JUST IN: Steelers Receive Brutal Honesty About…

The Pittsburgh Steelers have put serious draft capital into improving their offensive line for the past two offseasons. They selected two offensive tackles with their last two first-round picks: Broderick Jones out of the University of Georgia and Troy Fautanu out of the University of Washington. Both Jones and Fautanu played on the left side of the line when they were in college, and many fans have found the decision to take two left tackles confusing. 

It has apparently confused Jones as well. He has struggled to find his way during his sophomore season. This, too, was a surprise since when he came in for a benched Chukwuma Okorafor during his rookie year, he consistently improved as the season went on. That is why it was so shocking when he struggled right out of the gate during the 2024 preseason. He even seemed to lose his job to the rookie until Fautanu got hurt.

With Fautanu out for the regular season with a knee injury, the offense has depended on Jones to step up. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to. Every game, social media floods with comments about how Jones doesn’t know he’s allowed to use his hands, how he’s too athletic to look this bad, and that he often seems lost or confused. So far, he has had six penalties and allowed seven sacks in just eight games. 

Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently joined The Fan Morning Show on 93.7 The Fan, where he was asked about the offensive line’s performance. He mentioned that Offensive Line Coach Pat Meyer had recently told the media that Jones needs to “focus.” Batko was then asked who was the biggest disappointment so far; he didn’t hesitate. 

“Broderick Jones,” said Batko quickly. “Pat Meyer, I think, even caught himself a little bit being so bluntly honest about Jones, saying that he needs to focus on each and every play. That’s not really what you want to hear. It was in the context of an overall encouraging response as a position coach, ‘Broderick’s got the right mentality, the right attitude, he wants to learn,’ but Meyer didn’t really mince words. We can all see from the outside that the tape is the tape, the numbers with the penalties; you can’t argue them. He’s not learning fast enough, he’s not picking it up fast enough, and it’s been a weak spot for them on their O-line so far.”

Jones has remained on the right side of the line because his counterpart, Dan Moore Jr., can only play on the left side confidently. Moore has apparently been allowed to demand which side he plays on, which irks a large part of the fan base, who believe Jones would play better if he was on the proper side. That doesn’t answer why he was improving last year and isn’t this year. 

Steelers Aren’t Getting Killed By Penalties

It is easy to blame the numerous penalties the Steelers have had this season on the officiating. It is even fair to say that some officiating has been horrendous. That includes terrible calls on T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

However, despite how it may feel, the Steelers aren’t getting killed by penalties as much as some think. Heading into the bye week, they have 52 penalties for 392 yards. That ranks them 12th out of all NFL teams, with the New York Jets at the top with 72 for 650 yards. 

Jones is not the worst offender among all linemen, but he is pretty high on the list. He ranks 22nd out of 213 offensive linemen; the top offender is Laremy Tunsil. As Tomlin has mentioned, the key is not kicking themselves in the butt. Penalties will happen, but players like Jones, who has the most on the team, must correct their mistakes.