Between the Lines: Steelers Offensive Line Has Taken Big Steps
Posted Oct 29, 2009 10:01AM By JJ Cooper (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Steelers, AFC North, NFL Analysis

As we have done since the FanHouse began, I'll be taking a look every week at some aspect of line play. You can read more features in the series here. Check back every Thursday for a new Between The Lines.

For three years I rewatched every Steelers game with an eye on the offensive line. And a good bit of the time, it wasn't pretty. Whether it was a debacle against the Raiders in 2006 or the mass of confusion against the Eagles in 2008, there have been plenty of lowlights.

After watching the Steelers win the Super Bowl last year despite a struggling offensive line, I kind of figured that if everything went well, Pittsburgh could figure out a way to do it again. They had enough defense and enough skill position players on offense to make up for the offensive line's problems.
That appeared to be what the Steelers thought as well--they brought back the starting five from the Super Bowl team, although Darnell Stapleton (sitting on injured reserve) has been replaced at right guard by Trai Essex. It was a somewhat scary formula--stick with what you got and hope for the best.

But after rewatching the Steelers-Vikings game with a focus on the line play, it's clear that I was wrong. The defense may be good enough and the skill positions (thanks to Mike Wallace) are even better than expected. But if the Steelers managed to defend their Super Bowl title this year, the biggest reason will be because the offensive line is significantly improved.

I haven't watched the Steelers offensive line in detail every week this year like I have in past years, but with them facing off against the Vikings--the NFL's leader in sacks and the team with arguably the best front four in football, it seems like a good time to check back in on the Steelers O-line.

What I found was pretty impressive. In watching the Steelers against the Vikings, the offensive line actually got the better of the Vikings for much of the game. Defensive end Jared Allen, one of the top pass rushers in the game, finished the game with two tackles and no sacks. Kevin Williams, one of the top defensive tackles in the game, had only one tackle. Not only did he end up with one tackle, but right tackle Willie Colon put him on the ground several times on running plays.

Colon's play stood out more than anyone. Colon showed dominating run blocking while also showing dramatic improvement in pass blocking from previous years. The Steelers ran nine called running plays to the right for 78 yards. They ran nine other called runnng plays up the middle or to the left for a grand total of 25 yards. Colon was a big reason for that. When he teamed up with Essex to block Kevin Williams, he put Willams on the ground on three different occasions. On other running plays, he did an outstanding job of sealing the corner.

Over at the other tackle spot, Max Starks had the toughest assignment of anyone. He was asked to block Allen, who came into the game second in the NFL in sacks, one-on-one throughout the game. Pittsburgh didn't give Starks an inordinate amount of help, but his combination of long arms and good footwork allowed him to neutralize one of the game's best pass rusher. I counted only four plays in the game where Allen clearly beat Starks--one pass deflection where Allen got his hands up at the line, a run play where he missed his block but it didn't play a part in the play and two pass plays where Allen got free eventually, but not in time to really bother Roethlisberger. When Allen tried to bull rush, Starks swallowed him up and showed that he could throw out an anchor that kept Allen from driving him back.

And when Allen tried to beat Starks with a speed rush, Starks was able to get his hands on Allen quickly enough to win the race to the corner.

Essex wasn't as dominating as Colon or Starks, but he was quite impressive. He doesn't have Colon or Chris Kemoeatu's strength that allows them to plow people at times. But what he did show was an impressive awareness of angles and of his responsibilities. Essex's best play may have been as a pass blocker early in the first quarter. He got in his initial punch on Brian Robison, only to watch Robison loop away on a stunt. Essex quickly handed Robison off, picked up defensive end Ray Edwards looping around and then handed him off to block Jared Allen, who had come all the way around from the other defensive end spot.

It may not sound like much, but those handoffs from one offensive lineman to another are the kind of switch-offs that cause sacks every week, usually because a lineman drops his head and fixates on the man he is currently blocking. Essex instead keeps his head up and looking around, which makes it much easier to stay alert to line stunts and loops.

Last year, the Steelers were an easy mark for a team that blitzed and stunted to create confusion. This year, they seem to handle it like veterans who have played together and who know what everyone else along the line is doing.

Pittsburgh line still isn't one who will blow teams off the ball. But there pass blocking has improve to the point where it gives Roethlisberger the time to carve up defenses. Because of Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh will continue to have high sack totals--eight of his sacks this year have come on plays where he's held the ball for 3.5 seconds or more--but the improved pass blocking also explains why Roethlisberger is second in the league in passing yardage.

You aren't the only one noticing Starks.  MSNBC put out it's mid-season Pro-Bowl lineup.  There are two Steelers on it.  Not the ones you'd expect.  They picked Starks and Big Snack.  Here.

I'm sure they'll have their hickup games, as does everyone, yet this year.  But one thing you can't put a price tag on is experience and continuity re: the OL.  This is why they've stuck with those guys, 'cause good coaches know that a good line takes time to gel, and they are apparently gettting there.  I would rather they continue to be berated, though, to be honest.  Much like Ben, they thrive on the negativity.

phillystillerfan wrote: MSNBC put out it's mid-season Pro-Bowl lineup.

As usual, a number of those picks are pretty goofy.

IanWhetstoneDotCom wrote:

 

phillystillerfan wrote: MSNBC put out it's mid-season Pro-Bowl lineup.

 

As usual, a number of those picks are pretty goofy.

Yeah, when I saw Big Hamp there, I kinda threw the whole list out.  I just put it up to show that others are noticing Starks.

phillystillerfan wrote: Yeah, when I saw Big Hamp there, I kinda threw the whole list out.  I just put it up to show that others are noticing Starks.

As is not uncommon, it smacks of a writer just trying to show how smart he is by picking guys who are doing better than expected over guys who are just doing better, period.  Cedric Benson as the mid-season All-Pro RB?  Yeah, Benson is having a fine season... and he'd be a great pick in a league without Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, DeAngelo Williams, Maurice Jones-Drew, or Steven Jackson.

nsu73z wrote: good to see that willie is getting some love, he is turning into a heck of a player

Prove it.

It's the opposite of what the board retard thinks.  There, proven.

IanWhetstoneDotCom wrote:

It's the opposite of what the board retard thinks.  There, proven.

It is all subjective.  The stats are very similar,.

Matt6999 wrote:

 

nsu73z wrote: good to see that willie is getting some love, he is turning into a heck of a player

 

Prove it.

Gump, didn't JJ Cooper  (the OP) just do that?  Or did not read his analysis.

nsu73z wrote: he wont take his analysis to heart becaue there are no stats to back it up....although you did post some stats that say willie has only given up one sack this year, and he did post some stats that said we had 50 something yards on 7 carries his way, and some stats that said he pancaked kevin williams 3 times.....i for one just go by watching him play to know he is better

I agree that as a unit they are playing better.  I wish you could admit that Ben faced a jail break all year last year.

Matt6999 wrote:

 

nsu73z wrote: he wont take his analysis to heart becaue there are no stats to back it up....although you did post some stats that say willie has only given up one sack this year, and he did post some stats that said we had 50 something yards on 7 carries his way, and some stats that said he pancaked kevin williams 3 times.....i for one just go by watching him play to know he is better

 

I agree that as a unit they are playing better.  I wish you could admit that Ben faced a jail break all year last year.

yeah sure! After 3.5 seconds the jail doors tend to swing open.....

12c5b4igo wrote:

 

Matt6999 wrote:

 

nsu73z wrote: he wont take his analysis to heart becaue there are no stats to back it up....although you did post some stats that say willie has only given up one sack this year, and he did post some stats that said we had 50 something yards on 7 carries his way, and some stats that said he pancaked kevin williams 3 times.....i for one just go by watching him play to know he is better

 

I agree that as a unit they are playing better.  I wish you could admit that Ben faced a jail break all year last year.

yeah sure! After 3.5 seconds the jail doors tend to swing open.....

Actually, the vast majority of his sacks last year were under 3 seconds. 

nsu73z wrote: and you still dont understand the dynamics of pass protection but that being said, we struggled at the beginning of the year protecting.....with 4 brand new starters and the we gopt better as the year went on and we have continued to improve, what i have been saying all along....i never said we were a top notch unit up front like you and balti think i did, i said we wernt as bad as you guys make us out to be

Yeah, me too, and the point was to let everyone know these guys were the guys we were going to stick with, and there were good reasons for it. The jailbreaks were part of the learning curve, nothing new, except that I don't ever recall so MUCH turnover on the line that quickly, so, it's not something the lay fan could fathom.

Matt6999 wrote:

 

nsu73z wrote: he wont take his analysis to heart becaue there are no stats to back it up....although you did post some stats that say willie has only given up one sack this year, and he did post some stats that said we had 50 something yards on 7 carries his way, and some stats that said he pancaked kevin williams 3 times.....i for one just go by watching him play to know he is better

 

I agree that as a unit they are playing better.  I wish you could admit that Ben faced a jail break all year last year.

Ben faced jail breaks on blitzes during the early part of the season. The offense as a whole did very little to beat the blitz. Against the standard four-man rush they were much better.

nsu73z wrote: and matty boy who likes to spew out that when he is sacked quick it is on the line, which anyone who knows football knows that sometimes one is left unblocked for a hot route and if you dont throw that route you get sacked quick

So now you want to pin sacks on the coaches over the OL?