Big Ben shoulders on with heavier burdens
The Steelers’ fate, now more than ever, is on Ben Roethlisberger’s shoulders.
Too obvious, perhaps, because it’s been that way for most of his career, but not like this for the most part, where he is down to his third and fourth halfbacks since Le’Veon Bell is sitting out the season and James Conner will miss this game and maybe more with an ankle injury.
One of the Steelers’ available backs, Jaylen Samuels, is a rookie with little experience. The other, Stevan Ridley, is a vet with a lot of experience but not much success the past several seasons, and little-used to this point by the Steelers.
It will be mostly up to Roethlisberger when the Steelers play in Oakland Sunday and maybe when they play the New England Patriots at home the following Sunday.
Roethlisberger has thrown more times (517) for more yards (3,945) than anyone in the NFL. He is on pace for 5,261 yards, which would snap his own team record of 4,952. His yards through 12 games already stand sixth in team history and he now owns the top eight most prolific Steelers passing seasons.
He’s done all that this season with James Conner, whose 909 yards rushing rank second in the AFC. Roethlisberger is not likely to throw fewer passes without Conner.
Roethlisberger is among those who say their plans won’t change because Conner’s not playing.
“No, we’ll put the plan together and go about our business,’’ Roethlisberger said.
Guard David DeCastro agreed that little will change, and noted other backups playing well, such as Matt Feiler and Chuks Okorafor at right tackle for injured Marcus Gilbert.
“I don’t think anything really changes. Everyone says next guy up. Matt and Chuks have been doing it. No one thought Conner would be able to do it — it was the same kind of question you could have asked me at the beginning of the year. It just goes to show that kind of standard we expect of guys. It’s still a team sport.”
And offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner: “We’re going to still address it as trying to be as balanced as we can, run when we can run. It all comes down to efficiency runs . . . We have capable runners.”
Of course, they have to say those kinds of things.
They have to say they have confidence in Samuels and Ridley to get the job done at halfback. They have to say nothing changes.
But it does. Roethlisberger has been here before. With Bell hurt in 2014 and no reliable backup, the Steelers picked up Ben Tate and started him in the playoff game against Baltimore. Tate ran for 19 yards, Josh Harris 25. Roethlisberger threw 45 times for 334 yards but also threw two interceptions in a 30-17 loss.
There were others, such as their playoff game at Denver in 2015 with both Bell and backup DeAngelo Williams out with injuries. Fitz Toussaint started at halfback, had 39 yards on 12 carries and lost a fourth-quarter fumble at the Denver 35 with his team ahead, 13-7. Roethlisberger threw 37 times for 339 yards, outdueling Peyton Manning, but the Steelers lost, 23-16.
The game Sunday is not a playoff, but it could go a long way to determining whether the Steelers are in one this season.
The Oakland Raiders would seem prime for a Roethlisberger plucking. The 2-10 Raiders’ defense has allowed all quarterbacks a combined 107.7 passer rating against them this season, third worst in the NFL. Their 10 sacks are the fewest.
DeCastro explained the low sack numbers could be because “a lot of times when you have a losing record it’s going to be hard to be in passing situations.”
In other words, teams get way in front, then run. The Raiders have allowed the second-most rushing yards in the league.
The Steelers would love to do that Sunday, at least get way in front. Then run. If they can.