Position groups have a fraternity within them. But so do locker rooms, and once you’re out of the locker room, you might be an alum, but you’re not a part of that immediate fraternity. At least for 60 minutes, when necessary, you’re the enemy.
On Sunday, former Pittsburgh Steelers OL Kendrick Green is the enemy. He will be starting for the Houston Texans at guard, after Pittsburgh traded him shortly before the season began, for the third week in a row. And even former Steelers OL Max Starks identified him as the weak link in game-planning against rookie QB C.J. Stroud.
“Continue to pressure. You’ve got to pressure a rookie quarterback. you’ve got to get in his face. You’ve got to make him feel uneasy and move him off the point”, he told Christopher Carter on the North Shore Drive podcast. “The interior of that offensive line is not as good. In fact, hello, Kendrick Green! We will see you coming soon on Sunday”.
A third-round pick out of Illinois, Green had a Benjamin Button-esque career in Pittsburgh. He started every game for which he was healthy as a rookie, at center, then was a healthy scratch at guard for every game last year. This season, he failed to win a roster spot, even working at fullback, before the Steelers found a trading partner to dump him. And now he’s seeing his first playing time since he was a rookie.
It hasn’t exactly been for the better. The tape does show that he is a bit of a weak link, and one would imagine the Steelers’ defensive interior should have some success against him. Indeed, that is what Starks calls for.
“Pressure him”, he said, specifying certain defensive calls he would like to see to test him out, including having the inside linebackers walking up to the line of scrimmage. “Right in his face”.
Of course, it would have been awfully helpful if the Steelers had perennial Pro Bowler Cameron Heyward available, but he is currently on the Reserve/Injured List, nursing a sports hernia. He should still be out several more weeks at the least.
They do have Larry Ogunjobi, who has been better in his second season with the team, even if not necessarily healthier. He continues to miss practice time during the week, though it’s not nearly as evident in his play as it was a year ago.
DeMarvin Leal has started in Heyward’s place, primarily, but the truth is he has been a better defender against the run than in rushing the passer, which isn’t necessarily what we all expected. One player we all hope to see more of, in this scenario and generally, is rookie DL Keeanu Benton, who recorded his first sack this past Sunday. Going against Green would give him a fair chance at another one, I imagine.
