The Pittsburgh Steelers fell flat after getting some positive momentum last week against the Bengals, losing 24-10 at home to the 2-10 Arizona Cardinals. It was a sloppy game in more ways than one, as a weather delay pushed the game back due to poor field conditions. The offense took a notable step in the wrong direction. They still managed to accumulate 317 yards of total offense including 130 yards rushing, but only had 10 points to show for it due to several missed opportunities and some untimely miscues against Arizona.
One player that could be highlighted in the miscue department is C Mason Cole, who was a part of two pivotal plays that could have changed the outcome of the game. Going back through the tape, Cole did have moments where he played well, but more context can be added to the positive and negative parts of his game after diving deeper into the film.
The Film
From a run-blocking standpoint, Cole faired well when it came to working down the field in Pittsburgh’s zone concepts, flowing with the rest of the offensive line to create a push up front. Take a look at this first rep where Cole is able to reach block the nose tackle and keep him from getting in on the play, having RB Najee Harris run off his backside for nearly 10 yards and a first down. Below that clip is another example of Cole flowing and reaching the nose tackle to the right, creating a seal for Harris to run to before being met by the rest of the Cardinals’ defense.
Mason Cole is an athletic center that does well on zone runs, having the mobility to run defenders off the ball with the flow of the rest of the offensive line as Pittsburgh attempts to create running lanes. Take a look at this rep where Cole runs the nose tackle to the right with the rest of the offensive line flowing right, creating a huge cutback lane for Harris to exploit as he breaks back to the left after nearly running into RT Broderick Jones, getting into open grass before being brought down by multiple Cardinals’ defenders near midfield.
Still, Cole’s biggest issue as a run blocker is his lack of ideal size and strength at the point of attack. We’ve seen him give ground to bigger, stronger defensive linemen on numerous occasions, lacking that power other centers possess. We see that here on Pittsburgh’s failed attempt on fourth-and-goal at the one-yard line, standing straight up and giving a little bit of ground right as the ball is snapped, failing to get that initial push needed to surge the pile forward and get that yards needed to break the plain and reach pay dirt. Cole remains straight up for the entire rep, eventually getting chucked out of the play when he should’ve been in the middle surging the offensive forward into the end zone.
When it came to pass protection, Cole represented himself well for most of the contest, seeing plenty of double teams with either guard beside him while holding his own on several other assignments. There were instances where his protection didn’t hold up when one-on-one with a defender like on this rep where Cole has good position on No. 55 Dante Stills. But he allows Stills to swim over his inside shoulder and cross his face in pursuit of the quarterback, getting to Pickett in the pocket and nearly tripping him up before Pickett gets rid of the ball to RB Jaylen Warren on the check down.
Regardless of how Cole may have played in pass protection throughout the rest of the game, he will be remembered coming out of this performance against the Cardinals for his botched snap to QB Mitch Trubisky. Watch as Cole sends the snap low to Trubisky’s feet, trying to get out fast on the screen play Pittsburgh is attempting to run to the right. Cole also does little to delay DL Roy Lopez who stays upright after Cole’s initial punch and snatches Trubisky’s legs from underneath him. Lopez prevented him from getting a handle on the football, which the Cardinals recovered for the turnover.
Conclusion
Mason Cole fared well on several occasions against Arizona, but he also had two notable plays that ended up leading to missed opportunities to put points on the board for Pittsburgh which subsequently led to Arizona touchdowns when they got possession. Not all of the blame can be put on Cole for the failed attempt at the goal line or for Arizona scoring on the fumble recovery after the botched snap, but he did play an integral role in both as a guy who has taken plenty of heat already this season for his inconsistent play.
After coming to Pittsburgh last offseason, Cole appeared to be a guy that Pittsburgh could rely on at center heading into 2023 after finishing 2022 strong. However, Cole has taken a step back in 2023, missing more assignments and losing one-on-one battles more regularly than he did last season, lacking the consistency Pittsburgh desires in their centers.
Cole has had positive moments this season, especially when Pittsburgh has got the running game going the past several weeks, but he isn’t the long-term solution to the position. Pittsburgh is used to seeing Pro Bowl-caliber players like Maurkice Pouncey, Dermontti Dawson, and Mike Webster fill in with dominant play. Cole was by far a better choice at the position than former Steelers OL Kendrick Green, but it appears time that Pittsburgh searches for their long-term answer at center. Cole can still be a starter in this league, but if Pittsburgh wants to complete the overhaul of this offensive line and get back to the caliber of play we saw from this unit a half-decade ago, upgrading over Cole could be a place to start.
