The Pittsburgh Steelers came away from their week four test against the Kansas City Chiefs feeling great about their offensive performance. Ben Roethlisberger threw for as many touchdowns as he did incompletions, the team scored 22 points in the first quarter and at one point, they scored two touchdowns within five plays of each other. It was comforting, but not everything is fine and dandy. With injuries on the offensive line, expecting a similar result in week five may be asking for a lot.
Pittsburgh Steelers Injured Offensive Line Faces Major Test in Week Five
Marcus Gilbert left the game with an ankle injury. Head coach Mike Tomlin noted that Gilbert would be “highly questionable” for week five and that presents a matchup issue for the Steelers. Ryan Harris, who is expected to step in for Gilbert is dealing with injury as well. This adds to the fact that Ramon Foster, the team’s left guard missed the game against the Chiefs, and is unlikely to play in week five. B.J. Finney stepped in for Foster in week four, and by all accounts looked good.
However, while the Steelers have tremendous depth and it speaks to their next man up mentality, this can be an issue for them in week five. This Jets defensive line is not just any line, it is one of the premier units in the league.
Their pass rush is certainly tougher than the Kansas City Chiefs, who were without Justin Houston. Sheldon Richardson comes off of the edge on either side for the Jets and in his three games this season he has been a monster. He only has a half sack to show for it, but he has been great against the run and has moved pockets and made quarterbacks uncomfortable.
While Richardson lines up as an outside linebacker, the Jets three-man front of Leonard Williams, Muhammad Wilkerson and Steve McLendon may be the best in the league. The Steelers will remember McLendon, a former teammate who seems to be hands down the worst asset on the Jets defensive front. However, the Steelers will also know of his impact and know that they need to put a hat on him on every play. Maurkice Pouncey will likely have to take him on a lot.
This will set up Muhammed Wilkerson lined up across from B.J. Finney for most of the game. Wilkerson is one of the elite interior defensive linemen in the game and is a bit of a tougher test than Allen Bailey, who he faced the most in week four. Alejandro Villanueva will not be able to help because with or without Gilbert, the Jets will use Richardson to attack the left tackle for a good portion of the game.
Leonard Williams will likely see matchups with David DeCastro. DeCastro has had three strong games. However, in week three DeCastro had a rough go of facing Fletcher Cox in Philadelphia. Williams profiles similarly to Cox, but may not have the same motor yet. Still, with the left side needing so much help, and Pouncey having a task of Steve McLendon on top of worrying about a young left side, there is going to be no help for David DeCastro.
The Steelers can use a tight end to chip against the pass rush, and will likely have to give up that skill player to help on whichever side Sheldon Richardson lines up on. Still, the Jets will be rotating Lorenzo Mauldin, who has a sack and a half this year, and rookie Jordan Jenkins, who has proven strong against the run.
When healthy, the Steelers offensive line is one of the best in the league. Without Ramon Foster and Marcus Gilbert, it is still a talented offensive line. However, this week it is going to be thrown to the gauntlet. The Steelers would love to have all of their hog mollies in this one to really put two of the premier units up against each other in a week five showdown. However, now the Steelers see the Jets with an advantage in the trenches, and the Jets will have to use this to try to slow down a Steelers offense that could very easily be the best in the league.
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