6 Things I Learned From Week 8 of the NFL Season

The Steelers Offense Can Be Really, Really Good

No one saw this coming. No one. You know how I know that? Because in order for someone to even remotely predict the day we saw from Ben Roethlisberger, they'd have to also know that stud corner Vontae Davis would leave the game early for the Colts.

This wasn't foreseeable. Entering the week, Indianapolis graded out as the best secondary in the league according to our metrics. They were allowing about 230 passing yards and a single touchdown pass to quarterbacks per game prior to the game in Pittsburgh. They were coming off a shutout - it doesn't matter who it was against.

Ben Roethlisberger posted a Passing NEP of 38.95 on Sunday. That's just silly.

For about a game and a half now, the Steelers offense has been playing like a top-10 unit. A lot of it has to do with a rotation of wide receivers outside of Antonio Brown, and the emergence of rookie wide receiver Martavis Bryant, giving the Steelers a vertical passing game.

But what was also vital to Roethlisberger's near-historic performance yesterday was that he actually had protection from his offensive line. The Colts sacked Big Ben zero times, something unimaginable in this Roethlisberger era. If you give any superstar quarterback some time, he's going to do damage.

What does this mean moving forward? Well, we know this team is capable offensively, but consistency needs to be there. They'll be tested in Week 9 against one of the best defenses in the league when the Ravens travel to the Steel City.