A fine line indeed for Steelers
Kevin Lorenzi|Calkins Media
The Steelers鈥� Cobi Hamilton catches the game-winning touchdown ahead of the Browns鈥� Briean Boddy-Calhoun during the Steelers鈥� 27-24 win over Cleveland on Sunday at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
Demarcus Ayers (15) runs into the end zone for a touchdown during the Steelers 27-24 overtime win over the Browns on Sunday at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
PITTSBURGH 鈥� No, the Steelers never did average those 30 points per game they had been aiming for. It was more like 24.9.
All that preseason talk about Ben Roethlisberger throwing for 5,000 yards and Antonio Brown getting 2,000 in receiving? It was just that, all talk. They really weren鈥檛 even that close.
Hell, they nearly lost to Cleveland on Sunday, despite the Browns鈥� best efforts to do otherwise. Of course, having Roethlisberger, Brown, Le鈥橵eon Bell and Maurkice Pouncey standing on the sidelines in sweats might have had a little something to do with that.
And yet here the Steelers are, winners of seven in a row after Sunday鈥檚 27-24 win in overtime over the Browns, and on the precipice of what they hope will be a lengthy playoff run. And that offense, despite some of its statistical 鈥渟hortcomings,鈥� is as dangerous as any in the NFL playoff field.
If Pittsburgh鈥檚 offense is only as good as the line in front of it 鈥� as Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Todd Haley insist 鈥� forget 鈥淒ecember Football,鈥� the Steelers could find themselves playing in February.
Though the line was far from great against Cleveland, allowing Landry Jones to be sacked three times 鈥� the most they had allowed since their Week 3 loss at Philadelphia 鈥� it capped a remarkable accomplishment for the O-line.
The Steelers closed out the regular season with just 20 sacks allowed, tying a franchise-record for the fewest in a 16-game schedule (matched in 1986 and 鈥�97). As good as that sounds, guard David DeCastro says the line doesn鈥檛 deserve all the credit.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a team stat,鈥� DeCastro said. 鈥淧eople want to put the sacks thing on us, it鈥檚 the running backs, tight ends and receivers getting open, the quarterback getting rid of the ball quickly and being on the same page.鈥�
But, consider this: Roethlisberger was sacked just on just 3.4 percent of his dropbacks this season. That鈥檚 not only a career low, that鈥檚 almost a full percentage point over last year鈥檚 mark of 4.1 which had been his personal best.
Over the first decade of his career from 2004-13, Roethlisberger averaged 39.1 sacks per season. Not coincidentally, Roethisberger, who has a career sack percentage of 7.14, played every game just once during that span.
Steelers guard Ramon Foster says Roethlisberger has grown along with the line in front of him.
鈥淗e鈥檚 done a great job getting the ball off, also the urgency of us knowing that keeping him in the game give us a better chance of winning,鈥� guard Ramon Foster said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been pretty strategic about how he鈥檚 played this year, separating himself from hits. Just everything in general. When he鈥檚 been taken down, he鈥檚 still finding guys in the flat or just getting rid of the ball.鈥�
When the Steelers host the Miami Dolphins next week in the AFC Wildcard, they will do so with a healthy Roethlisberger, Brown, Bell and Pouncey. Don鈥檛 forget about that last one. Sunday鈥檚 pyrrhic win over Cleveland came with B.J. Finney filling in at center.
鈥淣o offense to Finney, Finney鈥檚 great,鈥� DeCastro said, 鈥淭he depth is great with him and (Chris Hubbard) to come in and play guard and get those center reps is good, (but) god forbid Pouncey goes down. Pouncey is who he is for a reason. His resume is what it is for a reason. You definitely notice him.鈥�
Still, this is a quarterback-driven league and Roethlisberger and New England鈥檚 Tom Brady are the only two on the AFC side of the playoff bracket with championship rings to their resumes.
As long as the Steelers have a healthy Roethlisberger, they feel they always have a chance.
鈥淓very time we get on the field our expectation is not to have anyone near him, touch him or hit him,鈥� right tackle Marcus Gilbert said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not all about sacks. We know that hits and hurries they affect the game big time. We know with Ben timing is everything with our receivers. As long as we鈥檙e efficient with that and keep him upright, the less hurries and hits, I think we have a good day no matter who we play.鈥�
The 20 sacks the Steelers allowed were just two more than Oakland鈥檚 league-leading 18 or a 鈥渕ere鈥� 50 fewer than Cleveland gave up this season. Despite the notoriety the Steelers offense receives, the big three of Roethlisberger, Brown and Bell in particular, the line doesn鈥檛 get a lot of attention outside Pittsburgh. Most discussions as to the NFL鈥檚 best lines generally surround Oakland and Dallas.
And that鈥檚 just fine with Gilbert.
鈥淲e know what kind of line we are,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he media, were not going to come beg you to push for the credit we deserve. We鈥檝e put on a great display all year, a great line of work, but the media has been harping on the O-line for such a long time. It鈥檚 out of our control but we know and they know the kind of physical play we put out on the field, the dominance. I feel like nobody plays better than us as a unit all together.鈥�