The Steelers' Run Game Continued Its Hot Streak In Week 12 Because Of 1 Key Factor

There is no doubt in the minds of Pittsburgh Steelers fans that the run game has struggled to get going over the past few years. Some blamed this on coaching while some blamed Ben Roethlisberger and his failure to stretch the field in the late stages of his career, and some blamed James Conner before he was run out of Pittsburgh.

Over the past few years, Randy Fitchner was let go, the team cycled through many offensive line coaches, they let the aforementioned James Conner walk in free agency and they even selected running back Najee Harris in the first round to try to boost the running game. But none of that seemed to work. That's because the issue with the Steelers' run game was never the coaching or the man toting the rock (although those issues may have played a factor), it was the poor offensive line play. But over the last few weeks, it appears the tide may be shifting toward the team's offensive line.

Steelers' Najee Harris gets ready for a tough battle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Pittsburgh, PA. | Credit: Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers' offensive line struggles have been well documented over the last few years, with many talking heads being quick to blame them for their offensive struggles. In past years this would have been an accurate diagnosis, as you rarely see elite offensives with below-average offensive lines. This year, however, the team's offensive line seems to have taken a major leap forward in terms of pass protection and run blocking, which can be seen in the much-improved run game.

Last year, Pittsburgh averaged 3.9 yards per carry and was the 29th-ranked rushing offense in the league, averaging 93 rushing yards per game. This year, the team is averaging 4.3 yards per carry, a little over 100 rushing yards per game and is the 21st-ranked rushing offense. While the season numbers still aren't spectacular for the Steelers' run game, it is important to note that only three teams have rushed for more yardage than the Steelers over the last three weeks, with those teams being the Bills, Eagles, and Bears.

This is a great company to be in for Pittsburgh as both the Eagles and Bills have elite offensive lines, with the Eagles having the most dominant group in the league. The Bears are on this list largely due to Quarterback Justin Fields' historic rushing season, and the breakout of second-year-back Khalil Herbert, but nevertheless, they are still one of the top rushing offenses in the league so they deserve some respect.

Photo Credit: Brett Davis- USA TODAY Sports

With much of the same personnel in the backfield, and a quarterback who still isn't stretching the field frequently in Kenny Pickett, it leaves only one factor that can contribute to the greatly improved run gamer, and that is the offensive line. The Colts game this week was a perfect example of how the improvement of the offensive line has made this offense, and this team, significantly better. The Steelers were already missing their second-string running back Jaylen Warren going into the game, and Najee Harris did not play a single snap in the second half as he left the game early with an abdominal injury.

The only other running backs active for the Steelers on Monday night were Benny Snell, who has been largely ineffective as a rusher to this point in his career and plays primarily on special teams, Anthony Mcfarland who was a fourth-round pick back in 2020 and was recently elevated from the practice squad and Derek Watt, the fullback.

With this lack of talent in the backfield, you would think the Steelers' run game would have been shut down like it was earlier this season (and years prior). However, the Steelers' run game exploded for 171 yards on 4.8 yards per carry against a defense that had allowed the second-fewest yards per carry in the league up until Week 12. This dominant performance catapulted the Steelers to a win and contributed to one of the offense's most complete showings of the season against a dominant Colts defense. Furthermore, Quarterback Kenny Pickett arguably played the best he has all season, continuing an upward trend that has correlated with the emergence of the Steelers' run game.

Here's former NFL Quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky on Steelers Kenny Pickett:

Since the bye week, this Steelers team has looked completely different, and it is largely due to the much-improved play of the offensive line. The offensive line has opened up lanes left and right, leading to huge performances on the ground that take the pressure off of Kenny Pickett.

The impact that a good running game can have on a rookie quarterback can be profound, and we have seen it time and time again in this league, most notably when rookie Ben Roethlisberger took over a Steelers offense that was No.1 in rushing. A good run game means a rookie quarterback doesn't need to play hero ball to score points, he can simply manage games and adjust to the speed of the NFL without having to put up big numbers or carry an offense. Which expedites their development and lessens the risk that they develop bad habits early in their NFL career.

Steelers Kenny Pickett (8) / Photo Credit: Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers

If the Steelers' offensive line can continue this streak of great play, there might be hope for this team going forward, whether it's in the form of a dominant run game, or helping Kenny Pickett along the path to stardom. Either way, the Steelers' offensive line is not the problem, and it may not be too long before they're dominating the AFC North title once again.

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