“We greatly appreciate the grants Mr. Roethlisberger has provided to us. They benefit not only our K9’s and their partners, but they also benefit our communities because the dogs are more readily available to help with calls for service,” — Sheriff Berry.

Meet Opie, a handsome and curious German shepherd from the Czech Republic, who will soon become one of the newest patrol and drug detection K9 members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office. Opie was acquired earlier this year after Ben and his foundation tossed a grant to the CCSO worth $8,000, as part of his longtime commitment to enhancing K9 units for police and fire departments throughout the country.



Opie joined the CCSO when he was 16-months old and has been with his human partner, PFC Steven Davis – a 12-year-veteran – ever since. They are currently in K9 patrol training for 16 weeks and will continue with narcotics detection school for another 10 weeks. Upon graduation, they will become a vital part of patrol operations. “Opie will be able to help officers track missing or wanted persons, search for evidence, and conduct other essential patrol duties,” said Sheriff Troy D. Berry.

As far as Opie’s personality, his handler says Opie is focused while training, loves rewards for doing a good job, and is completely lovable when he’s not working. “Opie is really good at obedience, mostly because he loves to play fetch after we’re done training.

When I bring him home after work, he loves to play with my children and our other dogs,” said PFC Davis. “In fact, Opie and my daughter have a special bond she formed on her own. She likes to greet Opie with a very high-pitched, sweet voice whenever she says hello to him, and Opie tilts his head whenever he hears her voice as if he’s paying full attention. She doesn’t use that voice with our other dogs.”

With the grant, the agency was also able to purchase other necessities for all of the K9’s to include heated water buckets; large, durable Kong toys used as rewards for the K9’s; and two transport kennels.

Mr. William Cotton, Lead K9 Trainer for the CCSO, said the K9 Unit currently […]

From Ben’s Q&A with the media this afternoon:

Ben Roethlisberger didn’t practice on Wednesday as the Steelers began their preparation for the Baltimore Ravens, but fear not, it wasn’t injury related and he will be good to go on Sunday when the two teams meet on Christmas at Heinz Field.

Sunday’s game will have a lot on the line, as a win would clinch the AFC North for the Steelers.

“You would like it not to have to come down to it, but if it is, who better than to play the Ravens at home on Christmas?” said Roethlisberger. “I’m assuming this is what the NFL wanted.”

The Ravens won the first meeting between the two teams, 21-14, on Nov. 6 in a game where they shut down the Steelers’ running game, allowing just 36 yards. Getting the running game going this time against the Ravens is something that will be a key.

“It helps. I mean, to be balanced, to be able to run, and they’re the No. 1 or No. 2 ranked defense against the run, it’s an awesome challenge for our guys,” said Roethlisberger. “I know linemen are going to take that challenge and Le’Veon (Bell) as well. It takes everybody. The wide receivers, they have to be better at blocking. Tight ends, everyone has to rise up to the challenge in order for us to run the ball effectively.”


More from Ben:

On if this feels like a classic Ravens-Steelers game and the talk of people saying the rivalry has fallen off a little bit:

“I don’t know who started that talk. I don’t think this thing, this rivalry, has lost any of its luster. It sounds crazy, but it’s a fun rivalry, because it is physical, and it always means something. I have a lot of respect for a lot of those guys, and I think the feeling is pretty mutual. Then, you add in Christmas and all these things. This is what everyone wants and expects.”


On why the Ravens have had success against the Steelers lately:

“Whether we haven’t played well enough, they’ve played good, missed plays here and there, communication, it seems like there’s always a little bit of everything that leads them to beat us.” […]

Five Steelers are Pro Bowl bound – including #7.



From Teresa Varley this evening at Steelers.com:

Christmas came early for a handful of Steelers’ players when they were selected to the 2017 Pro Bowl. Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger, David DeCastro and Maurkice Pouncey all will play for the AFC squad in the annual game. This is the 16th straight season the Steelers are sending multiple players to the Pro Bowl, and the 25th time in the last 28 seasons.

Like fine wine, Ben Roethlisberger keeps getting better with age. Roethlisberger, who is in his 13th season, has been selected to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time.

Roethlisberger has completed 304 passes for 3,540 yards, and with two games remaining could eclipse the 4,000-yard mark for the fifth time in his career. Roethlisberger, who missed the New England game with a knee injury, has thrown 26 touchdown passes, and has been sacked only 17 times.

Roethlisberger leads a Steelers’ offense that is ranked third overall in the AFC, second in passing, and seventh overall in the NFL, fifth in passing in the entire league.

“Ben has amazing talent, strong arm, strong guy, big in big games, clutch throws, makes something happen,” said Steelers’ Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw. “I have always admired him. I have the greatest respect for the job he has done and how he handles himself as a professional.”

Roethlisberger is tied for second in the AFC in pass completions of 25 yards or more (31) and is third in the conference in passing touchdowns (26). Roethlisberger keeps climbing the charts, currently 10th in NFL history with 298 touchdown passes, and passing yards at 46,535.


The Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, Jan. 29 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida and televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.

The game will return to the traditional AFC vs. NFC contest, with 44 players from each conference selected via voting from players, coaches, and fans.

As an added feature this year there will be a Pro Bowl Skills Showdown, led by Pro Bowl Legends Captains, which includes Steelers’ Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis. The skills competition will include dodgeball, power relay challenge, precision passing, and best hands, which will feature a quarterback and receiver duo from each […]

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

The Steelers came out of Cincinnati last week with a big 24-20 victory over the Bengals, but it’s not truly a Steelers-Bengals rivalry game without some Vontaze Burfict controversy, and that’s where things started on this week’s edition of “The #1 Cochran Ben Roethlisberger Show.”

At one point during Sunday’s game, Burfict threw Ben to the ground and the two exchanged words following a Burfict headbutt. Ben said Burfict didn’t really have anything to say to him, it was more what Ben said that stunned the Bengals linebacker.

“It’s nothing what you’d expect, it’s actually I talked to him, I don’t remember if he said anything to me,” Ben said. “I can share it because it’s my show…I said, ‘Hey, this is a great opportunity for me to tell you exactly what my wife wanted me to tell you if I got a chance. She wanted me to tell you that she’s praying for you.’ That’s what I told him, no joke.”

On a more serious note about Burfict, Ben said he has talked to other players about his antics and even they aren’t sure why he plays the way he does.

“I think they roll their eyes with some of the antics, truthfully,” he said.

Ben was even asked how much the Bengals’ coaches could do to stop the dirty play.

“I don’t know what he’s [Marvin Lewis] able and capable of doing. Maybe he’s tried, maybe he hasn’t, I don’t really know, I can’t speak for what they do over there…I know some of their players they just can’t stand it and I know if it was on our team, we’d have to have a talk,” Ben said.

Looking at what their offense was able to do against Burfict and the rest of the Bengals’ defense, Ben praised their AFC North counterparts, but admitted it was his own team’s resiliency that won them the game after settling for six Chris Boswell field goals.

“They’re a good defense,” Ben said. “For us, it was just about weathering the storm, being patient. We got our points when we needed them, we had some penalties, obviously a touchdown taken back, we had some penalties that knocked us out of that redzone fringe, so we just kept with it and […]

“Roethlisberger’s late heroics knock Bengals out of playoffs”


Post-game recap from the Sports Xchange:

Ben Roethlisberger passed for 286 yards including a 24-yard touchdown pass to Eli Rogers with seven minutes remaining as the Pittsburgh Steelers rallied for a 24-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium.

Chris Boswell kicked a career-best six field goals for the Steelers (9-5) to tie a team record, and set up next week’s AFC North showdown with the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field.

Sunday’s game was the first between the teams at Paul Brown Stadium since last year’s AFC Wild Card game when unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on linebacker Vontaze Burfict and corner Adam Jones helped set up the game-winning field goal in a stunning Pittsburgh win.

“Those weren’t just chip shots. Those were some bombs that he made into the wind. And how about that tackle he made? He deserves the game ball, got it. “— Ben, on Chris Boswell’s performance today.

Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell suffered a torn MCL in November 2015 on a hit by Burfict but reportedly had made amends. Bell rushed for 93 yards on Sunday.

Cincinnati (5-7-1) gained only 38 yards in the second half after leading 20-9 at halftime. The loss eliminated the Bengals from playoff contention.

Bengals kicker Randy Bullock, a former Steeler who was acquired after veteran Mike Nugent was released, capped a 70-yard opening drive with a 23-yard field goal to put Cincinnati ahead 3-0. A key play on the drive was a 15-yard facemask penalty on defensive end Stephon Tuitt on quarterback Andy Dalton.

A 44-yard kickoff return by Sammie Coates set up Boswell’s 45-yard field goal to tie the score 3-3.

“A lot of satisfaction. It’s an AFC North road win against a good team. A tale of two halves.” — Ben, when asked about the satisfaction level of getting the win today.

A pass interference penalty on cornerback Artie Burns in the end zone gave Cincinnati first-and-goal at the 1. After having three runs stuffed at the line of scrimmage, Dalton scored on a fourth-down sneak to give the Bengals a 10-3 lead.

Dalton was 16 of 27 for 157 yards and an interception on Sunday.

Cincinnati ran 21 plays in the first quarter to Pittsburgh’s six.