BOCA RATON, Fla. —— Ben Roethlisberger stepped to the podium following Super Bowl XLIII with the Lombardi Trophy in his right hand and proudly proclaimed: “Who is laughing now, O-line?”
The appropriate response at the time was everybody.
Times sure have changed.
Once a punchline to a joke, the Steelers have transformed their offensive line from a weak spot to possibly their greatest strength, and all it took was money, luck and a Hall of Fame coach.
“It is great to no longer get questions about the offensive line,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said during the NFL Annual Meeting. “We have invested a lot in our offensive line going back to 2009-10, and we are reaping the reward of that investment. We have quality players that are in their mid-to-late 20s that know what they are doing and have cohesion.”
The Steelers made an effort to upgrade the position not long after winning their latest Super Bowl, emphasizing it during the next couple of drafts. In reality, they didn't really have much of a choice.
Their franchise quarterback was heading into the prime of his career, and the line was giving up 47, 49 and 50 sacks in Tomlin's first three years. The running game wasn't producing much, either, so the Steelers went heavy on the position in the draft.
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Originally Posted by hawaiiansteeler
