After two games, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense is under a ton of scrutiny, particularly much-maligned third-year offensive coordinator Matt Canada and second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett.
The two certainly haven’t done themselves any favors with Canada continuing to make puzzling play calls and really refusing to establish any sort of rhythm offensively, and Pickett missing a number of throws that he hit consistently as a rookie.
Within the struggles offensively though, one position group seems to be getting a slight pass due to the noise generated elsewhere. That position group is the biggest reason behind the struggles, at least from my vantage point. That would be the offensive line in Year Two under position coach Pat Meyer.
In the offseason, the Steelers signed veteran guard Isaac Seumalo to plug the hole at left guard, significantly upgrading the offensive line at the position. Then, Pittsburgh traded up in the first round to land left tackle Broderick Jones at No. 14 overall out of Georgia. The group was talked about all offseason as a potential strength of the Steelers, and yet through two games it’s very clearly one of the weakest links — at least for now.
Outside of one new starter in Seumalo at left guard, the Steelers returned four starters from last year’s group who really came on strong in the second half of the season, helping then find an identity as a bully-ball team, pounding the rock and controlling the line of scrimmage.
Through two games, they are no longer the bullies in the trenches. Instead, they are the bullied. That identity the Steelers thought they found last season? They’ve lost it.
Sure, some of that identity crisis can be placed on Canada lacking any sort of creativity or possessing the ability to adjust on the fly, and Pickett struggling to hit layup throws. But when it boils down to it, the offensive problems start in the trenches. It doesn’t help that Canada makes things rather obvious. According to Warren Sharp, the Steelers throw the football 82% of the time they’re in shotgun and have run the football 90% of the time they’re under center.
The offense is essentially trying to attack opposing NFL defenses with one hand tied behind its back. That doesn’t exactly excuse the offensive line, though.
Through the first two games, Pittsburgh’s offensive line grades out as the worst pass-blocking group in football, according to Pro Football Focus, at a 25.1. overall. The next-closest team at the bottom of the league is the New York Giants at 34.1. That’s a wide gap. Run blocking isn’t any better for Pittsburgh, either. The Steelers’ offensive line grades out at a 41.1 overall, third worst in football. The Steelers are barely ahead of the New England Patriots (39.1) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (40.9) in that metric.
In the first two games, the group has failed to establish any sort of rushing attack, generating just 96 net rushing yards on 31 attempts. Much of those 96 yards on the ground have come on three Najee Harris explosive runs of 24, 21 and 17 yards.
Without being able to establish the run and control the line of scrimmage, the offense has been one-dimensional through two weeks, allowing the elite defensive fronts of the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns to tee off when rushing the passer.
The group has allowed 35 pressures on 84 drop backs this season, which has led to seven sacks of Pickett.
On top of the 35 pressures, the Steelers’ offensive line has allowed the highest-pressure rate in the NFL at 48%, has allowed the third-most quarterback hits at 11, the most hurries in the NFL with 17 and the fifth-most sacks in football at seven.
What’s even more alarming? Pittsburgh’s offensive line has done that despite facing just 16 total blitzes on the year, according to Pro Football Focus, which is 26th in the NFL.
Center Mason Cole stated Wednesday that the group just isn’t executing and blocking guys like the players know how.
It’s high time they figure it out, because without the offensive line at least getting back to the level it played at in the second half last season, this offense isn’t going to be able to improve. That will cause this Steelers team that had so much promise coming into the year to flatline in rather frustrating fashion.
Games are won and lost in the trenches. The Steelers offensive line is losing those battles right now, and it’s causing a number of issues for an offense that had so much promise entering the season.
