The 2021 Pittsburgh Steelers finished their season with a 9-7-1 regular-season record, and a wild-card playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. They accomplished this without much of a deep passing game in Ben Roethlisberger’s final season, and by preventing explosive plays far more than they created them. Per Pro Football Focus, Big Ben completed just 21 of 71 passes of 20 or more air yards for 686 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. Those 21 deep completions ranked 19th in the NFL; Matthew Stafford led the league with 39 deep completions for 1,544 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
Pittsburgh’s screen-heavy “RPO in a Can” offense was consistent at times, but it didn’t really scare defenses, and that extended to the receivers. Chase Claypool led the team with nine deep receptions, Diontae Johnson had eight, and James Washington had five. That was it, as far as Roethlisberger’s targets were concerned. (If you’re doing the math here, Mason Rudolph was also responsible for one deep completion on three attempts).
With their post-Ben quarterback situation very much up in the air, and without a defined alpha dog receiver, things had to change in the Steel City. Unless you have a historically great defense and a truly transcendent running game, your chances of winning more than you lose without a quarterback who can set defenses on their heels in today’s NFL is very, very slim.
