Did Ben play check down more this week?

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

I got the sense he started using his near field vision earlier and more often than he usually does, instead of holding on till the homerun opens up or he is eating turf. But that's just sort of a subjective feeling ... anyone else notice anything like that?

Thanks -

[hawaiiansteel]

our RBs caught 4 passes good for 27 yards so Ben at least knew they were there...

[SteelAbility]

I love Ben's style but this is an area where he hasn't shown as much willingness to expand his game as he should. More willingness to go to the RBs will end up creating better opportunities up the field.

[fezziwig]

Yes he did check down more and they did well with that. To me if he checks down more it gives the defense something to think about and with that, hesitation from the defense will come.
Most of the time they get tunnel vison with him because they know he will stand there until he gets a shot down field.
With Bens ability or desire to always look down field he does do well with that but, he also takes a lot of sacks that way too.
Checking down isn't a bad thing.

[Flasteel]

There was one camera shot where you could actually see Ben go through his progressions in quick order, then - without hesitation - he dumps it over the middle to the RB (I think it was Moore). He knew exactly where his safety valve would be and didn't waste a fraction of a second in going through his reads.

Roethlisberger is making a lot of good reads, from what I can tell. He just seems to be misfiring on a few of his passes. Even today, he was 22 of 30, but he overthrew and underthrew several open receivers when he had time to get it there...he could easily have gone 28 for 30 without those misfires. One should have been picked. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying that he is effectively targeting the open receivers.

Ben knows this offense and knows where to go with the ball. It's pretty amazing that he gets hit as much as he does, yet doesn't let it rattle him.

Alright...maybe he was a little rattled last week.

[fezziwig]

Ben was out of character today with his off passes.

[chiken]

hmm this might sound Crazy but I think Ben is "off" a touch because he is reading and making decisions faster.. It really does seem as though he is speeding himself up alittle bit, not Pumping faking like he use to do all the time.. I think this is a good thing in the long run but right now its kinda new..

[Djfan]

His pump fake could freeze ice. I have seen him stop guys dead with that.

[grotonsteel]

His pump fake could freeze ice. I have seen him stop guys dead with that.

Now if O-line can buy him some time i think we will see more 40 yards passes to Wallace and Brown.

[Slapstick]

Yes, and thank God he did!

We all love the big plays, but Roethlisberger isn't a 22 year old rookie anymore...

After 280 sacks and probably twice that many hits and knockdowns, he needs to check down more than in the past...

Furthermore, this is HIS offense...Arians designed it for Roethlisberger...this is Ben's fifth year running it with what would be his best receivers to date, from top to bottom...

We know about the WRs, but add Heath, Mendenhall, Moore...hell, even Redman scored on a hot route last year vs. the Ravens...

Ben has matured as a person...now, he needs to mature as a QB...

The big plays will be there, but in order to open those up, he needs to do some damage with his check downs...