Ben Roethlisberger having more control of offense could be best thing for Steelers
By Matt Shetler
Much has been made the past couple of weeks about how much more comfortable the Pittsburgh Steelers should be in the second year in Todd Haley’s offense.
Could that be because they are giving quarterback Ben Roethlisberger more control?
May 21, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) participates in organized team activities at the UPMC Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Running back Jonathan Dwyer told The NFL Network that the two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback has had major input in tweaking the offense after repeatedly meeting with Haley, and that Roethlisberger would have more control in 2013.
That’s probably the best news Steelers fans could hear.
More control likely means that Big Ben will have the freedom to audible more at the line of scrimmage, but it could also mean we see the ball thrown down the field more often.
Last year much was made about Roethlisberger calling Haley’s offense a “dink and dunk” offense. But looking at the numbers, Roethlisberger was 100 percent accurate with that assessment.
Roethlisberger’s yards per attempt (7.3) and 40-yard passes (six) were his lowest since 2008. His completions over 20 yards dropped from 56 in 2011 to 39 in 2012.
You can’t fault the Steelers putting the offense totally in Roethlisberger’s hands. It’s what they should have done from Day 1.
But now that they have, hopefully we will see a good balance.
While there is the need to run the football and execute in the short passing game, the need is also there to stretch the field and make big plays.
That’s something that will hopefully return by giving Roethlisberger some more freedom.