NFL execs don't believe Roethlisberger has regressed

Ben Roethlisberger has looked a shell of his former self over the first five games of the season, culminating in a humiliating five-interception performance in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

However, according to personnel executives from four teams the Pittsburgh Steelers have faced this season, the veteran pivot's game hasn't slipped significantly.

"Maybe a little bit of foot speed (is gone) - in the past, he was a really good scrambler. But not anything skill-wise," one exec told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. "He's still accurate."

Another exec said "guys are fishing" if they're arguing Roethlisberger is done after a five-game sample, while another maintained the gunslinger looks the same on tape.

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A fourth exec admitted Roethlisberger may be experiencing a decline in his accuracy, but argued his backyard football style is more vulnerable to streaks of bad play.

While the executives still see Roethlisberger as the same guy, the stats suggest otherwise.

The 35-year-old's 75.8 passer rating would be his worst full-season mark since 2006, and is nearly a full 20 points lower than his 2016 campaign.

His 16th-ranked QBR rating of 50.2 paints a slightly rosier picture, but is still worse than his 11th-place finish in 2016 (60.5) and a far cry from his second-place finish in 2015 (72.8).

It might get worse before it can get better for Roethlisberger and the Steelers, with the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs upcoming in Week 6.