After one of the group’s worst performances of the season in Saturday’s 30-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line tumbled four spots to No. 19 in Pro Football Focus’s weekly offensive line rankings.
Nobody was good for the Steelers on Saturday, and the unit ranked last in the NFL in pass-blocking efficiency last week. The Steelers allowed 20 pressures and four sacks on 30 dropbacks, meaning their quarterbacks were pressured 66% of the time they dropped back to throw. OT Dan Moore Jr. drew particular ire from PFF, as his 11.2% pressure rate on pass plays is the highest among NFL offensive tackles this season.
OG James Daniels, who had a PFF grade of 0.0, allowed four of Pittsburgh’s 20 pressures and was also beaten six other times. He still grades out as Pittsburgh’s best offensive lineman for the season, and he certainly wasn’t alone in his struggles on Saturday. Daniels was the lowest-rated offensive lineman across the league on Sunday, while OT Broderick Jones was just three spots better at No. 142 and Moore came in at No. 135. It was one of the worst showings imaginable for Pittsburgh’s offensive line in possibly the worst game for that group to fall apart.
While Pittsburgh’s offensive line is on a downswing and will look to rebound on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati’s offensive line is coming off a performance they want to build on. The Bengals offensive line, which slots in one spot lower than Pittsburgh at No. 20, played well against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 15, ranking sixth in the league in pass-blocking efficiency.
They’ve also gotten improved play from OG Cordell Volson, as he’s allowed just two pressures over the past four weeks and has looked good blocking for QB Jake Browning. In addition, Ted Karras has been the best pass-blocking center in the NFL since Week 12, with an 83.7 pass-blocking grade in that time frame. For Pittsburgh, the key to winning is going to be to penetrate and get pressure against Browning so he can’t get comfortable in the pocket.
The Steelers did a good job making him uncomfortable in the Week 12 matchup between the two teams, but Browning has helped Cincinnati rattle off three straight wins since, while the Steelers are losers of three straight. While the Bengals will try to continue their upward trajectory toward the playoffs, the Steelers will just be trying to keep their season alive. We’ll see if the offensive line and the team as a whole can actually show some fight and look to pull off the win at Acrisure Stadium.
