Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been very inefficient this season, but here’s what he can do to repair his tarnished reputation against the Browns.
Things have not gone according to plan for Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers year. In his 18th NFL season, Big Ben looks like a shade of his younger self as major injuries over nearly the past two decades have clearly started to catch up with him.
After starting the season 1-3, Pittsburgh has since bounced back with two straight wins. However, both wins were at home against very banged-up football teams. Additionally, Roethlisberger is expected to take care of business against inferior competition — especially when those teams are led by Teddy Bridgewater and Geno Smith.
While some fans are glowingly optimistic following their short win streak, others have yet to show a lot of confidence in Roethlisberger. Now the Steelers quarterback will get a true test following the bye week.
The Cleveland Browns have a talented roster, but like the Steelers, they have been a bit disappointing this year. At times, their offense and defense can look elite, but they have yet to play with any sort of consistency. As a result, Kevin Stefanski’s team is just 4-3 entering Week 8 in what is shaping up to be a must-win game.
How Steelers QB can repair reputation vs Browns
The Browns and the Steelers both haven’t been getting the most out of their quarterbacks this season, but Ben Roethlisberger is starting to look like a distant fourth in the division. Through his first six games, Ben has thrown for just 6.3 yards per attempt and an 86.0 passer rating. He currently ranks dangerously close to the bottom in most advanced passing metrics this year, via PlayerProfiler.com.
However, Ben could help break this stigma with a good performance this week. Despite holding the Broncos to just 14 points last Thursday, Cleveland’s defense has been suspect this season — surrendering a combined 84 points in the two games prior against the Cardinals and Chargers.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are looking for their first 30-point regular-season game since Week 10 of the 2020 season. So far in 2021, Roethlisberger has yet to surpass 2 touchdowns in a game and his team hasn’t scored more than 27 points dating back to last year.
One thing that Ben can do this week to prove doubters wrong is to show the ability to not only throw the ball down the field but to connect with his receivers at a much higher level than he has been. According to PlayerProfiler.com, Ben is currently 31st in the NFL in deep-ball competition percentage.
There is almost a direct correlation between yards per attempt successful NFL offenses. This has been the case for quite some time. Bad teams dink and dunk the ball down the field, but this is only going to get them so far.
Obviously, the offensive line needs to show the ability to hold up in both the passing game and the run — something they have done a much better job of in their last two games. If they can do this, there shouldn’t be any reason Roethlisberger can’t have a good game.
The Steelers aren’t going to bench Big Ben — no matter what happens this year. We are all hoping he can repair his reputation with his best game of the season this year against the Cleveland Browns and avoid falling to a distant 4th place in the AFC North.