Mike Wells, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Colts can't afford to let Ben Roethlisberger go when they get to him

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has proven over and over again that it’s not an easy task to bring him down. He often finds a way to make a play under pressure or with a defender hanging on him.

But there is a quarterback who is even better than Luck at that. His name is Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Roethlisberger has completed 60 percent of his pass attempts when under duress this season. That percentage is second in the league only to Carson Palmer's 66.7 for Arizona.

Roethlisberger's size -- 6-foot-5, 241 pounds -- makes it tough for defenders to tackle him. What looks like a sack one moment all of a sudden is a big play for Roethlisberger and the offense because he eluded the defender to keep the play alive.

"I’ve been beat several times because of what he’s capable of doing," Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. "... Right when you think you have them sacked, they find a way to get away from you. It doesn’t matter who it is, whether it’s defensive linemen, a linebacker, secondary personnel. This guy, you’ve got to do a great job containing him and trying to keep him in the pocket as best you can. When you do come free (on the rush), if you’re lucky enough to come free and have a chance to get him down, you’ve got to be under control and you’ve got to wrap him up.

"He’s a hard guy to bring down, and when he breaks contain and he extends plays, that’s when they wreak a bunch of havoc on you. I’ve been burned in the past a ton by him and Santonio Holmes, and now it’s him to (Antonio) Brown when that happens or somebody else. So he’s as good as there is at extending plays."

Roethlisberger’s desire to hold onto to the ball does lead to him being sacked often. He’s been sacked 20 times this season, which is second only to Detroit’s Matthew Stafford's 24. That is good for the Colts, because they have recorded 20 sacks during their current five-game winning streak.

So the message from Pagano and defensive coordinator Greg Manusky will be pretty clear for Sunday’s game: If you have shot at Roethlisberger, don’t let him get away.

"He’s a big-bodied guy," Manusky said. "He shuns off little guys, big guys. It doesn’t matter. He’s been in the pocket for a long time, doesn’t have the speed he once had, but he still does a great job feeling the rush, scrambling out and shucking people off. It’s amazing over the years he’s played. I think he’s been doing that not to just one, two, three guys. Every year he’s doing it."

Luck’s completion rate isn’t as good as Roethlisberger’s under duress, but he’s still been effective. The Colts’ quarterback is 19-of-43 for 275 yards when under pressure.

"He’s more mobile I think than people give him credit for," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said about Luck. "He’s strong. He keeps his eyes down field. I think all of that stuff works for him."

^ Back to Top ^