Time to show Landry Jones the door. Josh Dobbs is scintillating, and Mason Rudolph has great promise. But, another year with Landry?



… an annual lament

Steeler fans who watched Josh Dobbs in the preseason finale had to be impressed, even if he was playing against the Carolina scrubs for most of the game. Dobbs completed 8-of-12 passes for 151 yards and a TD, but also showed that he can do something that none of the other QBs can.

As columnist Kevin Gorham wrote this morning on the TribLive websote, “… but what separates him from Ben Roethlisberger, Landry Jones and Mason Rudolph is the ability to use his legs … The Steelers have to decide whether they are willing to part with a quarterback who brings a dangerous dimension the others don’t.”

That is true, but the real decision has to do with the future. Do the Steelers want to continue wasting time on a QB like Landry Jones who has thrown almost as many interceptions in four years (7) as he has touchdowns (8), as person with an 86 QB rating?

Or do they want to cast their lot with two young QBs who have demonstrated tremendous potential, rookie Mason Rudolph and Dobbs?

Backup QBs matter

Just ask the Philadelphia Eagles about the value of a backup. Nick Foles was relegated to the sidelines by franchise QB Carson Wentz, but cmae off the bench to lead the team to a Super Bowl. 

Or take the example of the New Orleans Saints, who have a 39-year-old AB in Drew Brees, who will become the leading passer of all time this season. They traded for Teddy Bridgewater for the same reason that the Steelers should be wary of their situation. 

Age factor

The truth is that QB Ben Roethlisberger is on his last legs, literally. He cannot move well any longer, and he has never been in great physical condition. Now in his late 30s, he does not have the resilience of a Tom Brady or Drew Brees. He may want to play longer, but the Steelers are one injury from a horrible season.

Rudolph and Dobbs have tremendous potential despite their youth, but it is likely that they will cut Dobbs, even though his teammates were standing up for him after last night’s game.

Landry Jones was a project of former OC Todd Haley, now with the Browns and tutoring their number one overall pick, Baker Mayfield. His time with Jones was wasted, and while Roethlisberger’s were better with Haley than with all previous coordinators, he was shown the door.

Steelers and personnel

The Steelers have made some strange personnel decisions over the past few years, and their defense is still going to be their downfall. Were they to add an injury to Roethlisberger, things could be worse.

I would feel much better with the two young QBs at the helm than Jones, but that is not likely to happen — unfortunately.

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