PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Former Steeler Ryan Clark called it an organizational failure having Ben Roethlisberger as their starting quarterback in 2021.
Clark said he loves Kevin Colbert, told the PM Team he's a great GM. Said the Rooney family is the best ownership group in the NFL. Loves Mike Tomlin. However said they failed in their decision not to have a succession plan for Ben Roethlisberger. Especially with a defense that is championship caliber.
"Allowing him to come back this year," Clark told 93.7 The Fan. "I don't believe that was the smart thing to do. Even with Ben playing the way he is. Even with an offensive line that can't protect him. You can talk about that too, not going out and spending money. Not making smart draft picks early."
Clark refers to a number of issues that led to the Steelers offense being what it is. Chief among them is Rooney, Colbert, Tomlin and others not understanding what they have in Ben Roethlisberger.
"You have to understand where Ben is," Clark said Wednesday. "I don't think the Steelers felt Ben was a quarterback you could win because of. I do feel like he thought he would be a quarterback you could win with. In order to win with a quarterback, so many other things have to be excellent."
"Your run game has to be extremely good. Your defense has to play extremely well which this defense would if it were whole and healthy."
"Ben can't go out and make people better. I think Tom Brady has a lot more left than Ben has. It's a large part of why Tom Brady chose to leave New England and go to Tampa Bay. He understood there were players on Tampa Bay's team that he didn't have to make better. He just had to play his role."
"Ben would like to do that. He doesn't have as much talent left. He can't move in the pocket. He doesn't break tackles. He can't push the football down the field. He can't throw the ball into tight windows. You need to play a game where Ben needs to make three plays a game. Against Buffalo he had to make three plays. Ben made three plays. The next two weeks you asked him to do more and he just can't."
Clark acknowledged the offensive line is bad and wonders if enough was done to prepare for that turnover as well. The team left scrambling for free agent answers with little drafted talent waiting for a shot.
Where the ESPN analyst and former 93.7 The Fan host differs from most. He believes the failure wasn't as much last year as it was two years ago. Clark said then, and reiterated with the PM Team, the Steelers needed to use the draft pick traded to the Dolphins for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to select a quarterback.
Fitzpatrick Clark says Fitzpatrick is a first round talent. He has nine interceptions and three fumble recoveries in 33 games as a Steeler. Clark says finding a safety was not the pressing need.
"Take it from somebody who was pretty decent at that position and who 32 teams passed on for seven rounds," Clark told Poni and Mueller. "You can find good safeties without giving up first round picks or without picking them in the first round."
"Getting a quarterback was the smart move."
"Having a succession plan was the smart move."
