Received an awesome email this evening to share with the Steelers & Steeler Nation –

Erin,

Please find attached a picture of the USS PITTSBURGH SSN-720 Crew, over in Crete, holding 100 terrible towels and rooting for the Steelers. The submarine veterans of the Requin Base, here in Pittsburgh, sent them the towels.

PRIDE RUNS DEEP:

Huey Dietrich – Commander, Requin Base

“We are about halfway through our deployment and things are great here! We got an unexpected trip to Souda Bay in Crete and had an opportunity to take a picture with the towels.”

LCDR David Nichols
Executive Officer
USS PITTSBURGH (SSN 720)

*Thank you so much Commander Dietrich and the brave crew of the USS Pittsburgh SS-720 (and LCDR Nichols, the pictures turned out just fine!!).


You can see larger versions of the photos here.

“Shoot, you get a chance to play in the AFC Championship Game, it’s always gratifying, no matter who you are playing. Like I said, it’s an awesome challenge that we get to go play [the Patriots], kind of ‘the team’ to beat.” — Ben.

Recap from Teresa Varley, at Steelers.com:

Ben Roethlisberger remembers his rookie year in 2004, when cornerback Chad Scott spoke to the players about how special it is to play in an AFC Championship Game. He told them it’s not easy to get there, and it’s something you have to appreciate.

Roethlisberger said he took it in, but after playing in the game in 2004, and then winning Super Bowl XL in 2005, thought maybe it isn’t that hard.

But after not being to the Super Bowl since the 2010 season, and not winning one since the 2008 season, Roethlisberger knows it’s not an easy thing and he is now sharing that with the team’s younger players.

“Chad Scott got up and spoke to the team, said just don’t take this for granted, how hard it is to get there, and those kind of things,” said Roethlisberger during the Steelers’ AFC Championship Game press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Wednesday. “You hear it and the next year you go and win a Super Bowl and you think, maybe it’s not as hard as he talked about.

‘This moment’ that Roethlisberger refers to is Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. It will be the third time that the Steelers have played the Patriots in the championship game, and the second time it will be Ben Roethlisberger vs. Tom Brady in the AFC’s biggest game of the year.

While it’s a selling point for many, Roethlisberger knows it’s about more than the two quarterbacks.

“I think it’s two old guys playing this game for a long time,” said Roethlisberger. “That is what a lot of the talk is. He deserves all the credit that he gets. It’s bigger than the two of us. I know he is used to it.

“This is two football teams that have won championships that are going against each other. It’s more than just one man. We aren’t playing tennis. We are going out to play a football game with […]

From SPC Shane Luba:

“We are an Army National Guard unit out of Pennsylvania deployed overseas. We are all huge Pittsburgh fans no matter what sport. We all bleed black and gold, and are really excited to see another Pittsburgh team battling for the Championship. We got to watch the Pens win the Stanley Cup, and now it’s the Steelers turn. I know we are all excited to get back home to our families and friends, and of course go to every home game we can next season. But, before we can do that we have to celebrate another Steelers Super Bowl win this year away from home! Good luck to Big Ben and the team!”

In the photo left to right: SPC Shane Luba, SPC Allen Hamlin, in the back in CPL Wesley Kronk, and SPC Chris Lang.


Gentlemen, thank you for sending this great photo!! Stay safe and thank you for keeping us safe!

From Ben’s radio show this morning on 93.7 The Fan:

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Chiefs last week 18-16 to advance to the AFC Championship game, but it was a postgame locker room video shot by Antonio Brown that has grabbed the headlines.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger joined The Cook and Poni Show for his weekly spot on the #1 Cochran Ben Roethlisberger Show and shared with the guys his thoughts on Brown doing a Facebook Live video of the post game message from head coach Mike Tomlin.

“It’s an unfortunate situation that we’ve got to deal with right now,” Ben told us. “That’s a sacred place where things are said and hugs and tears, and it’s kind of a special place. So a little disappointed with AB for that. Coach talks and then I talk, and you just don’t want everyone to know what’s going on in there with the family. And also, I wish AB would have been listening to Coach and myself instead of being on the other side of the locker room filming.”

Ben went on to say that he’ll talk to Brown, but it won’t be a big deal.

“I’ll talk to AB, but like I said, it’s not like it needs to be addressed in front of the team by me or anything, that’s coach’s job. He’s the boss, he’ll address it however he feels appropriate. It’ll be water under the bridge here for me right now as soon as we’re done talking about it.”

Looking at what took place on the field last week, Ben talked about his 20 of 31 performance for 224 yards and no touchdowns and how he thought the offense performance as a unit.

“I thought we did a really good job,” Ben said. “I thought we moved the ball, we converted third downs, we ran the ball well, we threw the ball well, we executed the no-huddle in one of the loudest, if not the loudest, environments against a great defense and a great pass rush. I thought we did a really good job doing all those things. Obviously we got in the red zone and they really buckled down.”

Now looking ahead to next week in the AFC Championship game, Ben discussed what it’s like facing […]

“We called a play to get some crossing stuff, and they did a good job getting me out of the pocket, so was just kinda trying to keep the play alive. I knew AB was coming across the field, and I think it was Houston that dropped underneath him and AB went behind him. Really, it was about letting him clear and just putting the ball on him and just let him make the play. I’m sure that play won’t make SportsCenter or make all of the highlights, but talk to the guys in that locker room and that was probably one of the biggest plays of the game.” — Ben, on the play to end the game.

From Jeremy Fowler, ESPN.com:

Ben Roethlisberger seemingly disappeared in the Arrowhead fog as he rolled to his right with two Chiefs defenders surging. His favorite target, Antonio Brown, burst from the left side of the formation into a juke-filled crossing route, and into the Kansas City night.

Big Ben. On the run. Strike. Ballgame. 18-16 Steelers.

The throw on third-and-4 with 2 minutes left, the Kansas City Chiefs out of timeouts, sealed the AFC divisional playoff but also stayed true to the Steelers’ entire evening, or the last two months.

They took blow after blow but never broke.

“This team is strong,” said center Maurkice Pouncey of the Steelers, winners of nine straight.

The Steelers were practically allergic to touchdowns Sunday, powered by Chris Boswell’s leg in an MVP performance for kickers. His six field goals set a postseason record.

The Chiefs kept coming in the fourth quarter, driving 75 yards for a touchdown over more than seven minutes of game clock.

Then the defense stood up like it had all game.

With the Chiefs lined up for a two-point conversion to tie the game, the Steelers showed a resolve that drove them the past two months. James Harrison, doing the unthinkable at age 38 with a sack and many other pressures Sunday, beat Eric Fisher off the edge once again, drawing a holding penalty to negate a two-point score. Then, safety Sean Davis — the culprit on a helmet shot on receiver Chris Conley to keep a tired Steelers defense on the field — soared over the middle of the field to knock down an Alex Smith pass in the […]

NFL STATEMENT –

Due to public safety concerns in light of the forecasted storm this weekend in the Kansas City area, Sunday’s Steelers-Chiefs Divisional Playoff game on NBC has been moved to 8:20 p.m. ET.

Moving the game from the original 1:05 p.m. ET start time will provide local authorities more time to clear roads in the area as the weather is expected to improve throughout Sunday.

The decision to make this time change was made in consultation with state and local officials as well as the Chiefs and the Steelers.

From the Steelers:

The NFL issued the above statement regarding kickoff time for the Steelers-Chiefs Divisional Round Game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 15. The time has been changed by the NFL from 1:05 p.m. ET to 8:20 p.m. ET because of dangerous conditions that are expected due to Winter Storm Jupiter.

The game will still be televised on NBC (WPXI, Channel 11 locally).

The storm is expected to cut through the Midwest, bringing ice to the Kansas City area.

This will be the Steelers fourth time playing in primetime this year, the three previous ones victories (Washington, Kansas City and Indianapolis).

This isn’t the first time that weather has had an impact on the Steelers.

In 2004, Ben Roethlisberger’s first NFL start was delayed after a 1 p.m. kickoff against the Miami Dolphins was changed to 8:30 p.m. because of Hurricane Jeanne.

While the hurricane moved out by game time, the bad weather didn’t as a tropical depression brought rain, wind, and muddy conditions to Pro Player Stadium.

The Steelers won the game 13-3, and survived not just the Dolphins, but also Mother Nature.

The Steelers had to adapt their travel plans because of Superstorm Sandy in 2012 in advance of their game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. After the New York/New Jersey area was devastated by the storm, the Steelers changed their travel plans, arriving the day of the game as opposed to the normal day before, for the 4:25 p.m. kickoff. The Steelers won the game, 24-20.