The success the Pittsburgh Steelers had on the ground in Week 12 wasn’t a result of Matt Canada no longer having his hand in things. The unit’s revival is something that’s been building for weeks.
The common denominator? Rookie tackle Broderick Jones.
Since he’s supplanted Chuks Okorafor as the starter in Week 9, Pittsburgh’s averaged a whopping 174 yards per game. Prior to that, the unit averaged just 79.7 per game — nearly 100 fewer yards. That’s an incredible turnaround.
But you won’t hear Jones take the credit.
“It’s not just me,” Jones told Steelers media on Thursday. “Like they say, one man don’t stop no show; one man don’t start it. It’s us as a collective. We’re playing more together. Everybody’s on the same page. That’s all I feel it is.”
He’s not entirely wrong. The other four linemen have picked up their game significantly. But the energy that “the oversized toddler” has brought to the line can’t be overlooked as to why.
Despite the Steelers offensive line’s ascension this season seeming to correlate with when he joined the starting lineup, Broderick Jones does not want to take credit for it pic.twitter.com/nTFnFGf8nA
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 30, 2023
