The Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled on offense for the better part of three seasons. Najee Harris has been labeled a bust by many, including respected NFL analyst Greg Cosell, because of his inefficiency as a runner. The Steelers' rushing offense was anemic, and the passing offense under Matt Canada consisted of quick throws to the sideline with occasional go routes to Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. Aside from one partial season with Ben Roethlisberger, Pat Freiermuth has been mostly ignored over the last two seasons.
The Steelers' rushing offense has rebounded over the past four games, posting over 150 yards rushing in each contest. On Tuesday, during The Cook and Joe Show, they welcomed NFL Network analyst and offensive line guru, Brian Baldinger, to explain why the Steelers found consistency in the running game in the middle of the season. His answer was not complicated.
“Broderick, Broderick Jones at right tackle,” Baldinger stated. “He’s just so athletic. They pull him, they get him out there on the perimeter. They are getting movement at the point. You know, the two additions of [Isaac] Seumalo and Broderick Jones. You can’t say enough about either one of them. Those two guys show up all the time in the run game. The additions have really paid off.”
The Steelers' streak started with the insertion of Jones into the starting lineup. Since the Steelers drafted Harris to give Roethlisberger a bell cow running back in his final season, the run game has struggled. It was not much better during the first seven games of the 2023 season with Isaac Seumalo in the lineup.
Steelers Rookie Broderick Jones Wants Teams To Rack Up 200+ Rushing Yards Every Week
After Chukwuma Okorafor’s outburst against the Jacksonville Jaguars sent him to the bench, Mike Tomlin begrudgingly elevated his first-round draft pick. The Steelers running attack has suddenly become one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL. Jaylen Warren and Harris have produced at an elite level since the rookie took the field.
"It's great that you run for 150 yards. You gotta win these games, though," Baldinger continued. "You can run for 150 for the fifth time, and you lose to Arizona, it doesn't make any difference."
The Steelers have split the last four games with wins against the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers and losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. Baldinger points out that improved rushing numbers have to translate to victories. Pittsburgh's offense is starting to evolve into a ball control, power running unit, but Eddie Faulkner, Mike Sullivan, and Tomlin have to collateralize that into wins.
Tomlin has primarily avoided the consequences of employing a substandard offensive coordinator. He also needs to answer why his best offensive lineman, Jones, was not on the field for the season's first seven games. Tomlin has also dodged questions about why his most dynamic playmakers, Pickens and Warren, are not the featured elements in the offense.
The sad truth is that Tomlin has yet to be asked these questions. A rumor circulated that the Steelers protect the Head Coach from uncomfortable questions at press conferences. It is possible that the local media wants to ask these questions, but do not want to incur Tomlin's or the Steelers' wrath by asking them.
There is no doubt that Jones's insertion into the lineup was a catalyst for the improved running game. He would likely be the best option to protect Kenny Pickett's blind side on the current roster, but Roethlisberger's favorite lineman, Dan Moore Jr., occupies that position on the depth chart.
According to Tomlin, Moore cannot switch to right tackle because he is significantly worse on that side of the ball. The real question that needs to be posed for the Steelers' offense is whether a combination of Moore and Jones is better than Jones and Okorafor. If the answer is no, then based on Tomlin's resistance to playing his best players on offense, he should be held accountable by Art Rooney II and Omar Khan.
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