As the Pittsburgh Steelers gear up for a critical AFC North divisional matchup against Cincinnati, former franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has raised a stark concern about the team’s offensive capabilities. On the latest episode of “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger,” the two-time Super Bowl champion broke down why a high-scoring affair could push Pittsburgh past its breaking point.
While Roethlisberger remains confident in the Steelers' defensive core and ground game, he expressed serious reservations about whether the offense has the firepower to trade touchdowns with an explosive division rival led by Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins.
"If Cincy gets on a roll, I don't know that we can outscore," Roethlisberger admitted. "That's
going to be my concern going down the stretch in this game. If we run into a team that's got a that's an offensive like juggernaut and they're putting up points, can we keep up?"
Pittsburgh’s current offensive blueprint relies heavily on establishing the run with its dynamic backfield duo to dictate tempo and control the clock. However, Roethlisberger emphasized that a run-first strategy quickly becomes obsolete if the defense surrenders early points on the road.
"Right now our best offense is running the ball. Turn around, hand it to those two running backs," Roethlisberger explained. "That and hitting every once in awhile the tight end, do certain things like that. That is our best offense. Now, you can't run that offense when you're down by 14, 21 points. That’s gonna be key this week, for me."
For Pittsburgh to walk away with a win, Roethlisberger believes the game plan must revolve around controlling time of possession and keeping Cincinnati's explosive offense off the field. If the game devolves into an up-tempo shootout, the Steelers may find themselves playing outside their comfort zone.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Ben Roethlisberger warns Steelers face major scoring ceiling against Bengals
