Big Ben and the Steelers search for consistency

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Ben Roethlisberger is well versed in the drill. When things go well, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is quick to deflect praise elsewhere.

And when they don’t, he’s just as quick to shoulder the responsibility regardless of how many yards he passes for or touchdowns he throws.

“We take these losses on us as an offense, and me as a leader of the offense, I take it on myself that we haven’t done enough to score enough points to win football games,” Roethlisberger said Wednesday. “So, offensively we need to be better and we will be better.”

Thing is, on paper Pittsburgh’s offense looks fine. The Steelers (1-2-1) are a respectable sixth in total yards and 10th in points heading into Sunday’s visit from Atlanta (1-3).

The problem is the success has come in fits and spurts. Consistency has been elusive.

And while coach Mike Tomlin is frustrated by his team’s slow starts — the Steelers have been outscored 42-6 in the first quarter — the finishes haven’t been great either. Pittsburgh has just one fourth-quarter touchdown through four games.

The running game has gone silent for long stretches since James Conner piled up 135 yards and two touchdowns in the opener against Cleveland. Rock bottom came last week against Baltimore when Pittsburgh managed just 19 yards rushing on 11 carries.

“I know everybody wants to see the run game and trust me, as an offensive lineman, we want to see it to,” Pouncey said. “It’s early in the season, things will come along.”

The Steelers ran the ball just three times in the second half against Baltimore even though the game was tied at the break. That’s not exactly a firm commitment to taking some of the load off Roethlisberger’s considerable shoulders and giving the NFL’s 30th-ranked defense a true breather.

Not that Roethlisberger wants to talk about it. Yes the offense has been forced to play catch-up a lot. But it’s not as if there’s no time left on the clock when these outbursts happened. Pittsburgh tied Baltimore with 2:50 left in the first half and didn’t score again. That can’t happen, particularly in a season where more points are being scored than ever before.

There’s time to get it fixed, yes. Just not as much as there was.

“We’re looking at this next week and trying to get a win because that’s all that really matters,” Roethlisberger said. “If this has to happen it’s better to have it early in the season than middle or late in the season.”