There were high hopes for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line this year, especially after investing five draft picks over the last two years in the group. The line was expected to be young, but the silver lining was that the two guard positions were to be held down by the unit’s two most veteran players.
No matter what configuration of tackles the Steelers used, there would be a veteran next to each young player at all times. This helps with communication and making calls at the line so everybody knows who they are supposed to be blocking. It also helps to have a veteran operating the silent count. We have seen the Steelers make some mistakes with premature snaps this season.
Unfortunately, OG Isaac Seumalo suffered a pectoral injury the week before the season began, and OG James Daniels exited in Week 4 with an ankle injury.
That made Dan Moore Jr., a fourth-year player, the most veteran offensive linemen of the group for much of today’s game. The rest of the line had just 20 NFL starts among the four of them entering the week.
The group still has a lot of promise, but the growing pains showed in the worst way against the Indianapolis Colts. Look no further than Najee Harris’ 19 yards on 13 carries or Justin Fields’ four sacks taken as evidence of those struggles.
“They had a free hitter every time, and we didn’t put hands on the guys that we needed to,” Najee Harris said after the game in a video on the Steelers’ YouTube channel.”
It is always hard to tell with offensive line play on the TV tape, but there did appear to be several blown assignments, both in run blocking and in pass protection.
“Obviously the injury to JD [James Daniels] hurt,” TE Pat Freiermuth said after the Steelers’ 27-24 loss. “But they were doing some things schematically trying to stop the run. Credit to them, but we gotta be able to adapt on the run and be able to fix it.”
I suspect there will be some rough blocking grades for most, if not all, of the Steelers’ offensive linemen. That is why Seumalo can’t return soon enough.
Not only is Seumalo a veteran of the unit, he is their best offensive lineman. Future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce called him the smartest player he’s ever been around. It took Seumalo a bit to get going in 2023, but once he did, he was rock-solid.
The Steelers’ o-line desperately needs him back in the lineup. Fortunately, he began practicing this past week and all signs point to him returning for Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys. Hopefully Daniels can return soon, too. If he does, the Steelers will have one of the best interior trios in the NFL with Seumalo, C Zach Frazier, and Daniels.
