While Troy Fautanu left the game against the Houston Texans with a knee injury, another Pittsburgh Steelers rookie offensive lineman ended up shining. Zach Frazier had been working behind Nate Herbig before the game, but now, he’s seeing more and more time as the starter. It’s clear his performance stood out in the eyes of the coaches. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith doesn’t seem ready to commit to Frazier as the starter though.
“Sometimes it’s not just about Zach,” Smith said via video from Aaron Becker of Yardbarker,. “We’ve got good depth in the o-line room. I think Zach’s had a terrific camp, credit to Nate [Herbig] and some of these other veteran linemen. Spencer Anderson stepped up the other night. That’s a good problem to have when you’ve got good depth and it’s hard to pick who your eight are on game day.
“Been very pleased with all the rookies. Sometimes it gets expedited, and you may not have somebody in front that’s playing well or there may be an injury, but it all plays itself out.”
That tracks with much of what has been reported out of training camp. Herbig has worked as the starter, and he’s looked good in that role. It isn’t so much that Frazier isn’t ready or good enough. It’s more that Herbig hasn’t done anything to lose the job yet. Although there were some issues with fumbled snaps during the game, they might not have been all Herbig’s fault.
When Frazier did get into the game, he made the most of every snap. He was solid in pass protection, and he really showed his worth in the run game. He was powerful and commanding, exactly what he looked like in college. He wasn’t perfect, but his strengths were on full display.
In a separate video from Becker, Smith praised all of the rookie offensive linemen for their performances against the Texans.
“The lights weren’t too big for them,” Smith said. “I thought all three of those guys, it wasn’t perfect, but they played well, exactly who we thought they were when we drafted them.”
Fautanu, Frazier, and Mason McCormick exemplify the tough, physical nature that the Steelers want along their offensive line. Smith’s offense focuses on running the ball, and all of them did great in that regard.
While Frazier impressed in his first NFL action, he’ll have to wait to be named the starting center. If he continues to play well in the rest of the preseason, and if the snap exchange issues with Herbig continue, then he could win the job for Week 1.
Frazier, Fautanu, and McCormick could be the foundation of the Steelers’ offensive line for years to come. They’ve been trying to run the ball more effectively for years, and it doesn’t seem like that philosophy is going to change. At least two of those players could see starting time this year, and hopefully they continue to put forth positive performances. If they don’t, then it might not matter who the Steelers’ starting quarterback is. It’s tough to win games when you have poor offensive line play.
