SteelersJW
01-06-2012, 07:13 AM
Via my post at http://www.steelersideline.blogspot.com :
Terrible news for Steelers fans came Wednesday on the South Side as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger addressed the media in regards to the status of his left ankle. Ben was limited in the team’s Wednesday practice and noticeably favored his right foot as he walked into the training room past media members. Roethlisberger told reports that he had suffered a “setback” early in the third quarter in the Steelers final game against the Cleveland Browns. Despite the reinjury, Ben still took every snap, going 23 for 40 for 221 yards through the air.
The Steelers post-season seems to be hanging on Ben’s ability to play at a high level, something he may not be able to do considering his current injury. Since spraining his ankle on December 8th at home against the Browns, Pittsburgh has only scored two touchdowns in 10 quarters with him playing quarterback. Most of Ben’s drop-off in play has come from his inability to step forward into throws as he normally would. Since the injury, he has completed 56 of 96 passes for 729 yards, with only a single touchdown and four interceptions. His passer rating fell to low 68.4 in that time period.
The Steelers coaching staff made a smart decision by holding Roethlisberger out of Week 16’s game against the St. Louis Rams. Veteran backup quarterback Charlie Batch was efficient in place of Ben, completing 15 of 22 passes for 208 yards against the Rams. While Batch didn’t put up the numbers Roethlisberger normally produces, he did surprise me by showing he’s still able to throw the ball far downfield. He connected with Mike Wallace for a 46-yard pass that setup a Rashard Mendenhall touchdown that put the team up 20-0. As a 37-year old veteran who’s been with the organization since 2002, few know the Steelers offense better than Batch. Batch’s victory over the Rams puts him at 5-2 as a spot starter in the seven seasons he’s been here.
Now, here is a proposition to consider:
With a Wild-Card matchup against the Denver Broncos (8-8) in which Pittsburgh has been an early nine-point favorite, should the Steelers consider starting Batch over the injured Ben Roethlisberger?
Allow me to make my case:
Roethlisberger’s passing ability has fallen drastically since suffering his injury. His passer rating, which had been at 93.6 for the season heading into Dec. 8th’s game against Cleveland fell to 62.7 for the final two games he started. With an injured left ankle, Ben is considerably less-efficient as a passer, which will show against the Broncos if he starts on Sunday.
The Bronco’s have a formidable pass rush, led by Elvis Dumervil and rookie Von Miller as their two bookend linebackers. The duo had 21 sacks between the two of them and Miller is a strong candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Should the Steelers really risk Ben’s ankle against such a strong pass rush?
Rashard Mendenhall’s season-ending ACL injury makes matters worse. Isaac Redman is the only back left on the roster who can be relied on to carry the load and more importantly, handle the pass-rush. With Mendenhall out, the option to implement a run-first offense against the Broncos is out of the picture, as Redman’s two late fumbles clearly showed. Either Roethlisberger or Batch will have to air it up on Sunday.
When asked by reporters to rate how his ankle feels on a scale of 1-10, Ben answered ’5.’ Is there really that big of a drop-off from Roethlisberger to Batch that you would take a 50% Ben over a 100% Charlie Batch? Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says he isn’t concerned, since there’s a lot of work that can be done with his ankle before Sunday. Hasn’t he had enough time since the injury occurred? Will his ankle miraculously be healed in the next three days? Give me a break…
At 8-8 and barely the winners of the AFC West, the Denver Broncos seem hardly threatening as a Playoff opponent. Much stronger foes in Baltimore and New England lie ahead in the next two rounds. Pittsburgh will be best off letting Charlie Batch handle the Broncos and allowing Roethlisberger more time to heal.
Terrible news for Steelers fans came Wednesday on the South Side as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger addressed the media in regards to the status of his left ankle. Ben was limited in the team’s Wednesday practice and noticeably favored his right foot as he walked into the training room past media members. Roethlisberger told reports that he had suffered a “setback” early in the third quarter in the Steelers final game against the Cleveland Browns. Despite the reinjury, Ben still took every snap, going 23 for 40 for 221 yards through the air.
The Steelers post-season seems to be hanging on Ben’s ability to play at a high level, something he may not be able to do considering his current injury. Since spraining his ankle on December 8th at home against the Browns, Pittsburgh has only scored two touchdowns in 10 quarters with him playing quarterback. Most of Ben’s drop-off in play has come from his inability to step forward into throws as he normally would. Since the injury, he has completed 56 of 96 passes for 729 yards, with only a single touchdown and four interceptions. His passer rating fell to low 68.4 in that time period.
The Steelers coaching staff made a smart decision by holding Roethlisberger out of Week 16’s game against the St. Louis Rams. Veteran backup quarterback Charlie Batch was efficient in place of Ben, completing 15 of 22 passes for 208 yards against the Rams. While Batch didn’t put up the numbers Roethlisberger normally produces, he did surprise me by showing he’s still able to throw the ball far downfield. He connected with Mike Wallace for a 46-yard pass that setup a Rashard Mendenhall touchdown that put the team up 20-0. As a 37-year old veteran who’s been with the organization since 2002, few know the Steelers offense better than Batch. Batch’s victory over the Rams puts him at 5-2 as a spot starter in the seven seasons he’s been here.
Now, here is a proposition to consider:
With a Wild-Card matchup against the Denver Broncos (8-8) in which Pittsburgh has been an early nine-point favorite, should the Steelers consider starting Batch over the injured Ben Roethlisberger?
Allow me to make my case:
Roethlisberger’s passing ability has fallen drastically since suffering his injury. His passer rating, which had been at 93.6 for the season heading into Dec. 8th’s game against Cleveland fell to 62.7 for the final two games he started. With an injured left ankle, Ben is considerably less-efficient as a passer, which will show against the Broncos if he starts on Sunday.
The Bronco’s have a formidable pass rush, led by Elvis Dumervil and rookie Von Miller as their two bookend linebackers. The duo had 21 sacks between the two of them and Miller is a strong candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Should the Steelers really risk Ben’s ankle against such a strong pass rush?
Rashard Mendenhall’s season-ending ACL injury makes matters worse. Isaac Redman is the only back left on the roster who can be relied on to carry the load and more importantly, handle the pass-rush. With Mendenhall out, the option to implement a run-first offense against the Broncos is out of the picture, as Redman’s two late fumbles clearly showed. Either Roethlisberger or Batch will have to air it up on Sunday.
When asked by reporters to rate how his ankle feels on a scale of 1-10, Ben answered ’5.’ Is there really that big of a drop-off from Roethlisberger to Batch that you would take a 50% Ben over a 100% Charlie Batch? Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says he isn’t concerned, since there’s a lot of work that can be done with his ankle before Sunday. Hasn’t he had enough time since the injury occurred? Will his ankle miraculously be healed in the next three days? Give me a break…
At 8-8 and barely the winners of the AFC West, the Denver Broncos seem hardly threatening as a Playoff opponent. Much stronger foes in Baltimore and New England lie ahead in the next two rounds. Pittsburgh will be best off letting Charlie Batch handle the Broncos and allowing Roethlisberger more time to heal.