Crisan: Jones is the nexus of the offensive line's major step forward

The "boss" gave the nod to Broderick Jones on Tuesday.

Though, the first-round left tackle was not about to take on his normal position, as he did 23 days prior in the Steelers' win over the Ravens. Jones earned the nod from Mike Tomlin two days prior to Thursday's prime-time kickoff against the Titans as the right tackle, not the left tackle. He was set to take over for Chukwuma Okorafor, not Dan Moore Jr., as had been the case dating to the training camp sessions in Latrobe.

Jones delivered. So did Moore. As did Isaac Seumalo. Likewise for Mason Cole. Especially so for James Daniels. Having their highest-paid lineman on the field was not bothersome to these five. The Steelers did exactly what they wanted to do from a running game standpoint in this 20-16 victory over the Titans at Acrisure Stadium.

It is the exact justification the "boss" needed. Particularly from Jones, whose play in his two career starts -- one on the left side and one on the right side -- is the exact justification the boss' boss needed for a trade-up in the draft.

And, when Jones seemed blind-sided by the short-notice decision to begin with. Jones delivered in his first start on the right side since his freshman year at Georgia.

"S***, I never really knew," Jones told me in his celebratory locker room after the game. "I just came in (Tuesday) and 'boss' said to be prepared to play on the right side. I said, 'OK,' and that was the end of the discussion right there. At this league, at this level, that's what is is. Whatever 'boss' says, you've got to do. You've just got to be prepared. ... ... When 'Coach T' tells you to do something you don't ask questions. Just do it. That's all it was. He told me to be prepared to play on the right side. I said 'OK,' and that was the end of that."

Jones came in on two days' notice and helped the Steelers rush for a season-high 166 yards. The Steelers had been lackluster as a whole at running the football this season, with just one performance over 100 yards in seven games entering Thursday. The 166 yards on Thursday were more than the 156 yards rushed for over the previous two games combined, and that total is a leap and a bound above what the Steelers produced to start the season. 

It would have taken the total rushing yards from the first three games of the season (41, 55, and 59) to eclipse the production from Thursday.

"Coach Tomlin challenged the bigs this week," Cole said. "Short week, Thursday Night Football, it's usually about a war of attrition. It's good to win that. ... I think (Jones) did well. With not a lot of time to prepare, that's a tough challenge. Especially on a short week like this you don't have a lo of physical time. I don't think people understand how hard that is to play left tackle and then go and play right tackle against elite pass rushers. It's a tough business but he handled his own today."

There is also the element of the situation regarding Okorafor, as Tomlin and he gave conflicting reasons for his benching.

After Thursday's game, Tomlin phrased it as such: "I just thought we needed a spark. I thought Broderick had worked hard, was deserving of an opportunity, and so we gave it to him."

Okorafor said he was benched because of "stuff I shouldn't have said" towards the end of Sunday's game against the Jaguars. He added that he spoke to Tomlin about it, and that it had "nothing to do" with his play on the field.

"Being in Year 6, I can't act out how I was acting out," Okorafor said. "It was most of that, that I had to do with ... I don't know what's going to happen next week. I hope I'm back out there with the guys but I don't know what's going to happen. It's not my call."

But, in moment, Okorafor was sure to mentor Jones' rapid transition in the midst of game planning and preparation, as a pro's pro would do.

"It's not ideal, but I didn't really have a choice but to, all week, show Brod little tips of how to play right tackle," Okorafor said. "I couldn't really do anything else but show Brod how to play and help Brod how to play. Brod being able to play left and right tackle really helps him a lot. You see him play a great game at left and a great game at right tackle, so that's really going to help him."

Thursday's performance from Jones needs to help the Steelers for the rest of the season, as we wrote about after the win over the Ravens. Jones has to play. Some how, some way. He proved it on the left side against the Ravens, and he proved it on the right side against the Titans.

Just watch him get to the second level on this touchdown run from Najee Harris as the prime example:

The very identity of these 2023 Steelers, as laid out by Art Rooney II all the way down to the very last practice squad guy in his locker room, is to be a run-first, physical, brute-force team that is firmly established on its ability to run the football. It is the logic that provides the answer to why Rooney's franchise traded up for Jones in the draft.

He enabled Jaylen Warren to rush for a career-high 87 yards and for Harris to break through for an additional 69. Warren and Harris broke for explosive runs of 22 and 25 yards, respectively, on Thursday. 

"The running backs, really, really did a great job," Jones said. "They had great eyes, just being able to see when the lanes are opening up, and when they're not just being able to bounce to the outside. I commend them. And just (Kenny Pickett) being able to throw it over (the Titans') head sometimes. That keeps them honest."

Jones showed the ability to pull and get to the second level, just as his tape from Georgia reflected. In pass protection, he allowed just one pressure and served mightily next to Daniels, who allowed zero sacks and zero pressures in 30 pass-blocking snaps.

"(The Titans) have got a great defensive line, so that was a challenge," Jones said. "Just moving to the right, going against their elite pass rushers, so just being able to lock in on my skills and take what I know from the left (side) to the right, just playing my game."

He is and was the keys for this line's successes over those two wins. He was a major factor why this line got back on track, as Seumalo posted after the win:

This offensive line put is best foot forward this season, and its other best foot was put forward in the Ravens game. It should serve as no coincidence that Jones was on the field for both games.