I have been hearing and reading some comments as of late of how the Steelers really need right side offensive line help because the run blocking was not good. This is an absolutely asinine statement. Sure the Steelers had some flip flopping at the right guard spot during the season, but once Ramon Foster settled in the spot, he did a pretty good job. Flozell Adams was signed and made the conversion from left tackle to right tackle as well. He really did an admirable job picking up the position. The table below shows directional running for all 32 teams during the 2010 regular season. It is also sortable by play numbers and by average. As you can see, the Steelers ranked 12th with an average of 4.41 when running to right guard. They ranked 2nd running off right tackle with an average of 5.33 and also ran that way the 5th most times in the league in 2010. It should not be surprising as that is their bread and butter as a heavy right handed team. On plays bounced outside to the right end, the Steelers ranked 6th in the NFL. Once again, not too shabby although they only did it 29 times in 2010. 4th least in the NFL to that end. Now the Steelers were not as successful running off left guard and left tackle last year, but it also is not what they are built to do. In addition, losing Max Starks really hurt as he is a far better run blocker than Jonathan Scott is. Not to be lost in these stats is the play of left guard Chris Kemoeatu who pulls right quite a bit. Kemoeatu was not as consistent as he once was while pulling, but still made contact quite a few times with some fine blocks on the move. Also not to be left out are tight ends Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth as the Steelers use quite a bit of two tight end sets in the running game. Spaeth really became a better run blocker in 2010 versus 2009.
If you want to talk about the pass blocking, you might have a little better beef with the right side, but to say the run blocking was bad, is simply just running off at the mouth. I also invite you to look back at every game play by play breakdown of the offensive line from this past season as well. It is one of the most popular type of post we do here and will continue to do in 2011.
| LE | LT | LG | C | RG | RT | RE | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEAM | PLAYS | AVG | PLAYS | AVG | PLAYS | AVG | PLAYS | AVG | PLAYS | AVG | PLAYS | AVG | PLAYS | AVG |
| ARZ | 37 | 5.76 | 55 | 2.89 | 13 | 5.54 | 103 | 3.53 | 11 | 4.45 | 58 | 3.78 | 38 | 6.50 |
| ATL | 80 | 4.34 | 77 | 3.75 | 74 | 3.34 | 85 | 4.21 | 51 | 4.53 | 46 | 4.17 | 66 | 4.53 |
| BLT | 45 | 5.47 | 96 | 3.75 | 103 | 4.16 | 81 | 3.63 | 89 | 3.28 | 37 | 4.81 | 15 | 6.67 |
| BUF | 41 | 4.78 | 27 | 5.67 | 48 | 3.38 | 153 | 4.03 | 47 | 4.62 | 32 | 4.31 | 46 | 4.91 |
| CAR | 49 | 6.35 | 48 | 4.10 | 40 | 3.80 | 150 | 4.11 | 29 | 4.31 | 69 | 3.86 | 31 | 6.03 |
| CHI | 53 | 7.11 | 49 | 4.37 | 45 | 3.73 | 63 | 3.40 | 59 | 3.47 | 64 | 2.41 | 61 | 5.48 |
| CIN | 62 | 3.76 | 96 | 4.85 | 56 | 2.77 | 37 | 2.68 | 53 | 3.04 | 72 | 3.50 | 35 | 2.83 |
| CLV | 35 | 4.60 | 67 | 5.01 | 70 | 3.06 | 66 | 3.14 | 100 | 3.76 | 38 | 5.21 | 20 | 3.75 |
| DAL | 60 | 7.32 | 52 | 3.02 | 30 | 4.00 | 150 | 4.19 | 29 | 2.03 | 65 | 4.02 | 27 | 5.33 |
| DEN | 43 | 4.98 | 60 | 3.67 | 21 | 4.43 | 136 | 4.52 | 26 | 4.38 | 59 | 2.85 | 40 | 3.30 |
| DET | 77 | 5.35 | 67 | 4.67 | 18 | 4.22 | 90 | 3.82 | 19 | 3.37 | 80 | 3.29 | 45 | 3.56 |
| GB | 52 | 4.21 | 56 | 4.13 | 37 | 4.54 | 87 | 4.48 | 34 | 3.12 | 60 | 3.78 | 80 | 3.75 |
| HST | 52 | 5.52 | 61 | 5.11 | 39 | 6.49 | 82 | 4.78 | 35 | 7.29 | 76 | 4.09 | 66 | 4.76 |
| IND | 35 | 6.14 | 43 | 5.79 | 20 | 3.25 | 160 | 3.69 | 32 | 1.53 | 38 | 3.05 | 49 | 4.20 |
| JAX | 85 | 6.56 | 19 | 5.68 | 28 | 4.86 | 247 | 4.18 | 27 | 4.22 | 21 | 3.62 | 70 | 5.10 |
| KC | 89 | 6.70 | 62 | 4.66 | 44 | 5.32 | 194 | 4.35 | 34 | 3.53 | 48 | 3.15 | 73 | 5.49 |
| MIA | 46 | 4.17 | 35 | 4.31 | 69 | 3.20 | 138 | 3.35 | 56 | 4.86 | 45 | 4.71 | 38 | 4.26 |
| MIN | 61 | 5.41 | 48 | 5.35 | 53 | 3.11 | 93 | 5.77 | 52 | 3.81 | 58 | 3.40 | 61 | 4.26 |
| NE | 45 | 6.40 | 61 | 3.56 | 60 | 4.28 | 116 | 4.21 | 63 | 4.95 | 52 | 4.87 | 33 | 6.21 |
| NO | 59 | 4.14 | 35 | 4.23 | 53 | 4.77 | 66 | 4.45 | 59 | 3.88 | 48 | 3.04 | 45 | 4.31 |
| NYG | 50 | 4.98 | 72 | 4.86 | 37 | 4.51 | 82 | 4.49 | 47 | 6.11 | 94 | 4.37 | 74 | 5.01 |
| NYJ | 49 | 6.55 | 63 | 3.71 | 68 | 4.76 | 103 | 4 | 103 | 3.64 | 84 | 4.55 | 51 | 5.69 |
| OAK | 73 | 5.86 | 54 | 5.20 | 21 | 2.10 | 186 | 4.66 | 24 | 5.63 | 60 | 5.32 | 64 | 7.25 |
| PHI | 78 | 7.73 | 33 | 6.85 | 24 | 5.25 | 158 | 4.74 | 22 | 4.91 | 28 | 3.39 | 66 | 6.91 |
| PIT | 22 | 6.27 | 49 | 3.41 | 71 | 3.46 | 116 | 3.39 | 87 | 4.41 | 78 | 5.33 | 29 | 6.62 |
| SD | 72 | 5.17 | 42 | 3.26 | 25 | 3.12 | 174 | 4.13 | 20 | 4.15 | 47 | 3.98 | 56 | 3.52 |
| SEA | 43 | 5.79 | 38 | 4.50 | 37 | 3.24 | 155 | 3.68 | 41 | 3.34 | 39 | 5.33 | 35 | 5.46 |
| SF | 27 | 3.93 | 61 | 3.95 | 41 | 3.12 | 84 | 4.12 | 30 | 4.63 | 87 | 4.39 | 35 | 3.51 |
| SL | 32 | 4.53 | 49 | 4.14 | 47 | 4.04 | 145 | 2.87 | 48 | 3.10 | 64 | 3.98 | 34 | 6.85 |
| TB | 40 | 5.38 | 55 | 4.49 | 48 | 4.29 | 120 | 3.77 | 62 | 4.98 | 37 | 3.24 | 54 | 7.33 |
| TEN | 53 | 6.64 | 54 | 2.24 | 38 | 6.34 | 94 | 3.95 | 32 | 2.94 | 63 | 5.41 | 55 | 3.65 |
| WAS | 83 | 4.13 | 38 | 5.89 | 18 | 3.28 | 67 | 3.34 | 29 | 4.03 | 31 | 3.94 | 74 | 5.62 |
