The Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled offensively for a long time, but one second-year player holds the key to turning around their fortunes this season.
It might seem as if a star such as George Pickens or a big name like Russell Wilson would hold the key to the Steelers’ success this year, but the reality is that any improvement will be driven by their offensive line. Let’s take a closer look at why Broderick Jones is surprisingly critical to what the Steelers are trying to do on the offensive side of the ball.
Steelers’ offense has been stagnant in recent years
Pittsburgh’s offense became entirely predictable in the past half-decade, with opponents being able to guess what plays the Steelers were going to run. This gave opposing defenses an incredible advantage in terms of getting themselves in the right position to shut the play down. The Steelers also had a bad habit of putting themselves in situations where they faced obvious passing downs. That allowed the defense to key in on the quarterback and blitz aggressively.
It’s been a struggle to get anything going on the ground or through the air, and this has a spiraling negative effect on both units. If the team can’t put pressure on defenses down the field, it allows opponents to stack the box. This in turn makes life harder for the running backs.
If the running game can’t get going because there are extra defenders in the box, that in turn makes it harder for the passing game to get going. The team will often be in obvious passing situations where defenders can blitz with reckless abandon.
That made it harder on the offensive line, but the line wasn’t good enough regardless. Pittsburgh’s blockers also contributed to the situation by not being reliable enough in run blocking or pass protection. This unit has been a disaster lately, and everybody has their fair share of the blame to own up to. This has a cascading effect, where each unit's shortcomings make it more difficult for the other units, who already have their own struggles.
Add it all together, and this situation makes for an offensive struggle that is unbearable for fans to watch.
Broderick Jones will boost Steelers on ground, through air
Jones is a talented player at a premium position who will be addressing one of the team's weak links, and he’ll provide value to the Steelers on multiple fronts. His ability to hold his ground in pass protection, and keep defensive players away from his quarterback will serve the team well in the passing game. It will give Wilson or Justin Fields more time to stand in the pocket and let players develop down the field.
It will also open up versatility in play-calling by expanding the route tree that receivers can run. If the offensive coordinator knows that his quarterback will be under pressure almost immediately, he’s limited in the routes that he can call for his receivers. There won’t be time to allow slower-developing routes, such as digs, corners, posts, feeds or almost any route involving a double move.
By the time the receiver runs his route and gets to the point where he’s expected to be open, the quarterback will be looking up at the sky and wondering what happened.
When it comes to the Steelers, the book is out on their strengths and weaknesses. Defenses know that the Steelers don’t have time to run deeper routes, which allows defensive players to be more aggressive without worrying about getting beat deep for a touchdown.
Jones will help keep the quarterback upright
It’s very difficult for an NFL quarterback to stand tall in the pocket and make accurate throws down field if his offensive line is unable to hold off defensive pass rushers.
That has been part of the Steelers’ problem offensively throughout the past four or five years, even dating back to the twilight of the Ben Roethlisberger era in Pittsburgh. This isn’t to absolve the team’s quarterbacks or offensive play collars of any blame, though.
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The second-year offensive tackle will at least give his quarterback a fair shot to hang in the pocket and make a play. He has a big body that he utilizes well and he’s continuing to improve his footwork. Jones is agile and can mirror opposing pass rushers with ease. He rarely gets beat due to speed or athleticism, and he has the strength to defend against power rushers.
The quarterback play has simply been inadequate, and the play-calling was equally lackluster. The Steelers have made major investments in their office of line in recent years, and overall play began to improve last season.
However, tackle was still a weak spot. Jones will be critical to addressing that gap and giving Wilson or Fields a fair chance to be successful in the Steel City.
Broderick Jones will help create running lanes
Jones is a physical and aggressive run blocker who enjoys getting out of his stance and making sure the player across from him has a bad day. He hits quick and hard, with decisive pad punches that get defenders off-balance.
He then has the instinct to drive through the defender, punishing them and often taking them out of the play completely. This also often leads to highlight reel blocks that can inspire his team and demoralize the opposing defense.
