10/15/18-The True Keys To The Steelers Success

By: Mike Pelaia

Ben Roethlisberger. Antonio Brown. Le’Veon Bell. JuJu Smith Schuster. James Conner. Vance McDonald. Cam Heyward. TJ Watt.  The list often goes on before you get to the names of guys like Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Ramon Foster, Marcus Gilbert and Alejandro Villanueva. 

Yet those last five names very well might be the most important five on the roster.  They are the true keys to the Steelers success.  They are the ones who allow Conner to run the ball for an average of 4.4 yards per carry through the first six weeks. They are proving they make the offense go round and without them playing at their finest, the offense just may not click. 

I don’t see it any other way.

Pouncey and DeCastro are all world offensive linemen, Villanueva is a pro bowl player and the other two are very good. Together, they are one cohesive unit. 

Roethlisberger is no stranger to this concept.  From 2004 to 2008, Roethlisberger was sacked more times than any other quarterback in the league, with 192. From 2009 to 2013 he was sacked 194 times, also good for first in the league.  Over the last for years, he’s been sacked just over 90 times, putting him at 21^st.  396 sacks over the first 10 years of his career vs. a little over 90 the past four, as he’s aged.  It’s very clear to me why he continues to play at a high level, the guys in front of him. The true keys to this teams success.

They make the run game go, see Conner and Le’Veon Bell, but they also make the passing game go. Roethlisberger, Brown and Smith Schuster can speak to that.  Yet they don’t get enough glory. They don’t get the praise they deserve by the fans.

Sure, everyone says they’re good. But people don’t realize just HOW good. 

The black and gold currently average 28.5 points per game, good for 7^th in the league through six weeks. In 2017 they were 5^th at 26.4, in 2016 they ranked 12^th at 24.4, 2015 they ranked 7^th at 25.4 and in 2014 they ranked 7^th at 26.6. 

So since the sacks for Roethlisberger have been declining, the points per game have been no worse than 12^th but usually right around 7^th in the league, as they stand so far this year.

Yes, the playmakers like Brown, Bell and Big Ben make dazzling throws, amazing catches and flashy runs, but none of those are going to happen, at least not as frequently, without these five men upfront.

So I say, appreciate the stars that this team has, the underappreciated ones, that is. Pouncy, Decastro, Foster, Gilbert and Villanueva. 

They are the true keys to the Steelers success.