3 ways Steelers can help Ben Roethlisberger stay fresh in 2021

Ben Roethlisberger has had trouble staying healthy and finishing out the year strong. Here’s how the Steelers can help their QB in 2021. 

Ben Roethlisberger has been fantastic for most of his career. However, he does have a fatal flaw over the past three seasons: he has trouble finishing the year strong. Since 2018, Big Ben has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the month of December – posting a 4-6 record and a lackluster 89.4 passer rating during this time, according to Pro Football Reference.

You can chalk it up to whatever you want, but if Roethlisberger doesn’t find a way to play better late in the season and into the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers won’t have a chance at a Super Bowl run. Now that the NFL has expanded to a 17-game season, there’s even more reason to believe he will wear down early.

Though Ben may be old, there are ways the Steelers can alleviate some pressure from him in 2021. Here are three ways Pittsburgh can help Roethlisberger stay fresh and healthy this season:

Run the football early and often

This is easier said than done, and it’s something this unit had a very difficult time doing in 2020. While many fans are under the belief that this team couldn’t run the ball all season, that certainly isn’t true. Over the first five games of the year, the Steelers were averaging over 136 rushing yards per contest while scoring over 31 points per game.

However, instead of trying to stick with the run when there was tough sledding, Pittsburgh abandoned the run for the past. On the season, they finished first in the league in pass attempts and dead last in rushing attempts. This is a balance they can ill afford to have in 2021.

Thanks to the addition of do-it-all running back Najee Harris as well as some young, athletic offensive linemen, the Steelers need to help keep Ben fresh by running the ball early and often. This is a must if Roethlisberger is going to have enough juice to carry this team in December and January.