3rd and 2 at 15 yd line guys........remember this play if we end up losing this game. Please bring this play up Beach on the All-22. This is PRECISELY what Beach notes almost every week with regard to Ben. Again......this is 3rd and short. All the momentum and a chance to go up by 4 late in the game on the road. Forget the fact that Bell dropped a crossing route on 1st down for a possible score. On third down you keep possession and move the sticks. On the play Schuster IMMEDIATELY breaks free and is WIDE OPEN on a crossing route, its as easy a pitch as you get to keep possession and he likely runs for another 5-7 yards. James runs a 10 yard dig and is sitting at the 5 yard line WIDE OPEN with the nearest guy 3 yards to his left. Does Ben take what's given to him on a crucial down/possession at a critical point in the game?.......no. He tries to thread a deep slant to Bryant for a td. WHYYYY?? Just take the easy yards and line up for a new set of downs, likely 1st and goal. Gives you another down/two to BEAT ON THEM for the run game too. Decisions like this in which he can't grasp the situation at hand and how important it is to keep possession and make finishing drives easier and take control of a game makes me wonder if we'll ever get another title with him at QB. You just shouldn't be making decisions like this at this point in your career, and with the weapons/talent he has around him. I think just about every QB and OC in the league would trade their offensive personnel with Pitt with exception to one position for a few clubs...............the most important one taking snaps every down. So frustrating.
And YET AGAIN Ben..............3rd and 6 at midfield on what would be a potential game winning drive. Has Bell at sticks for first down........nope. Has James in middle of the field WIDE OPEN uncovered for at least a first down..........NOPE. Tries to float it to AB between the safety and corner. Incomplete.......3 and out........ball back to them and now CHICAGO has a chance to steal one. Simply unreal how he won't take what's right in front of him. The fact that casual observers can see it in real time has to be INFURIATING to Haley and company. Especially after Ben CHECKED OUT OF TWO CONSECUTIVE PLAYS. If you're going to do that Ben, you BETTER see something, know you have the matchup you want, and convert.