Steelers must adjust to new QB
The Steelers are used to going against the Baltimore Ravens with a backup quarterback.
Today will mark the seventh time since Ben Roethlisberger became their starter three games into the 2004 season they will have played their bitter AFC North rivals without their star quarterback.
Their record in those previous six meetings is 1-5, so while it’s not necessarily a can’t-win situation, the deck certainly is stacked against them.
Interestingly, it was an injury against Baltimore to Tommy Maddox in the second game of his rookie season that pushed Roethlisberger into the Steelers’ lineup. Prior to that injury, the plan was to allow Roethlisberger to watch and learn behind Maddox.
We all know how that worked out. Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt simplified things for the rookie, used the strong rushing attack and defense to its advantage and the Steelers did not lose another game in the regular season.
With Roethlisberger out four to six weeks – chances are it will be closer to the latter – offensive coordinator Todd Haley should take a similar approach with Mike Vick.
The 35-year-old Vick is no rookie. But he has been with the Steelers for just a month, signing after Bruce Gradkowski suffered a broken hand in a preseason game.
Vick has a decent grasp of the Steelers’ offense – throw it to Antonio Brown, rinse, lather, repeat – but he’s not the same quarterback he was five years ago.
As we saw Sunday against the Rams, when he entered the game in relief of Roethlisberger, his timing was off with the receivers. He threw at least three of his six passes well behind receivers on crossing routes. One was nearly intercepted.
He also fumbled twice, one of which the Steelers recovered and the other rolling out of bounds.
And that’s been an issue for Vick throughout his career. In 139 career games, he’s now fumbled 98 times, losing 43. Add in his 87 career interceptions and you’ve got a quarterback who turns the ball over too much.
Earlier in his career, when Vick was dynamic as a passer and runner, that could be overlooked. After all, in 2006, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards.
Vick has more than 6,000 career rushing yards and is the only quarterback in NFL history to have more than 5,000 in his career.
But that’s why the Steelers employ Le’Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams. And in Brown, they have perhaps the NFL’s most dynamic pass catcher to go with a group of complementary receivers.
Vick’s job will not be to be the Vick of 2006. He needs to be more like Roethlisberger of 2004, a game manager who doesn’t make big mistakes but can make plays when needed.
Roethlisberger grew into much more than that, but that is all that is required from Vick. He needs to get the ball into the hands of the Steelers’ playmakers and let them do their thing.
This will be the best group of playmakers with which Vick has played. He doesn’t need to be a Superman as he was earlier in his career. He needs to be what this team needs now: a game manager who doesn’t take big risks.
The Steelers will adjust their offense to his skill set. He’s a left-handed quarterback who still has outstanding mobility. They’ll use some rollouts and moving pockets to allow him to challenge the Ravens pass defense, which has been awful this season.
But the Steelers have only had a couple of days to prepare for the game.
The Ravens, however, are in the same boat. They don’t exactly know what to expect from the Steelers and Vick.
It should make for an interesting game.
Baltimore is a 3-point favorite despite being 0-3. If Roethlisberger played, it would have been a safe bet that the Ravens would be staring at an 0-4 start.
As it is, expect a bit of an adjustment period between the Steelers and Vick. And that could be all the opening a desperate Baltimore team needs.
The Steelers should be OK in the coming weeks with Vick but it will be tough to win on a short week.
Take Baltimore to win, 23-17.
Last Week: 12-3 ATS; 14-1 Straight up
Overall: 27-18-1 ATS; 32-14 Straight up
F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.