Ben Roethlisberger: We want to put 30 points on the board every game
The Pittsburgh Steelers had the league's second-best offense a season ago and they're looking to get better in 2015.
By
Ryan Wilson
•
2 min read
The Pittsburgh Steelers had the league's second-best offense a season ago, according to Football Outsiders, and they're looking to get better in 2015. Ben Roethlisberger was the top-rated passer, Antonio Brown was the top-rated receiver, and Le'Veon Bell was the fifth-best running back.
Together with emerging playmaker Martavis Bryant and third-round pick Sammie Coates, along with an offensive line that showed improvement under first-year coach Mike Munchak, it's reasonable to think that this group hasn't yet reached its potential.
And that was Big Ben's message on the first day of training camp.
“We want to start fast and we want to be able to put 30 points on the board in every game," Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette.
If that sounds like hyperbole, it isn't; the Steelers averaged 27.25 points per game during the 2014 regular season and Roethlisberger has high expectations for the current group.
“That group in front of me is as good as any in the league, and as good as any I’ve ever had. It’s great," he said. “Then you look at outside receiver. [Antonio Brown] is as good as anybody in this league and arguably one of the greatest that I’ve played with. Just all around on offense, we have just a special group. It has a chance to be really good.
“There are a lot of young guys, kind of the unknown other than AB. But they have as much potential and talent from top to bottom as we’ve had here in a long time. To me the sky is the limit for them.”
Of course, none of this would be possible if Big Ben wasn't playing at an MVP level, and some of the credit has to go to offensive coordinator Todd Haley, the man most people figured would butt heads with Roethlisberger. Never happened. Instead, the 33-year-old former first-round pick has played some of the best football of his career.
“What we did last year offensively shows that there’s nothing there," Big Ben said. "There’s no way we could be that successful and there be an issue between quarterback and OC.
“I think our relationship is great and the way all our offense works together is the best part of what Todd has done since that first year with the new stuff -- let everyone contribute. This is ‘our offense, it’s not his offense For a coordinator to put ego aside to say this is not my offense it is all of our offense and to take advice from coaches, from players, things like that, I think just speaks volumes for him.”
And if the Steelers' defense can improve to even a mediocre level, the Steelers could not only win their first postseason game since 2010, they could be in line for a deep playoff run.
