After a disappointing season marred by injuries, the Pittsburgh Steelers have strung together back-to-back 8-8 seasons. Some might call it rebuilding, while others might see it as underperforming or lack of preparation. Either way, this team is closing in on a territory that it hasn’t seen in a long time as the Steelers haven’t had three consecutive seasons without going over .500 since 1969-1971. For an organization built on continued success, this is unacceptable by any measure.
That being said, there should be no panic among the Steelers, as this team finished as strong as anyone in the NFL in the second half of the season. Furthermore, the one area that has been under an intense microscope the last few seasons, the offensive line, is starting to finally take shape.
– The Steelers offensive line allowed seven sacks over the final seven games.
-The Steelers offensive line played a vital role in the offense scoring an average of 20 points over its final nine games.
-The offensive line allowed Le’Veon Bell to rack up 214 yards over the final two games and average 4.7 yards per carry.
Eight snaps into the season, this team lost it’s Pro Bowl center. On Thanksgiving night, the Steelers lost Fernando Velasco, and by the end of the season, the Steelers have had four men play the center position.
“I think the way we finished this season was the way we could have started, but for whatever reason didn’t,” left guard Ramon Foster said to reporters. “I think we see now what this line is capable of doing.”
Foster, a fifth-year pro for the Steelers, is the veteran of the group and he is very confident in this group moving forward. Through all of the injuries that this offensive line sustained, this group became battle tested during the 2013 season.
As we head into the 2014 season, let’s look at the men who will be returning to solidly the offensive line for the Steelers.
– Kelvin Beachum: Beachum made 11 starts at left tackle in 2013. For his career, the seventh round pick now has 16 career starts and will be looking to build onto that resume heading into 2014.
– David DeCastro: The Stanford product has rebounded from a serious knee injury as he had 15 starts at offensive guard in 2013, 18 for his career. Decastro’s consistent play over the last season should see him at a Pro Bowl sooner rather than later.
– Maurkice Pouncey: Once healthy, Pouncey will once again become one of the best offensive weapons for the Steelers.
– Marcus Gilbert: Gilbert made 16 starts in 2013 at the tackle position, who now has 34 career starts under his belt. The towering tackle played through a lot of pain this year and still managed to compete at a high level.
– Ramon Foster: The aforementioned Foster had 15 starts at left guard in 2013, who now has 57 starts in his career. Foster, once a depth guy for the Steeelers, has become an integral part of the offensive line moving forward.
Sixteen is a number that Steeler fans should look forward to the most. Sixteen represents the number of starts made by Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger, the franchise quarterback, has only started 16 games twice over his illustrious career. For the Steelers to be a contender in 2014, 16 must continue to be a current trend in the foreseeable future, and that starts and ends with the offensive line.
