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A fine line? Steelers think so
[url="http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2009/08/08/sports/doc4a7e4411d2d22675688150.txt"]http://www.timesonline.com/articles/200 ... 688150.txt[/url]
By Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff
Published: Saturday, August 8, 2009 11:43 PM EDT
LATROBE
With 31 days left until the Steelers open the regular season, the offensive line finds itself the subject of great debate.
It seems the media and fans alike aren’t convinced this is an O-line capable of playing its last game in Super Bowl XVIII.
Of course, that was the sentiment last year.
“All I know is that last year at camp, I was new and that we had two guys go down early in the season,” center Justin Hartwig said. “Most of the year, I was playing with two new guys next to me.
“It was difficult at times. But we have a tight-knit group. We’ve played together. We’ve been there. We’ve done that. We’ve been successful. So I think the sky is the limit for us. We have a chance to be one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.”
It doesn’t get more successful than playing in and winning the Super Bowl. But did the O-line really play a significant role in last year’s championship march? Or did the Steelers’ win it all despite a poor O-line?
“I don’t really care if we got a bad rap,” Hartwig said. “All that matters to us are the guys in our meeting room.”
That would be the players, coach Mike Tomlin, offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and position coach Larry Zierlein. They all had an us-against-the-world mentality whenever the O-line was criticized that year. The coaches claimed the line got a bum rap.
But this is a new year. So in early August, optimism abounds.
“The sky is the limit,” said guard/tackle Trai Essex. “We have all the pieces. We just have to put it all together.”
For the first time in his five-year pro career, Essex figures to be one of the key pieces. Now that Darnell Stapleton is out indefinitely after arthroscopic knee surgery, Essex will likely be the starter at right guard when the Tennessee Titans come to town on Sept. 10.
The other four positions are set, although an off-season toe injury has kept Hartwig out of team drills so far in camp.
One of the returning starters is Willie Colon, who, claims Arians, is the best right tackle in the league.
Yet, during the off-season, the Steelers didn’t renew Colon’s contract. He’s in the last year of his existing deal and could become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
The Steelers, however, did throw a lot of money in the direction of left guard Chris Kemoeatu, who replaced perennial All-Pro Alan Fancea last year, and Max Starks, who replaced left tackle Marvel Smith when his back gave out.
Kemoeatu, after just one season as a starter, got a five-year deal worth $20 million, a $4 million signing bonus included.
Starks, who lost his starting job at right tackle to Colon in 2007, got a four-year deal worth $26.3 million that included a $10 million signing bonus.
“I went and pulled for those guys to come back because they are a special group,” said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was sacked 46 times last year, the second-highest total in the league. “I mean that in a lot of ways. It’s good to have them back because of the familiarity they have with me and each other.”
There aren’t many football experts calling the Steelers’ offensive line a “special group.” Then again, they’re the only line with Super Bowl XVIII rings.
“We’re one of youngest (position) groups on the team,” Starks said. “But having that year under our belts, that speaks volumes. The offensive line is a unique position. You need chemistry. You need experience.
“This offensive line is a very close-knit unit. We have set a lot of goals for ourselves. There are some things we have to clean up from last year. So we’re just taking it one day at a time and hoping to get better and better.”
The true test comes in 31 days.
Mike Bires can be reached online at [email="mbires@timesonline.com"]mbires@timesonline.com[/email]
[url="http://www.timesonline.com/articles/2009/08/08/sports/doc4a7e4411d2d22675688150.txt"]http://www.timesonline.com/articles/200 ... 688150.txt[/url]
By Mike Bires, Times Sports Staff
Published: Saturday, August 8, 2009 11:43 PM EDT
LATROBE
With 31 days left until the Steelers open the regular season, the offensive line finds itself the subject of great debate.
It seems the media and fans alike aren’t convinced this is an O-line capable of playing its last game in Super Bowl XVIII.
Of course, that was the sentiment last year.
“All I know is that last year at camp, I was new and that we had two guys go down early in the season,” center Justin Hartwig said. “Most of the year, I was playing with two new guys next to me.
“It was difficult at times. But we have a tight-knit group. We’ve played together. We’ve been there. We’ve done that. We’ve been successful. So I think the sky is the limit for us. We have a chance to be one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.”
It doesn’t get more successful than playing in and winning the Super Bowl. But did the O-line really play a significant role in last year’s championship march? Or did the Steelers’ win it all despite a poor O-line?
“I don’t really care if we got a bad rap,” Hartwig said. “All that matters to us are the guys in our meeting room.”
That would be the players, coach Mike Tomlin, offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and position coach Larry Zierlein. They all had an us-against-the-world mentality whenever the O-line was criticized that year. The coaches claimed the line got a bum rap.
But this is a new year. So in early August, optimism abounds.
“The sky is the limit,” said guard/tackle Trai Essex. “We have all the pieces. We just have to put it all together.”
For the first time in his five-year pro career, Essex figures to be one of the key pieces. Now that Darnell Stapleton is out indefinitely after arthroscopic knee surgery, Essex will likely be the starter at right guard when the Tennessee Titans come to town on Sept. 10.
The other four positions are set, although an off-season toe injury has kept Hartwig out of team drills so far in camp.
One of the returning starters is Willie Colon, who, claims Arians, is the best right tackle in the league.
Yet, during the off-season, the Steelers didn’t renew Colon’s contract. He’s in the last year of his existing deal and could become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
The Steelers, however, did throw a lot of money in the direction of left guard Chris Kemoeatu, who replaced perennial All-Pro Alan Fancea last year, and Max Starks, who replaced left tackle Marvel Smith when his back gave out.
Kemoeatu, after just one season as a starter, got a five-year deal worth $20 million, a $4 million signing bonus included.
Starks, who lost his starting job at right tackle to Colon in 2007, got a four-year deal worth $26.3 million that included a $10 million signing bonus.
“I went and pulled for those guys to come back because they are a special group,” said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was sacked 46 times last year, the second-highest total in the league. “I mean that in a lot of ways. It’s good to have them back because of the familiarity they have with me and each other.”
There aren’t many football experts calling the Steelers’ offensive line a “special group.” Then again, they’re the only line with Super Bowl XVIII rings.
“We’re one of youngest (position) groups on the team,” Starks said. “But having that year under our belts, that speaks volumes. The offensive line is a unique position. You need chemistry. You need experience.
“This offensive line is a very close-knit unit. We have set a lot of goals for ourselves. There are some things we have to clean up from last year. So we’re just taking it one day at a time and hoping to get better and better.”
The true test comes in 31 days.
Mike Bires can be reached online at [email="mbires@timesonline.com"]mbires@timesonline.com[/email]
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