The Pittsburgh Steelers played terrible football in Week 2, and most of the criticism coming in is about one area in particular: the offensive line. That was an embarrassing showing that does not inspire much confidence for the rest of the season, as changes definitely need to be made. Nothing offensively was working, so it's not like everyone else is absolved from some level of blame, but everything starts in the trenches. This could end up being a very long, painful season if things don't improve significantly by Week 3.
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Steelers' Aaron Rodgers takes a hit during a road loss to the Patriots in 2026.
All throughout the Week 2 broadcast, the commentators were talking about how often the running backs get hit behind the line of scrimmage. On top of that, the Steelers allowed four sacks and seven quarterback hits, which turned into two fumbles and a touchdown for the New England Patriots. This is the kind of game that teams use as a breakdown of what not to do on game day.
Head Coach Mike McCarthy can't run from that fact, and he knows it. In his McCarthy Monday press conference, he explained what needs to happen to get this offensive line playing up to a satisfactory level.
"Our consistency starting up front, we need to give our guys more laps and more time on task and make sure that they're doing things that they got plenty of reps in," McCarthy said.
This response raises a lot more questions than answers. Why wasn't this unit on task enough during practice? Why were the coaches calling schemes that the offensive line did not have enough reps in? It's clear that the trenches need to be prioritized in practice leading up to Week 3, but if what McCarthy is saying is true, then this is even more concerning than what was initially let on.
McCarthy made the bold choice to take the offensive line from 2025, which was a very solid unit, and completely flip it. That has yet to work despite the fact that there has not been a lot of moving around and rotation once this decision was made. Dylan Cook saw some reps at left tackle just in case something happened to Troy Fautanu, but that was it for the most part in training camp and preseason.
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Steelers offensive tackle Dylan Cook kick-sets during a regular season game against the Patriots.
With how rough the communication was on the offensive line, McCarthy's excuse about there being a lack of reps is at least believable. Center Zach Frazier is in his first year as the communication leader of the line now that Isaac Seumalo is gone, and he has definitely had some issues there. Hopefully, he will continue to improve as he gets more reps, but it's hard to expect him to do a complete 180 on that front in just a couple weeks.
While the Steelers practice these schemes more often, McCarthy may have to limit the blocking schemes used on game day. He might need to ditch some of the more complicated plans and stick to the basics, like sliding the protection either direction or playing straight up. If the players can think less and play fast, utilizing all that talent becomes much easier, and it could help the offense run smoothly.
Steelers Should Take Notes From The Defense
For years, everything mentioned above was a big issue for the Steelers defensively. The communication was problematic, the schematics were seemingly way too complicated for their own good, and it caused constant breakdowns. New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham made a point to build his scheme around what fits the players best, and that is quick, easy calls that allow everyone to play fast.
There are a still a couple minor issues with that unit, but it is so much better than the unit from years past. The communication appears to be on point as everyone is able to fly around the field and make plays.
What do you think about McCarthy's answer to what the offensive line needs to do? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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