ROETHLISBERGER NEEDS TO REDISCOVER THE DEEP BALL
“If I don’t play good enough football,” Ben Roethlisberger was saying late Sunday night on his postgame Zoom conference, “then I need to hang it up.”
Whoa. I didn’t think we were going there, even if social media did during the Steelers’ 26-15 loss to the Buffalo Bills. I’m pretty sure Roethlisberger was just angry after the team’s second loss in a row.
Three weeks ago, this guy was a legit NFL MVP candidate, so I’m not quite ready to push him into retirement.
But I will say this much: If Roethlisberger cannot consistently throw the ball 20-plus yards downfield with authority and accuracy, the Steelers are cooked.
Teams clearly have figured out the “dink-and-dunk” approach — a term Roethlisberger used with contempt in the early Todd Haley years but has now embraced as a way of life.
Or, in recent games, a way of death (although it would help if his receivers would hold onto the ball).
The Washington Football Team sounded off after its victory last Monday, ripping the Steelers offense as too predictable. Washington players said they learned everything they needed to know from the Baltimore game a week earlier.
The Bills didn’t seem to do much differently. They challenged Roethlisberger to beat them over the top. He failed, or maybe more accurately, did not even try — and it’s fair to wonder if his ravaged line was one reason for that.
The longer the pass, remember, the longer a quarterback needs to hold the ball.
Roethlisberger’s longest completion of the night was just 20 yards. His last past of the night was a woefully underthrown heave down the right sideline to James Washington. Levi Wallace made an easy interception.
At times this season, it appeared Roethlisberger was coming around on his deep game. He even joked that his arm might be too strong after elbow surgery. There were throws that seemed to prove he could still sling it (and several interference calls on passes to Chase Claypool that don’t show up in the stats.)
Just not enough of them. It seems early in games, Roethlisberger is good for at least one deep ball that sails 10 yards out of bounds. This is an ongoing issue, compounded by the Steelers’ complete lack of a running game.
Sharp Football Analysis had this to say about Roethlisberger when the Steelers were 10-0:
“The biggest deficiency has been on the deep ball, where Roethlisberger’s arm has been a weakness throughout the season. Roethlisberger’s deep accuracy and production have been near the worst in the league among quarterbacks on passes that traveled over 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Among 27 quarterbacks with at least 20 such attempts, Roethlisberger ranks 25th in completion percentage and 24th in on-target percentage, according to Sports Info Solutions.”
That would be fine in a 50team league. Unfortunately, this one only has 32. Roethlisberger made the biggest mistake, of course, on a 5-yard balloon ball to JuJu SmithSchuster near the end of the first half — which Bills cornerback Taron Johnson returned for a touchdown.
Is the Steelers unexpectedly brutal schedule (thanks, Titans) wearing the quarterback down? Would a week off help? Is he dealing with a knee issue that is worse than anyone has let on? (Jason La Canfora of CBS sports suggested as much in a report Sunday).
Hey, like Ben said when he was asked what’s wrong with the offense — if I had those answers, I’d give ’em to ya. I don’t. I’m not sure Ben does, either.
He finished his earlier statement, the one about how he might have to “hang it up,” this way: “You know, I still feel like I can do enough things to help this team win football games, and I’m going to do everything I can to get us back on track.”
I have zero doubt on that. I just wonder if it’ll be enough, especially when the playoffs start.