Analysis: Steelers offense needs more than a healthy Ben Roethlisberger in 2020

The worst fears for the Pittsburgh Steelers offense were realized in the second week of the season when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger exited at halftime against the Seattle Seahawks and never played another down.

With his departure, the Steelers went from possessing one of the top passing offenses in 2018 to one of the worst, finishing next-to-last among the 32 teams in net passing yards.

Still, it wouldn’t be prudent to think a soon-to-be 38-year-old quarterback coming off major elbow surgery will be the magic elixir for the Steelers offense in 2020.

A healthy Roethlisberger instantly will make the offense more respectable next season, but his return won’t solve all of the offense’s deficiencies.

They include:

• The lack of a bona fide No. 1 running back. Because of continued injuries to James Conner, roles changed and were redefined over the course of the season, with the replacement backs gaining little traction.

• An aging offensive line that, partially due to Roethlisberger’s absence under center, had difficulty opening holes for running backs and keeping the team’s young quarterbacks upright in the second half of the season.

• A young receiving group that showed promise individually, yet collectively was hampered by the absence of Antonio Brown and, in the second half, injuries to JuJu Smith-Schuster.

• Tight ends that underwhelmed as run blockers and were largely non-existent getting open in the passing game.

All of those issues, including the quarterback play of Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges, contributed to the Steelers scoring just one offensive touchdown in eight of the final nine games. Rudolph’s 1,765 passing yards were the fewest by a Steelers single-season leader since Mike Tomczak’s 1,625 in 1999.

Coach Mike Tomlin already has anointed Rudolph as Roethlisberger’s backup next season, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Steelers kicked the tires on bringing in a low-cost veteran as insurance for another injury.

The Steelers likely won’t address quarterback in the draft, but all other positions should remain open for discussion.

At running back, Conner’s 464 yards rushing were the fewest gained by a Steelers single-season leader since Don Shy in 1967. Benny Snell got the starts in Conner’s absence, yet remained on the bench whenever Conner suited up late in the season.

Conner is entering the final year of his contract, which the Steelers should let play out while they search for a long-term replacement.

At wide receiver, the Steelers learned it would take some time to adequately replace Brown. It didn’t help that Smith-Schuster missed four games and had just four catches for 28 yards after sustaining a concussion and injuring his knee in Week 11 at Cleveland. After catching 111 passes for 1,426 yards in 2018, he set career lows in almost every receiving category.

Rookie Diontae Johnson, who had a team-high 59 catches, and second-year receiver James Washington, who had a team-high 735 receiving yards, made strides, but the Steelers lacked a dependable veteran leader. If they pursue such an option in free agency, it would behoove them to sign someone who actually holds onto the ball, unlike Donte Moncrief.

Financial decisions exist at tight end and on the offensive line. The Steelers must decide whether they can afford a $7.127 million salary cap hit for tight end Vance McDonald, who had just 38 catches for 273 yards. They could save $5.6 million by moving on from him. Backup Nick Vannett will be a free agent, so the Steelers could be without both veterans next year.

Given the age of the starting linemen – Matt Feiler will be the only one younger than 30 next season – the Steelers could make at least one move to get younger up front. Ramon Foster turns 34 next week, and the Steelers will save $4 million by releasing the 11-year veteran, who has one year left on his contract.

Feiler has experience at guard, and he could be switched from tackle to take Foster’s spot. That would put Zach Banner and Chuks Okorafor in position to compete for the right tackle job. The Steelers also could lose backup interior lineman B.J. Finney to free agency, so replenishing depth on the line could be a priority in the draft.

Changes are needed after the Steelers allowed 24 sacks in the second half of the season — they permitted just eight in the first half. And this was after an emphasis on running the ball took place following Roethlisberger’s injury.

For most teams, the start of free agency in March and the NFL Draft in April are the most important dates on the offseason calendar. For the Steelers, also include the February date in which Roethlisberger has his next medical exam. That could determine when he’s able to begin a throwing program and whether he might be healthy by training camp and the regular season.

Roethlisberger’s return, if it goes smoothly, will go a long way toward getting the offense back on track. But it’s not the only factor, and the Steelers would be wise to remember than when constructing the 2020 roster.

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