Head coaches have tough and difficult jobs. That’s why they are paid as handsomely as they are. No one cares about the long nights and early mornings because those are the norm for an NFL Head Coach. Mike McCarthy, the Steelers’ head honcho, knows this all too well. He knows the hard work needed but he also realizes that decision making matters as much as the labor. As of this point, his decision on the re-worked offensive line has been a poor one.
Something really stuck with me yesterday while watching and listening to his weekly press conference. McCarthy bemoaned the fact that his offensive line was struggling and PennLive.com Steelers Beat Writer Nick Farabaugh summed it up perfectly.
McCarthy and Offensive Line Coach James Campen made a couple of very important decisions that have led this unit to where it is today. First, they moved Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick from the right side to the left side. They took Dylan Cook, who saw the majority of his play last season at left tackle and moved him to the right side. I cannot emphasize enough that this isn’t a Madden video game. Moving guys from one side to the other is not as easy as hitting the ‘select’ button. Essentially, the physical aspects of playing guard and/or tackle on each side require completely different muscle memory. In other words, it can take time.
The other important decision they made was to draft Max Iheanachor. They knew ahead of time that he was strictly a right tackle. It was made quite clear early on that they weren’t interested in moving him to the left side either. Therefore, McCarthy and Campen were forced into their current predicament. The fact that McCarthy is openly second-guessing himself is something I find troubling.
Sunday’s loss in Foxborough was exhibit A in terms of how far this unit has to go. The Patriots consistently brought pressure including six-man rushes and the Steelers had no answers. Rushers were literally coming free on nearly every drop back which of course leads to the dreaded “lack of communication” conversation that Steelers’ fans have become so familiar with in recent years. Usually it involves the secondary but not in this case.
Rookie Gennings Dunker has yet to get a helmet in his first two games and while Spencer Anderson was pretty much a human turn style on Sunday, my guess is that Brock Hoffman will get the start ahead of Dunker. The red-mulleted former Iowa Hawkeye looks the part, but his pass protection skills were far from adequate enough to merit seeing any time. Would he or Hoffman be any worse than what Anderson displayed Sunday? I would hope not but then again, be careful what you wish for….
McCarthy and Campen now find themselves with a huge issue. Big Mike can whine all he wants to about the lack of practice time and the restrictions the collective bargaining agreement has on him but every other team seems to figure it out. McCarthy’s life probably flashed before his eyes as he saw his 42-year old QB get almost bent in half by a free rusher Sunday. The decisions on who to draft and who to move along the line have not worked out through two games and they are running out of time… As is his QB should he take any more hits like that.
