2017 Recall: Big Ben – “Maybe I don’t have it anymore”
Steel City Underground presents our 2017 Recall: a brief look back at Pittsburgh Steelers games from last season.
Heading into Week 5 the Steelers were on fire. They were 3-1 and about to face the Jacksonville Jaguars: a team whose name was typically associated with failure.
However, no one told the Jaguars that they were just supposed to lay down and lose this game. Furthermore, no one told the Steelers they were supposed to play either.
It really was that bad. The only offense Pittsburgh could muster was three Chris Boswell field goals. Ben Roethlisberger famously threw five interceptions, with no touchdowns. (Two of those picks were returned for TDs too.)
Le’Veon Bell ran for only 47 yards. He and Antonio Brown would catch ten passes each, as Big Ben attempted 55 passes as the offense went pass-heavy after they dug themselves a hole.
The defense wasn’t much better, giving up 231 yards rushing, while Jacksonville QB Blake Bortles didn’t even throw for 100 in the air. The rushing frenzy was capped off by Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette‘s 181 yards and two touchdowns. The last of those touchdowns came on a 90-yard run with nearly two minutes remaining in the game: it would go down as the longest touchdown run in Heinz Field history.
It would’ve been nice to blame something other than the interceptions in this game. However, penalties weren’t much of a factor, nor were fumbles, sacks, or anything other than Ben’s errant throws. Bortles was held to a 48.2 passer rating, but the defense also couldn’t stop Jacksonville. Both units were of equal blame, yet the individual who took most of the criticism was Roethlisberger.
Despite throwing for 300 yards for the first time this season, there were obvious questions as to whether or not Big Ben was heading into a decline: he finished the game with 6 touchdowns to 7 interceptions through five weeks of the season, as the Steelers fell 30-9 and 3-2 on the year.
What Stood Out
Maybe he doesn’t have it anymore?
One week earlier, against the Ravens, Roethlisberger had not thrown for 300 or more yards. At the time, it was his tenth straight regular season game without hitting the 300 mark.
In this game, he threw five interceptions: two were returned for touchdowns.
The franchise quarterback quipped at the media following the game by saying “Maybe I don’t have it anymore.”
Anyone not named Antonio Brown in the passing game
AB had 10 receptions for 157 yards.
Martavis Bryant had 1 catch for 2 yards during the first half… he ended the day with 5 for 21, while JuJu Smith-Schuster had 4 for 58, Bell had 10 for 46 (4.6 YPC?!!) and Jesse James added 3 for 24.
Blake Bortles wasn’t going to beat them
The Jaguars quarterback went 8-for-14 passing with 95 yards and an interception. He finished the day with a 48.2 quarterback rating.
How bad was Bortles?
He only attempted one pass in the entire second half of Sunday’s game.
But Big Ben was worse
Roethlisberger went 33-of-55 for 312 yards for no touchdowns and those aforementioned 5 interceptions. The performance “earned” him a passer rating of 37.8.
Ben also threw two pick sixes in the game. It was the first time he had done so since a 2006 game against the Oakland Raiders.
Play of the Game
I realize I had to look past a dismal game to find something positive. Even with the beating the Steelers took in this game, I didn’t have to look too far for a play considered worthy of the “play of the game”.
Following last week’s recall column, in which Antonio Brown had a freak play that resulted in an “interception” against the Ravens, the football gods would present the Steelers with the same scenario a week later.
Following a review, Ryan Shazier was actually credited with an interception, and not a fumble recovery, for this wild play. The linebacker strips Jaguars tight end James O’Shaughnessy of the football.
While the end result couldn’t have been predicted at this point, the Steelers were down 7-3 with 45 seconds left before halftime at this moment. Following Shazier’s big play, they were able to put together a 45-yard drive which ended the second quarter with another Chris Boswell field goal.
It’s plays like this one that had Shazier climbing the ranks of becoming a game changer in the NFL. We’re certainly going to miss him in 2018.
