Ben Roethlisberger Deserves to Know Where the Steelers Offense is Headed

by Anthony Defeo
on Jan 28, 2012 10:20 PM EST


With the departure of Bruce Arians as Steelers offensive coordinator last week, it was only a matter of time before Ben Roethlisberger shared his feelings on the matter. Not surprisingly, Big Ben wasn't exactly happy about Arians' exit, and he has stated that he wants to have a heart-to-heart with team President Art Rooney II to get a feel for what the boss wants, and where the owner sees the offense heading in the future.

What Big Ben said is not sitting well with many in Steeler Nation. I can't say that I'm surprised. Even before Roethlisberger weighed in with his thoughts, many Steelers fans were hoping he would keep his mouth shut about Arians' dismissal and just accept that his offensive coordinator was gone.

There are many who want Roethlisberger to just keep quiet, period, as if the title of franchise quarterback wields no power whatsoever. Well, nothing can be further from the truth, especially when it's a quarterback who has accomplished as much as No. 7 has in his first eight seasons.



Roethlisberger is 80-33 in his career as a starter and 10-4 in postseason games--including a 2-1 record in three trips to the Super Bowl. I'd say he's earned the right to voice his opinions and deserves to know what direction his bosses will want him to steer the ship in the immediate future.

You might say that other players like Troy Polamalu and James Farrior have earned the right to have an equal say, and to a point they have, but make no mistake, when you're an elite quarterback in the NFL, you have the most clout. In addition to those stats I just rattled off, there are 100 million other reasons why Ben Roethlisberger is more than just "one of the guys."


http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2012/1/28/2755565/ben-roethlisberger-deserves-to-know-where-the-steelers-offense-is

I have no problem with any QB going through change,(change that came from Rooney) seeking out the boss and finding out what he can do to make the change work.

I do have a problem the way this was portrayed by some media. What Ben said in the interview came across an entirely different way, once written, from the way he spoke. I as a fan do not know what kind of relationship Ben and Rooney have, this could be the norm between them. Make no mistake the media (and some fans) want this to become an ongoing drama. I am glad I am not in front of mikes and cameras constantly I am sure I would "give" the media plenty to write about.

riccosuavez wrote:

I have no problem with any QB going through change,(change that came from Rooney) seeking out the boss and finding out what he can do to make the change work.

I do have a problem the way this was portrayed by some media. What Ben said in the interview came across an entirely different way, once written, from the way he spoke. I as a fan do not know what kind of relationship Ben and Rooney have, this could be the norm between them. Make no mistake the media (and some fans) want this to become an ongoing drama. I am glad I am not in front of mikes and cameras constantly I am sure I would "give" the media plenty to write about.

Agreed. The media wolves are out for blood and making this into a bigger issue than it needs to be. I'll reserve judgement on Ben's attitude going forward until we see where it goes from here. Right now, it's a non-story that the media is spinning for ratings/readers/blog hits/something to talk about during the boring Pro Bowl week.

Ben just needs to get over it and get back to playing Steeler football.

supytalpeht wrote:

Ben just needs to get over it and get back to playing Steeler football.

Right now, I don't really see Ben as having to get over anything. He hasn't done or said anything (yet) to suggest there's a problem. I just want to see him keep an open mind and actually try to change some of his bad habits he has. If he continues with this "I'm going to play my game no matter what" attitude that seems to be part of the issue, then there will be a problem. He has to be willing to give a little and try to learn a different way to do some things. Not completely overhaul his entire game.

Buddha Bus wrote:

supytalpeht wrote:

Ben just needs to get over it and get back to playing Steeler football.

Right now, I don't really see Ben as having to get over anything. He hasn't done or said anything (yet) to suggest there's a problem. I just want to see him keep an open mind and actually try to change some of his bad habits he has. If he continues with this "I'm going to play my game no matter what" attitude that seems to be part of the issue, then there will be a problem. He has to be willing to give a little and try to learn a different way to do some things. Not completely overhaul his entire game.

I agree we're not talking about a major change with Ben. Actually it involves playing smarter to add years to his playing time. Also the media needs to "shut their big fat whore mouths"!!!

Did I get that right Jon?

solardave wrote:

Buddha Bus wrote:

supytalpeht wrote:

Ben just needs to get over it and get back to playing Steeler football.

Right now, I don't really see Ben as having to get over anything. He hasn't done or said anything (yet) to suggest there's a problem. I just want to see him keep an open mind and actually try to change some of his bad habits he has. If he continues with this "I'm going to play my game no matter what" attitude that seems to be part of the issue, then there will be a problem. He has to be willing to give a little and try to learn a different way to do some things. Not completely overhaul his entire game.

I agree we're not talking about a major change with Ben. Actually it involves playing smarter to add years to his playing time. Also the media needs to "shut their big fat whore mouths"!!!

Did I get that right Jon?

Well played, sir.