Coming out of Penn State and during his first few months in the NFL, quarterback Drew Allar drew plenty of comparisons to Ben Roethlisberger. Many of those centered around their size and athleticism. Big and strong pocket passers who fit the mold of classic quarterback.
That’s true but the comparison feels a little hollow. If there’s a clearer line between the two, it’s in their aggressive. Strong-armed quarterbacks who aren’t afraid to air it out. The moments where Allar reminded me closest to Roethlisberger were the ones where Allar saw single coverage and took vertical chances down the sideline no matter the situation.
Allar first showed it in training camp. Facing fourth and 5-ish yards in a two-minute drill, Mike McCarthy’s playcall was designed to target rookie running back Eli Heidenreich at the sticks. Instead, Allar saw one-on-one coverage down the sideline and threw a perfectly placed back shoulder pass to WR A.T. Perry. A risky play but one that paid off for a 30 yard gain.
Allar showed the same in the preseason. Take the finale against the Buffalo Bills. Twice on third down, 3rd and 4 and 3rd and 8, Allar passed up shorter routes near the sticks to throw deep against 1v1 coverage.
Both fell incomplete but the mentality was clear. No matter the moment, if there’s a chance for a big play, take it.
Roethlisberger was similar. Even on 3rd and 1, if he saw one-on-one coverage, he was throwing it up. Having Antonio Brown or some high-end skill player sure helped and Roethlisberger (like this 3rd and 5 completion to come back and beat the Ravens) had better targets than Allar’s attempts to Levi Wentz and Cornell Powell. The outcome is less important as the thought process.
It’s not critique or praise. It’s similarity in how the two played the game.
Quarterbacks always have to juggle the line between going for the big play and moving the sticks. There’s no simple answer and after the New York Jets game, McCarthy admitted Allar was too aggressive.
Still, it’s a big reason why McCarthy drafted Allar in the first place. Allar knows his strengths and how he wins. Since training camp, Allar’s made clear he’s not going to shrink to the moment with checkdowns and “safe” passes.