The Steelers will be encountering a major mess this season, with a starting quarterback who’ll be banished from the facility after training camp and the preseason and a collection of backups who’ll vie for the short-term starting job.
The problem? There may not be enough first-team reps to go around to get Roethlisberger ready for his return and the replacements ready to replace him.
It’ll all happen on the watch of an offensive coordinator who faced widespread criticism in 2009 for passing the ball too much. Bruce Arians now knows he needs to re-commit to the run, given the muddled quarterback situation and a passing game depleted by the trade of Santonio Holmes.
But the Steelers’ opponents realize this, too, and they’ll likely load up against the run, forcing Arians to do that which he’s wired to do anyway.
It’s a recipe for potential disaster, if Arians refuses to commit to the run and rely on the defense. With coach Mike Tomlin’s background coming on the defensive side of the ball, it’s not as if Tomlin can take over calling the plays.