The Pittsburgh Steelers were a big-play machine during the Killer B's era. Ben Roethlisberger developed the reputation of a guy that had no fear of throwing the ball down the field to anyone, as well as a guy that could improvise and call his own game. That level of football IQ and fearlessness helped lead the Steelers to be the best offense in the NFL for many years. All of that was a big reason as to why the Steelers made it a priority to keep him as their quarterback until the wheels fell off.
During an interview, Joshua Dobbs talked about everything he learned when he was Roethlisberger's backup in Pittsburgh, including the difference between the Steelers and the Tennessee Volunteers. He also went into detail about Roethlisberger's mindset during games, and how he would get these big plays that resulted in touchdowns.
"Was always hunting one look to call a certain play, all game. Second he gets it, he calls it, and it's a touchdown, and it was very impressive to see. Being able to learn that from him like 'Okay, you have plays being called, you're trying to maximize those plays, but also, in the back of your head, what is one look that you might get from them that you might only see it one time, but you know this one play will be a huge play in the game, and you can take advantage of that look. How can you always have your eyes peeled to be able to maximize that look?'"
Every team in the league studies film in an attempt to crack the code that their opponents have. Roethlisberger was smart enough to find these weaknesses, even if they only popped up once per game. From there, when those weak defensive looks did pop up, Roethlisberger had no problem with ignoring his offensive coordinator and dialing up a pass that could swing the whole game in the Steelers' favor.
Not only did Dobbs learn from Roethlisberger in that aspect, but he even helped him out with finding those holes in the defense and exploiting them. Despite being a player, Dobbs effectively became another quarterback coach, and Roethlisberger has credited him with showing him some of those free big plays before.
Steelers Helped Dobbs Develop Into A Starter
While Dobbs never started a game for the Steelers, he was thrusted into the starting role by two different teams in 2023. The Arizona Cardinals traded for Dobbs shortly before Week 1 to be their starter. While the Cardinals did struggle, Dobbs performed admirably, considering the fact that the Cardinals were an overall weak team.
At the trade deadline, the Cardinals shipped him off to the Minnesota Vikings, where he took over for an injured Jaren Hall in their first game without Kirk Cousins. In that game, he went 20/30 with 158 yards and two touchdowns in a comeback win. He eventually regressed to the mean, but the Vikings were in playoff contention in the first place due to Dobbs' efforts.
Dobbs has not had the greatest NFL career, but he has proven to at least be a serviceable quarterback in a pinch. Even if he does not get another chance to start, teams will still appreciate his coaching-like ability to find holes in the defense while standing on the sidelines, and he can thank the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger for that.
