Steelers QB report card: The end is near for Ben Roethlisberger

Ben wastes no time getting the ball to Diontae in his return

Situation: 3rd-and-4 at the Packers 45-yard line, game tied at 0 with 10:11 left in the 1st quarter

The Steelers were moving the ball well, at least by their standards, when the Packers appeared to jump offsides on a 3rd-and-4 play near mid-field. Seeing this, Ben Roethlisberger stepped up in the pocket and delivered a perfect pass to Diontae Johnson for a 45-yard score. Even more impressive was that he beat All-Pro corner, Jaire Alexander, on the play. It was the kind of play that the Steelers have needed to begin games, and getting it in that situation had to feel good for the entire offense.

As we all soon found out though, it was a mirage. Ben struggled to hit any throws that weren’t 10 yards or less the rest of the game, and he can’t put much blame on the line this time. They weren’t fantastic by any means, especially Trai Turner who was repeatedly beaten in pass protection. But this was their best overall showing from a blocking standpoint, and yet Ben continued to miss throws at an alarming rate.

I wish we could see more throws like this from Ben, but those days seem to be gone. Every so often like he has the first four games he may connect on one, but he will never be the big-play QB he once was. His inability to do anything positive on the field leaves me no choice on his final grade.