For someone who was around the game as long as Ben Roethlisberger, he knows what it’s like to watch a young offensive lineman struggle. There aren’t many having a more difficult past month than Pittsburgh Steelers OT Broderick Jones, falling from first-round pick and hopeful franchise left tackle to benched with an uncertain future. Reacting to Jones’ ugly performance in Sunday’s win over the Denver Broncos, Roethlisberger offered advice on how to turn things around.
“I know he’s gonna be frustrated,” Roethlisberger said on the latest episode of his Footbahlin podcast. “I think the best thing for Broderick right now is to just sweep it under the rug. Let’s watch it, figure out why it happened. Was it technique? Was it, did the guy just beat you? Because you know what, that guy’s getting paid too. He’s a pro for some reason, too. Sometimes those things just happen.”
Rookie Troy Fautanu started over Jones on Sunday. But the team still wanted to get Jones on the field with a planned right tackle rotation, an unconventional and controversial decision. Fautanu played the first two drives before giving way to Jones for the third series. It turned into a nightmare. Jones was penalized three times, twice for holding and once for a false start, that prevented a possible 99-yard scoring drive. Before the possession was over, Jones was sent to the bench and didn’t log another snap the rest of the way.
When Jones wasn’t getting penalized, he was still struggling. He was beat around the edge on a 3rd and 11 and missed a block on a gap run earlier in the drive. The only bright spot was a solid combo block to clear a path for a Najee Harris run. For those metrically inclined, Jones is ranked 67th out of 71 qualifying offensive tackles this season, per PFF. Among Steelers, he’s easily the worst lineman.
As tough as his summer is, Roethlisberger thinks Jones hanging his head will only make a bad situation worse.
“He needs to go back and watch it, figure it out, check the technique, check the skill, check the, what was it. Get it checked off, put it behind him. Because if you sit and dwell on it…It’s just gonna build up and then you’re gonna end up being more in the dumps. You’re gonna be more frustrated and whatever it is. And so he’s gotta put it behind him.”
While it seems likely the Steelers will scrap their tackle rotation, Jones still figures to serve as the team’s No. 3 swing tackle, backing up Dan Moore Jr. on the left side and Fautanu on the right. This means he’s one injury away from getting back into the lineup. That’s the mindset Roethlisberger believes Jones must keep going forward.
“He’s got to be ready to step up and be the dude.”
How Jones mentally handles this difficult stretch could define the rest of his career. As bleak as things look, he’s still young and could still be in a position to start next season should Dan Moore Jr. leave in free agency. Pittsburgh isn’t giving up on Jones, and Jones can’t give up on himself. It’s sound advice from Roethlisberger and, hopefully, feedback Jones is getting from the veterans currently in the Steelers’ locker room.
