Jeremy Fowler, ESPN Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH -- Mark it in your scouting report, Colts.
The Steelers are going deep on you. Often. Book it.
And they'll do it simply because they feel like it. When asking receiver Markus Wheaton what factors trigger the decision to throw deep passes, Wheaton shrugs and says, "I just think (Ben Roethlisberger) really likes doing it."
It's already established that Roethlisberger throws a nice deep ball compared to his peers. Couple that with a lethal group of receivers with several deep threats and the Steelers simply can't help themselves.
This is the NFL version of the 1987 Providence basketball team.
The stats are revealing. In seven games, Roethlisberger has completed a league-high 14 completions on passes thrown at least 30 yards downfield. In the last decade, Peyton Manning holds the record with 16.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger throws a pretty deep ball. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
Three of those completions came Sunday in Seattle, where the Steelers tested the Seahawks' vaunted secondary seven times and connected on three of them, including twice to Wheaton on his 201-yard day. The three completions of at least 30 yards are the most Seattle's allowed since 2008 against the Cardinals.
This is not what Colts coach Chuck Pagano wants to hear after Roethlisberger's 522-yard, six-touchdown game against the Colts last year.
"If we don’t [make changes], we’re going to be barking up the same tree again," Pagano said.
Two primary factors fuel the Steelers' affinity for the deep ball, and defensive scheme isn't one of them. Sometimes coverage dictates when to launch, but the Seahawks tried to take the sideline away and Roethlisberger still tested them over and over.
Primarily, the playmaking receivers make the attempts enticing. The Steelers have three receivers with at least 470 receiving yards. including arguably the game's best in Antonio Brown. At 6-foot-4 with a 40-yard-dash time of less than 4.4 seconds, Martavis Bryant is a natural target down the sideline.
"We’ve got a lot of guys capable of making big plays," Brown said. "We’ve got a big-time quarterback that spreads the ball pretty good. The linemen are doing a good job taking care of him, and receivers will reap a lot of good benefits from it."
Also, Roethlisberger's touch on the deep pass, particularly with arc, helps receivers get underneath the ball. For Brown, he knows the ball's coming in accurately and on the outside shoulder.
"He puts good air on it, too," Wheaton said. "He helps the receiver time it and get to it."
Every good quarterback has at least one quality unique to them. The deep ball is on Roethlisberger's list.
[url]http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/86812/steelers-ultimate-equalizer-launching-deep-balls-without-a-care[/url]
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Originally Posted by SteelCrazy
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