there is no doubt that since they are on a great team surrounded by a lot of great players they can take a bad rap because it makes them look worse…cuz someone on the team is always going to be a lil worse than everyone else and “dragging them down.” they can’t be atrocious or else we wouldnt have won the super bowl & 3 of them are pretty young and we expect improvement. not to mention, its always good to remember Big Ben is also responsible for some of those sacks since he likes to hold on to the ball, which can be a double edged sword.

but even if they are good, they no doubt are one of the weaker links on the team. statistics show it. performance on the field shows it. and our losses during the regular season last year often were against teams with really good dlines…cuz they beat our oline. and we wouldnt be fans if we didnt want improvement.

maybe that’s why they passed on him. Also, folks are sayin that Ziggy Hood is doing well and we obviously need some youth on the DL as much or more than the OL. I am stoked for the season to begin. I think it’s possible that we see improvement in all three phases of the team and that has got to be scary for the competition. GO STEELERS!!!

…and weren’t that experienced, and I’m not sure how smart they were….and we ALL saw how unbelievably awful they were against the Eagles. And they were a total failure all year in short yardage situations. (Yeah, I know, a big part of that was Spaeth and the fullback.)

Early in the season, most of us figured this team was on a one-way trip to Nowheresville and the only question was whether Ben would be seriously injured or killed.

Yet, somehow, this team was able to get enough pass protection from the OL to set up a successful short—yardage possession passing game, and the OL played their butts off down the stretch. Tomlin and Arians (yep, give him credit) were able to find a way to put together an offense that put some points on the board even though they couldn’t convert third and short on the ground.

Tomlin and Arians made do with what they had. And the OL DID improve during the season. But I’m afraid the real story here is how the coaching staff papered over the deficiencies and found alternatives to the traditional Steeler offense.

All that said, I also expect the young offensive linemen to improve this season, the unit to gain some cohesiveness that comes with playing together over time, and some of the new people and last year’s practice squadders to contribute. The OL WILL be better this year. And there’s plenty of room for improvement.

This line may not be great, but its an arguement of individual performence versus final product. The final product was great, but the individual performences of this group weren’t. I think they did show decent improvement, and should get the credit for it. This line will be better this year, how much I don’t know, but I’m not ready to say leaps and bounds. I’m sure a steady progression is what we’re looking at. The line is young. If they get better as a group each year for the next few years it will be hard to find any fault in them. One minor disagreement, the gitmo line, but not the place.

Steerler D67. Finally someone who I can agree with. That O-line demonstrated something no one else has done in NFL history. But many people that say they are contributors to this site seem to berate them as much as possible. Me personally, I give big respect to Colon and Stapleton. All I’ve heard is how they needed to be replaced.

It just cracks me up how so many people who contribute to this site and have in one way or another found fault with the O-line have yet to still give this group the true credit they deserve. And whats worse, they are still acting like bitches (you know who you are). Then they have the nerve to say they love Tomlin. THAT AINT LOVE! Go Steelers!

comments keep being made the OL gave up sacks or only got 1.9 YPG whatever, the offense did these things not the OL. The offense, despite losing its 2 best running backs (sorry FWP sucked last year, even the games he was supposedly healthy he looked hesitant), lost two offense lineman, and in the SB lost its best receiver. Tell me in history any team that has gone thru that much adversity and persevered. All I gotta say is with a healthy backfield, and OL that is young and growing and coming together as a unit, and hopefully a WR set that finds its Sweed point, and our beloved drama quees….the rest of the AFC is in for serious pain. 15 and 1.

your saying our backfield was great? wow. IMO our backfield was about the worst in AFC last year. They not only couldn’t run, between all of them you didn’t get three decent blocks the entire year. (any one who says you have to have an all star line to be a great runner has not talked to earl campbell, eric dickerson, or as mentioned above payton – there have been plenty of backs who haved dominated with average lines – last year, you put All Day in pur backfield, he gets 1500 yards).

We had three areas of weakness last year (we finished 21st – that ain’t just a bad OL), backfield, OL and predictable and overly safe play calling, and at times we also had poor receiver seperation and a QB who got off track. I think laying everything on the OL is a mistake (also, they do not have the Lindberg baby nor know where Hoffa is buried – although certain LBs might)

LOOKING FORWARD. I don’t see OL being a major source of angst, obviously FO doesn’t think so either. They ain’t an all star laden group but who cares, thats not the point. they are young, they improved thru the year last year, and they got a decent draft pick. They will be better next year. If you want something to sweat over, worry about the DBs, personally, I see that as our biggest problem right now.

This O-Line did not perform well in 08. There’s no denying it. Remember those poor goal line efforts! The question remains is this talent or Arians’ scheme. When you never run a 2 back set then all of a sudden McHugh is in the backfield—-not hard to figure it out. Our formations telegraphed our running plays. That being said, I DO believe that we do not have the type of talent on the O-Line that we have had over the years. Can they get better – certainly. Can they be the dominant, game-dictating OL that we expect in Pittsburgh—I can’t see it. We have to upgrade!
Look around the NFL, there are runners of all shapes and sizes that have big years. It is not our RBs. OL talent and scheme need to be where we focus.

Clearly a hot debate. Same exact discussions we had during the season…except now, we have another SB!!

Yes, the OL had it’s difficulities, looking downright awful at times (Philly game and others).

But, with sports, it’s all about timing. It’s not just how you perform, but mostly about when. You’ve got to come through in the clutch, when it counts or nothing else matters.

For all of their shortcomings (and there were many, just read above) the OL performed when it mattered most. There were numerous 4th quarter comebacks during the regular season…made possible not just by Ben…but quality OL play.

And the SB? What sticks out in my mind (and I rember it well b/c I was there) was for how dominant, unbelievable, and amazing our defense had been all year, when it mattered most, with a SB win and 6th SB on the line, our defense could not keep the Cardinals from scoring. They could not get it done.

Conversley, our much maligned OL, with a Drive for the Ages, was able to come through in the clutch, with a SB on the line. That’s what makes this SB win so great…an absolute team win. The defense blinked, came up short but the offense was able to pick up the slack and WIN. Just the opposite of the regular season, where the defense continually bailed out the offense. In retrospect, I’m glad we won the way we did…made it more satisfying, more of a team win, and certainly more exciting…with one of the greatest drives in SB history…keyed by our OL!!!

Yes, both sides of the debate are correct. Yes, the OL was bad at times (worse than bad in some situations)…fill in your poor OL stat of choice here. But…we must also say, yes…thank God YES, they played better in the playoffs and specifically, played the best with games on the line!!

Final thoughts…count me on the side that is more thankful than critical of the OL. Not to say I haven’t voiced my displeasure with the play of the OL in the past, b/c I have. But, what I don’t agree with is the outright mocking and disparaging some have given the OL. Don’t get me wrong, if you feel the need to continually trash and disrespect the OL, go right ahead, your entitled. I’m just saying I don’t agree with it.

I Love our team, as you all do!! There always will be segments of the team that needs to improve, or aren’t performing to expectations. I just think we can discuss it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly, while still being respectful to our team!! Again, I’m not saying, we can’t be honest and real, it’s just imo their’s a line that gets crossed into boorish, immature, fan whinning.

But, isn’t it great, we can have these debates and work on such glaring weaknesses on the OL :) as SB champs!!

Can’t we at least agree the O-line was not good? How bad was it? Who cares? If we meet in the middle between terrible and “decent” then we come up with below average, which is where the offense ranked in 08 despite having one of the NFL’s best QBs and a solid group of receivers. So let’s coach up this group and aim for … average. That would be nice.

I don’t believe in living in the past. I would not change one thing from last year, because I wouldn’t dare put in motion one different element of a season that ended in a SB victory. But neither should we gloss over what was clearly a problem. I’ve never seen a worse OL on any playoff-quality Steeler team in 35 years. None of the SB starters were playing out of position. Starks is a veteran OT, Kemo was groomed at guard for three years before starting, Hartwig is a veteran center, Stapleton started the year as the top backup guard and took over the starter’s job, and Colon has never been anything but a RT

The O-line was great on the winning SB drive? Does anyone remember the drive started with a Kemo holding penalty and a jail break pass rush that had Ben running for his life at the five-yard line on first-and-20? Does any QB in the league aside from Ben turn that into a positive play? If Ben goes down or throws the ball away and the greatest drive in SB history is aborted early, do we come back and say, well those OL guys did a decent job all things considered? The team walked a tightrope all season because of the OL and Ben was the guy that got them across. They improved during the course of the season? Yes on passing plays, not on running plays. The problems they had against Arizona’s average run D were the same problems they had numerous times earlier n the year: they didn’t have the strength to move them physically or the finesse to influence them away from the ball-carrier. Is it partly scheme and running backs? Sure, but it starts up front. How about two consecutive failed first-and-goals inside the five-yard line, thanks to a roughing the FG kicker penalty. A team failure yes, but one that started with poor blocking. Does Tomlin go for a TD on fourth and inches early in the game? No way. He had learned his lesson earlier in the year against Indianapolis.

Is continuity the answer? Partly. So is better talent. Personnel change is inevitable in this era. The Steelers were prepared to let Kemo walk in the off-season. He took less money from another team to come back. There’s no guarantee Hartwig or Colon will be re-signed in 2010. Starks’ status is still up in the air. They used a high third-round pick and another pick on OL competition. Maybe that’s all anyone can ask for. Coach em up, go get em next year. As long as the defense plays great and Ben is around, we got a shot.

Lifer, I said the OL was “clutch” on the last drive, which they were and, came through in the clutch, which they did, but I never said they were perfect. If you want to bring up Kemo’s holding call, which is a valid point, then why don’t you mention all the other positive plays that happened on the drive? Like, how on the TD throw Ben had all day to throw, to go to his third option with very little pressusre! Fair is fair.

Yes, I agree the “team walked a tightrope all year long”, relying heavily on the defense to keep us in games. But, it is also true the defense collapsed when it truly counted most and the offense came through, and by extension the OL. No they were not perfect, and yes, you can give all the stats to prove your case (so-called weak Cards defense, which btw played very, very well in the playoffs but most simply fail to mention this) but the most important stat of all is…winning.

So, I will concede all points about how poor the OL was statistically, b/c they are true. I will concede that they lack individual talent compared to other OLines.

But, I will contend that they stuck together, sucked it up, and played their best (though not perfect) when it mattered most, in the 4th quaters of games, in the playoffs, and in the SB. If they, as a unit, had whinned, complained, or continually listened to people on this post about how bad they were/are, and they gave up…someone else surely would have won the SB.

Yes, yes we need improvement. When and how that happens we will see. But, like you, I would not change anything about last season, not a thing.

I vividly remember years past, our dominating OL, bruising running game, dominant defense, weak qb play and agonizing playoff loses. Agonizing. Agonizing. So much for the receipe for a SB being, run the ball and stop the run…didn’t work for us until #7 came along. And then he basically passed us into the SB, with his 3 great playoff games. Nope, I wouldn’t change a thing.

To me, it just highlights the importance of a franchise qb…not just someone who can make all the throws, but you need a winner, a warrior…thankfully we have that. Thankfully, we had/have an OL, with all it’s shortcomings, that hung together and gave our amazing QB just enough help to bring home another SB.

Fair is fair.

Ben is absolutely a warrior and a winner and that attitude rubs off on his teammates. There’s no shortage of warriors and leaders on this team, starting right at the top with Tomlin. There’s also no doubt the OL sucked it up and maybe it took the screw-ups on the first two plays of the final drive for them to play balls-out the rest of the way down the field. Ben had time, also in part because of blitz pickup by Moore when someone did come free. I’m not sure Whiz was happy with the defensive play-calling that last drive either, since it only took him a few days after the game to fire his DC despite the defense generally playing well late in the season and playoffs and even much of the SB until it counted most. Let’s see what happens this coming season. I’m optimistic about the OL improving and the run game being much better in 09.

They’ve demonstrated a coming together of a makeshift offensive line. And a continuance to compete and make the playoffs then win the superbowl. Most O-lines would have faultered but they did’nt .

You’ve been around havent you?

Those of you who are giving the OL credit, what would have been your stance if the Hartwig holding penalty in the end zone was the turning point for an Arizona victory in the Super Bowl?

The defense got us to the Super Bowl, not the OL.

Big Ben won the Super Bowl…. AVOIDING Cardinals on every passing play on that last drive.

Please do not mistake the clutch play of Ben with the OL maturing into a cohesive unit.

As a rookie, Ben was sacked 30 times; in2005 it was 23; in 2006, it doubled to 46; in 2007, it was 47, and last year it was at 46.

For comparison, in 2004 and 2006, the Green Bay Packers led the league in passing attempts, and they only gave up 14 and 24 sacks. In 2007 and 2008, the New Orleans Saints led the league in attempts, and they gave up a total of 16 and 13 sacks.

Finally, I don’t really want to hear the excuse (for the OL) that our running backs were hurt last year, so defenses knew Ben was going to throw and rushed him, that is why his sack total was high.

That argument is blown out of the water by the New Orleans Saints. Both of their running backs were hurt, further, Colston and Shockey also missed considerable time so their receiving corps were not as dangerous as they could have been, yet………

The Saints attempted 130 more passes than Pittsburgh did last year, and they were only sacked 13 times…….. 36 times less than the Steelers.

They won a Super Bowl last year, and their OL (by far) was the weakest unit on the field.

We are all huge Steelers fans here, obviously. If you are comfortable with this offensive line, so be it. I, for one, am not. I expect more from my team….. like the ability to get a 1st down on 4th and 1…… like the ability to run the ball at will on whomever they play…… the ability to run out the clock in a close game (as the could not do all year last year).

I feel our OL is weak. Starks lost his job just a few short seasons ago, now he is worth $8.45 million? Hartwig was a good stop gap measure after Mahan, but he is not the future. Stapleton wasn’t good enough to dress until injuries took their toll. Colon, well, some of those penalties last year, let’s just say my 2 year old knows Willie’s name really well (along with some other colorful words before his name).

Ah, does it matter now….. we have what we have and we are going to have to live with it.

I guess you would be confused. That’s why your name is World trip. Dont be so hard on yourself.