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</TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width=468><!-- BEGIN CONTENT AREA -->Big Ben throwing early, often
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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</TD><TD>Peter Diana, Post-Gazette
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger asked the Steelers to open up the offense this coming season and they are going to oblige..
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</TABLE><!--END PHOTO-->The Steelers of spring have a different look about them that has little to do with new players or the absence of those who moved on. The offense is performing stunts infrequently seen last fall.
Quarterbacks are throwing the ball around their South Side campus as if tossing Frisbees on the beach. Last fall, they passed the football as seldom as any NFL team in the past 20 years.
Ben Roethlisberger asked the Steelers to open up the offense more, and it seems they will comply.
"Certainly, we want to run the football, that's our identity," said coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, author of play calls that resulted in 61 percent runs from scrimmage last season. "But I think we'll be able to do a few more things throwing the football this year, especially on first and second down, and I think that will even help us run the ball better."
The Steelers ran 618 times and passed 358 times (plus 36 sacks trying to throw) even though their quarterback had the best rookie season of anyone in the history of the league. Roethlisberger completed 66.4 percent of his passes for a 98.1 passer rating, both NFL rookie records.
But part of Roethlisberger's success came from the simple formula the Steelers used to provide him as much support as they could -- run the ball, pass only when necessary and play great defense. They limited the playbook as well.
As the Steelers take to the field today for their second full week of team voluntary practices, they are loosening the reins on Big Ben and allowing him to blossom more in his second season.
"The biggest thing is he's more comfortable with what we're doing," said Whisenhunt, who enters his second season as coordinator. "I think our offense is more comfortable with him and with what we're doing, and certainly I can get better. I've learned some things from the first year."
Roethlisberger said he'd like to see the offense open up more next season, yet he understood why Whisenhunt was more conservative with him at quarterback in 2004.
"I think he didn't want to overload my mind too much," Roethlisberger said. "Hopefully, he'll have enough confidence in me this year to do more."
Roethlisberger has been working at the team's facility since February and is taking on more of a leadership role this spring. Last year at this time, he was throwing to the scrub receivers as the No. 3 or No. 4 quarterback. He did not move up to No. 2 until training camp when Charlie Batch's knee was injured. Only when he replaced injured Tommy Maddox in the second game of the season did he throw to his starting receivers on a regular basis in practice. His extended work this spring and in training camp should build up his rapport and confidence with them.
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</TABLE><!--END PHOTO-->"Sometimes that's getting comfortable with the offense, getting comfortable where the receivers are and trusting that," Whisenhunt said. "Those receivers and he are getting a lot more reps with things he didn't get to see last year because he didn't get as many."
Toward the end of last season, defenses played Roethlisberger differently, Whisenhunt said.
"Late in the season they were dropping a lot of people and trying to make him throw it into smaller windows. Whereas people were coming after us earlier in the season and he was escaping pressure and making big plays.
"I think certainly from what I've seen so far this spring, he's a lot more comfortable going through his progressions and going through his reads. When he's comfortable throwing the football, he's hard to stop."
Dropping into coverage rather than blitzing might be why Roethlisberger's interception rate swelled in the final five games, including two playoffs. He threw 10 interceptions in those five games after tossing only six in his first 10<SUP>1</SUP>/<SUB>2</SUB> games.
Might that be a formula defenses employ against Roethlisberger again next season? "Some people may think that," Whisenhunt said. "I think people may try to do some things to us, from looking at last year's tape, but he's going to be a different quarterback, and I don't necessarily think those same things are going to hold up. "I would certainly think he's dangerous when he's out of the pocket. You know what? I'm very encouraged when he's in the pocket. He was a very good pocket passer in college and he certainly has the arm and the ability to do that on this level."
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</TD><TD vAlign=top align=left width=468><!-- BEGIN CONTENT AREA -->Big Ben throwing early, often
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger asked the Steelers to open up the offense this coming season and they are going to oblige..
Click photo for larger image. <CENTER><!-was space-->
</CENTER>
</TD>
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</TABLE><!--END PHOTO-->The Steelers of spring have a different look about them that has little to do with new players or the absence of those who moved on. The offense is performing stunts infrequently seen last fall.
Quarterbacks are throwing the ball around their South Side campus as if tossing Frisbees on the beach. Last fall, they passed the football as seldom as any NFL team in the past 20 years.
Ben Roethlisberger asked the Steelers to open up the offense more, and it seems they will comply.
"Certainly, we want to run the football, that's our identity," said coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, author of play calls that resulted in 61 percent runs from scrimmage last season. "But I think we'll be able to do a few more things throwing the football this year, especially on first and second down, and I think that will even help us run the ball better."
The Steelers ran 618 times and passed 358 times (plus 36 sacks trying to throw) even though their quarterback had the best rookie season of anyone in the history of the league. Roethlisberger completed 66.4 percent of his passes for a 98.1 passer rating, both NFL rookie records.
But part of Roethlisberger's success came from the simple formula the Steelers used to provide him as much support as they could -- run the ball, pass only when necessary and play great defense. They limited the playbook as well.
As the Steelers take to the field today for their second full week of team voluntary practices, they are loosening the reins on Big Ben and allowing him to blossom more in his second season.
"The biggest thing is he's more comfortable with what we're doing," said Whisenhunt, who enters his second season as coordinator. "I think our offense is more comfortable with him and with what we're doing, and certainly I can get better. I've learned some things from the first year."
Roethlisberger said he'd like to see the offense open up more next season, yet he understood why Whisenhunt was more conservative with him at quarterback in 2004.
"I think he didn't want to overload my mind too much," Roethlisberger said. "Hopefully, he'll have enough confidence in me this year to do more."
Roethlisberger has been working at the team's facility since February and is taking on more of a leadership role this spring. Last year at this time, he was throwing to the scrub receivers as the No. 3 or No. 4 quarterback. He did not move up to No. 2 until training camp when Charlie Batch's knee was injured. Only when he replaced injured Tommy Maddox in the second game of the season did he throw to his starting receivers on a regular basis in practice. His extended work this spring and in training camp should build up his rapport and confidence with them.
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</TABLE><!--END PHOTO-->"Sometimes that's getting comfortable with the offense, getting comfortable where the receivers are and trusting that," Whisenhunt said. "Those receivers and he are getting a lot more reps with things he didn't get to see last year because he didn't get as many."
Toward the end of last season, defenses played Roethlisberger differently, Whisenhunt said.
"Late in the season they were dropping a lot of people and trying to make him throw it into smaller windows. Whereas people were coming after us earlier in the season and he was escaping pressure and making big plays.
"I think certainly from what I've seen so far this spring, he's a lot more comfortable going through his progressions and going through his reads. When he's comfortable throwing the football, he's hard to stop."
Dropping into coverage rather than blitzing might be why Roethlisberger's interception rate swelled in the final five games, including two playoffs. He threw 10 interceptions in those five games after tossing only six in his first 10<SUP>1</SUP>/<SUB>2</SUB> games.
Might that be a formula defenses employ against Roethlisberger again next season? "Some people may think that," Whisenhunt said. "I think people may try to do some things to us, from looking at last year's tape, but he's going to be a different quarterback, and I don't necessarily think those same things are going to hold up. "I would certainly think he's dangerous when he's out of the pocket. You know what? I'm very encouraged when he's in the pocket. He was a very good pocket passer in college and he certainly has the arm and the ability to do that on this level."
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