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Stephen A. Smith advises Pittsburgh Steelers to sign QB Cam Newton
The Pittsburgh Steelers came from behind in Week 1 and knocked off the Buffalo Bills with a great defensive showing. In Week 2 against the Las Vegas Raiders in their home-opener, the Steelers did what they do and fell apart. They face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3, but QB Ben Roethlisberger might not be on the field.
Ben Roethlisberger did not practice on Wednesday due to a pectoral injury, which could hamper a QB. He was limited in practice on Thursday, meaning the pectoral injury shouldn't be affected by his throwing motion. It will come down to Friday's practice to see if Roethlisberger starts Sunday or if Mason Rudolph steps in.
Steve A. Smith was asked on his ESPN show, First Take, whether or not the Pittsburgh Steelers should go sign Cam Newton with Ben Roethlisberger banged up. This was Smith's quick response.
"You go get Cam Newton right now."
Steven A. Smith went on to explain why he think so. Roethlisberger is not healthy and just outside the age of 40. Smith called him a statue in the pocket as he's stationary and can't move at all.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 1-1 with a trash offensive line and "desperate times call for desperate measures", according to Smith. He downplayed the backup situation consisting of Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins, calling it a dire situation for the team.
According to Stephen A. Smith, Cam Newton can move, run, and extend plays better than Rudolph or Haskins could for the offense. His colleague was quick to take on the opposition.
Dan Orlovsky's statement was that Cam Newton couldn't make the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense playoff-worthy. The offensive line is the glaring issue and it was mostly ignored when drafting the best RB in the draft.
Orlovsky's advice was to skip Cam Newton completely and see what Dwayne Haskins is capable of. He's a former first-round talent who had a rough time early in his career. However, he seems to have a better mindset and attitude knowing this is possibly his last chance to prove himself in the league.
The truth is that Cam Newton is not a long-term option for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The offensive line is the number one problem with the offense and no QB available to the Pittsburgh Steelers can overcome that. Defense is a lifeline, but injuries have taken a toll, with T.J. Watt, Devin Bush, Stephon Tuitt and Joe Haden all banged up.
As much as the fanbase and Stephen A. Smith don't want to hear it, 2021 could become a throw-away season sooner rather than later. The offensive scheme relies on a good OL and Roethlisberger is not as good as we had hoped he would be, partly due to the OL.
Stick with the in-house talent and see what you have because the Pittsburgh Steelers need a plan post-Roethlisberger anyway and they don't seem to have one in place yet. Give Haskins and Rudolph some reps in the regular season and evaluate for the future. Cam Newton won't be a savior for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
