The Pittsburgh Steelers have long been known for their powerful, beat-down running style, even when it may not be used in the most practical situations. Hall of Fame Head Coach Bill Cowher shed some light on why the Steelers called so many run plays, especially during the end of his career as a head coach. Cowher explained on The Pat McAfee Show that when a young Ben Roethlisberger made poor decisions, he decided to run the ball until Roethlisberger settled down again.
Roethlisberger came into the league as very raw talent in 2004, and Cowher was the perfect coach to shape him into the franchise quarterback he became. He earned the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2004, but like all young players, he had his ups and downs. Roethlisberger threw for 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his rookie year, leading the Steelers to a historic 15-1 record and a spot in the playoffs, where they ultimately lost to the rival New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
The very next year, Cowher and Roethlisberger led the sixth-seeded Steelers to a Super Bowl victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. Roethlisberger followed his impressive career start by throwing 23 interceptions in one season, marking his worst year in the black and gold. Even with such quick success, there was still a learning curve ahead for the young quarterback. Out of his 18 total seasons as a Steeler, Roethlisberger only had five seasons where he threw single-digit interceptions.
Cowher recognized that although Roethlisberger had the talent to become an elite quarterback in the NFL, he lacked the decision-making skills at times and would hurt the team in his naivete. Cowher was ready to teach the impressionable Roethlisberger valuable lessons and explained to McAfee that if he wasn't making good decisions and playing poorly, he would simply swap the game plan to run plays.
"Sometimes, I'd sit there, and if Ben [Roethlisberger] was making bad decisions, my answer to that was I'm just going to call running plays," Cowher explained. "I'm not gonna give you a chance to throw. Earn the right. Show me I can trust you again."
Cowher's old-school coaching hadn't failed him yet, so he wasn't going to change his ways for a rookie quarterback on his team. In his first five seasons, Roethlisberger never eclipsed 3,500 yards passing, with his first two seasons not even reaching the 3,000-yard mark. To add to Cowher's run-first offense was one of the best power backs in NFL history, Jerome Bettis. Having such a dominant running back makes the decision to run easy, especially when you have a young quarterback who still needs to learn the ways of the NFL.
In Cowher's final season as a head coach, Roethlisberger threw more interceptions than touchdowns (18 to 23), while only completing 59.7% of his passes. Cowher was much more comfortable in an old-school running offense, and it was apparent by the way Roethlisberger performed when the passing game was opened up under Cowher. However, Cowher greatly helped Roethlisberger by giving him tough love and all the tools for success in the future.
The Steelers' Modern Run-Pass Offense
In recent years, the Steelers have stuck with their roots, drafting power back Najee Harris in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. After Roethlisberger got injured in 2019 and retired in 2021, Pittsburgh was left in a transition period of quarterbacks, with names like Mason Rudolph, Mitch Trubisky, and Devlin Hodges all getting action before the Steelers selected Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Pickett has had a turbulent two years in Pittsburgh, leading the Steelers to an underwhelming 9-8 record.
Now in 2023, Pickett has battled many injuries including rib and ankle ailments, and remains out while Rudolph starts for Pittsburgh in the meantime. With more rocky quarterback action, Pittsburgh could head back to their old-school, run-heavy offense and lean on the tandem of Harris and Jaylen Warren to help them win games.
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