Pittsburgh’s quarterback position has been one of the hottest topics of discussion during the off-season. Starter and two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger was dealing with rape accusations and recently had his league-induced suspension reduced from six to four games. In the meantime, backup Byron Leftwich hurt his knee, taking himself out of the running to start the first few games in Big Ben’s absence. That left second year QB Dennis Dixon from Oregon and veteran Charlie Batch as the remaining options.
Head coach Mike Tomlin announced over the weekend that Dennis Dixon would be the team’s starter and added that it’s not a 100% guarantee that Roethlisberger gets his starting job back. Tomlin wasn’t knocking Roethlisberger as much as he was allowing for the possibility that Dixon plays lights out and becomes the top quarterback on the team. In the case that happens, he could remain the starter even when Roethlisberger returns. Now that we know Tomlin is equal opportunity, let’s examine this one: is it possible for Dixon to become the best quarterback on the team?
While I feel like Dennis Dixon gives Pittsburgh a much better chance to win than Byron Leftwich, I highly doubt that he he’ll turn out to be better than Roethlisberger, at least this year. Dixon’s specialty is his speed and athleticism. With Pittsburgh’s brutal offensive line, Dixon can scramble and make plays happen. Leftwich does not offer that option, but Big Ben is brilliant at escaping sacks and making plays. At this point, Roethlisberger is also a superior passer than Dixon, giving him a huge edge.
It’s widely acknowledged that the Steelers would love to rid themselves of Roethlisberger for the embarrassment he’s caused the team, but they would not be jumping to trade him if he’s the best quarterback on the team. Dixon has a chance to show what he can do over the first month of the season but the team won’t have much patience if he does not play well in the first two weeks. Tomlin was allowing for a Tom Brady/Drew Bledsoe possibility when he said Big Ben’s starting job is not guaranteed, but I would not worry much if I were Big Ben. This will be his gig when he returns October 17th against Cleveland.
