Ben Roethlisberger continued his dominance, throwing for 380 yards and four touchdowns in the Steelers 31-13 win over the New York Jets. Despite drops plaguing the offense, Roethlisberger was able to keep the offense moving and productive. The defense also came up big, shutting out the Jets offense in the second half.
Ben Roethlisberger’s Big Day Keys Pittsburgh Steelers Win
Ben did not skip a beat this week, completing 34 of 47 passes. He remained poised and has proven again to be one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league. Most fans of the Steelers and Ben alike still feel he is not considered “elite.” However, he is on pace to break his single season passing touchdown record, and looks as if time does not apply to him. If Roethlisberger can continue to stay upright and healthy, there is no telling how far this Steelers team can go. Also, there is no telling how far Ben can go in the “All-Time Great” quarterback conversations in the future.
The offense shifted from spreading the ball around to a more concentrated offensive attack against the Jets this week. Moving away from the usual target share that the Steelers have thrived on did not seem to bother Roethlisberger. It did however, give us a better look at the offensive weapons the offense featured this week. The two players featured mainly in the offense were wide receiver Sammie Coates and running back Le’Veon Bell. Bell had a solid game, touching the ball 29 times and picking up 154 total yards.
Coates, however, had more of an up and down game. Coates opened the game’s scoring with a 72-yard touchdown catch on the first possession. He finished the game with two touchdowns. However, he could have had two more had he not dropped them. Drops were an issue for Coates yesterday, who was targeted 11 times yet only had six receptions. Still, Coates was the main weapon of the passing attack and was undoubtedly productive. This may lead to even more targets down the road, which could help star wide out Antonio Brown.
Brown still leads the league in targets despite the relief in Pittsburgh’s reliance on him. With Coates’ emergence, Brown has not seen a drop in production. Brown has made the most out of his opportunities and continues to shine. It seems as if the Steelers plan to get the ball to the targets around him as a means towards making Brown more effective has payed off so far.
Defensively, the Steelers were again able to contain the opposition’s offense. The defense kept the game close in the first half and helped Pittsburgh take a one-point lead into halftime. It was the second half though that the defense made its mark. The Jets were shut out in the second half, which allowed the Steelers to build and maintain their lead. Vince Williams led the way in tackles again with nine and added a sack as well. Also, the secondary held the opposing quarterback to 300 yards for the second week in a row.
With a matchup against the New England Patriots two weeks away, next week at Miami could turn into a let down game. The Dolphins have been struggling lately, but the focus needs to be on this week to avoid an unexpected loss. If the Steelers take care of business, it will set up a huge clash with Tom Brady and the Pats.
