Game 5: Jets 13, Steelers 31
“I’m so used to Ben just responding like that because it’s just Ben to me now. I don’t look at it like, ‘Oh wow, that’s amazing,’ because I am just so used to seeing it but he is just a special player. I wouldn’t want to play with any other quarterback. He is a guy who is always composed in the pocket. I will watch him, even when I am running my routes, and sometimes when he doesn’t throw me the ball I am just watching him throw it to somebody else and he just never seems rattled. I don’t know how you get that, playing in the pocket, when you have got big guys, 300 pounds, trying to take your head off, but he is so composed and always keeps his cool, and you got to respect him for that, and I am glad I play with him.” — Le’Veon Bell.
From Jeremy Fowler, ESPN.com:
These are the games championship-caliber teams usually win. Shrug off a few sluggish moments to put a bad team away.
And these are the games recent Pittsburgh Steelers teams might have randomly lost — just like two years ago, against this same New York Jets squad in MetLife Stadium.
At least through five games, the 2016 Steelers seem to have a resolve emblematic of the franchise’s history. Fresh off a 31-13 win against the Jets, that renewed attitude will only strengthen their case for a second AFC North title since 2011.
How the Steelers (4-1) responded late in the third quarter illustrates that point. After three flat drives, they came back with a nine-play, 80-yard affair that ended in a classic touchdown moment between Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger. From the 5-yard line, Brown runs a crossing route, sees traffic, then fades to an open spot in the middle of the field for Big Ben, who waits for his guy to find daylight.
Sunday wasn’t always a smooth ride. The Jets were desperate at 1-3. Their defense closed the door on deep plays after Sammie Coates’ dazzling 72-yard touchdown grab on the opening drive. Coates’ beautiful/painful experience continues with two touchdowns and three drops, including one in the end zone so head-scratching that coach Mike Tomlin calmed down his receiver from the sideline after the play.
With New York shutting […]
The 2016 Rock Steelers Style Fashion Show
Backstage….
And ON STAGE!!
You can see larger versions of these photos here.
You can see all the photos from last night here.
And check out these fun, candid shots from our favorite family doctor & photographer, Dr. Ronald Cypher:
“A quarterback and his center”
From Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
There is a relationship between a quarterback and his star receiver. There is a relationship between a quarterback and his top running back. Then, there’s a relationship between a quarterback and his offensive linemen, especially his center.
“I wouldn’t want to play with anyone else,” Ben Roethlisberger was saying of Maurkice Pouncey after Steelers practice Wednesday. “I feel so blessed to have him in my life, not just as a football player, but as a friend.”
“He’s my brother,” Pouncey said of Roethlisberger. “When he walks away from football, I’m walking away, too.”
Roethlisberger said he and Pouncey hit it off from day one after Pouncey joined the Steelers as their No. 1 draft pick in 2010. But he had no explanation for how they became so close.
“Sometimes in life, there are just people who are so special to you,” Roethlisberger said. “Heath Miller. … How about Jerricho Cotchery? He wasn’t here that long, yet we had something special between us. It’s the same way with Maurkice. We’ve never clashed. We’ve never butted heads. Even when we’ve had a disagreement — and they’ve been few and far between — it’s over in an instant.”
What Pouncey, a two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, brings to Roethlisberger’s offense on the field is obvious. “Comfort” is the word Roethlisberger used.
“I don’t even think about the snap. As a quarterback, you have to think about so much. His snaps are always right there. They’re never off …
“His work ethic is like very few I’ve ever seen. He’s constantly going hard, to the point he drives young linemen crazy. When they’re doing O-line warm-ups, he’s not warming up. He’s full-go right from the get-go. It drives guys crazy. But they know that’s what makes him special.”
And one more thing…
“His mental football is unparalleled to anyone else,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s unbelievable. Awesome.”
Roethlisberger brought up — unsolicited — a play from the 43-14 win Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“How awesome was it watching Pouncey on Le’Veon Bell’s long run? He was 40 yards down the field ahead of Le’Veon, throwing a block. That just shows the selflessness of Maurkice Pouncey. He got up and was more excited and more fired up than Le’Veon was. Going out and playing for his brothers is what […]
Ben wins AFC Player of the Week
From Teresa Varley at Steelers.com today:
Ben Roethlisberger was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in a 43-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.
Roethlisberger completed 22 of 27 passes for 300 yards and five touchdowns for a quarterback rating of 152.5, just shy of a perfect 158.3 rating. At one point in the first quarter he had three straight completions, all for touchdowns.
Roethlisberger threw four touchdown passes in the first half, the third time he has done that in his career. Two of those touchdowns went to Antonio Brown, who he has now connected with for more touchdowns (42) than any other teammate in his career.
Roethlisberger spread the ball around, with his 22 completions going to nine different receivers.
It was Roethlisberger’s 47th 300-yard game in the regular season and his fifth career regular-season game with at least five touchdown passes, and the 11th time he threw for four or more touchdowns in a single game. He became the sixth quarterback in NFL history to throw at least five touchdown passes in five games, joining Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, George Blanda and Tom Brady.
Roethlisberger is the only quarterback to have thrown at least three touchdown passes in three games this season and the only quarterback to have thrown five touchdown passes in a game this season.
He is tied for the NFL lead with 11 touchdown passes, and those 11 touchdowns through the first four games tie a Steelers’ record for most passing touchdowns in the first four games of any season with Terry Bradshaw, 1980 and Mark Malone, 1985.
Roethlisberger been named AFC Offensive Player of the Week 14 times in his career. His previous wins were as follows: Weeks 2 and 10, 2015; Weeks 8-9, 2014; Week 11, 2013; Weeks 5 and 8, 2011; Week 17, 2010; Week 15, 2009; Week 5, 2008; Weeks 10 and 16, 2007; and Week 6, 2004.
You can read more here.
What makes Ben special? You can read that here.
Also Today – Ben’s “chat” with the media –
From Teresa Varley once again at Steelers.com:
Ben Roethlisberger believes the ‘next man up’ will do his job.
The Steelers headed into the 2016 […]
More Zoe…
is a definitely a good thing!!
Remember this happy young fan from Monday’s post?
ted j @nutsand_boltz
@_BigBen7 thank you for the glove! My name is Zoe and it was the best night ever!
Well, thanks to NFL Films, we now have her immediate reaction (and the moment when she posed for the photo that her father tweeted to us!). Enjoy:
This young fan's reaction will totally make your day.@insidetheNFL @steelers @_BigBen7 pic.twitter.com/p9R7eFVFtD
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) October 4, 2016
This young fan’s reaction will totally make your day. — NFL Films via Twitter.
And a few more photos from Zoe to share (she was very excited when Ben waved back to her!):
Go Big Ben! Go Steelers!!