From Scott Brown today at ESPN.com:

A strong finish that nearly propelled the Steelers into the playoffs following an 0-4 start has positioned them to return to the postseason following a two-year absence.

That is the consensus of the eight ESPN NFL Nation reporters whose teams they cover were designated as ones trending up after missing the playoffs. All eight reporters voted on the order of the teams trending up, and the Steelers finished first among those teams that are most likely to make the playoffs next season.

Ben Roethlisberger is probably the biggest reason why.

He is easily the best quarterback among those on the eight teams in this survey, and he is still in his prime as his play in 2013 showed.

Roethlisberger set a franchise record for completions in a season (375) while also throwing for 4,261 yards — the second-highest total of his career — in leading the Steelers to a 6-2 record in the second half of the season. Roethlisberger will be complemented in 2014 by a ground game anchored by Le’Veon Bell, who could develop into the Steelers’ best running back since Jerome Bettis…


You can read more here.

Ben poses with USC offensive tackle Kevin Graf in Southern California this week:

“Was awesome getting to meet one of the NFL’s best, Big Ben Roethlisberger, and learn how to become a successful pro!” — Kevin (@KevinGraf77)

Ben and teammates Markus Wheaton and Derek Moye were working in the warm Southern CA sun this week with Velocity Sports Performance Director P.J. Nestler, and upcoming NFL Combine players.


You can see other photos here.

You can learn more about Kevin here.

This Valentines Day, make it Big Ben’s BBQ Sauce for the Black & Gold fan in your life!!

And as a bonus when placing your order:

You will receive a FREE Pittsburgh Skyline Milk Chocolate Candy Bar.

Also, anyone who places an order will be eligible to win an autographed Big Ben jersey!

Orders must be placed by February 9th to be shipped for Valentines Day. The winner of the autographed jersey will be selected and notified the same day.


Did you know…

that Ben makes no personal profit from the sale of his BBQ sauce?

In fact, his BBQ Sauce sales and fundraising have helped raise over $150,000 for his favorite charities, including The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation!

A great sauce for a great cause!


If you are looking for ways to raise funds for your organization, call 412.867.0681 for details!

“I’m moved by what Rocco meant to Officer Lerza and his family. That’s exactly why I feel passionately about the work of my foundation. These dogs play a critical role in keeping our communities safe, and the bond with their partner is unique because they live with them and are part of their family. Rocco was special.” — Ben, earlier this week.

From Amy McConnell Schaarsmith and Liz Navratil, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

However priceless a police K-9 like Rocco becomes to his handler, his handler’s family and his unit, acquiring and training him comes at great cost.

The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police spends between $6,500 and $8,000 to purchase an untrained dog with Rocco’s raw talent for police work, according to a spokesperson. Sharpening that talent into real, proven skills can costs tens of thousands of dollars and months of training, creating an additional burden for an already grieving police unit when a canine officer dies.

Pittsburgh is still mourning the loss of Rocco, an 8-year-old German shepherd originally from the Czech Republic who will be honored with a service at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum in Oakland on Friday. But while no one can replace Rocco, who died Thursday evening from blood loss and pneumonia resulting from a stab wound from a suspect, the department might soon have help with the expense of finding and training another K-9 officer.

The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation, begun by the Steelers quarterback in 2006 to acquire and train police dogs, plans to begin announcing grants now that the Super Bowl is over, said foundation relationship manager Jessica Duffaut.

“I do believe we’ll be making a separate announcement regarding Rocco’s department and what we might be able to do for them,” Ms. Duffaut said.

Ms. Duffaut did not discuss what, if any, dollar amount might be offered. Since 2006, the foundation has made grants in excess of $1 million.

For now, she said, Pittsburgh residents need a chance to grieve for Rocco.


You can read more here.

You can also read about efforts to enact “Rocco’s Law” here.

Want to learn more about Ben’s foundation? You can do so here.


Photo: Pittsburgh Police Department

Their 2013 season didn’t include the playoffs, but the Steelers learned some things about their quarterback.


From Mike Prisuta, Steelers.com:

In honor of the six Lombardis they have won, here are six things the Steelers learned about quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in 2013, aspects of his game Roethlisberger discussed in detail near the season’s end –

NO. 1
IT ISN’T INEVITABLE THAT HE’LL BE SACKED A LOT
“I know early on there was a lot of talk about all-time records for sacks and this and that, but the guys have really done a great job of stepping up. I got the ball out of my hands, and our up-tempo offense kind of helps with that as well. I think even the hits I do take; it doesn’t hurt quite as much as it has in the past.”


NO. 2
HE ISN’T OPPOSED TO GETTING RID OF THE BALL QUICKLY
“A lot of times getting rid of the ball is about defense, is about the play that’s called. It has nothing to do with what I’m thinking in the pre-snap. Sometimes you call plays that the shortest route is 10 or 12 yards where you can’t get the ball out of your hands fast if the shortest of three or four routes is 10 to 12 yards. It’s really just about what play is called and what the defense gives us. Sometimes there are coverage sacks, and there’s nothing you can do.”


NO. 3
HE DOESN’T HOLD THE BALL INTENTIONALLY TO MAKE BIG PLAYS
“No, are you kidding me? Heck no. I don’t want to get hit. I don’t ever go into a play in the huddle and think, ‘Boy, on this play I’m really going to hold onto it and make a play,’ because too many negative things can happen.

“It was never intentional. It was never like, ‘I’m going to do this on purpose.’ It’s, ‘I’m going to extend the play because that’s the competitor in me.’ There’s a difference. When you’re a competitor and you don’t want to give up on a play, then you’re going to do whatever you can to make the best of any opportunity.”


NO. 4
RUNNING THE NO-HUDDLE PROMOTES GETTING THE BALL OUT FASTER
“I would agree with that because when I’m calling the plays, I can call it off what the defense is giving us. So it’s […]

“As a kid growing up in the street, I was Joe Montana throwing game-winning Super Bowl touchdowns…If you go down and win the game, there’s a chance there’s going to be a bunch of kids doing the same thing that I was doing — and they’re acting like me.” — Ben

From ESPN‘s Greg Garber this weekend:

“Looking back at some of the NFL’s best championship clutch drives of all time”

Sometimes, when hundreds of minor factors align into a perfectly coordinated storm, that fleeting moment becomes history, stored forever in our collective mind.

Ben Roethlisberger is not a rah-rah kind of guy. So when the Arizona Cardinals scored 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIII to take a 23-20 lead, the Steelers’ quarterback low-keyed it.

“Hey, guys, listen,” he told his offense on the sideline. “Let’s just go take care of our business and do what we have to do. You know, be the best that we can be this drive.”

And then, sitting in a room overlooking the Steelers’ snow-covered practice field, Roethlisberger interrupted himself with an explosive laugh.

“The first play was a holding penalty, so it didn’t work so well,” he continued. “But we did better after that.”

Pittsburgh had the ball on its 22-yard line with 2 minutes, 37 seconds left. Inside, Roethlisberger was amped, but in the huddle, addressing his teammates, “I tried to be the same as I was all game. Don’t show any panic. Just go play the game.

“If you try and press, or stress yourself, that’s when bad things happen.”

After the Cardinals had taken the lead, Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes had told Roethlisberger he wanted to be the guy who made the plays to win the game. And, so he did. Holmes caught three passes for 67 yards and the Steelers found themselves on Arizona’s 6-yard line with 42 seconds to play.

Down the stretch, a funny thing happened to Roethlisberger. He actually forgot the score.

“As we started getting closer, into field goal range — this is absolutely horrible to say — but I forgot that a field goal tied it,” Roethlisberger said. “Like, I was focused only on a touchdown.

“I wasn’t even thinking about tying the game, which I probably should have, because the last pass was really close to being […]