“That’s a tough kid. I don’t know if he gets enough credit for all the things that he does. Runs when he has to, stands in the pocket, gives his receivers time, makes throws under pressure, people hanging on him, consistently the target every defense tries to attack. … He doesn’t give you many chances [for interceptions]. He uses the tight ends, the backs as well as the receivers. He’s got a lot of options. Makes a lot of good decisions on getting the ball to who has the best opportunity in space in coverage or the best matchup.” — Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

From Jeremy Fowler, ESPN.com:

Very few humans can shuffle frantically to the left to avoid a sack and rip a fastball 45 yards between two Los Angeles Chargers defenders for an Antonio Brown touchdown the way Ben Roethlisberger did in Week 13.

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner had that play fresh in his mind as he described the eye-popping — and sometimes head-scratching — duality of Roethlisberger’s confidence as a thrower.

“Sometimes you want to say, ‘Where did that come from?. And then other times you’re like, ‘Where did that come from?’ I mean, it’s just a matter of how you say it.” — Randy Fichtner.

As the Steelers try to strengthen their playoff hopes with a win over the New England Patriots on Sunday, they will place the football in the hands of a quarterback who wins, dazzles and throws interceptions like few others.

In a new era of NFL passers that features human rifles (Patrick Mahomes), RPO wizards (Deshaun Watson) and other 7-on-7 disciples, Roethlisberger might be the last true extension of Brett Favre, whose penchant for picks and big plays embodied the throwback “gunslinger” mantra.

“I’m a quarterback that is going to go out and sling it. You talk about gunslinger or whatever you want to talk about. I’m not going to worry about interceptions. I hate doing them. They bother me. But I’m going to go out and play my game and try to help us win football games.” — Roethlisberger, on his weekly radio show in November.

Two different coaches interviewed for this story brought up the Favre comparison unprompted. One’s a Hall of Famer, the other will surely become one after retirement.

Roethlisberger ranks top five in […]

Recap from the Steelers’ Teresa Varley:

After losing the last three games, the Steelers still hold on to first place in the AFC North at 7-5-1, with Baltimore breathing down their necks with a 7-6 record. Winning out is key, and it all begins this week against the Patriots at Heinz Field.

“It’s always a big game,” said Ben Roethlisberger. “They’re the best for a reason and everyone wants to go after them. They are fun, they are physical, a big challenge for us. It hasn’t been a big challenge for them, but for us it has been.”

The Patriots have won the last five meetings against the Steelers, and nine of the last 12 since Roethlisberger was drafted in 2004.

“The Patriots are one of the best teams for a reason. We are not the only team that has issues with them,” said Roethlisberger. “They’re that good. The past is the past, we can only focus on this week.”

The struggles of the last three weeks are something that Roethlisberger admits is frustrating, especially after riding a six-game win streak previously.

“It’s very frustrating. You want to win them all, but you understand you can’t,” said Roethlisberger. “We can only control this week. We have had opportunities. We just for whatever reason haven’t found a way to do it. I don’t think it’s from a lack of sense of urgency. It could be lack of execution, lack of one thing here or there. We understand what it takes to get it done. We just have to do it.

“We realize what’s at stake. Not panic. It’s not going to get any easier.”

The one thing he doesn’t want there to be any confusion over, is that frustration means there is any lack of confidence. Roethlisberger knows what the team is capable of. He said there is no lack of confidence. It’s just a matter now of going out and getting it done.

“I think it’s understanding what we need to do, facing adversity in the face and just getting ready for one of the biggest challenges we have had all year.”


You can watch Ben’s interview here.

You can read more from Ms. Varley here.

Recap provided by 93.7 The Fan:

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says he is still supports Chris Boswell as the kicker’s struggles continued Sunday in the team’s loss to the Oakland Raiders.

On the #1 Cochran Ben Roethlisberger Show Tuesday, Roethlisberger says Boswell was pretty down on himself after the game.

“I never heard anybody say anything negative to him, I never heard anybody yell make the (kick).”

Roethlisberger adds the Boswell needs to have the same confidence that he and the rest of the Steelers do.

“I just kind of put my hand on his back and said, ‘Hey, keep your head up. We’re going to need you at some point’ and hopefully he heard the words,” said Roethlisberger. “I haven’t lost confidence in him. I still think every time he lines up it’s going to go in. He needs to have that same confidence and I hope he does.”


You can listen to Ben’s full show here.

From Teresa Varley’s recap at Steelers.com:

The Steelers fought until the end, but this one slipped away from them, losing to the Raiders, 24-21.

Ben Roethlisberger missed much of the second half with a rib injury, but with the offense not moving the ball with Joshua Dobbs in there, he came back with 5:20 to play in the game. Roethlisberger hit Brown for 13 yards, Samuels for 13 and 23, and Smith-Schuster for 12. Smith-Schuster took it to the one-yard line, and then in traffic grabbed the one-yard touchdown, reclaiming the lead, 21-17, but the lead would be short lived as the Raiders came right back, regaining the lead, 24-21.

With 15 seconds to play Roethlisberger took over again, and a short completion to James Washington and lateral to JuJu Smith-Schuster, who took it 43 more yards to the Raiders 22-yard line, gave them a chance to tie it. Chris Boswell would have sent it into overtime, but he slipped on his 40-yard field goal attempt and the kick was no good, Boswell’s second miss of the day.

Roethlisberger, despite missing more than a quarter and a half, completed 25 of 29 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns.


You can read Ms. Varley’s full recap here.

You can watch & listen to Ben’s post-game interview here.

“We are honored to be the recipient of this grant. Our K-9 training facility will be improved tremendously with the help of this money, thus improving the training not only for our K-9 Unit, but the other units who routinely use our facility for training.” — Sergeant Kalani Souza, Modesto Police Department, CA.

Today, Ben announces the eighth grant award of the 2018 season from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund.

The Foundation will be distributing a grant to the Modesto Police Department, east of Oakland Alameda Coliseum where the Steelers will play the Raiders on December 9.

The Modesto Police Department will utilize the grant funds to update their K-9 training facility which is in need of some improvements, including agility equipment, secured housing for the K-9s, and general repair and maintenance.

During the 2018 NFL season, The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will be distributing grants to K-9 units of police and fire departments in the cities and surrounding communities of each regular season away game for the Steelers. The Foundation will also distribute several grants to the Pittsburgh area. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation invited police and fire departments across the country to submit proposals detailing their needs.

This marks the 12th season that Ben’s foundation has distributed grants to K-9 units. His mission is to support K-9 units of police and fire departments throughout the United States, with a particular emphasis on support for working dogs in Pittsburgh, PA.

The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation distributed more than $170,000 in grants to K-9 units around the country during the 2017 NFL season, including $82,000 in the Pittsburgh community. The Foundation has distributed in excess of $1.92 million since 2007.


If you’d like more information about the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation you can visit Ben’s Foundation page. For more in-depth information, please contact Jessica Duffaut at www.givingback.org.


Fans:

You can help support future K-9 grants by purchasing candy on Sarris Candies’ website, (www.SarrisCandiesFundraising.com), using a special purchase code (77-7777). Sarris will donate 25 percent of the purchase price to Ben’s foundation.