Glimpses of offensive dominance returned for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Sunday’s 27-22 win over the Baltimore Ravens, but Ben Roethlisberger thinks the standard must now be raised, not celebrated. The former Steelers quarterback, speaking on his Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast, opened up on Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf’s performance.

“That’s what you expected to see and what we expect to see every week,” he said. “But it can’t happen if they don’t throw him the ball and take the chances… Only Arthur Smith knows that, I mean, let’s be honest,” he said, after the host asked him if the display on Sunday was just a one-off.

“I need to see it again. And I want to see it continue and I want to see Adam Thielen get involved. I want to see Pat Freiermuth get involved more. Is Darnell Washington going to be back this week? There are a lot of questions, but get people like the more weapons you get involved. We got to see Calvin Austin take a deep shot.”

Roethlisberger made sure that a consistent offense would help the team flourish. Rodgers led the Steelers to a 4-2 start while completing 68.6 percent of his passes for 1,270 yards, 14 touchdowns. In a five-game run, he averaged 163.2 passing yards per start to go with an 83.5 passer rating.

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DK Metcalf, on the other hand, put up a season-high with 12 targets, 7 receptions, and 148 receiving yards. However, his health concerns brought a serious issue for the Steelers, and it is the biggest obstacle to the consistency that Big Ben demands.

He did not travel back with the team and stayed in Baltimore because of stomach pain. Although he did fly back to Pittsburgh, his availability is still in question. So, the implication was clear that Rodgers’ brilliance cannot single-handedly take Pittsburgh to its intended destination. They need to use all their weapons.

Roethlisberger further praised Rodgers’ command and the capability of the veteran to silence his critics. The 42-year-old opened the game with a 52-yard strike to DK Metcalf. It was his first successful deep completion of over 20 yards in more than a month.

Mike Tomlin, too, agreed with the notion, as he said: “I just think we were in an aggressive posture all day. That’s what’s required when you’re playing these guys in their venue.”

The Steelers are at the top of the division, and to stay there, they will need consistency.

Ben Roethlisberger on Isaiah Likely’s ruling

Roethlisberger also spoke to the highly contentious Isaiah Likely non-touchdown ruling.

“I think it’s a touchdown,” he said.

On Footbahlin, he broke down the play in textbook detail: “Here’s why. Three things have to happen. You have to possess the ball, you have to have two feet down, or a knee, a shin, whatever equals to two [feet], and then make a football move. He catches the ball; obviously, he has possession of doing it, there’s no doubt about that. He has two feet down, there’s no doubt about that.”

Ben Roethlisberger’s point is pretty simple once you break it down. To him, a catch becomes a touchdown when three things happen: the receiver clearly controls the ball, gets two feet (or an equivalent body part) down, and makes a “football move.”

In this case, Ben agrees that Likely didn’t make that third football move, but that’s where the end zone changes everything. He argues that once you’re already in the end zone, your mindset is different, and you’re not thinking about turning upfield or securing the ball for extra yards.

“Because it’s in the end zone, that third-like football move needs to be like really considered differently because when you’re in the end zone, you’re not going to necessarily make a big football move. You’ve already hit pay dirt. You don’t have to think about anything.”

However, in that play, Joey Porter Jr. forced the game-saving fumble before Likely could take a third step. It was the defensive unit that clinched the victory, but questions remained.

“Clear as mud,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of the league’s explanation to him on Monday.

Even after talking to the league office, he said, “It didn’t clear anything up. It didn’t make it any easier to understand either one of the two calls.”

Harbaugh also questioned the decision that wiped out a Ravens interception when a pass by Aaron Rodgers was deflected.