Pittsburgh Steelers' Offensive Line: Who Is To Blame?

I have heard many times over the last few weeks how the Steelers have done nothing to address the horrible offensive line that we have.

Many people believe that Pittsburgh should have used their first two or three picks to shore up this sorry position. There is even a lot of banter on how the Steelers should have traded up to get someone that is going to be All-Pro.

There are even many people out there that believe that the Steelers should have broken their mold by going out and signing a "big money" free agent.

As if anything is better than what we currently have would be better.  Well, my friends, the grass is not always greener.

There are many reasons for the incredibly large number of sacks given up by the Steelers. But none of them can be put on a single person. 

If the Steelers would have gone out and signed Jordan Gross (I know he wasn't available, it is an example), does that make the entire line better?  Would suddenly the other four members of the line been pro-bowl caliber?  Would we not have allowed a single sack next year?

Absolutely not.

What about if Pittsburgh would have used every pick we had on an offensive linemen?  How many of them would have been ready to start this year?

Start five rookies and see how Ben does.

The funny thing is, a lot of the responsibility for this has to go to our beloved Big Ben.

WHAT? How dare me talk about Big Ben that way? Blasphemy!

Hear me out. The thing that makes Steeler Nation love Big Ben so much is because of his ability to make plays, inside OR outside the pocket.

One of the biggest knocks on Ben is that he holds the ball too long. That is what we hear almost every time Ben takes a hit.

What we love about Ben is that he doesn't force the ball anymore. He waits, scrambles, finds the open receiver, and makes the play. We saw it numerous times in the Super Bowl.

So, if Ben is holding the ball too long, how can it be the fault of the offensive line?

What I was taught when I played QB in high school (No, I wasn't very good) is you drop back, scan the field as you drop back, and deliver the throw.

As I taught the offensive linemen I coached, your job is to hold the linemen for three seconds. You can not ask linemen to block longer than that, it just is not possible.

Every one go to YouTube and watch some Steeler videos. Count from the time Ben takes the ball until the sack. If Ben holds the ball for one second after he has finished his drop back, then the fault is not on the line.

Go ahead, I'll wait.

Sure, on a blitz, Ben is going to have pressure.  Same goes for Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Only Ben scrambles instead of throwing the ball away, like they do.

The Steelers decided that the reason our line was good enough, was because regardless who Ben has in front of him, he is not going to force the ball. If that means he has to scramble, so be it.  If it means that he has to take a sack, well that's OK as well.

You could give Ben an All-Pro line and it would be no different. Ben is going to take the hit to make the play.

There is a reason that the Steelers have won two Super Bowls in five years. That is Big Ben. Playing the way he does. 

I'll take Ben the way he is.  Gutsy, risky, holding the ball too long.  As opposed to those QB's that throw the ball away every time a defender gets near him.

Blame the line, blame the coaches, blame Ben.  I'll take it the way it is.