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PITTSBURGH STEELERS OFFENSIVE LINE
The Steelers offensive line has weathered several challenges this season. Due to those challenges, the current unit presents a unique dichotomy of skill sets and experiences. With the absences of starting LT Kelvin Beachum, C Maurkice Pouncey and the limited appearances by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the unit has had to adapt to trying circumstances. The additional shuffling at running back has added another layer of complexity to the equation. Why, the hallmark of high quality offensive line play is rooted in consistency. The inconsistencies they’ve endured has yielded varied returns on performance.
The film study reveals much of what you wouldn’t expect from an offensive line missing two opening day starters. Surprisingly, this mismatched conglomerate has played well thus far, given the circumstances. We were anticipating a dramatic drop off in terms of performance but were pleasantly surprised by the level of execution and discipline. Throughout history, the tempo/pace of this group has been set by a center that embodied the Steeler identity. The culture surrounding a Pittsburgh offensive line can be summed up in a single word, tough. Cody Wallace may not be all that you want from a physical standpoint, but he has carried the torch of toughness at a very high level. He has set the tempo each week, albeit crossing the line a bit too frequently. With that said, the Steelers offensive unit is one of the least penalized in the NFL. The discipline displayed upfront is a direct reflection of the coaching staff. This unit may not have the highest talent threshold, but they aren’t going to hurt themselves with mental mistakes. This has allowed them to remain true to their identity through running the football, which has placed them sixth in the NFL in total yards rushing. In spite of missing two starters, they’ve only given up 23 sacks. Comparatively, the Cleveland Browns, with all five of their opening day starters, two of which are pro bowlers, have given up 36.
ALEJANDRO VILLANUEVA, LT
After being thrust into the starting role due to the unfortunate knee injury sustained by Kelvin Beachum, Villanueva has faired ok. The one thing we know to expect from him is a high level of effort. It’s not an easy task for an inexperienced player to step in for a player like Beachum. You’d expect a fair amount of hesitation that leads to a cascade of performance issues. Alejandro has stepped in with a fighter’s mentality. On the flip side, his mechanics have not caught up with his heart. His primary issue is found with the stance. This has lead to many of the inefficient patterns he’s displaying thus far. We noticed his left heel is too high off the ground, while his foot is pointing relatively straight ahead. This inappropriate position leads him to shorten the edge way too soon upon taking his first kick into his pass set. To give you a more clear visual, imagine a race car driver cutting his wheel too soon in to a turn on the track versus easing the wheel with the turn. This shifts the leverage and control towards the natural pass rush path of the defender, while a proper pass set is going to create a natural “intersect” point along the way. Outside of affecting his one on one pass protection, this inefficient movement pattern hurts his ability to pass off defensive line games and pressures. His true novice shows up in the run game. Apparently he is not comfortable run blocking out of a two point stance. On the run downs he turns to a three point stance, even when the quarterback is in shotgun. This is a significant issue as defenders are constantly on the look out for tendencies that reveal the offenses hand.
RAMON FOSTER, LG
As the veteran leader of the group, Foster has been the most consistent performer of the bunch. He brings a demeanor that harkens back to the Steelers offensive line glory days. Outside of his leadership, Foster’s performance leaves too much potential on the table. His pass protection presents a flaw that not only hurts him, but the LT as well. While studying his film a nasty trend presented itself. Foster has the tendency to play way too flat to the line of scrimmage. He and the LT struggle to pass games off because they are on two different levels. An offensive lineman’s best friend is depth. Depth gives an OL a chance to be patient while allowing himself to sort through the deception being presented by the defense. Foster’s issues begin with his first “step”, it’s too lateral. This initial movement then leads to him playing too much on his heels, playing too high and not setting more firm when he needs to. Foster is a big strong man and knows it. He’s much more comfortable absorbing a defender than deflecting the force with a powerful set and hand strike. This tendency bleeds into the run game as well. We see Foster lean on and position into defenders much more than we witness him exploding through his hips and transferring force through them.
CODY WALLACE, C
There’s a lot to love about Cody Wallace. We know this isn’t exactly the most popular opinion being floated around but this is ours. The Steelers boast a very proud tradition at the center position. Maurkice Pouncey has endured the legacy of Mike Webster, Dermonti Dawson and Jeff Hartings. Physically, Wallace is not in this elite pantheon of talent. Mentally, Wallace can hold his own with any of these guys. Cody Wallace is the guy that has to do everything right on the field to be successful. He’s undoubtedly the tempo setter of this group. The issue we have with Cody is the fact he has not developed a better understanding of how to use his hands in the run game when matched up one on one. This is where his issues are truly highlighted. As stated, Wallace is the player that has to do everything correctly and he can’t afford to miss with his hands. As of now, he plays with his hands too “over the top” of the defender in the run and pass game. His stature allows him to have a natural leverage advantage over most defenders he plays against, but he gives that away by playing with his hands too high. It’s our opinion that it’s a lack of attention to detail and focus that causes his poor hand placement.
DAVID DECASTRO, RG
DeCastro has not lived up to the pre-draft hype but he has developed in to a very solid guard in the NFL. Much credit has to be given to him for taking ownership of his craft and career. It’s exciting to think how much better he is going to be over the next couple of years if he continues to develop at this pace. While there has been tremendous strides to improve, DeCastro has a ways to go before he reaches the zenith of his potential. A major curse to his pass protection is ironically a gift in the run game. DeCastro has what we call “happy feet”. He does a great job in the run game in taking short and choppy steps that allow him to generate good force by keeping his hips in a powerful position. We rarely witnessed him overextended or out of control in the run. The downside to “happy feet” in the passing game is it leads to false steps (stepping upfield), playing too high and flat to the line of scrimmage. He has a tendency to step up and in upon the snap of the ball, leading to struggles passing off games and making it difficult to anchor bullrushes. DeCastro is able to get by with this bad habit because he is still relatively young and athletic for a guard. This is why you will sometimes see very good plays with him, then suddenly see something that makes you scratch your head.
MARCUS GILBERT, RT
Throughout his career Gilbert has teetered back and forth on how committed he was going to be to reaching his full potential. This balancing act has lead to several memorable performances, as well as others he would rather forget. He is currently playing at a high level. The film shows a guy that has taken his craft a bit more seriously but hasn’t gotten it all the way figured out yet. A giant issue with Gilbert is the fact he does not have a consistent stance. We counted three different stances with the fourth being something out of a horror movie. His right heel is too far off the ground, leading to all of his subsequent movements being done on “the rise”, simply meaning he plays too high. He plays very hard and fast, but he struggles playing under control. The stance we feel is best suited for him is the one he used against Khalil Mack during the Raiders matchup. He played well that week. We didn’t see the strength show up consistently in the run game. One thing he does very well in the run game is he plays with tight hands. This is his saving grace, otherwise his poor pad level would be more highlighted.
Collectively, Steelers fans should be very proud of this group. This group may not have the “names’ they are most familiar with but they do a great job holding true to the culture and what it means to be a Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS OFFENSIVE LINE
The Steelers offensive line has weathered several challenges this season. Due to those challenges, the current unit presents a unique dichotomy of skill sets and experiences. With the absences of starting LT Kelvin Beachum, C Maurkice Pouncey and the limited appearances by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the unit has had to adapt to trying circumstances. The additional shuffling at running back has added another layer of complexity to the equation. Why, the hallmark of high quality offensive line play is rooted in consistency. The inconsistencies they’ve endured has yielded varied returns on performance.
The film study reveals much of what you wouldn’t expect from an offensive line missing two opening day starters. Surprisingly, this mismatched conglomerate has played well thus far, given the circumstances. We were anticipating a dramatic drop off in terms of performance but were pleasantly surprised by the level of execution and discipline. Throughout history, the tempo/pace of this group has been set by a center that embodied the Steeler identity. The culture surrounding a Pittsburgh offensive line can be summed up in a single word, tough. Cody Wallace may not be all that you want from a physical standpoint, but he has carried the torch of toughness at a very high level. He has set the tempo each week, albeit crossing the line a bit too frequently. With that said, the Steelers offensive unit is one of the least penalized in the NFL. The discipline displayed upfront is a direct reflection of the coaching staff. This unit may not have the highest talent threshold, but they aren’t going to hurt themselves with mental mistakes. This has allowed them to remain true to their identity through running the football, which has placed them sixth in the NFL in total yards rushing. In spite of missing two starters, they’ve only given up 23 sacks. Comparatively, the Cleveland Browns, with all five of their opening day starters, two of which are pro bowlers, have given up 36.
ALEJANDRO VILLANUEVA, LT
After being thrust into the starting role due to the unfortunate knee injury sustained by Kelvin Beachum, Villanueva has faired ok. The one thing we know to expect from him is a high level of effort. It’s not an easy task for an inexperienced player to step in for a player like Beachum. You’d expect a fair amount of hesitation that leads to a cascade of performance issues. Alejandro has stepped in with a fighter’s mentality. On the flip side, his mechanics have not caught up with his heart. His primary issue is found with the stance. This has lead to many of the inefficient patterns he’s displaying thus far. We noticed his left heel is too high off the ground, while his foot is pointing relatively straight ahead. This inappropriate position leads him to shorten the edge way too soon upon taking his first kick into his pass set. To give you a more clear visual, imagine a race car driver cutting his wheel too soon in to a turn on the track versus easing the wheel with the turn. This shifts the leverage and control towards the natural pass rush path of the defender, while a proper pass set is going to create a natural “intersect” point along the way. Outside of affecting his one on one pass protection, this inefficient movement pattern hurts his ability to pass off defensive line games and pressures. His true novice shows up in the run game. Apparently he is not comfortable run blocking out of a two point stance. On the run downs he turns to a three point stance, even when the quarterback is in shotgun. This is a significant issue as defenders are constantly on the look out for tendencies that reveal the offenses hand.
RAMON FOSTER, LG
As the veteran leader of the group, Foster has been the most consistent performer of the bunch. He brings a demeanor that harkens back to the Steelers offensive line glory days. Outside of his leadership, Foster’s performance leaves too much potential on the table. His pass protection presents a flaw that not only hurts him, but the LT as well. While studying his film a nasty trend presented itself. Foster has the tendency to play way too flat to the line of scrimmage. He and the LT struggle to pass games off because they are on two different levels. An offensive lineman’s best friend is depth. Depth gives an OL a chance to be patient while allowing himself to sort through the deception being presented by the defense. Foster’s issues begin with his first “step”, it’s too lateral. This initial movement then leads to him playing too much on his heels, playing too high and not setting more firm when he needs to. Foster is a big strong man and knows it. He’s much more comfortable absorbing a defender than deflecting the force with a powerful set and hand strike. This tendency bleeds into the run game as well. We see Foster lean on and position into defenders much more than we witness him exploding through his hips and transferring force through them.
CODY WALLACE, C
There’s a lot to love about Cody Wallace. We know this isn’t exactly the most popular opinion being floated around but this is ours. The Steelers boast a very proud tradition at the center position. Maurkice Pouncey has endured the legacy of Mike Webster, Dermonti Dawson and Jeff Hartings. Physically, Wallace is not in this elite pantheon of talent. Mentally, Wallace can hold his own with any of these guys. Cody Wallace is the guy that has to do everything right on the field to be successful. He’s undoubtedly the tempo setter of this group. The issue we have with Cody is the fact he has not developed a better understanding of how to use his hands in the run game when matched up one on one. This is where his issues are truly highlighted. As stated, Wallace is the player that has to do everything correctly and he can’t afford to miss with his hands. As of now, he plays with his hands too “over the top” of the defender in the run and pass game. His stature allows him to have a natural leverage advantage over most defenders he plays against, but he gives that away by playing with his hands too high. It’s our opinion that it’s a lack of attention to detail and focus that causes his poor hand placement.
DAVID DECASTRO, RG
DeCastro has not lived up to the pre-draft hype but he has developed in to a very solid guard in the NFL. Much credit has to be given to him for taking ownership of his craft and career. It’s exciting to think how much better he is going to be over the next couple of years if he continues to develop at this pace. While there has been tremendous strides to improve, DeCastro has a ways to go before he reaches the zenith of his potential. A major curse to his pass protection is ironically a gift in the run game. DeCastro has what we call “happy feet”. He does a great job in the run game in taking short and choppy steps that allow him to generate good force by keeping his hips in a powerful position. We rarely witnessed him overextended or out of control in the run. The downside to “happy feet” in the passing game is it leads to false steps (stepping upfield), playing too high and flat to the line of scrimmage. He has a tendency to step up and in upon the snap of the ball, leading to struggles passing off games and making it difficult to anchor bullrushes. DeCastro is able to get by with this bad habit because he is still relatively young and athletic for a guard. This is why you will sometimes see very good plays with him, then suddenly see something that makes you scratch your head.
MARCUS GILBERT, RT
Throughout his career Gilbert has teetered back and forth on how committed he was going to be to reaching his full potential. This balancing act has lead to several memorable performances, as well as others he would rather forget. He is currently playing at a high level. The film shows a guy that has taken his craft a bit more seriously but hasn’t gotten it all the way figured out yet. A giant issue with Gilbert is the fact he does not have a consistent stance. We counted three different stances with the fourth being something out of a horror movie. His right heel is too far off the ground, leading to all of his subsequent movements being done on “the rise”, simply meaning he plays too high. He plays very hard and fast, but he struggles playing under control. The stance we feel is best suited for him is the one he used against Khalil Mack during the Raiders matchup. He played well that week. We didn’t see the strength show up consistently in the run game. One thing he does very well in the run game is he plays with tight hands. This is his saving grace, otherwise his poor pad level would be more highlighted.
Collectively, Steelers fans should be very proud of this group. This group may not have the “names’ they are most familiar with but they do a great job holding true to the culture and what it means to be a Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman.
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