The best type of compliment a player can receive is from another player, or in this case, a former one. After battling New York Giants NT Dexter Lawrence last Monday night, Pittsburg Steelers C Ryan McCollum got his flowers.
In a recent episode of Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show, former Steelers offensive lineman Craig Wolfley praised McCollum for his performance.
“The fact is you don’t know until you throw the switch,” said Wolfley, who is color analyst on Steelers radio broadcasts. “Ryan did very well. I was very, very pleased for him that he was able to perform.”
Steelers fans were also pleased that Ryan McCollum was able to hold his own against the odds-on Defensive Player of the Year favorite. Through two games, he has proven to more than hold his own, allowing zero sacks, and only one QB hit, per Pro Football Focus. While he certainly won’t be mistaken for Zach Frazier, who sports the third-best PFF grade among NFL centers, McCollum has proven that he may be a long-term answer for the Steelers as a backup.
This isn’t to say that Lawrence didn’t have any impact on the game. Routinely garnering double teams, he still picked up a handful of QB pressures. In total, Lawrence tallied four tackles and two assists in the Steelers’ 26-18 win.
“He didn’t break Ryan and that’s the thing that was key,” Wolfley said. “Yeah, he had help. You better give him help. Mike Webster had help on guys.”
Let’s not forget either, Lawrence isn’t the only great player who couldn’t break Ryan McCollum. He also held his own against Quinnen Williams in his first Steelers start. Against the former All-Pro McCollum only allowed one QB hit, doing a more than serviceable job.
With Frazier’s return from an ankle injury seeming to be coming after the team’s bye week, we can assume that McCollum won’t be seen for a bit. However, if the Steelers go on to reach the playoffs, his impact on two wins this season cannot be overlooked.
