What: Ben Roethlisberger suddenly is a struggling quarterback.
Background: It has been a rough year for Roethlisberger after he and the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl in February. Roethlisberger was nearly killed in a motorcycle accident in June, had emergency surgery on the eve of the season and has been awful on the field. The Steelers are 1-3 this season, 0-3 with Roethlisberger playing. He has been out of sync and totally ineffective.
Williamson’s take: It used to be that the Steelers couldn’t win without Big Ben. Now the defending Super Bowl champions can’t win with him. Roethlisberger has really struggled. Does this mean he isn’t a good quarterback? Of course not. The word on Roethlisberger has been he might not work hard enough. Now, Roethlisberger knows he needs to work. He needs to put more focus on his craft.
THE HOT SEAT
Romo in the wings
Who: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe
When: Today against visiting Houston
Why: The Cowboys aren’t going to put up with many more mistakes from Bledsoe, who made too many critical errors in a loss at Philadelphia last Sunday. If Bledsoe struggles against the weak Texans today, Dallas coach Bill Parcells – not the most patient man – could go with Tony Romo. There was speculation late in the preseason Romo would get the call, but Parcells stuck with the veteran. Bledsoe is running out of time. Dallas is a quality team and could go a long way, but not if Bledsoe makes dumb mistakes. He is one of the least mobile quarterbacks in the NFL and will be sacked often. The Cowboys might not live with Drew the Statue much longer.
ROOKIE WATCH
Huff not enough
Who: Oakland Raiders safety Michael Huff
When: Tonight at Invesco Field at Mile High against the Broncos
Why: Denver’s future might not appear as bright if the Raiders hadn’t drafted Huff. When Oakland was on the clock with the No. 7 pick April. 7, the consensus was the Raiders would attempt to solve their longtime issue at quarterback. Two projected franchise quarterbacks – Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt and Southern California star Matt Leinart – were available. It seemed like a no-brainer one of the two would go to Oakland, but the Raiders took Huff, a star at Texas. Leinart tumbled to No. 10 (to Arizona), and the Broncos traded up from No. 15 to take Cutler at No. 11. If Oakland had taken Leinart, Cutler probably would have gone to Arizona, keeping the Broncos from selecting a future quarterback. But Huff changed it all, and his selection likely will be questioned for some time. It has nothing to do with Huff. He’s decent now and will be solid. But is he better than a franchise quarterback?
