Heading into Week 2, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line ranks as one of the worst in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus. The Steelers dropped three spots from their preseason ranking and currently grade as the 24th-best offensive line in the league.
While the Steelers allowed four sacks on Sunday (PFF only charged the offensive line with allowing three of them), it’s the group’s run blocking that hurt its grade more than anything. Mason McCormick’s 60.9 run-blocking grade led the way on a day in which the Steelers managed just 2.7 yards per carry. OT Broderick Jones had the second-highest run-block grade at 57.0, but every other member of Pittsburgh’s offense line dipped below 50, with OT Troy Fautanu grading out at 45.5 as a run blocker, C Zach Frazier posting a 49.8 run-block grade, and OG Isaac Seumalo lagging behind with a 44.6.
Frazier did excel as a pass blocker, with a team-high 83.9 pass-block grade, which ranked third among all centers. But the struggles in the run game were evident and it’s no surprise to see the Steelers rank among the worst offensive lines in the league after their Week 1 performance. Entering the season, the offensive line was one of the biggest concerns, and its Week 1 performance hasn’t assuaged many fears that the Steelers’ line might struggle.
Even former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger said he’s worried about how Aaron Rodgers will hold up all season with how poor the line looked, and the group will need to turn things around starting in Week 2.
On the flip side, Pittsburgh’s defensive line struggled getting off blocks and making plays against the run. On Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, they’ll be going up against a unit that’s ranked below the Steelers. While the Seahawks actually jumped five spots, their offensive line comes in at No. 25 in the league, one spot behind the Steelers.
Seattle has former first-round pick Charles Cross at left tackle, and Cross excelled as a pass blocker in Week 1 with an 88.7 pass-block grade, second-best among all tackles. Like the Steelers, though, Seattle struggled in the run game, and its run blocking wasn’t great. Cross graded out well with a 71.5 run-block grade, but OG Anthony Bradford’s 65.9 grade was second on the team and no one else had a grade above 57.8, which belonged to rookie Grey Zabel.
The Steelers will need to be better at stopping the run and running the ball. Improving their own line play, while taking advantage of Seattle’s line could go a long way toward providing more confidence about the Steelers’ outlook this season.
