One of the more obvious problems for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday was between quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. The two failed to connect on multiple big-play opportunities, including one deep play that would have certainly been a touchdown. The Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers 27-17 on Sunday.
Being 100 percent honest, both of the big misses between Smith-Schuster and Roethlisberger seemed to be the fault of Roethlisberger. A point Roethlisberger supported in his postgame press conference.
However, when Smith-Schuster spoke to the media, he fell on his sword and took the blame for the miscommunication. Smith-Schuster went out of his way to defend his quarterback and said he would always have his back.
This all sounds great but the reality is Roethlisberger made a mistake and Smith-Schuster knew it during the game. More than once the camera cut to Smith-Schuster on the sidelines, once when he slammed his tablet on the ground another when it appeared he might have said, “a Ben problem” but this can’t be confirmed.
The Steelers offense has been in complete disarray all season. In most games the problems start and stop with the offensive line. But on Sunday the offensive line did well enough to let Roethlisberger make some throws. He just didn’t make enough of them for the Steelers to win. Is this some internal turmoil building among the players? We will know very soon because this team is on the verge of losing a handle on the entire season.
