Steelers are worried about Ben Roethlisberger, and rightly so

The Steelers have serious concerns about Ben Roethlisberger heading into Sunday Night Football.

Pittsburgh has been humbled their last two games, though they’d argue the schedule played a role in that unfortunate feat. The Steelers played at odd times against the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Football Team, losing the latter thanks to an extraordinary effort from the Washington defense and Alex Smith.

Yet, when the Steelers dug deeper into their last few close calls, a larger concern emerged. Ben Roethlisberger is throwing far more than he should, in part due to a lack of faith in the run game. A reported knee injury won’t help matters.

The Steelers have attempted 104 passes in the last two weeks

Also of note — James Conner has missed the last two games, meaning the majority of carries have gone to backup running back Benny Snell. While the Kentucky product has had a few good moments, he’s not the same caliber of back as Conner.

Roethlisberger has been experiencing discomfort in his knee, making the number of dropbacks an odd choice by the 38-year-old. Pittsburgh’s offense has transformed into a short passing attack in part to limit the number of hits Big Ben takes. Yet, without much of a rushing attack, or deep passing game, the Steelers offense has become all too predictable.

Big Ben has a great relationship with former quarterback coach turned offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner. While that seems productive on the surface, it also gives Roethlisberger plenty of leeway to change plays at the line of scrimmage. He’s reportedly checked out of a number of run plays — far more than usual — in the last two weeks. It’s tough to blame him given the Steelers porous run game, but it also puts Roethlisberger at greater risk.

Surely, the Steelers have addressed these issues internally, but the timing could not be worse.