Steelers notebook: Offensive line could have new look vs. Browns

Four games into the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers already have started three players at right guard and two at right tackle. Heading into their fifth game, they might be looking at a fourth offensive line configuration.

Veteran former All-Pros Maurkice Pouncey (foot) and David DeCastro (abdomen) left Sunday’s 38-29 win against the Philadelphia Eagles because of injury. Pouncey was replaced by J.C. Hassenauer at center, and rookie Kevin Dotson spelled DeCastro at right guard.

Coach Mike Tomlin will update the statuses of Pouncey and DeCastro on Tuesday, but if neither can play, that would mean that the Steelers’ three starters from center to the right on their offensive line will enter Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns with a combined six NFL starts.

Until Sunday. Hassenauer had played six special-team snaps during NFL regular-season games since he entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018.

Dotson went from third-stringer to starter at right guard in Week 2 when DeCastro was out because of a knee injury and veteran Stefen Wisniewski suffered a pectoral injury. DeCastro returned for Week 3.

“Me and Kevin played against Denver a couple weeks ago, so I wasn’t really shocked the way he came in and played well (Sunday),” right tackle Chuks Okorafor said during a video conference call with media Monday.

Okorafor replaced Zach Banner (torn ACL) late in the season opener. Though he frequently had played as an eligible tackle over the first two years of his career, Okorafor had just two career starts at right tackle heading into 2020. He will make his fourth consecutive start Sunday against Cleveland.

“There are plays that I wish I could take back or do better r change this up or change that up,” Okorafor said in evaluating his performance, “but so far I think I have been doing a good job helping to keep Ben (Roethlisberger) clean and helping (the running game). So, so far, so good, I’d’ say.”

Steelers just got through a portion of their schedule that Jamie Dixon would love. Now comes a bigger test to the team's first 4-0 start since 1979.https://t.co/MzfGVPY92u

— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) October 12, 2020

Snap decisions

The skill-position player on offense who played the most (Roethlisberger excluded) during Sunday’s win was tight end Eric Ebron. Ebron played 58 of the Steelers’ 75 offensive snaps (77%), one more than receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Chase Claypool had four touchdowns, but James Washington (53) edged Claypool (52) in usage on offense. Tight end Vance McDonald played 42 snaps, and extra lineman Jerald Hawkins was used on 11 (during one of those, Dotson made for a super-jumbo, seven-linemen look).

The division of labor at running back had James Conner playing almost two-thirds of the snaps (47), well more than the other four backs combined: Benny Snell Jr. (15), Trey Edmunds (six), Anthony McFarland (five) and Jaylen Samuels (two).

Edmunds was making his season debut. Samuels tied playing for the fewest snaps he has played in any game since early in his 2018 rookie season.

Hubbard homecoming

It appears former Steelers offensive lineman Chris Hubbard will start at right guard at Heinz Field on Sunday.

Hubbard spent five seasons with the Steelers after being an undrafted free agent, becoming their starting right tackle in 2017. But he left after that season, signing a five-year, $37.5 million deal with the Browns. Hubbard, though, entered this season in a backup role

Hubbard stepped in at right guard for an injured Wyatt Teller during Sunday’s win against the Indianapolis Colts. Hubbard told reporters it was his first regular-season snaps at guard, and he had taken “one rep” at guard in practice last week.

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