Steelers laying it on the line for Dallas
Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell, right, gained just 32 yards on 14 carries against Baltimore Sunday.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) prepares to hand off the ball to running back Le'Veon Bell in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
PITTSBURGH – It seems that as the Steelers’ offensive line goes, so goes the rest of the team.
It’s a lot of pressure to place on one unit, but when those starters account for nearly $23 million against the salary cap – more than any other position save quarterback, where Ben Roethlisberger counts nearly $24 million – it’s not unwarranted.
The offensive line lost the battle at the line of scrimmage in Sunday’s 21-14 loss at Baltimore, leaving Pittsburgh without a rushing attack. Le’Veon Bell managed just 32 yards on 14 carries and the Steelers, who have now dropped three straight, had 36 yards rushing despite a game plan that leaned heavily on the running game through the first three quarters.
Head coach Mike Tomlin thought his team would do much better on the ground against the Ravens, who pulled into a tie with the Steelers atop the AFC North standings with a 4-4 record.
“I did, but obviously that did not transpire,” Tomlin said. “They had a lot to do with that but we’re capable of more than we displayed in that area.”
That lack of a sustainable rushing attack has become a trend in the Steelers’ losses this season. In Pittsburgh’s four wins, it has rushed for 481 yards, an average of 120 per game. In its four losses, it has 287 yards on the ground, or just 71.8 per game.
Penalties hurt the Steelers against the Ravens. Pittsburgh was penalized 13 times, with the offense being hit for seven. That and the lack of a consistent rushing attack – nine of Bell’s 14 carries went for two yards or less – put Roethlisberger in a lot of second- and third-and-long situations.
“We were in third-and-long a lot,” admitted Roethlisberger. “It’s tough to convert against a good defense like that.”
It added up to an offensive performance that had more penalty yardage than total yards entering the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh also had just two first downs in the first 45 minutes.
“It was pretty pathetic,” said All-Pro guard David DeCastro. “You know when you look up in the third quarter and there’s two first downs, it’s kind of frustrating and an empty feeling.”
Center Maurkice Pouncey suffered a dislocated thumb on the second play of the game. He later returned and tried to play through the injury before finally leaving the game for good. His status for Pittsburgh’s game against Dallas (7-1) at Heinz Field is uncertain.
If he cannot play, B.J. Finney would start, continuing a trend this season for the Steelers.
Finney already has started one game in place of left guard Ramon Foster, and Chris Hubbard started three games at right tackle in place of Marcus Gilbert, who returned from a sprained ankle.
The Steelers offensive line is continuing to strive to be the league’s best at that position. On Sunday, they’ll be on the field with a Dallas offensive line that is considered to be the top unit in the league.
The Cowboys have had little problem running the ball, leading the league at 165.3 yards per game. Dallas’ average of 4.8 yards per carry is third-best in the NFL.
By comparison, the Steelers are 25th in rushing at 96 yards per game and 14th in average at 4.2 yards per carry.
The Cowboys are tied for the league lead with 11 sacks allowed, though they have attempted just 250 passes. Pittsburgh has given up 13 sacks on 319 attempts.
The offensive linemen are aware they are the engine that moves the train when it comes to Pittsburgh’s offense. And they are aware they have played inconsistently thus far.
“We can’t be a team that’s middle of the road; .500 is just unacceptable,” said Foster. “We’ve got to be the guys who correct it. We’ll correct it.”
Odds and end zones
The Steelers are expected to bring linebacker Bud Dupree back to practice Wednesday. Dupree, who had surgery to repair a sports hernia in August, has been on injured reserve since the start of the season. The Steelers will have 21 days from Wednesday to decide whether to activate Dupree or keep him on injured reserve. … Despite having 23 penalties in the past two games, the Steelers are tied for just 18th in the league with 55 penalties this season.