The ball has been in and out of the hands of Ben Roethlisberger so far again this season.
Roethlisberger’s “time to throw,” according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, is the shortest of any of the 38 qualifying quarterbacks measured by the league’s official advanced statistical service. Roethlisberger’s average time elapsed from the time of snap to throw on every pass attempt is 2.33 seconds.
For perspective, the median time to throw among NFL QBs this year is 2.72 seconds, the longest time to throw (the Cleveland Browns’ Baker Mayfield) is 3.20 seconds and the second-fastest time to throw among current starting quarterbacks is 2.49 seconds (the Chicago Bears’ Nick Foles).
In other words, Roethlisberger is getting rid of the ball 37% faster than his division rival quarterback is, 12% faster than the average NFL passer and 7% faster than the second-quickest at it.
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 #Steelers. https://t.co/NRsLnsOipt
— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) October 14, 2020
“Not really trying to do anything,” Roethlisberger said when asked about it during a video conference call with media Wednesday. “Sometimes, it may have to deal with the play call.”
Roethlisberger specifically cited run-pass options (RPOs) as part of the reason for his quick trigger finger. RPOs, some games more than others, are often part of the Steelers game plan.
“An RPO, you really don’t have time to hold onto the ball because obviously the line is blocking a run,” Roethlisberger said. “You have to get the ball out quick. Sometimes we do what (offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner) says is get the ball in the hands of our playmakers quick — throw short, run long.”
Ben Roethlisberger got rid of the ball quickly to neutralize the Eagles pass rush, averaging 2.26 seconds time to throw (his 4th-fastest in a game since 2016).
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 11, 2020
He wasn't pressured on any of his 16 dropbacks in the 2nd-half (2.05 seconds time to throw).#PHIvsPIT | #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/B0NZKmgHxh
Next Gen Stats says Roethlisberger’s 5.0 average completed air yards (how far downfield a pass is caught) ranks 32nd out of 38 passers.
After earning a reputation earlier in his career as a quarterback who would hold onto the ball to create plays, Roethlisberger regularly has been among the NFL’s fastest to throw in recent seasons, particularly under coordinators Todd Haley and Fichtner since 2012.
The Next Gen Stats era began in 2016, when Roethlisberger’s time to throw was slightly quicker than average. He had the league’s seventh-fastest time to throw in 2017 at 2.56 seconds. In his most recent full season, 2018, Roethlisberger also tied for the fastest in the NFL at 2.55 seconds.
If Roethlisberger’s 2.33-seconds rate keeps up over the entire season, it would be the fastest ever recorded in the five years since the league monitored the metric.
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