10 Thoughts: Steelers offensive line dominates

Dec 31, 2023 at 08:35 PM

Dale Lolley

Contributing Writer/Editor

A week after Mason Rudolph was given a game ball for his work in a win over the Bengals, the Steelers handed out multiple game balls following their 30-23 victory here Sunday over the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.

This time, it was the offensive line that earned Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin's praise.

And why not? The Steelers had just run their way to a win over the Seahawks, rolling up a season-high 202 yards on the ground and holding the football for 37:33 of the 60-minute game.

With a banged-up defense working against an explosive Seattle offense, it was just what the doctor ordered for the Steelers, who improved to 9-7 and kept their playoff hopes alive with the victory.

"I thought the offensive line provided the wave that we rode," said Tomlin.

Thing is, the line performed very much like a wave, sweeping Seattle defenders off the line of scrimmage again and again and again.

"Coach put the onus on the big guys," said left tackle Dan Moore Jr. "We knew the plan was to run the ball. We just came out with our ears pinned back and wanted to deliver."

It doesn't always happen that way. The Steelers have gone into a lot of games wanting to run the ball like they did in this game. But they knew early on they had the Seahawks on the run. And it's a great feeling for a line.

"100 percent, especially when you see those guys huffing and puffing with their hands on their hips," said Moore. "You're hitting the runs for 10-plus yards. There's no better feeling."

Even at that, however, the line didn't want to take all of the credit for this game. Obviously, running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren played a big part, as well.

But so did the other offensive players. You don't break off second-level runs without the wide receivers and tight ends blocking downfield and at the point of attack, as well.

"We've always had it in us," said rookie right tackle Broderick Jones. "It's just the ability of all the offense to lock in as a whole, everybody being on the same page, all 11 guys that are on the field, playing like one band, on one chord. And then just coming out and executing. Us imposing our will throughout the whole game, that's a big factor in it."

The offense rode that wave throughout this game, doing pretty much whatever it wanted to do against Seattle. The end result was a season-high 468 yards and a second 30-point effort in a row.

It also allowed the Steelers to control the pace of the game, which, in turn, helped the defense. The Steelers ran 71 plays. The Seahawks ran 49 offensive plays.

That put additional pressure on Seattle's offense that a banged-up Steelers defense just wasn't capable of doing.

"Our offense, I don't know how many times we actually had the ball the entire game," said Seattle wide receiver Tyler Lockett.

That number was actually nine times. Seattle had nine possessions. It went three-and-out on three of those and turned the ball over on the first play of another possession.

And with the Steelers — who didn't have a three-and-out offensively the entire game — consistently moving the ball, it made the Seahawks press on offense.

"Props to the o-line," said defensive tackle Cameron Heyward. "The o-line did an amazing job today. Blocking, finishing runs. It was a complete offensive performance. You tip your hat to them."

• Harris and Warren, as mentioned, played a big part in that, as well. There were times when both players just refused to go down, running through tackles and keeping themselves upright to gain more yards.

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers guard Isaac Seumalo (73) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson (20) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Allen Robinson II (11), Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18), and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Joe Nicholson / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Joe Nicholson / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Joe Nicholson / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Defense during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Mark Robinson (93) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Joe Nicholson / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Joe Nicholson / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Fans during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Joe Nicholson / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Mason Cole (61) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Offense during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers safety Eric Rowe (25) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Defense during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell (9) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker coach Denzel Martin and Pittsburgh Steelers safety Eric Rowe (25) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end/fullback Connor Heyward (83) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers punter Pressley Harvin III (6) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Chandon Sullivan (34) and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Myles Jack (16) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (99) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Joe Nicholson / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. (65) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Levi Wallace (29), Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson (20), and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Myles Jack (16) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Joe Nicholson / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Joe Nicholson / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Joe Nicholson / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Mykal Walker (38) and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Defense during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Joe Nicholson / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) and Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Joe Nicholson / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens (14), Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones (77), and Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Joe Nicholson / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Team huddle during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson (20), Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51), Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Markus Golden (44) during a regular season game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in Seattle, WA. (Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers)

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"Us running backs knew what we had to do to win the game," said Harris, who finished with 122 yards on 27 bruising carries. "We had to establish the run so guys could play off of it, the receivers could make plays, and even the certain plays Jaylen had that kind of sparks the offense. We have to build on that. That opens up a lot of things."

More than that, it established a mentality. And it forced the Seahawks to adjust.

The Steelers rushed 24 times for 145 yards in the first half alone. Seattle came out in the second half and began shifting its front around more and even showed some Bear fronts with nine guys in the box.

That allowed Mason Rudolph to then throw the ball over the top in certain situations.

"They were sending a lot of blitz, a lot of Bear (front), trying to load the box on us," said Moore. "We found a way to keep moving the ball."

A lot of that came after contact thanks to Harris and Warren. They ran angry. They ran with a mission.

"They had a good one-two punch with the running backs," said Seattle safety Julian Love. "They have some big bodies up front. They got into a groove with that 13 personnel (three tight ends) and big bodies and just tries the run game."

"Harris is more well-known, since his college days. He's a tough runner, a strong runner. And then (Warren) just added a one-two punch for them. That kid's a strong running back with great balance, and he's a shorter guy, so he was just weaving through our defense. They're two talented backs. We knew that going into the game, and we didn't execute enough to stop them."

• One thing Rudolph does at quarterback is stands tall in the pocket and delivers the ball.

Part of that is because he's not as mobile as either Kenny Pickett or Mitch Trubisky. But it's also because he trusts in his ability to stand in the face of the pass rush and still deliver the football where it needs to go.

He did it two times in particular in this game, hitting George Pickens down the field twice for big gains with the defense right in his face. And both times, he delivered a perfect pass. It was impressive.

And it's the kind of thing that endears you to your teammates.

"Mason has just been Mason," said Pickens, who finished with 7 receptions for 131 yards. "He's been doing that since when he was the backup. We trust in each other."

Do they ever.

In the two games Rudolph has now started, Pickens has receptions of 86, 66, 44, 37 and 33 yards. He's caught 11 passes for an average of 29.6 yards per reception.

For Rudolph, it's all about playing confidently and trusting his guys to make a play for him.

And, as shown by Tomlin's decision to allow Rudolph to throw the ball just after the two-minute warning in a one-score game, he has the team's full confidence, as well.

The Steelers could have simply run the ball three times, forced the Sehawks to use their final two timeouts and potentially have gotten a first down that way. Instead, on the first play coming out of the two minute warning after the Steelers had recovered an onside kick, they came out throwing.

Rudolph hit Pickens on a slant that gained 24 yards.

"There's probably a lot of quarterbacks who could have completed that pass," said Rudolph, who finished 18 of 24 for 274 yards after completing just two of his first six passes. "No safety helped. George got the separation.

"I think a lot of coaches and play callers want to be conservative there and just run it out. But we've got a very aggressive head coach, who I think made that call. So, it paid off."

It certainly caught the Seahawks by surprise.

"The first play of the final sequence, I was surprised they called a slant route and then hit it," said Seattle head coach Pete Carroll. "That's a rare thing a team would do, and they executed it really well and changed the sequence for us. I was surprised they did that."

Especially with a guy who spent most of the past two seasons as the third-string quarterback.

That's trust.

• The Steelers' 2023 rookie class has given it a boost all season long. And Sunday, it was Nick Herbig's chance to make a big play.

With the Steelers holding a 27-20 lead in the fourth quarter, Herbig got the nod to start Seattle's next offensive series in place of Alex Highsmith — by Highsmith.

"Alex was just like, 'Hey, take this one,;" Herbig recalled.

The rookie exploded out of his stance on the quarterback's blind side, beat two blockers and stripped Seattle quarterback Geno Smith of the football. Not only did he do that, he then also fell on the loose ball. And a couple of minutes later, the Steelers kicked a field goal that gave them a two-score lead.

"That was a T.J. Watt right there," Herbig said of the strip-sack and fumble recovery.

And it was needed.

The defense was on the ropes at times against the Seahawks, who are as talented on offense as just about any team out there. And it needed a play.

The rookie fourth-round draft pick hasn't gotten a ton of opportunities this season, but he provided a huge play when given the chance in this game.

"For sure," he said when asked if that was his biggest play of the season. "That was definitely one of the biggest of my career for sure."

• On Warren's 18-yard touchdown run to open the scoring, Warren started to his left, saw the Seahawks had overloaded that side and cut back to his right.

But things didn't end there. Moore felt Warren cutting it back and got down the field to pick up a linebacker, which happened to be former Steelers' first-round pick Devin Bush.

"They brought safety pressure on the play side of the run," said Moore. "I just banged back and saw the linebacker in the hole. I didn't think that was going to be the key block, but it ended up being Devin Bush, so I tried to give him a little extra on that. I saw Jaylen run right past me and knew it was going to be a touchdown. That was awesome."

Bush finished with a game-high and career-high 17 tackles subbing for injured starter Jordyn Brooks. But it might have been the least impactful 17-tackle performance you'll ever see.

• So, the Steelers will now travel to Baltimore on Saturday to face the Ravens in yet another must-win game.

But with Baltimore, which the Steelers defeated, 17-10, earlier this season, having clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs with its win Sunday over the Dolphins, the Ravens might be resting quite a few regulars.

Even so, given the history of the rivalry, the Steelers will have their hands full in this must-win situation.

It beats the alternative, though.

"Fighting back, 9-7 now with a chance to go out and fight for the playoffs," said Heyward. "Whatever cards you're dealt, you go out and deal with it. To have a chance this late in the season to get into the playoffs, that's all we're hoping for. We need help, but that help doesn't happen unless we take care of our business."

Heyward, as usual, is right.

And the NFL might have done the Steelers a favor by moving their game to Saturday. The Steelers aren't in a win-and-get-in scenario. But Buffalo, Houston, Indianapolis and Jacksonville will be in that situation.

If the Steelers beat the Ravens to get to 10-7, the pressure will squarely be on those other teams to win their respective games.

Indianapolis hosts Houston, so one of those teams will lose. The Steelers would just need the Bills or Jaguars to succumb to the pressure to get into the field — unless the Colts and Texans play to a tie Saturday night after the Steelers play the Ravens.

• One of the interesting things about this game is that only seven players touched the ball on offense once the ball had been snapped. Obviously, Rudolph was one of those, but he, Harris and Warren were the only players to record a rushing attempt, while all the passes were funneled through Pickens, Johnson, Warren and tight end Pat Freiermuth.

That's getting the ball to your best guys and letting them make plays in a big game.

• The Steelers got their first win in Seattle since 1983, long before any of the players on this roster were born.

And there were so many Steelers fans in the stands, the famed 12th man — what the Seahawks call their very loud fans — was really more like the 11 1/2 man.

That made this even more sweet.

"I never knew that. That's freaking awesome," said Moore, of the Steelers getting just their second win in team history in Seattle to improve to 2-7 there. "It was a hostile environment. I know people said it was going to be loud, but you don't know until you get out there. It was extremely loud. To go out there in a hostile environment and put up a performance like that?"

Yeah. And they did it while only having two penalties as a team.

The Seahawks had three false start penalties in their own building. The Steelers had one.

•Dale Lolley is co-host of "SNR Drive" on Steelers Nation Radio. Subscribe to the podcast here: Apple Podcast | iHeart Podcast

• Joey Porter Jr. was aligned on D.K. Metcalf on 26 of his 32 pass routes ran in this game. Metcalf wound up with three receptions on six targets, though he did go for 86 yards on those receptions.

Still, considering Porter was on Metcalf on both occasions in the fourth quarter, with the Steelers leading 30-20, on which the Seahawks tried to go to him in the end zone, it was significant.

Porter forced two incompletions and Seattle kicked a field goal with 2:04 remaining instead of getting a touchdown that would have pulled it within three points.

Porter said earlier in the week he had circled the matchup with Metcalf, one of the true unicorns in the NFL at the wide receiver position in terms of his size and speed, and he more than held his own.

"He's a chippy dude, trying to be physical with you before and after the play," said Porter. "I didn't let it affect me too much. It was a little tough for me in the first half, second half, I felt like I locked in and played football."

Locked in or locked down, which happens to be Porter's new nickname among his teammates.

"It's definitely been going around the locker room a little bit," Porter said of the "Lockdown" nickname.

• Some might scoff at Tomlin's 17-year streak without a losing season, but even those people have to admit that it does always make the season interesting.

With their win Sunday, the Steelers will once again play a meaningful game in the final week of the regular season.

If they get what they need or not, this team has seen considerable growth over the course of the year, something that bodes well for the future.

10 Thoughts: Steelers offensive line dominates

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