The Steelers’ passing game has been efficient all season, but it hasn’t been very explosive. That changed last Sunday when Ben Roethlisberger set a season-high mark for passes completed over 10 yards in a dominant win over the Bengals.
Roethlisberger has struggled with deeper passes all season, which isn’t a surprise given the fact that he’s coming off major elbow surgery. But, as I mentioned on the Week 10 recap episode of The Counter podcast, there was more zip on Roethlisberger’s throws this past week.
Now we know why: Roethlisberger did not throw during practice in the week leading up to the game (as he was stuck on the COVID-19 list) and he thought that improved his arm strength on gameday. Apparently, the 38-year-old quarterback brought that to the attention of Mike Tomlin. Here’s what the Steelers coach had to say about the prospect of giving his quarterback more rest time during the week…
Because my typing Mike Tomlin's words don't actually do them justice. (And b/c I desperately wish I could channel that "brief conversation" bit when my kids come to me w/ their non-starters.) pic.twitter.com/cApqrPADsa
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) November 18, 2020
So it doesn’t sound like Ben’s arm will be getting that rest, and I have to ask: Why?
Roethlisberger is an older quarterback coming off major surgery on his throwing arm. It’s not uncommon for older quarterbacks — even those with healthy arms — to lose arm strength over the course of the season, and if Ben says that the rest benefitted him on Sunday, it’s probably worth looking into and not just dismissing outright. It could help his performance in the short-term and preserve his arm for the postseason.
I get that missing your starting quarterback at practice isn’t ideal, but Roethlisberger’s absence last week didn’t seem to affect the offense, which put 36 points on the scoreboard. He’s also a veteran who probably doesn’t need the week of practice to get ready for a game.
According to Tomlin, Roethlisberger will be back throwing at practice this week. If his throws lack zip in the Steelers’ game against a bad Jaguars defense, the team may have to revisit this conversation.