Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for a hot start on Monday night in Washington. The way it usually works in football is that if the quarterback is hot out of the gate then more often than not the team will be too.
Unfortunately, in the last five season openers, Roethlisberger and the Steelers are just 1-4 and with no Le’Veon Bell and no Martavis Bryant, a big start is needed more than ever.
Below are Big Ben’s stats from the opening game for each of the last five seasons.
2011: 22/41 280 yards 1TD/3INT (L, @Baltimore)
2012: 22/40 245 yards 2TD/1INT (L @Denver)
2013: 21/33 191 yards 1TD/1INT (L Tennessee)
2014: 23/34 365 yards 1TD/1INT (W Cleveland)
2015: 26/38 351 yards 1TD/1INT (L, @New England)
AVG: 22.8 completions/37.2 attempts 6TD/7INT and 286 yards passing game
The yards per game isn’t bad but I guarantee both he and Todd Haley would like to see the completion percentage (61%) a little higher. Obviously each game carries with it a different set of circumstances that in turn dictated how much Roethlisberger was going to pass.
In the 2011 game for example, a 35-7 loss to Baltimore, the Steelers were down early and required a lot of throws to try and get back in the game. Last year in New England saw a similar situation as well.
With Markus Wheaton out for Monday Night’s game, that could signal more running from the offense. I already think that’s part of the plan anyway considering Washington’s very low rating in stopping the run in 2015. A run game that needs to be honored early will set up Roethlisberger for big things as the game unfolds.
Of course there’s much that can dictate whether or not Big Ben will turn the tide of four of the last five openers but the thing that matters most is getting the win. With Cincinnati coming into Heinz Field next week, a win in the opener is crucial. A big game from Roethlisberger will go a long way towards a victory and I’m sure a huge performance from him would be welcome too.
