The Pittsburgh Steelers won with a dominant 23-9 scoreline over the Cleveland Browns, and yet, despite this massive divisional victory, not all Pittsburghers are pleased. Most notably, franchise icon Ben Roethlisberger. The retired quarterback turned Footbahlin podcast host wasn’t shy in assessing both the team’s offense and Aaron Rodgers’ performance.

Roethlisberger’s primary message was this: it is time to get tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith more involved in the offense. “I think we got to see some more guys get involved,” the former Steelers quarterback said.

“I think Pat should start to get more involved. You’re getting Jonnu the ball, but it’s almost like Arthur Smith and the Steelers offense is, they’re like, we have a bunch of weapons still. We’re just slowly letting him out of the bag…because I still think there’s got to be a big place in this offense for Pat…even Jonnu, I think there’s still a lot that can be used there.”

Pat Freiermuth’s underutilization has become a narrative for Pittsburgh’s offense. Once considered a reliable player and red-zone option, the 2021 second-round pick’s usage has decreased. Freiermuth had only one catch for a mere 11 yards. He’s been targeted just four times over the last three games.

Jonnu Smith played on 69% of offensive snaps against the Browns, a huge increase from the 25% share he had before the bye week. The tight end caught three of four targets for 18 yards while rushing once for 10 yards. It demonstrated that Arthur Smith’s playbook does have space for tight end creativity if utilized wisely.

Roethlisberger went on, highlighting the depth of the offense’s weapons available at the disposal of Pittsburgh. “It’ll be interesting to see how Arthur keeps using it and utilizing the different people on offense,” he explained.

Smith’s comeback may prove vital to the Steelers. Although lagging behind Darnell Washington’s 80% snap rate, his growing presence suggested the team has confidence that he can remain on the field during more important situations. Over his initial five games, Smith hauled in 17 of 20 targets for 89 yards and a score — work that emphasizes how dependable he is on short and intermediate routes.

Part of the problem, indirectly pointed out by Roethlisberger, is perhaps Aaron Rodgers’ style. Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Rodgers has been unable to consistently attack the middle of the field — Freiermuth’s sweet spot. The 41-year-old quarterback still prefers quick outs, screens, and deep verticals to intermediate crossers.

Smith, conversely, fits better into Rodgers’ rhythm. He’s explosive after the catch and lethal on short passes, and so he’s the perfect fit for Rodgers’ quick-trigger manner. The statistics have not yet burst open, but the coaching staff’s affection for Smith’s versatility is evident.

Aaron Rodgers’ blunder vs the Browns

Ben Roethlisberger’s breakdown of Aaron Rodgers’ game against the Cleveland Browns was just the right proportion of praise and real criticism. While Rodgers took the Steelers to a dominating 23-9 win, the four-time MVP’s one mistake didn’t exempt from Roethlisberger’s view. Big Ben said, “The only thing I saw from Aaron really that would not even cause for concern, but I was just like, ‘Oh, that’s unusual for Aaron.”’

He continued, ”How about that? I’ll say that for who he is. There’s a deep ball to DK down the left side that DK was behind the defender. Aaron threw it. You know, wasn’t like it was a crazy, but he underthrew a guy. I don’t know the last time I saw Aaron underthrow somebody.”

The potential touchdown came when the Steelers were leading by 9-3, they had a chance to increase that gap. However, the Rodgers throw came up short, making Metcalf slow down and ending what appeared to be a sure touchdown.

As Big Ben continued, “Am I concerned? No.” And they have good reason for that. Even after that underthrow, Rodgers soon atoned by passing to Metcalf on a clean 25-yard throw the next play and to Connor Heyward for a touchdown to seal the drive. Rodgers ended the game with 235 yards and two scores without taking a single sack on a day of relentless four-man pressure.

He actually posted higher overall efficiency, both in total EPA and EPA per dropback, than he did during his four-touchdown outing against the Jets in Week 1. Yet, despite the marked improvement, Rodgers continues to operate within an unusually tight framework, averaging a career-low 5.4 yards in target depth and a swift 2.54 seconds in time to throw.