Steelers: Big Ben never lost clutch gene, even when arm strength diminished

Statistics show that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger remained clutch even as he lost arm strength before his retirement.

By the time former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hung it up after the 2021 NFL season it was clear he was a shell of his former self. But that didn’t mean that Roethlisberger was always hurting his team or that they should have moved on from him early.

One major stat shows that, even as his arm strength went, Big Ben still performed in the clutch.

Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger lost his arm but not the clutch gene

15 times in 20 tries, Big Ben still managed to win one-score games despite not being able to push the ball downfield. Some of his physical abilities were going but his leadership and football IQ never went away. Sometimes people just have “It” and find ways to win and throughout his career, Ben showed that he always had it and could always get it done.

During those last two seasons, the Steelers’ offensive line struggled mightily at times, making this fact even more impressive. During the 2021 season, he was sacked 38 times but still led seven game-winning drives completing 64.5 percent of his passes.

The Steelers’ offense led by Roethlisberger always took what the defense gave them, and even when the defense knew they couldn’t push the ball downfield they still found ways to get it done. It will be a tall task for the Steelers this season to replace the future Hall of Famer and keep up with their winning ways in one-score games.

Can Mitchell Tribusky or rookie first-rounder Kenny Pickett pick up the mantle left behind by Big Ben or are the Steelers in for a rough 2022 season? They may have better arm strength, but that clutch gene is impossible to replicate.