Steelers should be more cautious with Ben Roethlisberger

Even if Ben Roethlisberger is healthy, should the Steelers rush him back?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting at 8-0 for the first time in franchise history. Cementing their status as one of the prime contenders in the AFC, the Steelers can remain team to beat with another victory Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The real question is, can the team do it without Ben Roethlisberger under center?

Earlier this week, Pittsburgh placed their 38-year-old quarterback on the reserve/COVID-19 list along with several other players. Despite Roethlisberger missing practice this week, the team is prepping for him to return to action for Sunday barring any setbacks of positive testing.

“We’ll prepare and continue to prepare as if Ben is playing,” Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said Thursday, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “As of this point right now, he hasn’t missed a rep. He doesn’t practice on Wednesdays anyway. … There’s been various times in his career where he has not practiced all week and played in games and played successful in games. I don’t question that one bit.”

Although Steelers fans might not like the answer, sitting Big Ben is what will keep their Lombardi hopes alive long-term. And while Joshua Dobbs or Mason Rudolph aren’t the future, both can manage a victory of the AFC North rival in the present.

Let’s not rush Roethlisberger back out there

Pointing out the fact that Father Time has officially arrived on Roethlisberger’s career, this is not the once highly-touted quarterback fans once knew. Even though his team remains undefeated, there are growing concerns that his deep ball passing might be limited moving forward. Through eight games, Roethlisberger’s average pass per play ranges at a career-low 6.7 yards.

There’s also plenty of wear and tear on Roethlisberger’s aging body. Last week against the Cowboys, he left in the second quarter after taking a shot to both knees on a touchdown pass to James Washington. While he returned to the field, he had limited mobility moving outside of the pocket.

The Bengals secondary has struggled to find consistency when stopping plays. Currently, they allowing an average of 400 yards per game, 256 of which comes through the air. Throw in a top-tier defense on the Steelers side and what’s the rush to hurt your quarterback some more?

Rudolph saw action in both games against the Bengals last season, helping the team pick up two wins. Overall, his results were mixed as Duck Hodges replaced him late in the season. Still, against Lou Anarumo’s unit, Rudolph tallied 314 total yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Games late in the year could help factor in playoff seeding and the best way to secure the top spot is by staying healthy. Losing your starting quarterback isn’t going to help anyone, specifically Pittsburgh in what could be Roethlisberger’s final season.

Let No.7 rest for seven days and plan for a rematch against the Ravens in two weeks. Anyone decent quarterback should be able to pick up victories over Cincinnati and Jacksonville.