The Steelers' offensive line has been the most consistent part of the team's offense through eight games in the 2019 season. Their performance in the Steelers' 26-24 win over the Colts at Heinz Field on Sunday featured plenty of well blocked run schemes. But why did the Steelers only have 90 yards rushing?
Let's get into that:
The Steelers only had 90 rushing yards, but they were missing James Conner and Bennie Snell, which meant Jaylen Samuels had to start and be spelled by Tre Edmunds and Tony Brooks-James.
Edmunds led the team with 73 rushing yards on 12 carries, with most of it coming on an early 45-yard run. Watch how the line blocks for him out in space as Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro both pull to become lead blockers for Edmunds. DeCastro 's pull takes out the edge to open up the hole, while Pouncey's pull takes out Darius Leonard, springing Edmunds for the biggest game of his career:
Defenses are normally trained to fundamentally read where the guards are going so the can key on run plays. But when you have the center pulling, it forces linebackers and safeties over the middle to account for another factor. That extra factor slows the reading of progressions by opposing linebackers that will either ignore Pouncey's pull, or obliviously not make the best play.
There were plenty of big opportunities left on the field by both teams on Sunday. One of the bigger moments came on a 2nd-and-goal from the 1-yard line. The Colts overly commit to stopping a run up the middle and the blocking is unable to push them back.
But look at DeCastro's pull into the end zone and how he walked freely into the end zone. If Edmunds followed DeCastro and Roosevelt Nix to his left, he most likely walks in for a touchdown:
Some of the Steelers' rushing woes were self-inflicted, but others were a result of the Colts keying in on stopping the run, especially late. Look at how the Colts have eight in the box in a crucial fourth quarter play. And notice how as soon as the ball is snapped, they're all working to their gaps.
DeCastro gets pushed back by Margo Hunt and that cut off the pulling block of B.J. Finney that could've sprung the game open:
Being fair to the line, the Colts were going all out to stop the run on several of the Steelers' run plays. But it's a good sign that the source of most of their negative plays came when defenses were all too focused on stopping the run.
But the high potential for this unit is still in the Steelers' locker room. Their shortcomings in the ground game have not come as a result of their own failures, mostly, but for the mistakes of teammates or the commitment from other teams to negate the Steelers' offensive line.
As the rest of the offense continues to sort out how to establish any type of identity, they can rest easy knowing their linemen will be the rock of the offense.
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MORE CLASSROOM
Oct. 31: Rudolph’s timing challenges
Oct. 30: Receivers reinforce at right time
Oct. 29: Power is back on for Conner
Oct. 28: Watt mixes fire with finesse
