The Pittsburgh Steelers played their best game offensively of the season in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers, and two rookie offensive linemen helped make an impact, keeping the pocket clean for Justin Fields in his best game of the season. OG Mason McCormick, who replaced Spencer Anderson and also came in on some tackle-eligible plays led all rookie offensive linemen with a 0% pressure rate, not allowing a single pressure on 13 pass-block snaps. Meanwhile, rookie C Zach Frazier had another impressive outing, finishing third among rookie linemen with a 2.9% pressure rate, allowing just one pressure in 35 pass-block snaps. The 33rd Team posted the data on Twitter.
The other notable takeaway was that Joe Alt finished sixth with a 4% pressure rate. He had a pretty solid performance against T.J. Watt although Watt beat him for one sack, and Alt later left the game with an injury. But it was the best an offensive tackle has looked against Watt this season, so Alt deserves some props for his efforts.
The sample size on McCormick is small with just 13 pass-block snaps, but it was a promising debut for him. With Isaac Seumalo potentially set to return this week, it could minimize McCormick’s role, but the fact that the team brought him in on tackle-eligible plays could signal a role for him in that capacity going forward.
Outside of some issues with snaps, which aren’t entirely his fault, Frazier has been not only one of the best rookies, but one of the best centers in the league. He had another strong performance Sunday, and he looks like he could be an anchor for the Steelers up the middle for a long time.
For a team that’s had some instability at the center position after whiffing on its Kendrick Green evaluation and getting shaky play from Mason Cole the last two seasons (especially last season after Cole was decent in 2022), Frazier has been a welcome addition. It’s only been three games, but if he can continue this level of play, he might be the Steelers’ long-term answer at center.
Even though the Steelers couldn’t establish the run until the fourth quarter against the Chargers, it was a pretty good day for the OL in pass protection, and they also kept grinding and finally got the run game going. It’s promising to see guys like Frazier and McCormick have such a big impact, and the future of the Steelers’ offensive line seems to be bright.
