Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger released Episode 1 of his Footbahlin podcast on his Channel Seven YouTube page this weekend. Roethlisberger and his friend Spencer T’eo, discuss football and sample different beers as part of the program. The future Hall of Famer filmed the first episode during the Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger (right) and long-time friend/co-host Spencer (left) sample beer and talk football in Roethlisberger’s basement on September 1, 2022 during the first episode of “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.” | YouTube / Channel Seven
The Steelers have made the playoffs for the last two seasons. When Roethlisberger returned from season-ending elbow surgery in 2019 it coincided with the rapid degradation of the offensive line. The 18-year veteran did lose some arm strength after his elbow surgery, and the offense changed.
After Pitt broke a swing pass for a big gain, the former signal-caller gushed about the play:
“As a quarterback, right there, that’s the play that you love. There is a couple of plays in football you love more than anything. You throw a swing pass. Drop back, throw a swing pass to the running back, and he goes for 60 yards. That play is an eight-yard pass sideways that’s really easy and it goes for 60 yards.”
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After a devastating loss to the Cleveland Browns in the 2020 Wild Card game at home, head coach Mike Tomlin and the organization knew that the time was up on the current version of the offense. Matt Canada was brought in to revamp the Steelers play-calling and the organization asked Roethlisberger, in what would be his final season, to change the way he played quarterback.
He was asked to participate in more RPO’s, and Roethlisberger was just not a threat to run with the ball like he was early in his career. Even at peak mobility, the Pittsburgh quarterback shrugged off defenders and moved to throw, so it is doubtful that he would ever have been a fit for Canada’s offense. Great players adapt to their situations, so Roethlisberger chose to pass repeatedly throwing quick screens and slants.
“Any screen you throw, if you can throw a five-yard pass that goes for 50 or a touchdown, that’s the greatest feeling. For a quarterback, it’s the greatest thing, it’s awesome."
Jordan Schofield/Steeler Nation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
The Steelers are entering a new era with Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett who are threats to run. Najee Harris is only going to get better, and the current offense may work like the offensive coordinator designed this season. However, the offensive line has only marginally improved and Roethlisberger’s pre-snap reads won’t be available to this year’s offense. Trubisky and Pickett will have to run for the offense to be effective.
The alarming thing about the current offense during this preseason is that the offense is the most effective when they run a hurry up version. Pickett, Trubisky and Mason Rudolph have all put together their most effective moments when things are frantic. It remains to be seen if whoever Coach Tomlin names will be able to pull off the improvisation when it counts at the end of games, but at least we know that from a mobility standpoint, it will be more than we've seen over the course of the last two seasons.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Do you think that the Steelers will open the offense up down the field, or continue to live off screens and swing passes when the chips are down? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
