The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line jumped from No. 21 to No. 18 in PFF’s Week 10 offensive line rankings, and a couple individual players are a key reason for that jump.
OG James Daniels ranked fifth among all guards with an impressive 87.0 pass-blocking grade in Week Nine, and PFF notes that since Week Three, Daniels is the second-highest rated guard with an 84.8 pass-blocking grade. Overall, OG Isaac Seumalo has been PFF’s eighth-ranked guard since Week Three. As a whole, Pittsburgh’s offensive line was solid against the Titans, as the Steelers had their best rushing output of the season and did not allow any sacks.
It wasn’t the offensive line we’re used to seeing, as first-round rookie Broderick Jones started at right tackle after Chukwuma Okorafor was benched for comments he made during Pittsburgh’s Week Eight loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. With Okorafor listed as a co-starter with Jones on the depth chart ahead of Week Nine, his mouth may have cost him his starting job for more than just one game.
Jones did a good job climbing to the second level on run plays, and his prowess in space as a run blocker adds a dynamic element to Pittsburgh’s offensive line. I don’t think there’s much doubt that the Steelers are a better run-blocking unit with Jones playing ahead of Okorafor, and the fact Pickett wasn’t sacked against the Titans bodes well for Jones, even though he was Pittsburgh’s lowest-graded lineman at 58.8. With Seumalo and Daniels coming into their own, this Pittsburgh offensive line has a chance to turn around from its early-season woes and become the top-half unit many thought they’d be ahead of the season.
As for Pittsburgh’s Week 10 opponent in the Green Bay Packers, they’re ranked just one spot ahead of the Steelers at No. 17 overall. They’re anchored by LG Elgton Jenkins, who has been the second-best pass-rushing guard in the NFL over the past two weeks with an 88.3 overall grade.
OLB T.J. Watt could impact the game not only as a pass rusher but also in defending Green Bay’s rushing attack led by RBs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, as PFF notes that Green Bay RT Zach Tom has the highest rate of negative plays on rushes at 7%. LT Yosh Nijman, replacing the injured David Bakhtiari, suffered a back injury in Week Nine against the Los Angeles Rams, so we’ll see if he’ll be able to play against Pittsburgh.
Green Bay’s offensive line is ok, and not nearly as bad as Tennessee’s was in Week Nine. But there are still a lot of matchups the Steelers can look to exploit defensively, and they need to ensure that Dillon and Jones don’t get going. For Pittsburgh to win, it’s going to have to force QB Jordan Love to try and make plays and not get beat by Green Bay’s rushing attack. Taking advantage of some weak spots in the Packers’ offensive line is a good way to do so.
