Mike McCarthy’s call to remake the right side of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line already looks like a sharp one.
After two rough weeks to open the season, the Steelers finally got the kind of front-five performance they had been chasing in their Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The difference came after McCarthy made a bold move: he changed both spots on the right side, benching right guard Spencer Anderson and right tackle Dylan Cook for Brock Hoffman and Max Iheanachor.
The logic was simple. Hoffman and Iheanachor had been working together in practice, and McCarthy wanted to keep that pair intact.
So if Anderson was out, Cook was going with him. That decision paid off immediately.
The challenge was no small thing. Hoffman was making his first start in a Steelers uniform and had to deal with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, one of the NFL’s best at the position.
Iheanachor, a 22-year-old rookie, was thrown into his first NFL start and was asked to handle $60 million pass rusher Boye Mafe and rookie phenom Cashius Howell. He made it look easy.
For the first two games of the season, Aaron Rodgers had been fighting for every inch in the pocket. Against the Bengals, he had time to work. With Hoffman and Iheanachor helping stabilize the edge and interior, Rodgers threw for nearly 292 yards and three touchdowns.
The run game looked different, too. Hoffman and Iheanachor helped create real movement up front, and Jaylen Warren took full advantage with 127 yards on just 17 carries, a 7.5-yard average. As a team, the Steelers rolled up 411 yards of offense, and the offensive line was a huge reason why.
The numbers back it up. Hoffman earned an 87.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, along with an 88.8 pass-block grade, in his first Steelers start. Iheanachor posted a 73.6 overall grade and a 78.0 run-block grade in his first NFL start.
It’s only one game, and the Steelers need to see it again before anyone crowns the new-look line. But after the way the unit struggled early, this was a clear step forward. McCarthy made a tough call after just two weeks, and for one Sunday, it looked like the right one.
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Still, the bigger concern sits on the other side of the ball. Pittsburghs defense showed some vulnerabilities in the 30-27 win, and the absence of Joey Porter Jr. was hard to miss as Cincinnati found enough success to keep the game tight throughout. The Steelers can take comfort in finally seeing signs of life on offense, but they also know the next stretch will tell a lot about whether that improvement is sustainable if the defense remains a little less sure of itself. [Read more 🡒]