Lately, the “three B’s” (Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown) have been getting most of the credit for the success of the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, without the offensive line playing as well as it has been, the “three B’s” wouldn’t be having nearly as much success as they have been.
Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Line Paving the Road to Success
Roethlisberger wouldn’t have the time that he has to scan the field and find open receivers if not for the offensive line. In 14 regular season appearances this year, Roethlisberger was sacked 17 times. In the playoffs, the offensive line has only allowed one sack in each of the Steelers two postseason wins. Just like with Roethlisberger, Bell and Brown wouldn’t be able to put up the superb numbers that they have without the offensive line doing their job. In the playoffs, Bell ran 29 times for 167 yards and two touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins, and then followed that up with 30 carries for 170 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs. Brown has 11 receptions, 232 receiving yards and two touchdowns in two playoff games this year.
Mike Munchak
Offensive line coach, Mike Munchak, has developed the Steelers offensive line into one of the best in the NFL. Alejandro Villanueva and Marcus Gilbert both do a great job of sealing the pocket for Roethlisberger, and they even pull on running plays, which is rare for offensive tackles. David DeCastro and Ramon Foster could be the best offensive guard duo in the entire league. Both create huge interior holes for Bell to run through and also frequently pull outside on running plays.
Maurkice Pouncey
Maurkice Pouncey could also be the best in the league at his position but is undoubtedly the most athletic center in the NFL. Pouncey pulls often on running plays as well, leaving defenses guessing who is staying put and who is pulling to block. Pouncey is able to snap the ball to Roethlisberger, pull outside to block, and still get out ahead of Bell in order to make blocks downfield.
Power Formations and Unbalanced Line
The Steelers also excel at using extra offensive linemen and unbalanced lines. The offense uses a lot of two tight end formations as well, utilizing Jesse James and Xavier Grimble as extra blockers to help take some of the pressure off of Villanueva and Gilbert. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley likes to load up one side of the line and then run the ball to the other side, pulling the opposite tackle around to help on the weak side. Having two tight ends lined up on the same side forces the defense to line up across from them. This leaves the weak side of the line with fewer defenders, giving the Steelers an advantage with the extra blocker pulling from the opposite side.
Steelers Offensive Rankings
Haley and Munchak have combined to create one of the NFL’s best offenses. Over the regular season, the Steelers ranked 11th in scoring (24.9 points per game), seventh in total yards (372.6 yards per game), fifth in passing (262.6 passing yards per game) and 14th in rushing (110 rushing yards per game). In the two playoff victories, the Steelers have averaged 24 points per game, 378 total yards per game, 203 passing yards per game and 175 rushing yards per game. None of the Steelers success this year would’ve been possible without the exceptional play from their offensive linemen.
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