O-line Cooked?

[SteelStallion]

If there's one negative, I would say the o-line looks like it peaked around the New England game or so, and is getting worn down and on a slow decline. But I also have to give credit where credit is due- I think Starks is playing the best of the five, and doing a really great job.

[AkronSteel]

I was impressed with the performance of the OL yesterday. I think they are a much better unit than they were in October. I know they have given up sacks but overall the pocket has been a much more hospitable place for Ben in the last few weeks. I thought they did a real nice job with blitz pick up yesterday. The only play that really stood out to me was the Ray Lewis sack and that was on Darnell, who has been a huge surprise up-front. Willie Colon is really showing that he is out of position though. I say we go get Gross, resign Essex, move Willie inside to guard, and draft two lineman in the first 3 rounds of the draft. Then going into next year we have:

LT Gross...........Hills
LG Colon...........Rookie
C Hartwig.........Stapleton
RG Stapleton.....Simmons
RT Rookie.........Essex

This could be a really good group IMO!

[Oviedo]

I was impressed with the performance of the OL yesterday. I think they are a much better unit than they were in October. I know they have given up sacks but overall the pocket has been a much more hospitable place for Ben in the last few weeks. I thought they did a real nice job with blitz pick up yesterday. The only play that really stood out to me was the Ray Lewis sack and that was on Darnell, who has been a huge surprise up-front. Willie Colon is really showing that he is out of position though. I say we go get Gross, resign Essex, move Willie inside to guard, and draft two lineman in the first 3 rounds of the draft. Then going into next year we have:

LT Gross...........Hills
LG Colon...........Rookie
C Hartwig.........Stapleton
RG Stapleton.....Simmons
RT Rookie.........Essex

This could be a really good group IMO!

I'd take that combo in a heartbeat. One potential mod would be to resign Kemo and put Colon at RG. Let Stapleton back up at C and G. I'd probably let Simmons go but that would probably be too much of a cap hit.

[BURGH86STEEL]

If there's one negative, I would say the o-line looks like it peaked around the New England game or so, and is getting worn down and on a slow decline. But I also have to give credit where credit is due- I think Starks is playing the best of the five, and doing a really great job.

I think the Oline did a good job against the Ravens. Ben had a lot of time on several occasions. Do you remember the beating he took in 2006? Parker and Moore had some running room. Probably more running room than recent history. Take away the penalties and would've had a few more long gains. Outside of the Giants, not many teams ran consistantly well on the Ravens. Starks has played well since he became the LT. I think he might be a better LT than he is a RT.

It will be interesting to see how the Steelers and other teams approach Starks in the off season. He will probably command a nice bit of money as a FA. Guess the organizaton made the right decision to keep him at 7 mill for this season.

[Chadman]

If there's one negative, I would say the o-line looks like it peaked around the New England game or so, and is getting worn down and on a slow decline. But I also have to give credit where credit is due- I think Starks is playing the best of the five, and doing a really great job.

I think the Oline did a good job against the Ravens. Ben had a lot of time on several occasions. Do you remember the beating he took in 2006? Parker and Moore had some running room. Probably more running room than recent history. Take away the penalties and would've had a few more long gains. Outside of the Giants, not many teams ran consistantly well on the Ravens. Starks has played well since he became the LT. I think he might be a better LT than he is a RT.

It will be interesting to see how the Steelers and other teams approach Starks in the off season. He will probably command a nice bit of money as a FA. Guess the organizaton made the right decision to keep him at 7 mill for this season.

Give Starks the money & the LT position.

Better the devil you know, sometimes.

[pittpete]

Colon was a dog yesterday.
Still dont understand what they see in this guy?

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Hey, just got to thinking ... it would be so natural for there to have been jokes about Colon/Dump Truck, both names having, uhmm, scatological associations. But I don't ever remember hearing even one ... did we all miss a golden opportunity?

[SteelStallion]

I just had to come back to this after he Tennesee loss because I thought the o-line again looked bad. They can't run-block for crap and usually they mask it between the 30s with their pass game (not as well today) but it's obvious in the red zone or short yardage situation. The pass blocking is also bad and again is masked with quick-release stuff. And again when Ben gets away from that and tries to improv or stall for a deep play you see what happens. They don't have control of the l.o.s. and I don't think it's realistic to keep winning by the defense bailing them out. Unfortunately this o-line group doesn't have the ability to improve and I sense the team as a whole has peaked out as they head into the playoffs. Hope I'm wrong.

Either way, it's still a great season against the toughest schedule, and a #2 seed, more than most expected. Go Steelers :tt1

[pittpete]

You pretty muched summed it up.
We cant run the ball with any kind of consistency.
Today Stapleton was getting abused in the first half and Kemo seems to look clueless at times.
Willie ran hard, but consistently got hit behind the line.
I dont undrestand why Carey Davis is on this team if we cant teach him to block.
I hate to say it but not being able to make 3rd and 1's and 2's in the playoffs is going to make it tough to advance.
That 3rd and 2 when Ben threw the pick was just an example.
If Arians cant see that this 1 back set isnt helping the run game then just abandon it for christ sakes.... :HeadBanger

[pfelix73]

Well, here's something else to throw out there. It again comes back to the play-calling, and that's BA's responsibility. Did anyone witness that new formation that BA tried with the 3 TE's when we down on the goal line in the 1st Q? None of those 3 TE's can block well. Heath was never known as a great blocker. And the other 2 totally suck at blocking.

Again, we have no FB. If we have that FB in there, I would bet we can run the ball better than we are now. Those 2 TE sets BA employs, will bring up the safeties and makes it very hard to run. period. BA needs to go. IMO.

[SteelStallion]

I would say if they had something good to feel about on the line, they wouldn't feel the need to experiment with 3 TE schemes at this point in the year.

[Iron Shiek]

Well, here's something else to throw out there. It again comes back to the play-calling, and that's BA's responsibility. Did anyone witness that new formation that BA tried with the 3 TE's when we down on the goal line in the 1st Q? None of those 3 TE's can block well. Heath was never known as a great blocker. And the other 2 totally suck at blocking.

Again, we have no FB. If we have that FB in there, I would bet we can run the ball better than we are now. Those 2 TE sets BA employs, will bring up the safeties and makes it very hard to run. period. BA needs to go. IMO.

That stacked 3 TE package was a joke. THey might as well have lined up with no offensive linemen and let ben take a knee...stupid arians...

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

The OL played bad. I have been a supporter of them but yesterday the played bad. As well as Ben and actually the defense had a bad game. It had to happen and I'm glad it happened now. Not to concerned because now the only way we see the Ravens is in the AFC Championship game if they end up #6. #2 seed looks better because both wildcards are better than the lower division champs!

[frankthetank1]

colon cannot play tackle. they really need to move him to guard or have him be a back up. i would rather have stapleton and kemo at guard than colon next season

[RKSteel]

Well, here's something else to throw out there. It again comes back to the play-calling, and that's BA's responsibility. Did anyone witness that new formation that BA tried with the 3 TE's when we down on the goal line in the 1st Q? None of those 3 TE's can block well. Heath was never known as a great blocker. And the other 2 totally suck at blocking.

Again, we have no FB. If we have that FB in there, I would bet we can run the ball better than we are now. Those 2 TE sets BA employs, will bring up the safeties and makes it very hard to run. period. BA needs to go. IMO.

That stacked 3 TE package was a joke. THey might as well have lined up with no offensive linemen and let ben take a knee...stupid arians...That play may have worked if desinged to fake a run to the right and cut back to the left. The whole left side of the field was open.

[frankthetank1]

the three te formation sucks. the first red zone opportunity was pathetic. 1st and goal at the 5 and they call two runs up the middle in that stupid formation and get nothing. arians is a genius. it didnt work all game but does arians make adjustments at the half and put a fb in? no of course not

[Oviedo]

the three te formation sucks. the first red zone opportunity was pathetic. 1st and goal at the 5 and they call two runs up the middle in that stupid formation and get nothing. arians is a genius. it didnt work all game but does arians make adjustments at the half and put a fb in? no of course not

3 TEs actually isn't bad if you actually throw to one of them versus running the ball into the middle of the line with no FB is stupid.

[ramblinjim]

My anger at the game probably clouded my judgment on the Oline. To me, it looked like the players just didn't come to play and because of that they got it handed right back to them.

The only player that looked good yesterday was Ward.

[feltdizz]

I thought the 3 TE set was going to be the pass the Heath like they did in the Dallas game.
Those 3 TE's looked like JV kids trying to block yesterday.