The Steelers' offensive line needs to change the tone of games in 2021.
That's very much been a focus in the offseason as they look to bounce back from ranking last in the NFL in both total rushing yards and yards per carry. Adding Najee Harris was one piece to the puzzle, but the Steelers hope new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm can get his line to bully opposing defenses where his predecessor Shaun Sarrett couldn't in the past two seasons.
Kevin Dotson worked with Klemm closely during his rookie season. Klemm, as the assistant offensive line coach, focused on developing the younger offensive linemen on the roster while Sarrett focused on the starting group. But eventually Dotson became part of that group making four starts in his 13 game appearances. He played 360 snaps, one-third of the offensive plays last season, and was only called for a single holding penalty.
"That was mostly who I was talking to last year," Dotson said of Klemm. "He helped more of the young guys and he helped us learn our stances and coached us up on stuff. If I needed to ask somebody about plays I would go to him before anyone else. He was already like a mentor."
That led to Dotson focusing more on how he had to prepare for this season after establishing where he would start for the Steelers late in 2020.
"I wanted to be able to train more on the left (guard position)," Dotson said. "That's really where they have me right now, so that's what I did the whole offseason was to train on the left side just to get more comfortable in it. Last year when I played it I wasn't too comfortable there, but I feel I'm way more comfortable now."
But on top of developmental advice and pointing out where Dotson and the Steelers' offensive linemen need to grow, Klemm is changing the outlook of how this part of the Steelers plays and what kind of mentality they'll bring to the game.
"I feel like it's a little more intensity," Dotson said of Klemm's coaching differences to Sarrett. "Not to say coach (Sarrett) wasn't doing his job, but when we need to go it's more aggression even the way we come off the blocks. There's no more getting behind people and blocking, it's more going down the middle of them and even the verbiage that he uses in meetings is way more aggressive. It's not just 'get the block,' but more like, 'run through his face,' and other stuff I really can't say. He's using more aggressive terms and I feel like it pushes our mindset in that direction."
This would be a change to how the Steelers' line has operated the past two seasons. Placing an emphasis on protecting Ben Roethlisberger, the group wasn't as aggressive in run blocking and put more focus in their game to make sure their franchise quarterback stayed upright, especially after recovering from season-ending surgery in 2019.
But all that's gone. Dotson says even in simply the stances that will be taken by the offensive linemen pre-snap, you'll see Klemm's influence change their look from last year. In 2020 most Steelers linemen took two-point stances that keep them upright and ready to take on blitzing defenders for pass protection. Three-point stances allow linemen to get lower and fire off the ball harder for run blocking, something that Dotson was already doing.
"He emphasized it more for the tackles," Dotson said of Klemm's pushing linemen to use more three-point stances. "Last year I did a three-point stance the whole year, so it didn't change for me. But some of the guards did a two-point stance last year and he's trying to get them away from that so they'll come off the ball a little more."
For Dotson, that's just fine. He wants to be the bully and was a respected road grater even in his college days at Louisiana. If anything, he wants to see Klemm bring more of that out of him.
"I want to be more aggressive," Dotson said. "I'm kind of aggressive already, but I want to be that guy that does extra to be ready for the game and the defensive line. I'm trying improve on that and to be conditioned enough to go for the whole game at one hundred percent."
After losing Maurkice Pouncey, Matt Feiler and Alejandro Villanueva to retirement and free agency, the Steelers need new players to step up. Dotson filling it at left guard is a given alongside David DeCastro at right guard. The presumed starters at tackle are Zach Banner, who Dotson said he could see quickly becoming a leader, and Chukwuma Okorafor.
But there's still the matter of whether rookies Kendrick Green can fill in at center and Dan Moore Jr. can make an impact on the tackles' depth chart. But Dotson did say he liked what he's seen with them both while working out before OTAs and during his first practices with them.
"I got to talk to them at the place they trained at," Dotson said of Green and Moore from the offseason. "I talked to them about my first year in the league and I feel like they're fun. They take the information given to them and try to do it to the best of their ability. Once you take your first snap in the league, you're no longer a rookie. People don't have sympathy for someone having their first year. You need to get plugged in so we can compete, you can't slow up for anybody. I feel like they're ready to compete with NFL guys."
