Big Ben has little leverage on offense
QB’s status has dimmed since previous debate over play-calling
Ben Roethlisberger has not come out and publicly declared his dislike for the direction of the Steelers’ offense under Matt Canada and what he is being asked to do. Certainly not like he did in 2012, when he didn’t like the play calling of another first-year offensive coordinator, Todd Haley.
But there are already inferences it could be headed in that direction.
It took 14 games and a 7-7 record before Roethlisberger’s dislike for Haley’s offense developed into a fullblown tempest. It came after an overtime loss in Dallas in which Roethlisberger was critical of the plays that were being called — specifically why tight end Heath Miller was being ignored in the second half — and the lack of use of the no-huddle offense.
His dislike for Haley’s playcalling had been brewing because the Steelers did not renew Bruce Arians’ contract after the 2011 season — a year in which Roethlisberger passed for over 4,000 yards for the second time in his career and the Steelers went 12-4.
Roethlisberger and Haley eventually came to some common ground and managed to co-exist for five more years. But when Roethlisberger started hinting at retirement after the 2016 season, many in the organization believed it was a power play to force out Haley. One year later, Haley was gone.
Could the same thing be happening again?
Well, not likely. Roethlisberger and Canada have been on opposite sides on several issues, starting with Roethlisberger saying he prefers his offensive coordinator on the sideline, not up in the coach’s booth. Then it was pointing out how the nohuddle offense in Canada’s system is really the twominute offense in disguise, not the attack Roethlisberger ran for his previous 17 seasons.
Now it includes Roethlisberger, who is not allowed to call audibles at the line of scrimmage in crucial situations, according to Mike Tomlin, saying he’s just trying to do a better job with the plays that are called.
But this is not going to end like the situation with Haley. This is a battle Roethlisberger can’t win.
In 2012, he was just two years removed from his third Super Bowl appearance and still had half his career in front of him. He was the most important player in the franchise, and the team would try to acquiesce to his wishes.
That’s not the case now. Roethlisberger is likely in his final season with the team — a season that has started poorly. Canada was hired for the future, to bring the offense up to speed with the rest of the NFL.
If Roethlisberger doesn’t like the offense, there’s nothing he can do about it this time.
Hidden plays
There are always several moments in a game that are critical components of the outcome, much like the 10point swing in which the Steelers had a blocked field goal for touchdown negated by a debatable offsides penalty against Joe Haden. That one is obvious.
But there are always others in which a simple mistake can quickly turn a game that hangs in the balance.
That’s what happened against the Packers when the Steelers allowed running back A.J. Dillon to run 25 yards to the Green Bay 1 to set up a touchdown that gave the Packers a 27-10 lead in the third quarter. Dillon ran through a vacated hole because inside linebacker Devin Bush and safety Terrell Edmunds were in the same gap.
Defensive coordinator Keith Butler said the defense got “discombobulated” because the Packers used jet motion with a wide receiver on the play and “we were supposed to move back and we didn’t move back like we should have.”
That gaffe only compounded the first egregious mistake — punter Pressley Harvin III shanking a punt 20 yards that gave the Packers possession at the Steelers 40.
“That was a crucial part of the game,” Butler said. “We had to stop them there and make them give the football up, possibly tie them up and go to overtime. We didn’t give ourselves a chance.”