Fine line makes Steelers’ offense most dynamic
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Todd Haley didn鈥檛 mean to sound trite, but he says it鈥檚 true.
鈥淓verybody says you win in the trenches,鈥� the Steelers offensive coordinator said last week, 鈥渂ut you really do.鈥�
Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, the best QB-receiver duo in the NFL, were fantastic in Week 1 at Washington, but far from it in Sunday鈥檚 24-16 win over Cincinnati. Still, the Steelers are 2-0 thanks in large part to the work of their offensive line.
Through the first two games of the season, the play of Marcus Gilbert, David DeCastro, Maurkice Pouncey, Ramon Foster and Alejandro Villanueva have been the one constant in the Steelers鈥� unbeaten start. By extension of the work up front, 34-year-old DeAngelo Williams is the league鈥檚 leading rusher with 237 yards, 41 yards more than his closest competition.
鈥淭hat has to be the leader of our offense,鈥� Haley said last week of the line.
Most think of the Steelers and think of the highlight-reel plays of Roethlisberger and Brown 鈥� which is often true, but not always.
Sunday, when the Steelers put up 374 total yards and three touchdowns, was further evidence that this offense still can be high-powered, even when it doesn鈥檛 have its best stuff working. The Steelers can take what defenses are giving and find ways to win. It鈥檚 the offensive line that it allows it to be dynamic.
The line was clearly better against Washington in Week 1 than it was against Cincinnati, but it was still good enough to win Sunday. Roethlisberger was sacked just once again Sunday and hurried four times against a Bengals front seven that 鈥� Vontaze Burfict or not 鈥� is still one of the most formidable groups in the NFL.
鈥淚t starts and ends with us,鈥� said Foster. 鈥淭he better we play and the more efficient we are. Those kind of games go in our favor.鈥�
The recurring theme in both victories has been dominant second-half offensive performances, as the Steelers have been able to move the chains and chew up the clock 鈥� 17:22 versus Washington and 16:21 against Cincinnati 鈥� over the final 30 minutes.
In the fourth quarter against the Redskins, the Steelers salted away the victory with a 13-play, 73-yard drive in 7:13, capped by a 15-yard Williams run.
In the fourth quarter Sunday against the Bengals, the Steelers went on a 12-play, 68-yard drive in 6:54, capped by Roethlisberger鈥檚 4-yard pass to Williams.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what it鈥檚 all about: finishing the game,鈥� Foster said. 鈥淐oach (Tomlin) puts it on our back and Ben, first thing he says walking to the huddle: 鈥楾his is on you guys, let鈥檚 milk this clock and let鈥檚 get it going.鈥�
鈥淲e have to do that. We have to be the team that closes out games in the fourth. We can鈥檛 start strong and not finish. That鈥檚 who we have to be.鈥�