I like a lot of what Pro Football Focus does when it comes to their advanced football statistics but sometimes their posts on Twitter need a lot more context. Such is the case with a recent tweet about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger not being afraid to throw extremely long last season on third downs when 10 or fewer yards were needed.
On 3rd and 10 or fewer yards to go, Big Ben and the Steelers weren't afraid to go long! pic.twitter.com/zTVI4P6n3q
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) June 12, 2018
Like PFF, we chart each and every Steelers game on a weekly basis and according to our data from 2017, Roethlisberger indeed attempted 18 passes that flew at least 20 yards in the air past the original line of scrimmage on third downs that included 10 or fewer yards being needed.