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Originally Posted by matskralc
In the 5 games the Steelers lost this year:
20-23 New England at home: 79 yards rushing. Roethlisberger 12-28 for 216 and 2 TD.
17-23 Jacksonville at home: 73 yards rushing. Maddox 11-28 for 154, 1 TD, 3 INT.
13-16 @ Baltimore: 70 yards rushing. Maddox 19-36 for 230, 1 TD, 1 INT
7-26 @ Indianapolis: 86 yards rushing. Roethlisberger 17-26 for 133, 1 TD, 2 INT.
31-38 Cincinnati at home: 95 yards rushing. Roethlisberger 29-41 for 386, 3 TD, 3 INT.
The Steelers live and die by the run, quite simply. Their passing game is rendered fairly ineffective if they cannot set it up with the run. Roethlisberger just isn't that good.
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First, two of the losses were with Tommy Maddox at QB- making them relatively meaningless. With Maddox at the helm, there was absolutely no reason for opponents to respect the pass, which meant that they could concentrate completely on the stopping the run.
It's the threat of the passing game that opens up their running game. The ability to throw deep on play actions with Ben forces the defense to respect both the run and the pass, as opposed to selling out to stop the run.
Most of their heavy rushing totals that have come in wins happen
because they are winning- in the second half, especially. They don't win because they run well- they run well because they are winning.
I guarantee that if they open the game with the same stupid Willie-Parker-off-tackle-left-that-gains-one-yard that they do in virtually every game, they will get crushed by the Colts. They can't afford to come out and try and "do what they do" or "play their game" or any of that other Bill Cowher crap. Do the unexpected (i.e. throw early and throw often), and they have a chance.