By: Jonathan Clark
SteelerNation.com
This past Sunday was a day for everyone in the Pittsburgh Steelers organization to get a good look at their prospective list of players already on the roster due to the fact that the Steelers collected an overall record of 12-4 and have been crowned the champions of the AFC North. This is a luxury that not many teams get to experience, but one that can be beneficial to the teams affected by it. In this particular instance, the Steelers were resting QB Ben Roethlisberger, allowing for the opportunity to get a good look on how both young QBs grasp life in the NFL.
Last week, in sharing time with backup QB Mason Rudolph, the Steelers played 3rd string QB Josh Dobbs in a lot of option packages, giving himself or his running back the opportunity to make a play with the ball in their hands. In this package, he brings a unique advantage to the offense by keeping the defense guessing on almost every play and allows the Steelers to run the run/pass game with a little bit more of an advantage.
Because Dobbs is so much more versatile in the running game than he is in the passing, it makes it hard for a defense to commit to one side of the ball (rushing or passing) throughout the game. They can solely commit to the run and just risk the passing game, or they can commit to the passing game and allow for the short adage runs to eventually add up -- virtually giving the offense an advantage on each play. While Roethlisberger is clearly our starting QB, and I am not suggesting otherwise, it could be unique to see the Steelers use Dobbs in some of those option package situations throughout this week's playoff game.
When asked about Josh Dobbs getting some action in those types of situations, Roethlisberger said. “I’m all for it.” He continued. "I literally will do whatever it takes to win this football game." You never know what you are going to see.”
Ben Roethlisberger says "I'm all for it," if the #Steelers dress and use fellow QB Josh Dobbs for some snaps Sunday vs the #Browns. Says, "I'll literally do whatever it takes to win this football game."
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) January 6, 2021
Who knows, this could just be a big ploy to try and get in the minds of their opponent, but clearly Roethlisberger is locked in and he does have a point, I have to admit, I do like the idea. The Steelers have played almost the same type of offense, with the same quarterback under center for just about 15 years straight. I think it is safe to say that some teams know exactly what we are going to bring on the offensive side, we have just had Roethlisberger who has always been good enough to beat them. Having Dobbs out there this weekend could give us a huge advantage on those situations where a first down or a big play is crucial.
While Dobbs overall effect on the game is limited, If we use him in these packages in this game, those 5 or 6 rushes he may get could very well be 5 or 6 incompletions called on passing plays with Roethlisberger in there and those 40 - 50 yards potentially gained, could have been zero. By no means at all am I saying that a change is needed, that is laughable. What I am saying is that it is always good to keep the defense guessing, it’s an advantage only one side of the ball has. Why not use it to its fullest? Give Dobbs a small sample size, but it really doesn't hurt to try. There's no time like the present, and with the playoffs right around the corner, there really is no better time than now.
Would you be okay with Dobbs getting some opportunity in the run/pass game? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!
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