Quick-thinking Ben Roethlisberger is off to hottest start of Steelers' career

The ability to make adjustments on third down is one factor in Ben Roethlisberger getting off to the best start of his 17-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Roethlisberger completed all 13 of his third-down attempts, throwing for 158 yards and two scores in such situations, in the Steelers’ 38-29 victory against the Philadelphia Eagles that improved their record to 4-0.

Roethlisberger has been critical of his play in the first quadrant of the season and said he still lacks touch on his deep passes. But so far nobody else on the Steelers has any complaints with Roethlisberger’s play. He has 10 touchdown passes against one interception and a 110.4 passer rating that ranks fifth in the NFL.

Coach Mike Tomlin was asked Tuesday when Roethlisberger gained the mental capacity to pick apart NFL defenses, particularly on those crucial possession downs.

“Probably sometime in the last 14 years,” Tomlin said, flashing a smile. “He and I have been at it a long time. It’s not something where you flip a light switch on, and you can probably point to a date or significant circumstance where it transpired like, ‘Eureka.’

“It’s just a continual growth and development over the course of a career which, through an unbelievable blessing, has been an extremely long one. It’s reasonable to expect him to have a different level of awareness and be able to call upon that in circumstances.”

A year after missing 14 games because of three torn tendons in his right elbow, Roethlisberger has thrown 10 touchdown passes against just one interception. He is on pace to surpass his career-high 34 touchdown passes thrown in 2018 – the year prior to his injury. He also has a triple-digit passer rating for only the fourth time in his career.

Tomlin didn’t discount the 2019 layoff as helping Roethlisberger’s awareness.

“I think sometimes when you have the perspective that he has now, he watched the bulk of football in 2019,” Tomlin said. “Often times, when you get removed from your role and you watch it from a different perspective, it might change your perspective on performance and evaluation thereof. I’m not displeased with the overall trajectory of his play. I like the fact that he is being critical of his performance.

“I also like where he is from a mental standpoint. We’re just going to continue to work and knock the rust off and gain the rhythm that we are accustomed to seeing from him and, hopefully, we will continue to win while we do that.”