Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) throws a pass as he is hit by Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Robert Geathers (91) in the first half at Heinz Field December 28, 2014.Jason Bridge
The way Ramon Foster figures it, the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line deserved a little bit of good karma. Heck, probably more than a little bit.
Every spring over the last five years it seemed the Steelers would make retooling and rebuilding the offensive line a top priority. And every fall the five guys pencilled in to start would either get hurt or get shuffled around to cover up a leak
It was frustrating and, at times, borderline cruelly comic:
- Centre Maurkice Pouncey’s ankle injury that kept him out of the 2011 Super Bowl;
- The busted knee for guard David DeCastro that hampered his rookie season in 2012;
- Tackle Marcus Gilbert’s various nicks and scrapes;
- A shredded knee limited Pouncey to all of eight plays in 2013.
So calling the line patchwork would be an insult to patches.
Finally, mercifully, those days appear to be over. The backbone of Pittsburgh's first division title since 2010 – and the most productive offence in franchise history – is the jelling of a line that has come of age now that it's found a way to stay out of the trainer's room. Pouncey, DeCastro and left tackle Kelvin Beachum didn't miss a start, while minor injuries forced Foster and Gilbert to sit a handful of games combined.
"Maybe we were owed one by the football gods," Foster said with a laugh.
Either way, the group that takes the field Saturday night when the Steelers (11-5) host Baltimore (10-6) in the wild-card round is thriving. All five are young – ranging in age from 24-28 – but have each started at least 33 games. It goes from perennial All-Pro Pouncey to Beachum, a sixth-round flier in 2012 who has blossomed into an undersized but competent revelation protecting Ben Roethlisberger's blind side.
The line – with more than a little help from tight ends Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, fullback Will Johnson and tailback Le'Veon Bell – kept Roethlisberger upright and the Steelers rolling. Roethlisberger took every snap and was sacked just 33 times, easily the fewest in a season in which he's played every game – even though he set a career high with 608 passes. His protection got better as the season went along.