Chris Hubbard: Steelers’ “weakest link” this week?
- This week’s pick for who could be the weakest link on the Steelers feels like low-hanging fruit, but it’s hard to ignore the obvious.
After the NFL announced that Pittsburgh right tackle Marcus Gilbert would be suspended for four games after violating the league’s substance abuse policy, the decision to put his backup, Chris Hubbard, into this slot was an easy one. That’s not to say that Hubbard won’t rise to the occasion, as he has in relief appearances for Gilbert over the last two seasons: it’s just to acknowledge that Hubbard is not the same caliber player as Gilbert, who is generally considered one of the best right tackles in all of football.
There’s a dropoff, which is expected, but just how much of a drop rolling with Hubbard as opposed to Gilbert will be is difficult to pinpoint. Hubbard has already played a significant amount of time as opposed to his colleague in 2017. Gilbert has played a total of 279 of the Steelers 692 offensive snaps, or 40% of the season. The remaining snaps have all been played by Hubbard, who also has a few dozen more reps to his credit as the team’s extra tight end in jumbo packages.
Over the five games Hubbard played, the Steelers lost two of them: to the Bears in Chicago and at home to Jacksonville. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger posted a 62.0 quarterback rating in those first three games but managed a much better 100.6 rating in Hubbard’s other two starts. The offensive line surrendered six sacks in the first three games, and zero in the other two.
While Big Ben’s play can’t be solely attributed to Hubbard’s performance, there’s no denying that smart teams will view a backup tackle as a weakness they can exploit. Furthermore, I’m the least of anyone who would think they would be saying they believe in Hubbard playing any position on the offensive line in a starting capacity, had you asked me that same question a little over a year ago. That’s when Hubbard, penciled in as a backup center and guard, received his first pro snaps as a tackle; a position he rarely played in college as well.
Rather than be a weak link, Hubbard rose to the challenge and excelled so much more in his new role that he was featured in the jumbo packages mentioned earlier as an extra “tackle eligible” tight end (those numbers you hear the referees refer to over the announce system, when offenses beef up the frontline in short yardage situations).
Therefore, it’s Hubbard’s role to help protect Roethlisberger for at least the next four games. His first crack comes in a primetime game Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers, who will be without their star of the defense, edge rusher Clay Matthews. Matthews hasn’t lived up to his All-Pro seasons in 2010, 2012, and 2014, but could still wreak havoc on those across the line from him. His loss will impact the Packers, but could certainly lean in Hubbard’s favor.
Matthews’ replacement is Packers free agent acquisition Ahmad Brooks, a former All-Pro in his own right.
If there was ever a better time to find out if Hubbard can maintain the Steelers motto of “The Standard is The Standard” this Sunday is it. Will Hubbard continue to play above the line, or will he be the Steelers weakest link?
