6 Steelers who have major questions to answer in Week 1 vs. Bills
By Andrew Falce
Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
Every name on this list to this point is some sort of young and relatively inexperienced player.
Ben Roethlisberger, on the other hand, is one of the oldest players in the league.
That said, after struggling in the latter half of the season last year, he needs to show both the Steelers and the NFL he still has enough in the tank to be a talented quarterback. As of now, most fans are writing him off, but a strong start to the season could easily change that narrative.
The Bills won’t make that easy, though, as they boast one of the league’s best secondaries. That said, Roethlisberger succeeding in Week 1 can’t be solely due to his arm. He needs to lead a balanced offense given the investments made in there this offseason. He can’t be throwing the ball 40 to 50 times every week, as at his age, it simply won’t work anymore. He needs to revert more to his early years, where he allowed a strong rushing game and defense to win games, not just his talent alone.
Luckily, he enters the year with one of the deepest stables of receivers in the league. Mix in an upgrade in the backfield, and Roethlisberger should have plenty of weapons to choose from.
The offensive line is an issue, and it is one that will affect the overall game of Roethlisberger, but there is enough talent elsewhere to compensate for that.
That all said, if Roethlisberger struggles in Week 1, the narrative will be about how he doesn’t have it anymore. He needs a strong start to the season to silence those that are questioning if he can still play.