Ben Roethlisberger raises his fist after a Issac Redman score that put the Pittsburgh Steelers up 27-10 - Roethlisberger has thrown for over 27,000 yards which leaves him 900 behind Bradshaw.

PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t sandbagging. At least, not intentionally.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback really did have concerns about how long it would take to develop the rapport necessary to execute Todd Haley’s gameplan without drawing the ire of his sometimes combustible new offensive coordinator.

Turns out, it took less than a month.

While the Steelers (1-2) are off to a sluggish start, the arranged marriage between Roethlisberger and Haley is blossoming. The quarterback ranks second in the NFL with a 109.2 rating and is tied for the league lead with eight touchdowns while completing 68 percent of his passes, five points above his career average.

So much for the concerns about whether Roethlisberger and Haley could co-exist. The two certainly look like they’re on the same page through the season’s first three weeks.

Whether he’s running things out of the no-huddle, firing off a quick hitter to one of the deepest receiving corps in the league or using his legs to extend plays long enough to make something happen, Roethlisberger looks like he’s been working with Haley six years, not six months.

“He’s made very good decisions,” Haley said. “When you see us in quick mode, when the ball is coming out on three-step timing, he’s been tremendous.”

Even if Roethlisberger’s been forced to holster a bit of his inner gunslinger. Defenses have challenged him to stay patient, taking away the deep stuff and making Roethlisberger settle for shorter passes instead of allowing him to let it fly.

Rather than trust his arm, Roethlisberger is trusting the system. The results have been spectacular.

“I think he’s playing as good as any quarterback in the league,” wide receiver Mike Wallace said.

One who isn’t afraid to just make things up as he goes. When Oakland went to press coverage on fourth down in the first quarter last Sunday, Roethlisberger used a hand signal held over from Bruce Arians’ tenure as offensive coordinator to communicate with Wallace about a specific route.

Wallace turned the play into a first down, one of two instances Roethlisberger went old school during a 34-31 loss. The quarterback raised some eyebrows after his 384-yard, four-touchdown performance by hinting he ditched Haley’s playbook in the second half.

Turns out, he didn’t, clarifying on Tuesday he talked to Haley afterward about the hand signals, which are now a permanent part of the offense.

“I know there’s some people out there that were saying that I’m resistant to Todd,” Roethlisberger said. “We went to Todd and it’s in the playbook now.”

Call it a show of the growing confidence Roethlisberger and Haley have in each other.