PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It's easy to blame the quarterback. If the offense isn't going right. It's the quarterback's fault.
Historically the quarterback position receives too much credit and often too much blame.
The Steelers problems go much deeper than Ben Roethlisberger.
True Roethlisberger has made mistakes and his lack of mobility is often alarming. If you really think about this, who would succeed at quarterback in this current Steelers offense. Let's examine some of the issues beyond quarterback.
Offensive line
Any observant fan would know this line is a work in progress. Two of their top four draft picks were linemen and they both start.
While they struggled last year, they at least had three experienced players to help the group. A slower than expected recovery from ACL surgery, left the line without right tackle Zach Banner for most of camp. Sporadic injuries to rookie center Kendrick Green, Chukwuma Okorafor and Kevin Dotson kept what became the starting line from playing together until late August.
It's showed.
Rookie Dan Moore had a great camp and either won the left tackle job or got it by default as Okorafor moved over to the right side. While playing hard, Green often overmatched by much bigger nose tackles. As veteran Trai Turner said last week, it takes time to grow an offensive line and this isn't a group of college All-Americans.
It may come in time. Getting Banner back should help run blocking, but no quick fixes. Every former NFL player or coach who talked on the Fan says the same thing about patience building an offensive line. Ben is under duress and then there is issue two.
Running game
Najee Harris is 35th in the NFL in rushing, one yard better than James Conner. Harris trails three quarterbacks in rushing yardage. The Steelers are dead last in rushing yards and average 3.2 per attempt. It's not to suggest it's all on Harris, but once again you are asking a quarterback to do it all with no threat of a run.
Pressure
Very apparent especially in the Cincinnati game, the Bengals are able to get to the quarterback rushing only four. When that happens, defenses are able to drop seven and the passing windows are tighter if there at all.
Wide Receivers/Tight ends
The group that has underperformed the most through three games. The Steelers boasted of their depth at receiver especially after JuJu Smith-Schuster signed back for this season.
Diontae Johnson is the most consistent performer with an outstanding catch and solid game against Buffalo. The Steelers leading receiver is Harris. Next is Chase Claypool with 15 catches on 29 targets. So nearly half of the passes his way aren't completed, some of that on Roethlisberger, obviously.
Rookie Tight end Pat Freiermuth caught his first touchdown against the Bengals, has eight catches this year. His arrow is pointing up. Eric Ebron has ONE catch on SEVEN targets. He's making six million dollars.
Scheme
Rarely, if ever, have football fans witnessed a worse play call than on a 4th and 10 from the 11-yard line when Matt Canada called a swing pass to Najee Harris in the flat at the line of scrimmage with no blockers in front.
This smelled of something that could go off the rails and it has.
To Canada's defense, he is likely narrowing down the playbook due to four rookies on offense and a new offensive line. He also hasn't been helped by the performances listed above. It doesn't absolve him from being a factor in the struggles as well.
Ben is not blameless, but before you put your head to the pillow and say Ben sucks. Look at the whole picture. There are bigger issues than Roethlisberger on the Steelers offense.
