Top 3 Concerns going into the Season

1. Oline
2. Porter contract
3. Safeties

 

I agree O line is the #1 concern going into the season. It isn't good with everyone healthy can you imagine how bad it will be with a few injuries? That also is alarming that we have this line blocking for a QB who turns 43 this season.

 

That’s another reason for carrying 4 QBs.

 

While I agree that these are my concerns as well when talking about inside the white lines. My biggest concern is will the culture change be effective quickly?

Just like Cowher's culture hung around long enough for Tomlin to win a SB, Tomlin's culture may linger as well. Granted Cowher's culture was achievement which would naturally linger, and Tomlin's culture was Nirvana, it's hard to tell how long it will take to shake it off.

 

Secondary health is the one that could sneak up on people. DeShon Elliott landing on IR (minimum four games) is a real loss for the run support and communication in the middle of the field. Joey Porter Jr. is off PUP and eligible for Week 1, but the combination of the back issue and the contract situation means we still haven’t seen him in this defense. Jalen Ramsey is progressing and McCarthy has downplayed Week 1 concern, but he’s 32 and coming off a knee tweak. The young guys (Everette, Samuel Jr., Slaughter earlier in camp) have looked capable in the reps they’ve gotten, so the depth is better than it looks on paper. Still, if two of the veterans miss time at once, the unit gets thin fast


Rodgers at 43 is the obvious one. He’ll turn 43 in December and has already said this is it. Last year he started 16 and was durable enough, but the margin for error shrinks every season at that age. Starting 14 games” is a reasonable expectation rather than a guarantee one lingering injury or a couple of ugly sacks and the conversation shifts to Howard/Allar sooner than anyone wants. The hope is McCarthy’s scheme keeps the ball out of his hands quickly and the run game takes enough pressure off that he doesn’t have to be Superman.The young offensive line is the development story. Fautanu, McCormick, and Frazier are the core and they’ve been together long enough that the left side should be solid.

The right side of the OL (Anderson/Cook with Iheanachor and Dunker pushing)
They need to develop quickly. Preseason wasn’t pretty against better pass rushes, which is why some people are calling the camp flashes a mirage. If Iheanachor seizes the RT job and the interior stays clean, it can look a lot like the version we saw in stretches this summer. If the right side keeps leaking, Rodgers will be throwing off his back foot more than anyone wants in his final year.

Those three things—healthy DBs, Rodgers staying upright, and the young OL taking the key.

 

I have zero confidence Rodgers is going to make it through the midway point of the season. How strong is his arm? His mobility is going to very limited. The way this O line is blocking right now he is going to get hit a lot. We are very thin at QB as far as talent goes behind Rodgers. Not unusual for a NFL team but we got only Rudolph to look to. One hit on Rodgers could throw the whole season into disarray. So let's hope in the two weeks before the Steelers first game they can solve that issue.

 

Well Cowhers culture as you call it stuck around because we largely kept the same systems in place with a lot of the coaching sssistants and coordinators remaining in place. That isn’t the same under McArthy. I think To,Lon’s culture will be eliminated fairly quickly.

 

One can only hope!

 

How strong does it need to be to throw it 5-10 yards? Joking aside, arm strength and Rodgers is the least of my concerns.

I worry more about wasting time with Rudolph if Rodgers goes down than I am about the talent behind Rudolph. I wouldn't mind seeing Howard / Allar play.

 

I think we’re more worried about his legs than his arm.

 

Rollers mentioned arm, but yes, I would agree about his legs.

 

We've seen both play. It has not been pretty

 

Is there any chance the Steelers say "Screw It", and move Troy back to RT, and let Dylan Cook play LT? I am hoping they let Max FAIL, before they blow-up their O-Line plan and reset everything.

Reports out of camp were saying that the only time Dylan Cook was winning reps, was when he was playing LT.

 

depends on how pro active McCarthy is. He could erase the old culture and replace it with his pretty quickly if he wants.

i think Tomlin came into a situation where the culture was a winning super bowl ready squad with loads of talent and road it to another title. There was no need to make wholesale changes.

its a very different situation MM has inherited.

 

1. not enough talent
2. uncertain coaches
3. meathead owner

 

Well that certainly -retry much c-vers everything.

 

Seems the Steelers have a knack for over looking the OL. We had one great OL coach since the league merger and Munchak isn't coming back.

 

I was mildly surprised that they flipped Troy and Cook this summer. We know Troy was very good at RT, and Cook is better at LT than he is at RT... and I think the heir apparent to Cook, Iianchor, projects to be a stud at LT someday.

But McCarthy/Campen may not be willing to reshuffle at this point. We shall see.