Ben Roethlisberger was lights out when pressured vs. the Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense is legit. Anyone who suggests otherwise might not realize just how complete they are from top-to-bottom. The Jaguars defense doesn’t just rush the passer well, second in the NFL in sacks, but have a secondary which ball hawks with the best of them.

After the Steelers loss, and Ben Roethlisberger’s monster statistical day, 37/58, 469-yards, 5 touchdowns and 2 turnovers, Pro Football Focus released a statistic which surprised me. It showed Roethlisberger’s Pass Rating while under pressure vs. having a clean pocket to pass from.

Roethlisberger’s 120.6 vs. pressure was not just the best mark while under duress, but the highest passer rating of any quarterback, both with a clean pocket or under pressure.

While Roethlisberger’s passer rating when not facing pressure dipped to a 98.3, it still shows the kind of day he had for the Steelers when facing the vaunted Jacksonville defense. Roethlisberger was making plays in every possible way on Sunday. With his legs, and a wide array of ridiculous throws to Martavis Bryant, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown.

Despite the loss, there is no denying how Roethlisberger turned his season around in 2017. What started off as a rocky road, finished as Roethlisberger being one of the best quarterbacks in the league, right where he belongs. Roethlisberger said he plans on returning in 2018, and if he can pick up where he left off, the Steelers will be contenders once again.