Ben Roethlisberger Sets Steelers Club Record: Most games played

The Steelers edged the Houston Texans to open the 2020 season at 3-0, equaling that mark for the first time since the 2010 season.  That’s not the only milestone occurring in this game, along with as usual odd statistics as well.

This game brought about yet another team record for Ben Roethlisberger. He played his 221st  game as a member of the Steelers. Big Ben surpassed the mark previously held by long time Steelers center Mike Webster at 220 games.

JuJu Smith Schuster also set his own mark of sorts. He is the youngest wide receiver to have 200 receptions at only 22 years old.

Not a list the Steelers would like to be on; they entered the game with the Texans having the least points scored on an opening drive. While they did score first this week, they only had a field goal on their first drive. The Steelers should start improving this stat as the season goes on. The only reason the Steelers have the lowest mark thus far is because Ben Roethlisberger did not play 14 games in 2019 due to his injury. The Steelers did have an impressive opening drive against the Texans.

The Steelers became the first team to allow the Texans to throw a touchdown pass to a wide receiver in the 2020 season. The Texans had only one TD pass, and that went to Derren Fells, the tight end against the Ravens.

Odd Statistics

The Steelers have scored three games with 26 or more points the last three weeks of the 2020 season. This streak equals the mark from 2018 when they had 26 plus points from October 7th, 2018, through October 28th, 2018, when they Scored 41 points over Atlanta, 28 points over Cincinnati, and 33 points over Cleveland.

Sunday’s game is the only game Pittsburgh has played since December 4, 2005, in which the Steelers played to a 21-17  score at half time against a team that was in the playoffs in the previous season. They lost that game, making this their first victory trailing 21-17 at half time against a team in the playoffs the preceding year.

In Sunday’s game, the Steelers set an unusual record having the highest time of possession, scoring first against a playoff team from the previous season while trailing in the game at one point yet keeping the opposition to under 30 yards rushing. They eclipsed the mark they set on October 15th, 2017, when they Held  Kansas City to only 28 rushing yards and had the ball for 36:39. Against Houston, the Steelers had possession for 36:51 twelve seconds more than in the game against the Chiefs.

Next week’s matchup against the Tennessee Titans could bring about any number of milestones or odd statistics given the number of times these franchises have played each other over the years.