Batch over Roethlisberger?

Since Charlie’s three touchdown game against the Bucs, all I’ve heard is that he should stay the starter after Ben comes back. Every time someone tells me that I have five words for them, “Please, tell me you’re joking?”

The Steelers head into their final game without Big Ben under center this Sunday against the Ravens. Charlie Batch did well in his start against, at the time 2-0 Buccaneers, but he still had two interceptions. Granted that the two interception only gave the Bucs three points, but it could have been worse. Batch had three touchdowns, but it could’ve just as easily been two touchdowns and three interceptions. I know what you’re thinking, “But it wasn’t.” I just think its a little funny that people think that the Steelers should keep Batch in over Ben when he comes back.

Last year, when the Defense wasn’t playing as well as they are now, Ben threw for 398 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but the funny thing was that Ben got injured in over time because he took a knee to the head, so Charlie Batch came in and was 1/2 for 17 yards. Not horrible stats from Batch, but my point is that its easy to win a game when your Defense and Special teams are playing lights out, its another thing to win a game with them on your back. That is just one of the differences between Batch and Roethlisberger.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that Batch played as well as he did. I’m ecstatic about how the run game, defense, and special team have been playing. I believe the Steelers can go 4-0 without Ben, but as Hines Ward said, “The league does not want us to be 4-0 with a mad Ben coming back.”

Print

Pittsburgh’s D Dominates

Just two weeks into the NFL season and the Pittsburgh Steelers are 2-0, most people said the Steelers would be lucky to go 1-3 or 2-2 without Ben at the beginning of the season. You have to believe that if Ben would have played in the first two games, the Steelers would have blown away the Falcons and Titans. Against the Titans, Batch and Dixon combined for 9/17 and 43 passing yards, if you add in the 106 rushing yards the Steelers only had 149 total offensive yards and that is not a good thing. Luckily the defense is playing on a different level. Troy has 2 interceptions; Woodley has 2 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 forced fumble; Harrison has 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 14 tackles and 6 assist; and Timmons has 1 forced fumble and leads the team with 21 tackles and 5 assist. If the defense could start scoring points, the offense wouldn’t even need to be on the field. Not all the blame can be put on the offense, the play calls have been predictable without Big Ben under center.

Print