Ok after taking the week off while being too upset at the Pittsburgh Steelers loss to the Kansas City Chiefs to write about the game it is time to put that one behind us and get ready for the Ratbirds. The problem is that loss to the Chiefs is still lingering as news out of Pittsburgh is that Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered a concussion in the loss, won’t be playing this week. Add that to the loss of Charlie Batch with a broken wrist and the Steelers are down to third string quarterback Dennis Dixon.
Before we panic here in Steelers country though lets take a deep breath and remember that Dixon was a great college QB. He was on track to be the Heismen Trophy winner, leading his team to the national title and being a sure fire first round draft pick before blowing out his knee and finishing out the remainder of his collgate career on the bench.
Fast forward to week 12 of the 2009 NFL season and Dixon is now the man, the leader of the Steelers offense. With the news that Big Ben is a scratch, Dixon must now step in and help the Steelers get their season back on track. As coach Mike Tomlin would say, there are no back up players on the Steelers roster, only starters in waiting. To that comment I agree 100%. Dennis Dixon is not a back up, he is awaiting his chance to play. That chance is now and win or lose his being the starter is no excuss.
The Steelers will need some help from the defense and special teams though. This is Dixon’s first NFL start and he is playing one of the best defense’s in the league and the Baltimore Ravens will be looking to give him an education in blitzing. Dixon will see a ton of looks from the Ratbirs and they will try to confuse him. So the rest of the team will need to step up their game so he does not need to win the game on his own, just not lose it.
The running backs will need to follow Cedric Benson’s example and gain a 100+ yards. The wide recievers will need to get open quick, the game plan will need to be one that plays to Dixons strengths and the defense will need to keep the score low and the Steelers out front on the score board.
If the rest of the team plays their part then Dixon can concentrate on being a QB and allowing his instincts to lead his way. He won’t need to feel the entire game is on his back. The positive though, is the Ratbirds have been practicing for Roethlisberger all week, not the dynamic of a true running QB that Dixon adds to the mix.
The ideal game plan would be to run until the HB’s can’t run no more and limit Dixons pass attempt as much as possible. The reality is the Ratbirds are a great run stopping team and the Steelers usually do not run well against them. So Dixon will need to hit the pass attemps he is given and not make any mistakes to help his team win. Some quick hitting passes and rolling Dixon out could go a long way to slowing down the ravens pass rush as well.
In the end, win or lose though we must not blamn Dixon. He is a young QB who will get his feet wet versus one of the best defense’s in the league. The fact he is a very talented young QB ready to show everyone in the NFL what he can do will also be helpful. Dennis Dixon will need some help though and if the rest of the team plays well and the plays that Bruce Arians calls are in his favor, I fully expect him to play well.
About the Author Jim McMillen
The Editor & Chief, the brains so to say, behind Pittsburgh Blitz. Jim is a rabid sports fan who just loves his Stillers, Pens and Buccos. Feel free to contact us at steelerguy26[@]yahoo.com if you have any questions or comments or would like to join our staff and write for Pittsburgh Blitz.
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