Despite their best efforts, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line is still developing, says quarterback Justin Fields. And of course he’s right, because the unit’s play this preseason has rightly raised some concerns. Although the unit played better overall yesterday, it wasn’t exactly a championship-caliber game.
“They did a pretty good job, but there’s still room for improvement,” ESPN’s Brooke Pryor quoted Fields as saying about the Steelers’ offensive line after their 24-17 loss to the Detroit Lions in their last preseason game. “We’re just going to look at the mistakes we made and what plays we could have done better and improved.”
The problem that stands out most is another botched quarterback-center swap, once again with Justin Fields, of all people. The Steelers have struggled repeatedly this preseason in this area, one of the most fundamental in football.
At least this time, it appears that rookie C Zach Frazier grabbed the football too early, resulting in a loose ball. The mistake occurred on third down and led to a botched play that stalled the drive. A little later in the game, the line allowed another sack on Fields on third down, ending another drive.
The Steelers are still working on putting the finishing touches on the offensive line, which is part of the equation. Frazier will start at center by default after Nate Herbig’s injury, although he probably would have gotten the job anyway. Then two solid, experienced guards return in Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels.
The tackle position is still uncertain, with the Steelers juggling between three options. Rookie Troy Fautanu, selected in the first round of the draft, is recovering from a knee injury sustained in the first preseason game. He played the first half despite sustaining the injury in the first quarter. He could start at right tackle, but he has little time to prove he is healthy and ready for the role.
Broderick Jones is a second-year player who started at right tackle for most of last season. He played there for most of the offseason but didn’t always get high marks. Perhaps due in part to injuries, he had very inconsistent results, especially last week. Things went better for him yesterday, so hopefully that’s a sign of things to come.
But the Steelers still need to figure out who starts when and where. If Fautanu starts, will they move Jones to the left tackle position and leave Dan Moore Jr. on the bench? Are they content to let Moore and Jones play where they are for now?
They have a few weeks to figure that out before the Steelers have to put five players on the field in Atlanta. But those five players will be blocking for Russell Wilson, not Justin Fields.
