If you ever wondered why the Pittsburgh Steelers, circa 2004 to 2006, would run the ball on a 2nd and long, the plays that might frustrate a fan to no end, you might have an answer.
Tucked away in a long and great conversation between former Steelers’ head coach Bill Cowher and the Pat McAfee Show Thursday was this nugget about Cowher’s play calling choices when young QB Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t having his best day.
“Sometimes, I’d sit there and if Ben was making bad decisions, my answer to that was, I’m just gonna call running plays,” Cowher told the show. “I’m not gonna give you a chance to throw. Earn the right. Show me I can trust you again. Can I trust you?”
Those early days with Roethlisberger featured run-centric teams that played great defense. Cowher’s conversation and advice to the present-day Steelers revolved around his old-school mentality. Run the ball. Use playaction. Play great defense. And punts are okay.
As a rookie appearing in 14 games, Roethlisberger threw the ball just 295 times in 2004. As a sophomore who played in 12, he averaged just about the same number of attempts per game. Pittsburgh was a run-heavy outlet, ranking first in rushing attempts both years while also finishing last in pass attempts both seasons. Cowher was flexible and willing to change the model when needed, the Steelers came out throwing in the AFC Title Game win over the Denver Broncos, but if things weren’t going well, running the ball was his solution.
It wasn’t until Cowher’s final season coaching, 2006, that the passing game began to open up. Roethlisberger threw the ball nearly 500 times that year, in part due to the team’s struggles that saw them playing from behind instead of ahead.
Whether it’s 2004 or 2023, running the ball continues to be required for the Steelers to have success. Their ground game was faltered the last two games, leading to losses against the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. It put more stress on Mitch Trubisky, who couldn’t protect the ball well enough to win. This week against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers will need to run the ball not just if Mason Rudolph struggles but as a integral part to winning the game, regardless of quarterback play.
