Ben Roethlisberger had a call in interview to the morning show on 102.5 WDVE this week in which he discussed, among other things, how long he holds onto the ball before throwing. It’s a known fact that he ranks pretty far back in the pack as far as time to release, and he is cognizant of this. He has stated many times that he does not go into the huddle saying to the other 10 guys “Hey, I’m gonna hold on to this a little bit and try to make a play and see what happens”.
Roethlisberger wants to compete. To the point that he would tell Ramon Foster, who was on the turf with an injured shoulder in last week’s loss, “Mon, you gotta get up. We’re out of linemen.” While there is something to be said for instilling toughness as a captain and his willingness to do what it takes to win, there is a correlation to the first paragraph that could possibly be made.
When a QB takes the snap, every player has an assignment. Each play is designed to incorporate timing as well as execution in keeping individual assignments intact to be successful. This is all meant to happen in the span of approximately three seconds or less. Offensive linemen spend their entire careers perfecting footwork and blocking fundamentals that have proven to be effective throughout the ever-developing history of the game. What cannot be taught fundamentally is when a play breaks down, and the QB is forced to scramble to extend the play. Any time over that initial three-Mississippi count, defensive players are coming from all directions, forcing offensive blockers to utilize natural athletic ability and situational awareness to contain the rush and protect the passer.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line woes are well known and even better documented. It can be posited that the Steelers run offense bottom-of-the-barrel rankings are a function of constant injury, creating the most active offensive line depth chart carousel in the NFL for several years running. It has occurred to me that a number of these constant injuries could be a product of Roethlisberger extending plays in the manner that he does. Linemen are forced to move and use footwork and athletic skills that are outside to the 3 second golden realm of a normal NFL play. Some injuries are freak occurrences, such as David DeCastro accidentally ending Maurkice Pouncey’s season after missing a legal chop block. Others, not so much.
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that your offense runs 35 passing plays a game. Eight of those plays are busted coverage, and Ben rolls out of the pocket, holding the ball five, six or seven seconds, even. During those extra seconds, after the mental “three-Mississippi” count, everyone is scrambling, falling, diving, etc, outside the confines of normally taught blocking fundamentals. There is no way to train for these situations, because every one is completely different. This is happening a couple times a quarter, minimum.
No. 7 knows of the implications to his own health when he extends plays. This begs the question, is his competitiveness at least partially to blame for the many, many injuries that have plagued the Steelers offensive line for so many years? Athleticism is a completely different animal when one weighs in excess of 350 pounds, and the beating that knees and ankles take is far worse than on someone that weighs a buck-fifty. Try playing tennis at 300 plus. Effectively, that is what is happening to blockers on busted coverage plays. Try playing tennis at 300 plus with 10 other guys that are also 300 plus on the same court. Now add intentional physical contact to that tennis game.
Constant physical beating leads to injury. This is a known fact. Is it really a stretch to think that Pittsburgh’s offensive line’s half-decade-plus string of injuries may not simply be a product of happenstance or bad luck?
