The Pittsburgh Steelers have made offensive line a priority over the last several years in the NFL Draft. But Week 2 proved again the unit remains a significant work in progress.
In the 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots, the Steelers allowed four sacks and seven quarterback hits. The line has also generated virtually no running room. Through two weeks, the Steelers are 29th in rushing yards and 27th in yards per carry.
How could an offensive line be so bad after an organization drafts three linemen in the first round over four years? Steelers insider Mark Kaboly pointed to how the organization has managed the unit over the offseason and preseason as the top reason.
“It just seems like it’s a crucial failure along the whole offensive line. It’s everything. It’s not only communication issues, it’s physicality too,” said Kaboly on 93.7 The Fan on Monday morning. “They’re getting pushed around.
“I think you have to blame McCarthy too for just waiting too long to get the group together and make a call on this. I think he was more worried in the preseason about where people fit rather than who his five starters were.”
That was just the beginning of the criticism the Steelers received for their offensive line play and their recent management of the unit. Super Bowl winning head coach and analyst Jon Gruden tried to shift through all the changes the Steelers offensive line went through before the 2026 season.
“I don’t know what they did. They moved their right tackle to left tackle, their right guard to left guard. I don’t know who their right tackle is,” said Gruden on Monday, via Steelers Depot. “They’re struggling to protect, struggling to run the ball.”
Recapping the Steelers Changes Along the Offensive Line
In summary, the Steelers left one lineman in the same spot he started in last season — center Zach Frazier. The rest of the line is new to their position.
With that in mind, perhaps the unit just needs more “time on task” as coaches in the league like to say. But based on the pedigree of the players and their college experience at their “new” positions, the Steelers didn’t convey in training camp the transition would be like it was Sunday.
2024 first-round pick Troy Fautanu played both left and right tackle in college. He started at right tackle in his first two seasons before switching to the left side this year. Mason McCormick switched to left guard, from right guard, so Fautanu could have the same guard next to him.
But both players, particularly Fautanu, appear to still be learning the footwork and nuances required to make the side switch.
At right tackle, the Steelers have started former undrafted free agent Dylan Cook, who is the player Gruden doesn’t know. Cook played well in a small sample for Pittsburgh last December, but that was at left guard.
Meanwhile, starting right guard Spencer Anderson was a swing tackle last year. The Steelers lost their most experienced lineman from last year — left guard Isaac Seumalo — in free agency and didn’t really replace him.
Pittsburgh Offensive Line Under Fire After Week 2
The offensive line was serviceable in Week 1 versus the Atlanta Falcons. But Atlanta was missing its two young edge rushers.
The Patriots didn’t have veteran Harold Landry III, but Mike Vrabel created six-man pressures to wreck havoc on the Steelers line.
“It was supposed to be a strength, or at least coalesce into one at some point, and it’s looking like an abject weakness with really no hope in sight,” TribLive.com’s Mark Madden said Monday morning. “The pressure was all over Rodgers. It came from everywhere. It came on pretty much every snap. Dylan Cook was a disaster at the right tackle. But nobody on that line covered himself in glory. Nobody else was much better.”
No Steelers analyst argued any of the five offensive line starters played well. But there appeared to be a battle for who was the worst lineman in Week 2.
“Going through this Steelers offensive line film from yesterday & Dylan Cook didn’t play nearly as bad as he’s getting killed for,” wrote Chat Sports’ Jack Sperry. “Spencer Anderson, however, needs to be replaced immediately.”
The Steelers line must regroup quickly. The team will welcome the Cincinnati Bengals to Acruisure Stadium in Week 3 and then face the Cleveland Browns on the road during Week 4 on Thursday Night Football.
Steelers Put on Blast Over Offensive Line Management