3 big Steelers problems aside from JuJu Smith-Schuster’s dancing

1. Ben Roethlisberger declining too fast

Ben Roethlisberger is throwing the ball way too much. His latest outing against the Bengals saw him finish 20/38 for 170 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. This came after he went 21/37 for 187 yards against Buffalo.

The Steelers offense has failed to adapt to Big Ben’s decline. The 11-0 start hid the problems as the Steelers took on plenty of bad defenses like the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Now we are nearing the postseason and the Steelers look to be in trouble. Roethlisberger is missing throws, reads, and recently called a players only meeting that likely focused on Smith-Schuster as the scapegoat.

Pittsburgh has failed for years to have a legitimate backup option in place. Mason Rudolph is clearly not the answer, even if some fans are calling for him to play out of sheer panic.

Everyone knows Roethlisberger’s career is not going to last much longer. But jobs are on the line and the offensive staff can’t keep calling plays like it is 2007.

The Steelers can pretend tiny distractions are the only thing holding the team back in 2020. But the entire organization needs to reevaluate what is actually wrong and adjust to avoid an offseason where tough decisions must be made.