Class Dismissed
Footballguy
Nonsense......In the only game that season that The Steelers played a full game with a healthy Maddox, they threw the ball a total of 22 times. In the dramatic Big Ben engineered come from behind win against the Cowboys, they threw the ball 25 times.In 2002 The Steelers threw the ball because the defense couldn't stop the pass,I think the Steelers make the playoffs that year without Roth if and ONLY IF they change the game plan the way they did when Roth came in. Argue it all you want, the Steelers thought they were the 1999 Rams with Tommy Maddox back there. Once Maddox went down, they went back to smash mouth football with very little emphasis on the QB throwing the ball/winning games. The turn around of that team had very little to do with Roth and a lot to do with a great running game, great defense and a mistake free game plan for the QB.
Not taking a whole lot away from Roth, the kid can play but that season was really over rated in my opinion.
2003 was a complete disaster in which the defense couldn't stop the pass and the offense couldn't establish the run or pass.
2004 brought in the WHIS era, At the end of 2003 MikeMularkey was sent packing to Buffalo and he took his 38 passes in a blinding NYC Snow Storm, during a one score game, offensive philosophy with him.
Rothelisberger deseves enormous credit for being the rookie that kept that Steeler machinery humming.
That season could have easily been a complete disaster.