East Sunday Night Football he was tasked with reminding us why the most important position in the NFL is quarterback. Two offensive losses met tonight and Pittsburgh came away with the win simply because someone had to win the game. Both the Seahawks and Steelers remind us of the importance of having a good QB and here’s what you need to know about it.
6 weeks later, Ben Roethlisberger still looks lost
Today’s game, where the Seahawks and Steelers combined for just 43 points, would not define it as a defensive duel, but as a notorious offense, especially in the air. When we refer to Pittsburgh, we find Ben Roethlisberger, who with each passing week of this 2021 hints that he should not have returned this season; his level of play is very low, it could even be considered an insult to himself and to the legacy he has within the NFL.
Tonight he threw for a total of 229 yards and 1 TD in 29 complete shipments, or in other words, just 5.7 total yards per pitch, a very low figure that, however, is not the worst he has had so far this season; That speaks too much about how poor this year has been for Big Ben momentarily, and if a drastic turnaround doesn’t happen, so will the rest of the season, where the Steelers will have to be carried by their defense if they are to be successful in their games.
Now, Roethlisberger looked bad, but the running game with Alabama rookie Najee Harris is picking up pace. Last week he rushed for 122 total yards, and tonight he ran for 81. He is undoubtedly putting the offense on his shoulder, making up for the notorious lack of talent displayed by his quarterback. In addition, another rookie who had his best game so far this season was TE Pat Freiermuth, who in 5 previous meetings only accumulated 100 total yards, but today added 56 in 6 receptions; things for Penn State are finally falling into place.
On defense we find the great game that LB Alex Highsmith gave, who led the team with 1.5 sacks in regulation time and accompanied him with 7 total tackles. For his part, Minkah Fitzpatrick continues to make life miserable for rival receivers and TJ Watt, apart from an insane punishment for unnecessary rudeness, shone as he always does, especially in overtime, where he twice captured QB Geno Smith, including the decisive fumble that sealed Pittsburgh’s victory.
So this defense – and not Roethlisberger – has the Steelers 3-3, in last place in the AFC North yet, but just two games behind the Ravens, who are in first place. Therefore, it is inevitable not to continue getting excited about this team because, despite the lack of talent; from the lack of offense, they are still alive this season. The interesting thing will be to see what they decide to do in the future with Big Ben, who clearly has little left in the tank.
Geno Smith is not even close to Russell Wilson; Seattle is in trouble
Heading into the 2021 NFL Season the Seahawks were already in trouble for the simple fact of being in the NFC West, which is perhaps the best division in the NFL. However, everything was complicated by the injury of the starting quarterback Russell Wilson who for now is on the Injured Reserve. Therefore, tonight we saw QB Geno Smith start, who prior to this meeting, his last game as a starter had been in 2017 with the Giants, and it was clear why …
His performance could not have been worse: 23 of 32 completions for 209 yards does not sound bad, but in overtime he brought out the great inconsistency that was seen in his time with the Jets; He allowed a sack that ended the Seahawks’ first drive when they were in Pittsburgh territory, and then another sack that ended on a fumble and Seattle loss.
The passing game was totally nullified, however, on the ground, surprisingly, Seattle shone. Remember that RB1 Chris Carson is, like Wilson, on the Injured Reserve. But today Alex Collins probably earned the salary: 20 total carries for 101 yards and 1 TD was his finish line, crushing the Pittsburgh defense especially in the third quarter. In the previous five weeks, Collins had only accumulated a total of 124 yards; that degree of improvement had tonight.
But what does not improve is the record of Seattle that, like Pittsburgh, was placed with 3-3, but within a division where the leader (Cardinals) has a perfect record and the Rams, who are second, go 5-1, no you can afford to be three games away from the lead after the first third of the season. HC Pete Carroll must show that he can turn things around for the better in this team, and that his career as head coach is not the product of Russell Wilson, otherwise, it will be valid to ask in the future this season if Carroll deserves to continue in the position he has so far.
The Seahawks and Steelers, in a game where neither shone, once again reminded us of the importance of having a good quarterback; They let us see that it is the most important position on an NFL roster, and that without a talented one, a team doesn’t walk no matter how better the defensive side is.
Should Ben Roethlisberger Yes or Yes Consider Retirement in the Short Term? Can Geno Smith get at least one win while filling in for Russell Wilson? We read you in the comments under this article and on our social networks.
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