Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger on historic pace for pass attempts

Roethlisberger regularly has sat out Wednesday practices for several seasons. Additionally, he has been on a training-camp plan of going full/half/DNP over three-practice cycles in late July and August.

This season has been atypical for everybody because of the coronavirus pandemic, so it is difficult to evaluate if Roethlisberger is taking more time off in light of his age and the return from injury. He missed the entire week of practice in advance of the Nov. 15 game, for example, but that was because he was on the reserve/covid-19 list as a high-risk contact.

Roethlisberger also did not practice between the Steelers’ past two games, although it was for a reason stated on the official injury report as “knee” during that shortened, four-day work week.

“We are going to try and keep him on the same schedule and let his arm speak to us and his legs,” offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said. “We don’t go in aspire to throw the ball 50-plus times. … Sometimes it just seems to happen that way, but that’s not what we are trying to do.”

Could have fooled everyone, at least by looking at the stats. Roethlisberger had 104 attempts over the past two games — five days apart. For perspective: Roethlisberger was five starts into his career before he had thrown his 104th pass in 2004. He never previously threw 50-plus passes in consecutive weeks.

Disrespect for Roethlisberger has long run rampant in the national media. This is just the latest, writes Mark Maddenhttps://t.co/hYLQNoJWxt

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) November 21, 2020

Roethlisberger has 196 attempts the past four games and 319 over his past seven.

The four-game stretch he had matched once previously in his career (during late 2017), but never had he thrown at least 46 passes in four straight games. The most passes Big Ben ever had thrown over a seven-game span previously was 310 in 2015, but he missed a game because of injury during that stretch.

The previous most passes Roethlisberger had thrown over a seven-week span was 306 to close out 2018.

Roethlisberger’s pace over his past seven games equates to 729 pass attempts over a 16-game season. That would break the NFL record (Matthew Stafford, 727 in 2012). Stafford was 24.

Roethlisberger already holds the record for most passes for a player 35 or older (age 36 two years ago). When Roethlisberger won his first Super Bowl as a 23-year-old in 2005, it wasn’t until that year’s AFC championship game (the 15th game he played in that season) that he threw his 319th pass. He threw that many over a span of 44 days this season.

Fichtner, in part, dismissed concerns about over-taxing Roethlisberger’s arm by pointing out many of his throws this season are short as part of run/pass option plays.

Roethlisberger, too, downplayed any perceived stress he has put on his $100 million arm.

“Typically,” he said, “if you throw it 50 times, I don’t feel it in my elbow. I’ll feel it in the rest of my body, if you get hit or something like that. The (offensive line) has done a great job up front of protecting me. In terms of what does 200 throws over four games do compared to 120 (over four games)? That’s going to be probably something as we work toward the end.”

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.