Prior to their game against the Tennessee Titans last night, it was reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to make a change at right tackle with rookie Broderick Jones starting over Chukwuma Okorafor. Tomlin said after the Steelers’ 20-16 win that he thought that the offensive line needed a spark and that Jones had earned the opportunity for more playing time, albeit on the opposite side of the line where he was being groomed to play. Okorafor mentioned that he got benched for comments made during the Jaguars game a week ago, saying that was the reason for his demotion.
The Film
Either way, Jones ended up getting the start at right tackle and held up fairly well despite not being his more natural position of left tackle. He told the media that he hadn’t played snaps on the right side in a real game since his freshman year at Georgia, making it a bit of an adjustment for him. However, Jones did a good job in pass protection against the Titans, keeping EDGE Harold Landry from sacking QB Kenny Pickett in the contest. Jones played steady and composed, as you can see in the clip below, mirroring Tennessee’s top pass rusher and keeping him from getting the corner on the rush.
While Jones didn’t allow any sacks against the Titans, you could tell there were still some bad tendencies that we have seen from him in the past. One of his biggest struggles is hand placement, which you can see in the clip below. Jones shoots his hands and ducks his head against DL Denico Autry, completely whiffing on the block. Pickett manages to throw the pass well before Autry can get there, completing it to WR Diontae Johnson for the score. Still, Jones must do a better job of playing with better fundamentals and keeping his eyes up to see what he is hitting while landing his punches in the strike zone.
When it came to run blocking, there were several things that Jones did well that you could see were a notable upgrade from Okorafor on Thursday night. Watch Jones pull from right to left here, kicking out EDGE Arden Key to spring RB Jaylen Warren into the second level. Whipping Key around, Jones creates a clear path for Warren to run for positive yardage. We see another athletic play by Jones in the second clip below. Climbing to the second level to pick up the linebacker, he clears him out of the way to spring Warren into the secondary for an explosive run. Jones is a fluid mover in space, and you see his athleticism on display in both clips.
Another issue that continued to pop up in Jones’ tape was sustaining his blocks past initial contact. Jones has had a problem of holding blocks past the first second or two, looking to give defenders a big shove or one strong punch rather than latching on and driving them out of the play. Here are a couple of examples against Autry and LB Jack Gibbons. Jones establishes good initial contact on both defenders, but then fails to maintain his block as both defenders work around him and get in on the tackle attempt with the second clip resulting in a touchdown as RB Najee Harris powers through the contact.
The clip below shows a similar problem of DL Jeffery Simmons working across Jones’ face, tripping up Harris as Jones attempts to reach block Simmons and seal him off from making a play. It’s a tough ask for Jones as Simmons is one of the best interior defenders in football. But you would like to see more urgency and push from Jones on the clip below as he tries to block Simmons high with little base, making it easy for the defender to work through the block and impact the play.
Conclusion
Thursday night was a good experience for Broderick Jones. He showed he can play and start at either tackle spot, helping Pittsburgh ignite its rushing attack while keeping Pickett clean in the pocket. There were noticeable technical issues in Jones’ performance, but what must be taken into context: This was Jones’ second career start and he had to deal with the challenges that come with playing out of position relative to what he’s used to.
It wasn’t as clean of a performance for Jones as was his first start at left tackle against the Ravens, but it was still a promising performance for Pittsburgh’s young offensive tackle. Should the Steelers be set on continuing to roll with Dan Moore Jr. on the left side, allowing Jones to get more experience on the right side wouldn’t be a bad thing. He provides more of a presence as a run blocker than Okorafor while holding his own in pass protection. He must work through his technical issues to become a trusted starter, but given his play to date, there’s a lot to be excited about regarding Jones and the fact that he can start at either tackle spot if needed.
