Steelers' Mike Tomlin Uses Perfect Quip To Sum Up Kevin Dotson and Dan Moore Jr. Ahead of Week 16

Tuesday, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin spoke with the media during his normal weekly press conference. He was asked about the performance of the offensive linemen, Dan Moore, Jr. and Kevin Dotson. They've been under heavy criticism all season because of penalties and total sacks allowed.

Aug 12, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers offensive guard Kevin Dotson (69) and offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. (65) walk off the field against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

“I think the arrow is pointing up,” said Coach Tomlin.

He went on to say that the two are growing closer and improving constantly. 

Moore and Dotson have quite a bit in common. They are close in age, being that they were drafted one year apart, both in the 4th round - Dotson in 2020 and Moore in 2021. They both attended college in the south - Dotson at Louisiana at Lafayette and Moore at Texas A&M. 

The two form quite a pair on the left side of the offensive line with Dotson at guard and Moore at tackle. They have also both come under fire from fans and critics alike for some inconsistent play as mentioned above. Dotson even reported receiving death threats from people about some of his mistakes. 

Dotson seemed to have a bit of a slow start. Prior to the start of the season, it appeared that he wasn’t even taking first-team reps with Tomlin telling reporters he hasn’t earned it. However, Dotson earned his starting spot and he has slowly and steadily improved, getting better and better each week. 

Moore had a strong start to his rookie season and many thought we had found a diamond in the 4th round rough, but the first half of his second season felt decidedly different. He struggled to pass block, often getting “turnstile'd.” Even worse than that have been some of the mental errors. Moore has an unfortunate knack for committing penalties at the worst time. Some of them have been absolute drive-killers. His 10 penalties are 6th most in the league and shouldn’t be happening this regularly this late in the season. 

While the Steelers might not be where they want to be yet at 6-8, there have been some steady improvements. This is particularly true of the offensive line. 

Steelers Coach Tomlin's Remarks on the Duos Growth

These sentiments were echoed by Coach Tomlin today. He said that he has seen steady and consistent growth from Dotson and Moore. He believes it helps that they are in similar places in their lives and careers - have similar responsibilities. This led to the “Tomlin-ism” for the day:

“No one has car seats in the back of their car.” 

By that, he means that Dotson and Moore are still free of the other life responsibilities that can catch up with and possibly distract a player. They are both unmarried and without children, hence no car seats. 

He said all of this is helping their growth. Tomlin said he sees they are doing a better job communicating, they are working hard at the intangible things that you can’t measure with a statistic. They spend a lot of time together.

Dotson currently has a Pro Football Focus grade of 62.1 and Moore has a 60.8. Neither of those scores is indicative of a Pro Bowl nod, but they do show the hard work that is being put in by these young men. 

Dotson and Moore are giving the Steelers something to build upon during the off-season. Their improved game play means that the Steelers won’t have to necessarily look for replacements after the season ends.

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line during training camp on Aug. 9 at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.

How much do you think the offensive line has improved this season? Do you see Dotson and Moore as a beneficial part of it or still as a liability? What do you think our biggest need is this off-season? Click to comment below!

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