Coming into the season, it was clear success of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense would hinge on the offensive line. And through the first three weeks of the year, there wasn’t much for that unit to brag about. However, the linemen came through in a big way on Sunday. Maybe it was a change of scenery and playing in a new country, or simply just some extra time to jell, but the unit was significantly better on Sunday.
“The o-line played great,” Metcalf said after the Steelers beat the Minnesota Vikings, 24-21, in Dublin, via Post-Gazette Steelers on YouTube. “I think we fed more off the energy of the defense, the stadium, but also just executing. You know, picking up blocks, being where we’re supposed to be in the passing game. So everything just worked together.”
For Arthur Smith’s offense to work at its highest level, everything has to start with the run. Fortunately for the Steelers, that’s an area they dominated in on Sunday. Despite losing Jaylen Warren shortly before the game, the ground game fired on all cylinders at Croke Park. Kenneth Gainwell especially stepped up and had a massive game, with 99 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
However, that performance wouldn’t have been possible without the offensive linemen. They moved Vikings defenders in ways we just haven’t seen from them this season. This play is an excellent example.
Just take a look at the push the offensive line gets here. When Gainwell hits the line of scrimmage, four of the five linemen have already pushed their defenders at least two yards down the field. There’s a clear hole from him to run through, and he nearly scored on the play.
Having blocking like that does so much for the offense. It forced Minnesota’s defense to focus on the run, which gave extra opportunities to DK Metcalf. He took advantage of those early in the game, including this massive catch and run to extend the Steelers’ lead.
Sunday was an impressive win, and it was incredibly encouraging for the offense. This was the first game in which the Steelers actually looked dangerous moving the ball on a consistent basis. And it all started with the offensive linemen.
They helped open holes in the run game. That allowed the Steelers to set the tempo, which is all Aaron Rodgers needs to control the game. If Pittsburgh can keep such performances rolling across the rest of the season, this could truly be a dangerous team come playoff time.
