Report Card: Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger puts a beating on the Bengals
Ben Roethlisberger posts season-high numbers as the Steelers made a statement against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Pittsburgh Steelers remain undefeated as they demolished the Cincinnati Bengals 36-10. All around, Pittsburgh had a fantastic day. The defense was aggressive and didn’t give up too many big plays, and the special teams had their best game of the year and the offense was clicking on all cylinders. The only downside to Sunday’s wins was the run game. James Conner couldn’t find many holes and it showed. He posted 13 carries for 36 yards along with 2 receptions for 12 yards.
Ben Roethlisberger was the star of the show, he went 27/46 for 333 yards and 4 touchdowns. More importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over for the third straight week.
Even though he posted a monster stat line, there were some hiccups that could’ve been avoided. Ben wasn’t very efficient when looking to throw the long ball. He couldn’t connect with Chase Claypool or Diontae Johnson on a number of deep balls. Other than a few over and underthrown passes, however, Ben had a flawless day as the black and yellow stayed undefeated and moved to 9-0.
Going forward, if Ben can keep posting 300+ yards and 2-3 touchdowns, the Steelers are a threat to come out on top in the AFC. With the defense playing the way they are, anything is possible. The run game still needs some tweaking. I don’t necessarily blame James Connor for his lack of contribution in the run game. Against the Bengals, the Steelers ran a shotgun formation on 86% of their plays, according to Sharp Football Stats. This forced the run game to take a hit.
Here’s a breakdown of Ben Roethlisberger’s best throw of the afternoon: