterans like Isaiahh Loudermilk and Montravius Adams as well as rookie Logan Lee, the Steelers have made it clear they plan to win in the trenches.
This old-school, smash-mouth football has been missing as of late — at least to the caliber Pittsburgh fans expect. With bolstered lines on both sides of the ball and an offensive coordinator who wants to punish defenses, the Steelers should meet their daunting schedule with a grin as they set the tone by bullying opponents at the line of scrimmage.
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