Throughout much of training camp and the preseason, the new-look offensive line under first-year position coach Pat Meyer, which features the additions of Mason Cole and James Daniels, hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.
While it’s still relatively early in the Meyer tenure, and the new-look like still needs some time to grow and gel together while learning a new technique, there is real concern regarding the outlook of the offensive line moving forward, at least in 2022.
The offensive line has already felt the wrath of head coach Mike Tomlin, especially after the performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Things aren’t going to change too much moving forward, at least from a personnel perspective. That’s why the Steelers, according to Tomlin, the Steelers aren’t searching for quick fixes or running towards comfort in terms of being a below average line.
Instead, the group is going to be “rolling up sleeves daily and working” towards improving each and every day in the hopes of helping the Steelers succeed in 2022.
“I’m not gonna come in here in the next day or two saying we’ve solved our offensive line developmental issues,” Tomlin said to reporters earlier this week from UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, according to Steelers.com’s Mike Prisuta. “It is a process, individual and collective development.
“We got young people playing at that position. We have people that are new to us playing at that position. And it is the ultimate cohesion position, much like the secondary. We’re not looking for fast fixes. We’re not searching for comfort. We’re just simply rolling our sleeves up daily and working and we understand that every time we step in a stadium we get a chance to measure progress. And while we do that we better win football games.”
There is no easy fix with the Steelers offensive line as currently constructed. That’s why Tomlin was brutally honest, stating that he wasn’t going to come into the media room and say that the Steelers’ offensive line issues were solved.
The Steelers are relatively young along the offensive line, and they are learning a new technique under Meyer, which goes against everything they’ve learned throughout their careers. Though that is a challenge in and of itself, they do need to continue to roll up their sleeves, get to work on improving, and block out the outside noise regarding their play.
We’ll see how much growth and development the Steelers’ offensive line undergoes between now and the start of the regular season Sept. 11 against the Bengals on the road.
