Offensive line depth was a big question entering the season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they are well-positioned well to handle LG Isaac Seumalo’s absence if his pec strain causes him to miss time. Spencer Anderson has done a great job at tackle-eligible this season and looks ready to fill in for Seumalo if needed.
Anderson has played 87 offensive snaps this season, and a significant number of those came after Seumalo was injured in the middle of the Steelers’ Sunday night game against the Green Bay Packers. He ended the game with 35 snaps and represented himself well. The Steelers are fortunate to have kept him involved in the jumbo package because he should be ready to contribute in a starting role if needed.
He was responsible for blocking all-world LB Micah Parsons on several occasions in the Packers game and looked pretty good doing so. He didn’t look outclassed in the slightest.
Let’s take a look at some of his tape from Sunday at both tackle-eligible and guard.
I really like this rep as Anderson motioned across the formation as a lead blocker and the jumbo tight end. Most linemen don’t take the right angle and end up too wide, but Anderson basically blocked into the rear end of Darnell Washington to land the block perfectly on Parsons. It gave Jaylen Warren a nice hole to run through for a decent gain.
Parsons lined up across from him in this next clip. He lands his inside punch well, but his outside arm loops around the back. I like Anderson’s quick thinking here as he readjusted that outside arm to prevent any possible holding call. He managed to slow down Parsons long enough for Warren to get around the corner.
Here’s another impressive rep of Anderson moving bodies as a run blocker at the T-E position.
The major downside of Anderson moving inside is that the jumbo package might be shelved until Seumalo returns. Andrus Peat or even recent practice squad addition Jack Driscoll could potentially fill that role if needed, but the Steelers might be less inclined to use their most successful package without all their personnel.
So how did Anderson look as a true guard, something he hasn’t really played since early in the 2024 season before Mason McCormick took over as the starter?
He had nice technique here in pass protection. He won inside position with his punch, kept a wide base, and stuttered his feet backward to drop anchor and give up minimal ground.
The Packers used a lot of twist stunts to confuse the Steelers’ offensive line, but I liked Anderson’s mental processing here. The inside linebacker showed blitz and bailed out at the last moment, so Anderson kicked the defensive tackle out to Broderick Jones and peeled back inside to cut off the twisting defensive end.
Here’s one last look at Anderson against Parsons. The four-time Pro Bowler tried to beat Anderson with speed, but well-placed hands and quick feet helped him stay in phase and run Parsons up the arc. Anderson’s basketball background and twitchy athleticism for an offensive lineman showed here.
Mike Tomlin left the door open for Isaac Seumalo to play Sunday against the Colts. If he doesn’t the Steelers are in good hands with Spencer Anderson.
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