Steelers Are Getting Dominated on the Line of Scrimmage

Despite a 1-1 record, I am still very concerned. Watch any Steelers game through two weeks and you’ll see a team that doesn’t look like Pittsburgh football. The Steelers line is getting absolutely manhandled on both sides of the ball. They’ve allowed over 30 points in consecutive games to start the season. That’s not just disturbing – it’s completely against everything this franchise stands for. The rush defense? Absolutely brutal. The Steelers allowed 182 rushing yards to the Jets and 117 to the Seahawks. Meanwhile, their offensive line can’t keep anyone off Aaron Rodgers. They might as well escort him to the Green Grove retirement community. At 41 years old, by Week 17 he is going to be in a wheelchair.

Nothing about either unit has been good thus far. The defense allowed 397 yards to the Jets and 395 yards to the Seahawks. Yet somehow, Pittsburgh sits at 1-1. How? That is just how the past few seasons have gone. Their offensive line can’t generate any push in the run game and hasn’t reached 100 rushing yards in either game. Regardless of any play that you call, if the men in the trenches are getting blown off the ball, all will fail. A franchise built on physical football is getting pushed around at a “JV level” as their coach would say it. If they don’t figure this out soon, the 2025 season is going to be painful to watch. All their hopes and aspirations will turn into dust if they are getting bullied every Sunday.

The Offensive Line: Still Bad

Pittsburgh’s offensive line provided the same ol’ song and dance. The unit that scared fans the most heading into the season has been the most disappointing position group through two weeks. Aaron Rodgers got sacked four times against the Jets and three more versus Seattle. All fans and signs are pointing at Broderick Jones being the biggest problem. He has allowed four sacks and six pressures in just two games. The worst moment came against the Jets when Will McDonald just ran right past him like he wasn’t even there.

Troy Fautanu has been underwhelming for lack of a better word. I know this is technically this is his rookie season after missing last season, but come on. A former first round pick keeps getting beaten on his angles, which forces Rodgers to step up right into more pressure. Even Isaac Seumalo, who’s supposed to be one of their reliable guys, had his hands full with Leonard Williams the entire afternoon. The communication issues make everything worse. They haven’t handled basic stunts and twists, leaving Rodgers completely exposed. They cannot even tee up a deep ball attempt to DK Metcalf because they are so scared of letting Rodgers do a 5-step drop.

Run Game or Lack Thereof

The ground game numbers are embarrassing. Pittsburgh managed just 53 yards on 20 carries against the Jets. They followed that up with 72 yards on 21 attempts versus Seattle. Jaylen Warren averaged 3.4 yards per carry against the Seahawks, and that’s not his fault. The line creates zero push at the point of attack. They look exactly like last year’s group that ranked 27th in run blocking for long stretches. This continues the same problems from previous seasons when they averaged just 95 rushing yards per game early in 2023. Their zone blocking schemes require timing and lateral movement – both of which are completely missing right now. Without any running game threat, defenses can just pin their ears back and go after Rodgers every single play. So incredibly frustrating to watch considering the Steelers invested in two tackles in recent drafts and neither seem to be grasping the NFL game.

The pressure is directly causing turnovers too. That end zone interception against Seattle looked like miscommunication with Calvin Austin III – the kind of mistake that happens when your quarterback is constantly under duress. The offense has completely stalled because of these issues. After halftime against Seattle, they managed three points and two costly turnovers. Opposing defenses know they can just rush four guys and watch the chaos unfold. This offensive line play makes the entire offense look broken and Rodgers has somehow managed thus far. Until they figure out protection, nothing else matters.