4 reasons to be concerned with Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger
By Tommy Jaggi
Roethlisberger needs to take more deep shots
I’m not saying that Big Ben needs to throw the ball deep just for the sake of it, but with an offensive line that has held up well, he hasn’t taken advantage down the field (as evidenced by his low yards per attempt).
Though Roethlisberger has connected with rookie Chase Claypool on a few impressive throws down the sideline, there isn’t another receiver on the team with a catch over 28 yards. This isn’t to say that Ben needs to take a deep shot on every drive, but it’s important to keep the defense on its heels.
So far this season, Roethlisberger is just 19th in the league in air yards per attempt, and only two other starting quarterbacks have a lower completion percentage on deep balls this year. I know Ben doesn’t have the same arm he used to, but we’ve seen some nice throws in stride to Claypool this year. He may just need to trust himself a little more and let it fly.
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Ben Roethlisberger has played just three regular-season games since his elbow surgery this offseason, so I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt that his efficiency will improve. If it doesn’t, the Steelers may not have enough firepower to compete with the best teams in the playoffs this year.