It wasn’t a good week for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And it especially wasn’t a good week for two of their offensive linemen. According to Pro Football Focus, RT Broderick Jones and C Mason Cole graded as the two worst linemen not just on the Steelers but of the entire NFL’s Wild Card weekend.
Per PFF, Jones finished 61st out of 62 qualifiers (minimum blocking on 20 percent of their offense’s snaps) with a 36.9 overall grade. Only Cole was worse, 62nd out of 62, with a 28.7 grade. Here’s how the Steelers’ starting five stacked up:
1. LG Isaac Seumalo – 83.1 Overall Grade (3rd of 62)
2. LT Dan Moore Jr. – 77.5 Overall Grade (9th of 62)
3. RG James Daniels – 53.1 Overall Grade (43rd of 62)
4. RT Broderick Jones – 36.9 Overall Grade (61st of 62)
5. C Mason Cole – 28.7 Overall Grade (62nd of 62)
More specifically, Jones and Cole were crushed for their poor pass protection. Jones received a 25.0 grade while Cole sat in the single-digits at 8.5, an incredibly poor mark. Jones was charged with allowing four hurries, five pressures, and one sack while Cole was charged with giving up five hurries and six pressures.
Jones’ pass-protection struggles intensified over the final month of the season. He was repeatedly beaten to the inside, and though guards in the Steelers’ system often give help, Jones lost his reps far too quickly. He dropped his eyes and doubled over time and time again, giving up the edge and then overset, losing the inside. Though it won’t cure all his problems, moving him back to his natural spot of left tackle next year is logical.
Cole had an awful first month to the season, got slightly better in the middle, but ended on a sour note. On top of poor blocking, snapping became a consistent issue, firing many shotgun snaps at the quarterback’s feet. Steelers’ coaches brushed it off as a non-issue but it became an obvious problem. Center should be high on the list of team needs this offseason with Cole perhaps sliding into a backup/swing role in the final year of his three-year contract. Cole ended the regular season ranked the 197th offensive lineman out of 217 qualifiers and the worst of any Steeler.
As Dave Bryan noted, the Steelers’ top-two offensive grades went to Seumalo and Moore while WR Diontae Johnson finished third.
Sacked just once, QB Mason Rudolph’s rhythm throws helped counter additional pressure. But Pittsburgh had its hands full with the Bills’ simulated pressure looks. There weren’t an abundance of free runners and missed blocks but the All-22 should shine light on exactly how the offensive line performed. Based on PFF’s grading, the tape won’t be kind to Jones or Cole.
