Rodney Harrison played against Ben Roethlisberger when he was nearing his peak. And the longtime safety just isn’t seeing the same guy anymore.
On Sunday’s “Football Night in America,” Harrison bluntly assessed Roethlisberger’s sorry play. “He looks extremely old,” Harrison said.
That’s an apt description, especially when he’s facing off against young studs such as Baker Mayfield and Joe Burrow. The Steelers have lost two of their last four games against the Browns and Bengals, signifying a dramatic shift in the AFC North.
Roethlisberger was putrid in both of them. He threw four interceptions in the Wild Card game and two against Cincinnati Sunday. Big Ben was sacked four times as well, making it eight on the season.
Though the Steelers’ porous offensive line deserves some blame, it’s also apparent that Roethlisberger just isn’t quick enough to evade pass-rushers. He has one of the quickest release times in the league, and yet, continually gets brought down.
Even with offensive coordinator Matt Canada, the Steelers aren’t dynamic, because Roethlisberger struggles to send the ball down the field. Only five of his 58 passes Sunday were thrown more than 16 yards down the field, and just one was completed. An astounding 17 of his balls were thrown behind or at the line of scrimmage.
At 39 years old, Roethlisberger is cooked. Harrison said the quiet part out loud.