Let me say this right off the bat: I understand now that Spencer Anderson has been dealing with a broken bone in his lower right leg. That injury reportedly happened early in the Patriots game, and it clearly could explain some of the problems we saw from him. But here's my issue: the Steelers didn't know—or at least didn't tell us—about this injury. Anderson wasn't on the injury report and was listed as a full participant in practice.
So I'm not going to use the injury as an excuse for everything we've seen from him. I Understand not being at your best when hurt. But we shouldn't get your worst.
Anderson has struggled all season, not just against New England. His pass-blocking grade through two games was 42.6, according to PFF. Against New England, he reportedly gave up seven pressures—the most by any right guard that week.
And now here comes Cincinnati.
This is where I get really concerned. The Steelers have already struggled to protect the quarterback, and now they're going up against a Bengals defensive front that can make you pay for every weakness. You can't have a weak link on the interior of this offensive line and expect to survive.
If Spencer Anderson is healthy enough to play, he has to play dramatically better. If he's not healthy, then Pittsburgh needs to make a change.
Because against Cincinnati, you don't get to hide a struggling offensive lineman.
The Bengals will find him—and they will attack him.