No One’s Talking About Him, But Big Ben May Be The Difference

It seems so long ago, but last year at this time, Ben Roethlisberger was the biggest story in the NFL – a rookie leading the Steelers to a 14-0 record as a starter and setting a franchise record for highest passer rating.  As the playoffs started, the debate raged on: “Can a rookie lead a team to a Super Bowl Championship?”  Some even dared to ask: “Is Roethlisberger the next Terry Bradshaw?”

            Fast forward one year, and you hear … nothing.  Throwing five interceptions in two playoff games will do that.  But people should be talking about Big Ben because he could play a key role against the Bengals this weekend.

            While the Steelers’ running attack will likely be the biggest factor in determining Pittsburgh’s success on Sunday (this year they are undefeated when they rush over 100 yards), the play of Big Ben is not far behind.  Over the last two years, they are 23-4 when he is the starter (3-3 when he does not start).  During that span, the Steelers are 4-3 when he throws two or more interceptions in games that he starts; they are 19-1 when he throws less than two. 

Nothing exemplifies this dynamic better than the Steelers' two games with the Bengals this season.  In the first match-up, Roethlisberger passed for a career-low 93 yards, two touchdowns and one interception – and the Steelers won.  In the rematch, Big Ben recorded career highs by throwing for 386 yards, three scores and three picks – and the Steelers lost. 

Instead of the next Bradshaw, this year some people are calling him the next Trent Dilfer – a quarterback who simply “manages the game” by handing off the ball, dumping short passes and not throwing interceptions. 

But such a description devalues Roethlisberger’s contributions to the offense.  Yes, it is crucial that Roethlisberger not commit turnovers this weekend.  But if the Steelers are going to win, they’ll need their quarterback to make some plays as well.

Roethlisberger had the third-highest passer rating in the NFL this year – better than quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Matt Hasselbeck.  Another telling statistic is his 8.9 yards-per-pass-attempt, which leads the NFL.  While this stat typically does not receive much attention, if you look at the top 10 leaders you would be hard pressed to say they’re not the top 10 quarterbacks in the league.  This statistic is particularly important for a team like the Steelers because the ability to stretch the defense is crucial against an opponent who is focused on stopping the run.  If Roethlisberger can’t spread out the defense, Willie Parker and Jerome Bettis won’t have space to run. 

You can bet the Bengals will use the same game plan that was so effective last time against Pittsburgh – stacking the line and daring the Steelers quarterback to throw into a secondary that leads the league in interceptions (it should be noted that Big Ben was playing with an injured thumb that game, although he would not say that it affected his performance).  In order to effectively run the ball this Sunday, Roethlisberger has no choice but to throw the ball and make some plays. 

"I think I feel more comfortable,” said Roethlisberger in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Last year (in the playoffs), it was kind of, 'Oh my gosh, I'm so nervous and scared, here we go. Don't make a mistake.' I'm not going to go out and play not to make a mistake this year. I'm going to go out to win football games and play as good as I can to help this team win."   

Roethlisberger may not be worried about making mistakes, but Steelers fans probably should be.  As history shows, Big Ben is often the difference maker, for better or for worse.

 

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3 Key Points for the Cincinnati Bengals

 1. The Front Seven Must Keep It Under a Buck:  The Steelers are 11-0 when they rush over 100 yards; 0-5 when they do not.  The Bengals have the worst rushing defense among playoff teams (allowing an average of 116 yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry).  It seems like a disaster waiting to happen, but last time they met Pittsburgh, they gave up only 95 yards on 28 attempts.  If they don’t contain the run, the Bengals better win the turnover battle – big.

2. Establish An Early Lead:  Cincinnati’s best defense against Pittsburgh’s running game may be its offense.  Everyone knows that the Steelers want to pound the ball with its combination of Parker and Bettis.  If the Carson Palmer can guide the Bengals to a lead of two scores or more, they may force the Steelers to abandon the run in the second half and become more one-dimensional.

 

3. T.J. Houshmandzadeh Must Step Up:  Since Rudi Johnson will be facing one of the league’s best run defenses and Chad Johnson will be drawing a lot of attention in the secondary, the Bengals will need someone else to contribute on offense.  Houshmandzadeh has been that guy for the Bengals this year – he recorded 956 receiving yards and seven touchdowns for the season.  When the Steelers limited Chad Johnson to only 54 yards receiving in their last game, T.J. stepped up with 95 total yards and two touchdowns. 

 

3 Keys Points for the Pittsburgh Steelers

 1. Keep the Turnover Battle Close:  The Bengals’ amazing turnover differential (plus 24) has been a major reason for the team’s success.  As highlighted earlier, it is imperative that Roethlisberger not turn over the ball, but he’s not the only one.  Parker fumbled the ball twice in their last meeting.  Although the Steelers were able to recover both times, it frustrated Cowher enough to yank Parker from the game for a while. 

2. Better Execution on 3rd Downs:  Given that the Steelers will frequently run on both first and second down, expect Pittsburgh to face many short-to-mid yardage situations on third down.  Having a high-conversion rate obviously increases the chances for a score, but it also limits the number of possessions for Cincinnati’s offense.  The Steelers had a 35% conversion rate this year, which ranks in the bottom half of the league.  Anything above 40% should mean good things for the Steelers.

3. Contain Rudi Johnson:  While stopping the run is crucial for the Bengals, it is just as important to the Steelers.  Johnson is averaging 103 yards in the Bengals’ wins this year.  Comparatively, even after excluding his 18-yard performance in a meaningless game last week, the Bengals’ running back is averaging only 76 yards per game in Cincinnati losses. 

 

Odds and Ends

• Out of a total of 18 playoff games, this is will be only the fourth time the Steelers will be on the road during the Bill Cowher era.   It’s a good thing they’ve had so few road games – Pittsburgh is 0-3 playing away from home.
• It hasn’t been easy being a sports fan in Cincinnati.  The last time the Bengals were in the playoffs was 15 years ago.  This is the first year that they have finished above .500 since that post-season appearance.  Compare that to 10 playoff appearances by the Steelers during the same time period.  Cincinnati’s other professional team, the Reds, haven’t been much better.  It’s been 10 years since they appeared in the playoffs and have only had two seasons above .500 during that time.    
• Marvin Lewis got his start coaching in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Cowher hired Lewis in 1992 as his linebackers coach.  Four years later Lewis left to become the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, where he established himself as one of the league’s premiere defensive coaches.