It is no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers have significant issues on the offensive line. The answers to the concerns have not yet been visible and the team may even have to look to trade for an established lineman in order to change the dynamic of the group. The rushing attack was solid in Week 1 of the preseason, but stalled in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars as the Steelers only totaled 24 total yards on the ground, averaging 1.7 yards per rush. The pass protection wasn't much better as the Jaguars defensive line consistently got solid pushes into the backfield.
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Eric Edholm, a lead writer for NFL.com, put together a list of what each team in the league should be paying close attention to as the final week of exhibition match-ups begin and focused solely on the big men up front for the Steelers.
"Has offensive guard Kendrick Green lost his starting role? Mike Tomlin said he won’t name a starting LG until after the game against the Lions, but Green has some work to do to beat out Kevin Dotson after Green struggled mightily early on against the Jaguars."
Green was not great during his rookie year playing center and the hope was that heading into the 2022 season, a fresh start for the Steelers' now second-year player at left guard could be the solution. It has not been so far as Green has looked completely lost and confused during the first two games of the preseason. Dotson has not been efficient either which is why Edholm wrote that this game on Sunday versus the Detroit Lions could be the determining factor on who wins the job.
"Dotson replaced him for the second and third series, with Green returning once Kenny Pickett came in at QB late in the first half. This game could ultimately decide whether Green or Dotson starts the opener versus the Bengals."
He didn't stop there however, in critiquing the play on the Steelers offensive line. He finished up his comments by calling out the unit as a whole, mentioning a few other players who have been playing poorly.
"Really, the whole o-line must improve, though, as center Mason Cole and right guard James Daniels also have struggled."
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Mike Tomlin's team doesn't have much time left to prepare for the season opener against the reigning AFC Champion, Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals were a top 10 run defense in 2021 and middle of the pack in sacks. If the offense is unable to get the rushing attack going early, then that leaves a much easier job to a Bengals secondary that is not one of the best in the league.
Fresh legs at quarterback will only go so far and in order to be dynamic on offense and use the weapons any signal-caller will have on the offense, the big men up front need to improve their play and give whoever is starting a legitimate shot at using his skill set. It is hard to succeed in the NFL as a quarterback if there is no time to throw and the rushing attack is less than impressive.
Edholm is absolutely right here. There is also a quarterback battle going on and some other issues on the defensive side of the ball, but disappointing play from the offensive line continuing into the regular season will be a recipe for disaster for the Steelers.
Do you agree with Edholm calling out the offensive line as the top thing to watch out for this weekend? Let us know in the comments below!
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