The Steelers are favorites on Sunday in Denver. If Pittsburgh can win, it will set up the first Steelers-Patriots playoff game since Ben Roethlisberger’s rookie season.
There have been a lot of changes on the Steelers offense since 2004. They are more of a spread attack now built around Roethlisberger and his young receivers. The power running game is largely gone.
If the Steelers happen to get upset in Denver Sunday, Roethlisberger warns against making changes. He doesn’t want offensive coordinator Bruce Arians going anywhere.
“We’ve got something special here,” Roethlisberger said this week via Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We’ve got a lot of great young players. As long as they don’t get crazy and change the offense -- that can really set you back -- the sky is the limit for this team.”
The part about changing the offense was unprompted; Roethlisberger was sending a clear message to management. He knows that Arians isn’t overly popular in Pittsburgh despite record setting numbers for the team’s offense.
We can’t imagine the Steelers would make a change now from Arians. Most folks clinging to the “Steelers must pound the ball” approach realize Big Ben, Antonio Brown, and Mike Wallace are the strength of this offense.
Of course, the best way Roethlisberger can help Arians is to keep winning playoff games.
“I love this time of year,” Roethlisberger said. “I love playing in these games.”