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hawaiiansteeler
11-27-2015, 01:52 PM
PITTSBURGH STEELERS OFFENSIVE LINE

What happens when a former NFL Pro Bowl offensive lineman and a former Super Bowl Champion o-lineman get together to review a current NFL team’s offensive line? You get an honest, in-depth report at the good, the bad and the ugly.

Former Pro Bowler, LeCharles Bentley, and former Super Bowl Champ, Max Starks, combine their years of o-line experience to bring you the Block Report:

The Steelers offensive line has weathered several challenges this season. Due to those challenges, the current unit presents a unique dichotomy of skill sets and experiences. With the absences of starting LT Kelvin Beachum, C Maurkice Pouncey and the limited appearances by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the unit has had to adapt to trying circumstances. The additional shuffling at running back has added another layer of complexity to the equation. Why, the hallmark of high quality offensive line play is rooted in consistency. The inconsistencies they’ve endured has yielded varied returns on performance.

The film study reveals much of what you wouldn’t expect from an offensive line missing two opening day starters. Surprisingly, this mismatched conglomerate has played well thus far, given the circumstances. We were anticipating a dramatic drop off in terms of performance but were pleasantly surprised by the level of execution and discipline. Throughout history, the tempo/pace of this group has been set by a center that embodied the Steeler identity. The culture surrounding a Pittsburgh offensive line can be summed up in a single word, tough. Cody Wallace may not be all that you want from a physical standpoint, but he has carried the torch of toughness at a very high level. He has set the tempo each week, albeit crossing the line a bit too frequently. With that said, the Steelers offensive unit is one of the least penalized in the NFL. The discipline displayed upfront is a direct reflection of the coaching staff. This unit may not have the highest talent threshold, but they aren’t going to hurt themselves with mental mistakes. This has allowed them to remain true to their identity through running the football, which has placed them sixth in the NFL in total yards rushing. In spite of missing two starters, they’ve only given up 23 sacks. Comparatively, the Cleveland Browns, with all five of their opening day starters, two of which are pro bowlers, have given up 36.

ALEJANDRO VILLANUEVA, LT

After being thrust into the starting role due to the unfortunate knee injury sustained by Kelvin Beachum, Villanueva has faired ok. The one thing we know to expect from him is a high level of effort. It’s not an easy task for an inexperienced player to step in for a player like Beachum. You’d expect a fair amount of hesitation that leads to a cascade of performance issues. Alejandro has stepped in with a fighter’s mentality. On the flip side, his mechanics have not caught up with his heart. His primary issue is found with the stance. This has lead to many of the inefficient patterns he’s displaying thus far. We noticed his left heel is too high off the ground, while his foot is pointing relatively straight ahead. This inappropriate position leads him to shorten the edge way too soon upon taking his first kick into his pass set. To give you a more clear visual, imagine a race car driver cutting his wheel too soon in to a turn on the track versus easing the wheel with the turn. This shifts the leverage and control towards the natural pass rush path of the defender, while a proper pass set is going to create a natural “intersect” point along the way. Outside of affecting his one on one pass protection, this inefficient movement pattern hurts his ability to pass off defensive line games and pressures. His true novice shows up in the run game. Apparently he is not comfortable run blocking out of a two point stance. On the run downs he turns to a three point stance, even when the quarterback is in shotgun. This is a significant issue as defenders are constantly on the look out for tendencies that reveal the offenses hand.

RAMON FOSTER, LG

As the veteran leader of the group, Foster has been the most consistent performer of the bunch...

to read rest of article:

http://www.lbolineperformance.com/pittsburgh-steelers-block-report/

ALLD
11-27-2015, 01:58 PM
No longer the weak spot of the team, but could use some upgrades and seasoning.

zulater
11-27-2015, 02:08 PM
Foster is probably gone after this season as an unrestricted free agent. I would live to see them move Beachum to RG. And then draft a LT in the first or second round to develop behind AV. Obviously with the plan being the new left tackle would take over at some point next season.

fansince'76
11-27-2015, 02:08 PM
...former Super Bowl Champ, Max Starks...

Thank God we're not still grossly overpaying him...

zulater
11-27-2015, 02:12 PM
Thank God we're not still grossly overpaying him...

You know what though, he wasn't a bad player. And a really good guy in the locker room on and off the field. He was overpaid, but he always represented this team well, and still does to this day.

fansince'76
11-27-2015, 02:15 PM
...Villanueva has faired ok.

What personally bothers me even more than the overall lack of reading comprehension by the general reading public that Ed Bullchitte took the time to write an entire article to decry is the general lack of spellng and grammar skills exhibited by supposedly "professional" publications, either online or in print. And the usage and grammar errors happen far too frequently in far too many places to just chalk up to lazy proofreading.

The word is FARED, not "faired." :doh:

C'mon guys, this is eighth grade English here.

Edman
11-27-2015, 02:16 PM
Thank God we're not still grossly overpaying him...

Jon "Traffic Cone" Scott?

Considering Max Starks was our only decently competent lineman during the dark days of the O-Line, I'd say he was worth it.

fansince'76
11-27-2015, 02:23 PM
Considering Max Starks was our only halfway competent lineman during the dark days of the O-Line...

That's kinda like winning a "beauty" pageant that includes Janet Reno, Rosie O'Donnell and Whoopi Goldberg as the only other contestants...

TeeTee
11-27-2015, 02:25 PM
Foster is probably gone after this season as an unrestricted free agent. I would live to see them move Beachum to RG. And then draft a LT in the first or second round to develop behind AV. Obviously with the plan being the new left tackle would take over at some point next season.

The problem is I don't think they will view LT as a top priority compared to other positions. However, Beachum is a FA coming off a major knee injury, so re-signing him may not even happen, leaving us pretty paper thin at the position, especially considering how completely inept Adams is, who shouldn't be back. What would be ideal is if Chick turns into a legit OLB, allowing us to finally NOT use a 1st rounder on LB for once. But we have to assume Harrison won't be back; I know he can still play right now, but the end is near. If Vill looks like a legit, starting LT, I don't see them going early at LT in the draft, where we are in desperate need at DB, both safety and CB. I still think we need to upgrade NT and we have to address TE soon, unless the Outlaw Jesse James looks like legit starting NFL TE material (too early for us to know right now). I believe they will take an OT, but how high? I'm not sure. We may be looking at a round 3 or 4 guy, depending on a lot of things.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2016/OT

Mojouw
11-27-2015, 02:26 PM
What personally bothers me even more than the overall lack of reading comprehension by the general reading public that Ed Bullchitte took the time to write an entire article to decry is the general lack of spellng and grammar skills exhibited by supposedly "professional" publications, either online or in print. And the usage and grammar errors happen far too frequently in far too many places to just chalk up to lazy proofreading.

The word is FARED, not "faired." :doh:

C'mon guys, this is eighth grade English here.

Considering the entire piece was clearly written by two former players trying to sound as intelligent, professional, and educated as possible AND it still was terribly written, this project better get a damn good copy editor.

Lots of unnecessary big words, repetition of words, and the annoying habit of putting an adjective to every noun. I'm not one to talk, but I don't try and write for a living.

All that aside, Starks and Bentley clearly know what they are talking about, but they need to bring someone onboard to clarify their presentation.

Take a look at the Decastro section:

"DeCastro has not lived up to the pre-draft hype but he has developed in to a very solid guard in the NFL. Much credit has to be given to him for taking ownership of his craft and career. It’s exciting to think how much better he is going to be over the next couple of years if he continues to develop at this pace. While there has been tremendous strides to improve, DeCastro has a ways to go before he reaches the zenith of his potential."

So is he not living up to his potential? Or is he still developing along an exciting upward curve? And "the zenith of his potential" is all correct, but it is just bad. Anyways, cool article, good breakdown, and who the hell am I to criticize?:)

TeeTee
11-27-2015, 02:27 PM
Jon "Traffic Cone" Scott?

Considering Max Starks was our only decently competent lineman during the dark days of the O-Line, I'd say he was worth it.

Was he not our staring LT for two Super Bowl wins?

I'd say he wasn't _THAT_ bad, with that being the case.

It did often appear that the staff didn't value Max very much, but Ben seemed to like him a lot.

Edman
11-27-2015, 02:28 PM
That's kinda like winning a "beauty" pageant that includes Janet Reno, Rosie O'Donnell and Whoopi Goldberg as the only other contestants...

Eh, I know Max Starks was no Pro-Bowler, but i was much more comfortable with him at LT than anyone else.

It's not like the Steelers could find anyone better. They certainly tried...and definitely failed to replace him. Pre-Munchak that is.

tube517
11-27-2015, 02:29 PM
What personally bothers me even more than the overall lack of reading comprehension by the general reading public that Ed Bullchitte took the time to write an entire article to decry is the general lack of spellng and grammar skills exhibited by supposedly "professional" publications, either online or in print. And the usage and grammar errors happen far too frequently in far too many places to just chalk up to lazy proofreading.

The word is FARED, not "faired." :doh:

C'mon guys, this is eighth grade English here.

"Your" right! :chuckle:

fansince'76
11-27-2015, 02:31 PM
Considering the entire piece was clearly written by two former players trying to sound as intelligent, professional, and educated as possible AND it still was terribly written, this project better get a damn good copy editor.

Lots of unnecessary big words, repetition of words, and the annoying habit of putting an adjective to every noun. I'm not one to talk, but I don't try and write for a living.

All that aside, Starks and Bentley clearly know what they are talking about, but they need to bring someone onboard to clarify their presentation.

Take a look at the Decastro section:

"DeCastro has not lived up to the pre-draft hype but he has developed in to a very solid guard in the NFL. Much credit has to be given to him for taking ownership of his craft and career. It’s exciting to think how much better he is going to be over the next couple of years if he continues to develop at this pace. While there has been tremendous strides to improve, DeCastro has a ways to go before he reaches the zenith of his potential."

So is he not living up to his potential? Or is he still developing along an exciting upward curve? And "the zenith of his potential" is all correct, but it is just bad. Anyways, cool article, good breakdown, and who the hell am I to criticize?:)

It's not just this article. It's also articles on CNN, Reuters, and other news outlets as well, and the errors are numerous and glaring.

We've become a society that can't write worth a lick in general.

fansince'76
11-27-2015, 02:32 PM
"Your" right! :chuckle:

And then there's always the "tricky" usage of "there," "their," and "they're." :chuckle:

teegre
11-27-2015, 02:47 PM
Foster is probably gone after this season as an unrestricted free agent. I would live to see them move Beachum to RG.

I've averred that Beachum is a very good LT, but would be an All Pro LG.

TeeTee
11-27-2015, 02:48 PM
No longer the weak spot of the team, but could use some upgrades and seasoning.

Yes, especially considering the free agents we may lose and the damn injuries. And I don't think the piece is that poorly written; as a matter of fact, I think it is pretty solid. As far as finding errors, you will find them even in the most "credible" publications on a fairly-alarming occurrence. One thing I noted is they were relatively high on Cody Wallace compared to everything else I read, whether it be from formal rankings or just comments on message boards. Everyone usually berates CW as one of the worst centers in the league; quite honestly, I haven't noticed him sucking as much as others seem to think. I will freely admit, I haven't focused on his play all the time (and even if I tried to, it is difficult as the camera follows the ball and you seldom can watch his play for much of most plays). These guys are higher on CW than I have seen anywhere else. They are also lukewarm on DeCastro. I have to agree with that position. While DD isn't "terrible" he hasn't lived up to his pre-draft status as being a "once-in-a-lifetime" OG either. He's been solid, if not superior.

I also think Pouncey gets a pass for being far better than he actually is. I believe if you are a first-round pick at center for the Steelers, you are assumed to be great. Aside from the fact that he is injured half of his NFL career (we can talk about if he is injury-prone or just unlucky elsewhere), MP is a decent OC, but no where near in the neighborhood of Webster, Dirt or Hartings. No way is he in those players lofty level of center play. I have seen him make some great blocks, but I have also seen him get trucked like those other guys never have. I don't recall any DTs running over Webster, Dirt or Hartings, ever, but have seen MP get blasted back into the backfield.

hawaiiansteeler
11-27-2015, 03:09 PM
Was he not our staring LT for two Super Bowl wins?

I'd say he wasn't _THAT_ bad, with that being the case.

It did often appear that the staff didn't value Max very much, but Ben seemed to like him a lot.

Ben did like Max a lot and often lobbied to bring him back...

http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/the-huddle/2011/07/31/roex-large.jpg

TeeTee
11-27-2015, 04:09 PM
Ben did like Max a lot and often lobbied to bring him back...

http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/the-huddle/2011/07/31/roex-large.jpg

Max was never an elite LT, but we could have done worse. And by all accounts he was a good teammate.

zulater
11-28-2015, 08:55 PM
That's kinda like winning a "beauty" pageant that includes Janet Reno, Rosie O'Donnell and Whoopi Goldberg as the only other contestants...
:puke: Was that necessary? :nono: Like when a bad song get's stuck in your head I can't make that visualization leave! :horror:

:wink02:

- - - Updated - - -


I've averred that Beachum is a very good LT, but would be an All Pro LG.

Oops I meant LG, in place of Foster. We're set at RG.

fansince'76
11-28-2015, 09:47 PM
Ben did like Max a lot and often lobbied to bring him back...

http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/the-huddle/2011/07/31/roex-large.jpg

Ben also praised the worst OL in Super Bowl history after SB XLIII, so take it for what it's worth. :chuckle:

86WARD
11-28-2015, 09:50 PM
He's not stupid...he's praising some scrubs that are attempting to save his life...lol.

zoneblitzerII
11-29-2015, 09:32 PM
They were phenomenal in the first half. They were beating the snot out of Seattle. Instead of rewarding them with a few runs, the Steelers stayed merry and played delightful finesse football all the way.

Mojouw
11-29-2015, 09:37 PM
They were phenomenal in the first half. They were beating the snot out of Seattle. Instead of rewarding them with a few runs, the Steelers stayed merry and played delightful finesse football all the way.

Right. Because there were so many running plays called in the first half. I totally remember that now. It was like 1930's football out there! I was kinda turned on.

katmandu
11-29-2015, 09:56 PM
Right. Because there were so many running plays called in the first half. I totally remember that now. It was like 1930's football out there! I was kinda turned on.That also did not give our Defense enough time to recoup on the sideline.

hawaiiansteeler
12-02-2015, 11:43 PM
Pro Football Focus

Every Offensive Tackle ranked from best to worst this season:

78 total, Marcus Gilbert 18th, Kelvin Beachum 22nd, Allie Villanueva 55th

https://mobile.twitter.com/PFF/status/671774689765818369

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CVKfg0YUsAAgip_.jpg:small