3 reasons Ben Roethlisberger is holding the Steelers offense back

The deep ball has gone by the wayside

For most of his career, Ben Roethlisberger specialized in extending the play and firing the ball down the field. As a result, players like Mike Wallace and Martavis Bryant were widely considered among the best deep threats in the league, thanks to Ben’s ability to hit receivers in stride 30-40 yards down the field.

That isn’t the case anymore. In fact, Ben’s game has completely changed. Instead of first looking to throw the ball down the field, Roethlisberger has made his bed with the short passing game – which ultimately caps the upside of this offense. When he does throw the ball down the field, he has been among the least efficient quarterbacks in the league in this department. According to Playerprofiler.com, Roethlisberger ranks 32nd in the league in deep ball completion percentage – completing just 27.6 percent of passes down the field.

There are several factors that go into play here, but it’s hard to make excuses for him. Chase Claypool has showcased the ability to attack the ball in the air and burn defenders down the sidelines. Without the league’s deepest groups of receivers, Ben should be better at getting the ball to his playmakers down the field. This is an area of his game that is currently holding the Steelers back.