A fine line indeed for Steelers
Kevin Lorenzi|Calkins Media
The Steelers无毛视频� Cobi Hamilton catches the game-winning touchdown ahead of the Browns无毛视频� Briean Boddy-Calhoun during the Steelers无毛视频� 27-24 win over Cleveland on Sunday at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
Demarcus Ayers (15) runs into the end zone for a touchdown during the Steelers 27-24 overtime win over the Browns on Sunday at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� No, the Steelers never did average those 30 points per game they had been aiming for. It was more like 24.9.
All that preseason talk about Ben Roethlisberger throwing for 5,000 yards and Antonio Brown getting 2,000 in receiving? It was just that, all talk. They really weren无毛视频檛 even that close.
Hell, they nearly lost to Cleveland on Sunday, despite the Browns无毛视频� best efforts to do otherwise. Of course, having Roethlisberger, Brown, Le无毛视频橵eon Bell and Maurkice Pouncey standing on the sidelines in sweats might have had a little something to do with that.
And yet here the Steelers are, winners of seven in a row after Sunday无毛视频檚 27-24 win in overtime over the Browns, and on the precipice of what they hope will be a lengthy playoff run. And that offense, despite some of its statistical 无毛视频渟hortcomings,无毛视频� is as dangerous as any in the NFL playoff field.
If Pittsburgh无毛视频檚 offense is only as good as the line in front of it 无毛视频� as Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Todd Haley insist 无毛视频� forget 无毛视频淒ecember Football,无毛视频� the Steelers could find themselves playing in February.
Though the line was far from great against Cleveland, allowing Landry Jones to be sacked three times 无毛视频� the most they had allowed since their Week 3 loss at Philadelphia 无毛视频� it capped a remarkable accomplishment for the O-line.
The Steelers closed out the regular season with just 20 sacks allowed, tying a franchise-record for the fewest in a 16-game schedule (matched in 1986 and 无毛视频�97). As good as that sounds, guard David DeCastro says the line doesn无毛视频檛 deserve all the credit.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a team stat,无毛视频� DeCastro said. 无毛视频淧eople want to put the sacks thing on us, it无毛视频檚 the running backs, tight ends and receivers getting open, the quarterback getting rid of the ball quickly and being on the same page.无毛视频�
But, consider this: Roethlisberger was sacked just on just 3.4 percent of his dropbacks this season. That无毛视频檚 not only a career low, that无毛视频檚 almost a full percentage point over last year无毛视频檚 mark of 4.1 which had been his personal best.
Over the first decade of his career from 2004-13, Roethlisberger averaged 39.1 sacks per season. Not coincidentally, Roethisberger, who has a career sack percentage of 7.14, played every game just once during that span.
Steelers guard Ramon Foster says Roethlisberger has grown along with the line in front of him.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 done a great job getting the ball off, also the urgency of us knowing that keeping him in the game give us a better chance of winning,无毛视频� guard Ramon Foster said. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 been pretty strategic about how he无毛视频檚 played this year, separating himself from hits. Just everything in general. When he无毛视频檚 been taken down, he无毛视频檚 still finding guys in the flat or just getting rid of the ball.无毛视频�
When the Steelers host the Miami Dolphins next week in the AFC Wildcard, they will do so with a healthy Roethlisberger, Brown, Bell and Pouncey. Don无毛视频檛 forget about that last one. Sunday无毛视频檚 pyrrhic win over Cleveland came with B.J. Finney filling in at center.
无毛视频淣o offense to Finney, Finney无毛视频檚 great,无毛视频� DeCastro said, 无毛视频淭he depth is great with him and (Chris Hubbard) to come in and play guard and get those center reps is good, (but) god forbid Pouncey goes down. Pouncey is who he is for a reason. His resume is what it is for a reason. You definitely notice him.无毛视频�
Still, this is a quarterback-driven league and Roethlisberger and New England无毛视频檚 Tom Brady are the only two on the AFC side of the playoff bracket with championship rings to their resumes.
As long as the Steelers have a healthy Roethlisberger, they feel they always have a chance.
无毛视频淓very time we get on the field our expectation is not to have anyone near him, touch him or hit him,无毛视频� right tackle Marcus Gilbert said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 not all about sacks. We know that hits and hurries they affect the game big time. We know with Ben timing is everything with our receivers. As long as we无毛视频檙e efficient with that and keep him upright, the less hurries and hits, I think we have a good day no matter who we play.无毛视频�
The 20 sacks the Steelers allowed were just two more than Oakland无毛视频檚 league-leading 18 or a 无毛视频渕ere无毛视频� 50 fewer than Cleveland gave up this season. Despite the notoriety the Steelers offense receives, the big three of Roethlisberger, Brown and Bell in particular, the line doesn无毛视频檛 get a lot of attention outside Pittsburgh. Most discussions as to the NFL无毛视频檚 best lines generally surround Oakland and Dallas.
And that无毛视频檚 just fine with Gilbert.
无毛视频淲e know what kind of line we are,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭he media, were not going to come beg you to push for the credit we deserve. We无毛视频檝e put on a great display all year, a great line of work, but the media has been harping on the O-line for such a long time. It无毛视频檚 out of our control but we know and they know the kind of physical play we put out on the field, the dominance. I feel like nobody plays better than us as a unit all together.无毛视频�