Ben Vs. Batch...

As I recall in the first half of that game the Steelers offense was crap. But, if I am not mistaken Roethlisberger had only like 5 pass attempts until their final drive before halftime and they missed a field goal. The Steelers had a gameplan to "run" the football and it didn't work. I give the Steelers D all the credit in the world on how they performed in the second half but the offense did score on a short field nevertheless to win the game. Mendy had 20 carries for 40 yards and if you take away his longest run he was like 19 carries 30 yds.

To me I would take a 50% chance rate on the deep ball before short yardage in the run game or these screen passes for 2 yard gains. Also, it's hard to use Mendy as a checkdown receiver when alot of the times the Steelers are going with a 4 or 5 receiver set with no one in the backfield. I would love the Steelers to try more quick 5 yard slants toward the middle on a consistent basis when you have two of the quickest WR in football.

 

The Steelers were 1 for 7 on 3rd downs against a pathetic St. Louis team, and I believe all were on passes.

Ben has a 125.5 QB rating when forced with a 3rd and 2 to 7 yds to go, throwing for 5 TDs this season, why change it?

 

rukus, your true statement which I agree with 100% about the style of ball the Steelers played in SBXLV has routinely ended in a loss, both of your example games prove the thory right. No need to sugar coat it for them. Its a flawed style of play. When you start talking about how they line up in BA's famous one back and 0 backs 5 wide sets, 3rd and 2, it makes no sense. This is BA's ridiculous style of play and it makes me along with many other sick.

The bottom line is until they get rid of this guy, the Steelers will never win another Super Bowl with this flawed style of play. The fact is whenever the Steelers throw the ball more then twice the times they run it, they LOSE!!!! The San Fran game was a prime example. For those people who like to see Ben throw it twice as many times as they run it, when they lose, please don't say anything. Believe me I will be all over it. Please, somebody give us an example where they throw it twice as many times as they ran it and they won.

 

Thanks, all!!!
I loved reading the debate this sparked.
I guess I should have put some kind of disclaimer in, that it is not Ben`s fault, that we don`t DESIGN plays where the runningback is the first option, and very rarely seem to use the shorter routes to our speedsters, that work well, when we DO use them.
Or design a gameplan based off the playaction, from sets where we previously establish a viable running threat, like PWP has been screaming for, which I also agree with.
That is absolutely on BA, but his playcalling (or lack thereof), is a whole nother topic.
And to the poster who mentioned that Ben seems to be looking to the checkdowns, shorter routes, more than ever before,
I tend to agree, but that is because he almost NEVER has, in the past.
I hate to complain about Ben.
Not because of the flack I will get from posters here, but because I have loved what he has done for us since day one!
He is definitely the best qb we have had since Bradshaw.... Hands down!
For years, I had been saying that all we needed was a decent(not superstar), qb, with the team we have always had, and we would be winning superbowls left and right!
The closest we have had, was the unmentionable one, who almost never threw picks during the season, then threw TWO to the same Dallas db, to cost us the first superbowl we ever lost!!!
Point being,
I hate to critcize Ben, but even when we aren`t DESIGNING plays to exploit the shorter part of the field, we DO usually still have open recievers/runningbacks/tightends, there, available and open, when the plays break down, and he scrambles and usually does not throw to them.
I just think we could be even more successful, if he did.
Not to mention, maybe scrambling downfield a bit more(when healthy), to at least pick up a first down, when it`s available.
He seemed to have a knack for that, early in his career.
I dunno if it is injuries, lack of mobility, or what, it just seems that I almost NEVER see that anymore. Unless he is running for the endzone.
That bothers me less than not throwing to open recivers, though.
And nothing about his style of play, would make me want to trade him for anyone else.
Yeah, Brees, Rodgers, Manning(pre-injury), might be tempting....
But for all I am sitting here beeeyatching, about, I am still glad as hell, that we have Ben as our QB!!!