{"id":31249,"date":"2017-09-29T08:30:48","date_gmt":"2017-09-29T12:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=31249"},"modified":"2021-12-28T20:50:06","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T01:50:06","slug":"steelers-offensive-line-needs-step","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2017\/09\/29\/steelers-offensive-line-needs-step\/","title":{"rendered":"Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Line Needs to Step Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a> offense as a whole has not found their way yet. In the passing game, it seems to be inaccuracies, and poor decisions by Ben Roethlisberger<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0hurting the unit. As for rushing the ball, it appears the big issue is the Steelers offensive line.<\/p>\n

Le\u2019Veon Bell<\/strong> has never been the type of rusher to break off long runs consistently. He is the type of back who turns three yards into ten or 15. However, the noticeable difference has been how little he has been able to do that. Coming into Week Four, only five percent of his carries have gone for ten yards or more. That is nearly one-third of the 14 percent of his carries that went for at least ten yards last season.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Line Needs to Step Up<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The issue appears to be getting Bell to the second level clean. In 2016, the Steelers offensive line ranked fourth in the NFL in second level yards<\/a>. That is the percentage of carries that go between five and ten yards. In 2017, they rank 27th in this area. However, the team has ranked fourth in stuffed percentage, the percentage of carries that go for no gain or less in 2016. Through three games they still rank fifth in that category. Essentially, instead of Bell turning three-yard runs into eight to ten yard runs, he is turning stuffs, or his zero yard runs into run of less than five yards.<\/p>\n

Take this play below from Week Three<\/a>. When Bell gets the ball there is an initial hole. However, you can see that Mitch Unrein, 98,<\/a><\/strong> is starting to get away from left tackle Alejandro Villanueva<\/a>. Eddie Goldman, 91<\/a><\/strong>, who was a nuisance all game quickly shoved center Maurkice Pouncey<\/a><\/strong> into the hole and Bell was forced to try another alley.<\/p>\n

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As you can see below, David DeCastro<\/a><\/strong> gets held up by Akiem Hicks<\/a><\/strong> and what had the potential to be a second level carry turned into a three-yard run.<\/p>\n