Home 2013 Steelers Offseason Steelers Offensive Line Hire is a Curious One

Steelers Offensive Line Hire is a Curious One

by Steeldad

Jack Bicknell, Jr.The Pittsburgh Steelers have finally hired an offensive line coach after their former coach, Sean Kugler left a month ago to become the head coach at UTEP. Jack Bicknell, Jr. is your new offensive line coach Steelers’ fans and my initial impression of the hire is clearly going to be a ‘wait and see’ approach.

On the surface though, I’m not real impressed.

Bicknell played offensive line for Boston College during the Doug Flutie years and then coached at the collegiate level. His NFL experience is all of four seasons worth and included three years as an assistant offensive line coach for the Giants followed by a year as OL coach in Kansas City.

I can’t argue much with his pedigree and his success running the ball in Kansas City last year. The Chiefs ranked fifth in the league in rushing despite going 2-14.

What concerns me is that his offensive line gave up 40 sacks in 2012. That’s just three more than Kugler’s line gave up last season, but I fear this hiring goes a step further and it isn’t what some of you want to hear.

A year ago as you might recall, Art Rooney II said that this team needed to get back to running the ball even though it was built for speed and not for power on offense. After this year’s over-whelming failure to consistently run the ball, this hiring signals to me that Rooney, Jr. is again hot to trot to pound the ball ahead for three yards and a could Heinz Field dirt.

Why does this front office insist on being what it is not? Do you need to be able to run the ball in the National Football League? Yes, yes you do, but not like you did in the 1970’s. You have to efficiently and effectively run it today and you need no further proof than the two Super Bowl combatants.

While both teams do effectively run the ball for the most part, they also spread the field consistently and still attack down-field with the passing game. Ben Roethlisberger is like any other quarterback who has ever played in the pros. He is a better QB when he has a decent running game, but that cannot happen with two-tight end, fullback formations. This allows the defense to have to cover less territory and plan for less in terms of possibility.

I realize I sound like a ‘Debbie Downer’ but I’m just reading the tea leaves for the moment. Obviously I hope Coach Bicknell takes this line to a completely new level, but I’m concerned that this is more about running for quantity rather than running for effectiveness.

Marc Uhlmann writes for and co-owns www.steelcityblitz.com. Follow him on Twitter @steeldad and follow the website at @SCBlitz. He can be heard Mondays on Trib-Live Radio at 4pm ET talking Steelers.

 

You may also like

2 comments

Troofax February 3, 2013 - 7:19 am

[He is a better QB when he has a decent running game, but that cannot happen with two-tight end, fullback formations. This allows the defense to have to cover less territory and plan for less in terms of possibility.]

Not if you have a threat like Miller/Ertz, which is what I am hoping for. Two tight end set with the talent, is the way to go in todays NFL. It’s hard to matchup, you can equally & effectively run or pass out of the formation, and with 2 great Tight Ends it opens up the whole field. The sky’s the limit, well actually your talent and imagination are your limits, but you get the picture.

That said, we likely don’t pick Ertz/Eiffert, hope I’m wrong…and you then have your point back.

I don’t think fans,bloggers are very good at reading Arts mind either. Yes he wants a running game. An effective running game, you don’t win without it. That doesn’t mean were going 3 yards and a cloud tho. Just the threat of a running game, something we have lacked consistently , is just as effective. Fans, especially the Art bashers/Big Ben ballwashers, are imo, very ignorant. I like to call them “tunnelvisionists”…It’s not so extreme one way or the other, as they like to make it seem. Maybe that’s why they would take a bullet for a guy (hint he wears 7) that could give2 turds about them or any other steeler fans. They like attention, and drama…

Who knows. I just have grown to hate steeler fans/bloggers.

steeldad February 3, 2013 - 1:51 pm

I’m glad you don’t hate bloggers enough to have avoided my website:) I don’t make any bones about the fact that I like Ben Roethlisberger, but I am also the first guy who will stand up and criticize him when he doesn’t play well. I’d love to see a two-TE set featuring those guys as well but let’s keep a couple of things in mind; Miller is coming off ACL surgery and I doubt will be 100% when the season starts. Secondly, I don’t see us going TE in the first regardless of who is on the board. Depending upon how the draft unfolds 16 spots ahead of us, I still think we’ll look to the defensive side of the ball unless offseason transactions dictate otherwise.

We are on the same page in regards to running game. I’ve argued for several years now it isn’t about the quantity of the rushes, it’s about the effectiveness.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.