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More Faneca fallout?
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Q: Could the lack of expected performance from Sean Mahan last year be partially attributable to Alan Faneca's fighting the Steelers' new way of doing things on the offensive line?
Regis Reynolds, Hillsboro, Oregon
BOUCHETTE: It had nothing to do with Faneca. In fact, Faneca probably had to help the center out more last season than he did previously. Mahan is a good technician and versatile -- he also has played guard and has practiced at both spots with the Steelers. Mahan is listed at 301 pounds, but he lost weight as the season wore on last year. I was told he was near 285 before it was over. That's not big enough to handle the big nose tackles in the league. He was fine against 4-man lines but when the 3-man nose lined over him, outweighing him by 60 pounds or so (think Casey Hampton) he had trouble. That's why they signed Justin Hartwig, who is listed at 312.
First Published August 16, 2008 12:00 am
