With four games remaining and the AFC a jumbled mess — if not at the top of the conference, most certainly in the middle — the Steelers are looking at everything and anything to kick start an offense that often has been stuck in neutral -- particularly in the first half of games this season.
At 6-6-1, the Steelers remain in the middle of the playoff race in the AFC and for the AFC North title going into their game Sunday at Heinz Field against the Titans (9-4). But if they can't figure out a way to start games faster, will it matter?
The Steelers have been outscored 42-34 in the first quarter of their games this season, which doesn't sound all that bad until you consider that advantage balloons to 108-64 in the second quarter. That means, on average, the Steelers trail 11.5-7.5 going into the second half of their games.
Considering the Steelers have allowed 43 points to opponents on their opening possession of the second half, it's led to a lot of fourth-quarter deficits and furious comebacks this season. As a result, the Steelers have played with a lead just 20.4 percent of the time they've been on offense this season, which ranks 29th in the NFL.
Ben Roethlisberger leads the NFL in fourth-quarter touchdown passes with 10 -- against just one interception -- and is fifth in fourth-quarter passer rating at 111.7, leading to the belief the Steelers should use their no-huddle offense earlier in games in an effort to spark the offense.
Over his last eight games, Ben Roethlisberger is averaging 254 passing yards per game with 15 touchdown passes and three interceptions. That's a 4,000-yard season with 30 TDs and 6 ints over a 16-game stretch.
— Dale Lolley (@dlolley_pgh) December 16, 2021
It might be time to let Ben cook a little more in the first half of games -- if to just pick up the pace and urgency a little bit.
Roethlisberger has long been a proponent of the no-huddle, and now his teammates feel it might be the right move to make.
"I feel it allows teams to not have the right personnel on the field to continue to stop us," said wide receiver James Washington. "When you let Ben just kind of go with the flow of the game, he usually dials up some stuff that works and gets us downfield and usually gets us a touchdown, or what we need. I like the fact that we do it.
"We'll go no-huddle and we'll usually get a spark, and somebody will make a play downfield or whatever it may be. And that's really all we need is just that one play to pop off, and I feel like we're going from there."
But the Steelers have run just one play without huddling in the first quarter of their games this season, tied for second-fewest in the NFL with the Colts and Saints. The Texans and Chiefs have yet to run a no-huddle play in the first quarter of their games.
Part of the reason for that is because like many teams, the Steelers script their first offensive series. And, at least at times, that script has worked. After failing to score on their opening possession in their first three games, the Steelers have scored four touchdowns and a field goal on their opening possession in their past 10 games. They also missed a field goal last week in a 36-28 loss to the Vikings.
"Sometimes we’re just simply gathering information or setting other things up," Mike Tomlin said of the opening possession. "That's a component of the scripting as well. Games aren't determined in the first 10 to 12 snaps. They never are. I'm personally not losing a lot of sleep over initial drives. As a matter of fact, I thought we moved the ball pretty fluidly on the first drive (against the Vikings) until we got a penalty and then missed the field goal.
"I'm not overly concerned about that perspective. There's a lot that we're trying to get done with that scripting, whether it's informational, particularly against an opponent like Minnesota that we're unfamiliar with and we're working on a short week. Oftentimes, you’re simply gathering information or setting things up for later in the contest."
And, according to Roethlisberger, that information-gathering period can be a reason why the Steelers don't use the no-huddle earlier.
"Sometimes as you progress into a game you start to see what’s going on, not figure things out but start to figure out what calls you should be making," Roethlisberger said. "There’s definitely something to that. We’ve come out and done it early in games before. It’s hit and miss. You never know."
But Roethlisberger's success in that package is as deniable as his gun-slinger mentality throughout the course of his career.
There's a difference between the true no-huddle and the simple hurry-up offense the Steelers use in the fourth quarter during their many comebacks this season -- they've scored 133 of their 272 points this season (48.9 percent) in the final 15 minutes.
But Roethlisberger is 42 of 66 for 462 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions when the Steelers don't huddle at all.
"It is," Tomlin said Tuesday when asked if using the no-huddle earlier in games is a possibility for the Steelers down the stretch.
That might lead some to question why the Steelers haven't gone to it more earlier in the year. But with four rookie starters on offense, including two offensive linemen, and a rotating cast of characters at left guard the past month -- Kevin Dotson to J.C. Hassenauer to Joe Haeg to B.J. Finney to John Leglue -- communication in those situations can be an issue.
It's also the reason the Steelers largely cut back on Roethlisberger's audibles at the line of scrimmage this season, a rarity for a quarterback with 18 years of experience.
"We’ve had no issues doing it at home. In a loud environment it’s hard to do," Roethlisberger admitted. "Sometimes, if you take away the audible or the check-with-me play, it’s less thinking. When you change a play last minute, guys have to pick it up quickly and figure out what they’re doing. You get guys with less experience, it can be trickier. I think we need to play smarter football."
That could include being more aggressive with downfield throws. Over the past 6 games, only Aaron Rodgers has more 30-plus yard passes in the NFL than Roethlisberger's 11.
Per NFL.com's NextGen Stats, Roethlisberger leads the NFL in percentage of his throws that are considered "aggressive" at 19.6 percent. He might need to be even more aggressive moving forward, knowing there are just four games remaining in the season -- and quite possibly, his career.
He's not thinking of that right now.
But the Steelers brought Roethlisberger back for a reason this year. And if he's going to go out, let him go out on his own terms, slinging the ball.
"I'm living right here, right now and we've got to make a run," said Roethlisberger. "We've got to play good football. We've got play great football and that starts with me. I can't get caught looking at the end because I need to focus on right here and this week."
