Ben Roethlisberger and the QB sneak
Overshadowed by the outcome of the Raiders-Steelers game is one particular play call, one in which the Steelers ran a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-one inside the Red Zone. It’s impossible to be certain who was responsible for the call—offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, head coach Mike Tomlin, or Ben Roethlisberger—but the play wasn’t executed in a hurry, so it’s highly likely it came in from the sidelines.
I’ll go on record and say that unlike most Pittsburgh fans, I don’t generally have a problem with Bruce Arians’ offense or his play calling. But calling a QB sneak when Roethlisberger is only two weeks removed from a concussion is just dumb. D-U-M-B.
In fact, I never again want to see Roethlisberger on a QB sneak. Let’s face it: He’s already had at least four concussions, and at this stage, the next one could be his last. Do I need to remind Tomlin, Arians, and the rest of the Steelers’ organization that Roethlisberger isn’t replaceable? And that once he’s gone it may be a very, very long time before the Steelers have a QB with his ability.
Until about a year ago, I believed that the arc of Roethlisberger’s career was going to resemble that of the late Steve McNair. If you’ll recall, McNair was playing at a very high level until his early thirties. Then, the injuries he suffered seemed to catch up to him all at once, and his play declined precipitously. But I now believe that—sooner or later—Roethlisberger’s career is going to end due to one-too-many concussions, as was the case with QB’s like Steve Young and Trent Dilfer.
Jason is founder of The Steelyard and Failure magazine.
Great call on the McNair comparison….totally agree. Good thing Big Ben got two rings before he gets too banged up. And it would be irresponsible to call a QB sneak so soon after his injury (another good call, thanks for pointing out).