Steelers: great QB vs. great receivers
By Justin Roem
When Wallace came into the league he was an after thought in an offense with Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, and tight end Heath Miller taking up most of Ben Roethlisberger’s attention.
When, after much success, Holmes left town due to off-field issues, Wallace was the next man up. Quickly, he was just as productive as Holmes—a former first round pick and Super Bowl MVP. Wallace’s straight-line speed was unmatched and he developed great rapport with Roethlisberger.
After a few years of success, including a Pro Bowl and a Super Bowl run, Wallace was out of the team’s budget and skipped town for the Dolphins. There he never matched the success he enjoyed with the Steelers. Largely, this was attributed to his lack of chemistry with quarterback Ryan Tannehill; a new offense likely slowed the speedster as well.
Just as Wallace had failed to recreate his Pittsburgh success away from the Steel City, so had Holmes. While he enjoyed some success with the New York Jets, he and quarterback Mark Sanchez were never able to match the numbers that Holmes had posted with Ben.
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