There seems to be some rampant speculation that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to reshuffle their offensive line ahead of their week two matchup against the Patriots. The unit wasn't horrible, but it felt like holes in the running game were sparse, and too much pressure was given up in the passing game.
The natural cry from fans has been for one (or both) of the rookie linemen to take over. Max Iheanachor got his first taste of NFL action when Troy Fautanu got banged up briefly. Gennings Dunker, meanwhile, was a healthy scratch in this game.
While I believe change could be coming, it doesn't feel like either of the rookies is set to take over quite yet. Instead, it feels like Spencer Anderson could be on the hot seat, and Brock Hoffman could be the one to usurp him.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could turn to Brock Hoffman for a spark along the line
Anderson had, in my opinion, the worst game of anyone on the offensive line. Dylan Cook arguably had the lowest lows, but he also had some really strong reps mixed in as well. Anderson felt like he never got going.
Anderson's PFF grade of 55.2 supports that. Again, it isn't a disastrous score, but it certainly leaves a lot to be desired. He also lacked the highs that Cook had on tape. Clearly, he was the weakest member of the offensive line.
So while fans clamor for Iheanachor to earn a starting gig over Cook, that doesn't solve the biggest issue for the team. That time will come, but I don't think it needs to be this week.
And if you think Dunker is going to get some starting reps, you need a reality check. He should get awfully comfortable on the bench as a rookie unless injuries strike.
Instead, Hoffman should be the next man up. He didn't record a single offensive snap in week one, but he is an experienced veteran who has played well with Mike McCarthy before. While i hate the idea of rotating linemen long-term, it may be necessary to figure out the best fit for this line right now.
Anderson has been a player who always did more with less. His work as a tackle eligible was perfect, but the more he played traditional guard, the worse his overall play was. We saw that once again on display in week one.
Hoffman isn't some sort of superstar either, but he can likely give you some more juice as a run blocker with similar results as a pass blocker. At worst, he should see a few drives' worth of action to see if the line is better with him in the mix.
You don't want this issue to linger long-term. At some point, the line needs to be set so they can continue to grow as a unit. Early on, the Steelers can afford to still figure things out. That should start this week with Hoffman seeing some starting snaps over Anderson.
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