Pittsburgh’s offense has been trending in the wrong direction. Here are three reasons why Ben Roethlisberger is holding this offense back.
Something has happened with the Steelers offense in the second half of the season, and it has not been good. After scoring 38 points twice in their first five contests of the 2020 season, Pittsburgh has amassed more than 28 points just once in their last 7 games. Obviously, there is plenty of blame to pass around right now.
Pittsburgh’s offensive line seems to have taken another step back, as players like David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey are only playing like shades of their former All-Pro selves. As a result, the ball is coming out at a record pace and the run game has virtually been non-existent.
In addition, Pittsburgh’s wide receivers have really struggled with consistency this year. Though the Steelers are privileged with 4 capable receivers and a solid pass-catching tight end, drops have been the story of the season for Pittsburgh. Of course, it doesn’t help that offensive coordinator, Randy Fichtner is sticking with a predictable script week in and week out.
However, Ben Roethlisberger isn’t without blame this year either. While he’s been a significant step up from the dismal play of Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges from 2019, he may not be good enough at this point to win the Steelers a Super Bowl. Here are three reasons why Ben is currently holding this offense back from reaching its true potential in 2020:
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.
Steelers are ‘overprotecting’ Big Ben
Making sure your quarterback stays upright is one thing. But severely limiting the offense by making sure your signal-caller is never touched is another. Ben Roethlisberger is one of the least-sacked quarterbacks in the NFL this year. This obviously isn’t due to having the best offensive line in the league; rather, the plan is to get the ball out of his hands quickly to make sure he’s not hit.
When it comes time for the playoffs, it’s true that there is nothing more important to the Steelers success than making sure that Ben is healthy and ready to go. However, the offensive game script to so limited that it might not matter. Though Fichtner has his quarterback in mind by trying to get the ball out quick and making sure he stays upright, it is severely limiting the offensive potential of this team.
As a result of their predictability, teams are catching on. They are pressing on Pittsburgh’s receivers – knowing that Ben has the quickest time-to-throw in the NFL. Instead, they dare Big Ben to beat them down the field – something he has not been able to do consistently this year. It’s crucial to keep Roethlisberger from suffering any major injuries, but trying to make sure he is never hit is really limiting this offense.
Roethlisberger just doesn’t have the same arm
Ben Roethlisberger has been a tremendous upgrade over Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges, but it’s clear that he doesn’t possess the same football talent he once did. While his decision-making has gotten better in his old age, the 38-year-old quarterback just doesn’t have the same arm that he used to.
There is a noticeable lack in the velocity on his football – something that was a stand-out trait of his early in his career. This is completely understandable, as he is coming off major elbow surgery that required repairing three torn ligaments in his throwing arm. Unfortunately, he just doesn’t have the same zip on the ball that he used to.
In addition, the overall arm strength is lacking as well. Ben used to have one of the biggest cannons in the NFL, but he has only hit receivers in perfect stride down the field a few times this year, while many of his passes are a bit behind.
I’m not saying all of this to harp on Big Ben; we are still talking about one of the best players in the history of the franchise. However, his advanced analytics show that he just hasn’t been very efficient in many areas of his game this year. Let’s hope he can make improvements in these areas before playoff time.