The Pittsburgh Steelers have had more than their fair share of issues on the offensive line through the first six weeks of the season. The latest blow came in the win over the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday. Stud rookie C Zach Frazier went down with an ankle injury in the second half. That pressed Ryan McCollum into service, and he was the center for multiple scoring drives in the win. LT Dan Moore Jr. credited McCollum, saying the offense “didn’t miss a beat” despite the switch in the middle.
Now, McCollum is preparing for his second career start and his first since 2021 with the Minnesota Vikings. It’s a Sunday night matchup against the New York Jets with all the lights of Acrisure Stadium beating down on the field. But OT Broderick Jones believes McCollum will be able to handle it.
“I like the way Ryan plays,” said Jones after Friday’s practice per video from Steelers.com. “He has the confidence about himself, like when he steps on the field, he’s loud when he communicates, all the little things that you need in the center. Being on point, you know, being loud, communicating, you know, making sure everybody is on the same page, and I feel like he does that. So I hope, he’s gonna go out there and play well. And at the end of the day, we gotta get the job done and come home with a win.”
McCollum won’t have the most pressure on him out of all the offensive players on the field Sunday night. That will fall squarely on the shoulders of the starting quarterback. And that appears to be Russell Wilson per WR George Pickens’ post-practice comments.
But make no mistake, McCollum will be feeling the pressure. Frazier has shown the potential to be the next great Steelers center. No one expects McCollum to play to that level. But he does need to make good decisions and play mistake-free football out there. The Jets have one of the best defenses in the NFL. They’ve only allowed 4 passing touchdowns and have the third-most sacks in the league (20).
That means the Steelers’ offensive line will be under a lot of pressure Sunday night. And McCollum will be responsible for making sure the unit is operating well and on the same page. RB Najee Harris thinks that McCollum has all the smarts in the world to handle the job. And so does Jones.
Just how well Ryan McCollum’s intelligence and confidence translate to the field on Sunday night under those bright lights remains to be seen.
