From Ben this morning, in response to the many emails and messages I have received:

“Tell the fans I’m doing well, just relaxing and recovering, and thanks for their support and prayers.”



Coach Tomlin told the media this afternoon:

“The only adjustment is that he is going to probably wear a clear shield on his helmet to protect him from that standpoint. I am sure there is going to be some level of discomfort. I don’t think it’s going to keep him out of football in any form or fashion.”

The gauze from the surgery to his broken nose should be removed today.

Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was fined $15,000 by the NFL yesterday for the hit.


You can read updates on injuries sustained by Heath Miller, Troy Polamalu, Matt Spaeth, Flozell Adams and Aaron Smith here.


If you’d like to know how doctors fix a broken nose, first “brace yourself” says the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Mark Roth, and read about it here.



Also Today…

From FOX Sports‘ columnist Jason Whitlock:

In five years, Big Ben Roethlisberger might move ahead of Manning on my list. Regardless of what Roger Goodell does to NFL rules, football is always going to be a game defined by toughness. Did you watch Big Ben Sunday night?

The Ravens broke his nose in the first quarter and Big Ben never blinked. He never thought about coming out of the game. And down the stretch, against the meanest defense in football, Big Ben fought off Terrell Suggs and avoided a sack on one play and threw the game-winning TD pass two plays later.

There is no stat for playing with a broken nose. There is no stat for fighting off Suggs and throwing the ball away. If the league kept those stats, we know Roethlisberger and Brady would rank higher on the chart than Manning.


You can read his column here.


And…

From former NFL quarterback and current TSN (The Sports Network) columnist Jesse Palmer:

Ben Roethlisberger will never have to worry about proving his toughness again. Entering Sunday with broken bone in his right foot, Roethlisberger suffered a broken nose on the first series of the game, but stayed and led the Steelers to a 13-10 win over division rival Baltimore to take the lead in the AFC North division.

Looking back, its hard to remember another […]

“You can not give enough credit to Ben Roethlisberger either – came in with a bad foot, blew his nose up in the first few plays, hung in there the entire night – great performance. What a football game!” — NBC Sports NFL football color announcer Cris Collinsworth during the game.

“I look like I just went 12 rounds with [Manny] Pacquiao.” — Ben, after the game.

Media & Player Notes & Quotes…

From the Kansas City Star:

The Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger got punched in the nose early, then rallied for a 13-10 victory over Baltimore on Sunday night.

In a battle this physical, it was only fitting that the game turned on a defensive play.

Troy Polamalu sacked Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco late in the fourth quarter and the Steelers recovered the ball for a first down inside the 10-yard line.

They converted the turnover into Isaac Redman’s bruising nine-yard touchdown catch with about three minutes left, taking the 13-10 lead — their first advantage of the game.

Roethlisberger passed for 253 yards, most of them coming after his nose was broken by a blow in the first quarter.

“People like to call him a ‘drama queen’, but you know what? He’s one tough dude.” — NBC Sports NFL game announcer Al Michaels during the game.

From The National Football Post:

Despite an aggravated broken foot and a bloody, broken nose twisted awkwardly into a strange shape, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger refused to lose.

The gritty signal caller engineered a critical 13-10 comeback victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night at M&T Bank Stadium, propelling his team into sole possession of first place atop the AFC North.

The Steelers were led by Roethlisberger, who threw the game-winning touchdown pass to fullback Isaac Redman in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

“Sometime in the first half, I got hit in the face,” Roethlisberger said. “I didn’t even realize it was that bad until I went over to the sidelines and guys were looking at me funny. ..

“I looked real quick. It hopefully will be fixed tomorrow.

What about the broken foot?

“It hurt a lot, but that broken nose took some of the pain […]

Respect….


From WTAE-Channel 4 this evening:

As usual, there will be plenty at stake when the Steelers (8-3) and Ravens (8-3) clash Sunday night. But the hype has been surprisingly, and to some unfortunately, tame.

Asked if he hated the Ravens, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger replied, “I don’t hate anybody. That’s a very harsh word.”

Pressed to explain the reason behind his 7-2 record as a starter against Baltimore, Roethlisberger offered: “I have no idea. Luck?”

Baltimore running back Ray Rice was asked whether the rivalry was based more on hate or respect. He began talking before the question was completed.

“I didn’t mean to cut you off, but I learned from my own leader on this team – and that’s Ray Lewis – the power of respect is to never disrespect,” Rice said. “That’s first and foremost about playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. We respect them. That’s what the rivalry has all been about.”


Rivalry…

“Just based on previous matchups, one could assume that there’s a chance that this is going to be a close football game,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

Baltimore hasn’t beaten Pittsburgh with Roethlisberger starting at quarterback since 2006.

“Well, there’s no game better than this one to break that streak,” said Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, who has 11 career sacks against the Steelers.


You can read the rest here.

Today, Ben announced the eighth grant of the 2010 season from The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation.

The foundation will be distributing a grant to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, located in Rockville, Maryland, just outside of Baltimore where the Steelers take on the Ravens this Sunday.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office will use the grant to purchase explosive detection training supplies and equipment for the continued training of their explosive detection K-9 units.

The grant will put more certified and much needed explosive detection K-9 units on the street to protect the lives and the property of the citizens of Maryland and the surrounding states.

Sheriff Darren M. Popkin said, “As the Sheriff-elect in Montgomery County, Maryland, it is my honor as one of my first official acts, to acknowledge the generosity of The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation for their grant for our K-9 explosive detection training program. The grant will allow the Sheriff’s Office to expand our explosive detection training for the Sheriff’s Office and other affiliated law enforcement agencies in our region.” Sheriff Popkin, who was sworn in yesterday, added, “Attempted detection of concealed explosives is an extremely sensitive and hazardous undertaking. Ben Roethlisberger’s foundation’s grant will improve our K-9 expertise and provide years of enhanced explosive detection training.”

Ben’s foundation has been giving grants for use in the purchase of K-9 dogs and equipment, assisting with training and even veterinary bills, to police and fire departments across the country since 2006.

Every city in which Ben plays football is eligible, so regardless of what team wins, the community where they play always comes out a winner.

The idea for the foundation came from Ben’s father, Ken. In 2006, a K-9 police dog in Findlay, Ohio named “Flip”, was shot and killed.

“I’ve always been a dog person,” Ben said. “So it just made sense to do this. A couple of months later, my dad asked, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to buy a dog for every city that you play in?'”


For more information, check out Ben’s Foundation page here.

For information on the Giving Back Fund, click here.


You can also contact them directly:

Stephanie Sandler
The Giving Back Fund
310.649.5222
ssandler@givingback.org



Also Today:

Ben on the cover…

Ben is the cover boy for the latest issue (Dec. […]

“It’s an AFC North game. Any time we play an AFC North team to me it’s a huge rivalry. I think people make a really big deal about it because it’s kind of a marquee NFL matchup. It’s usually decided by a few points. It’s usually hard-hitting. It’s usually a prime-time game. I think that’s why it’s made such a big deal of.” — Ben talked to reporters today after practice about the Steelers vs Ravens rivalry.

Looking ahead to Sunday…


From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Ed Bouchette:

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger strapped on a fortified right shoe and went through nearly a full practice with his Steelers teammates today.

“I only missed probably 10-15 snaps,” said Roethlisberger, who has a sprained right foot. “We did some different kind of looks to adapt and make it so we could still do stuff, so I think it went fairly well.”

“It hurts because it’s my plant foot, my right foot. When I hit the ground, I want to get the ball out.”

He vowed that he will play Sunday night in Baltimore.

“I’ll find a way to make it happen.”


You can read his column here and more from Mr. Bouchette here.



From Ben’s interview after practice today, shown on NFL Network:

On whether there is any doubt he will play Sunday –

“Not in my mind. I want to play all the time.”


On playing with the sprain –

“John Norwig, the mastermind that we have at trainer, and I are in the middle of putting together a cleat that kind of has some stability in it to keep me from moving the foot. Hopefully we’ll come up with something good that I can take the boot off and put the cleat on, but it’ll have the same stability of the boot.

“You know I’m going to give it my all. You know that. I will not be out there if I’m going to hurt this team. If I can help the team win, I’ll be out there.”


Update: You can check out Ben’s locker room interview at Steelers.com.



From an article featured in the L.A. Times:

When Ben Roethlisberger plays under center, the Steelers rarely lose to the rival Ravens.

Ben Roethlisberger is the […]

From Mike Bires this morning in the Beaver County Times:

Considering the way he plays the game, it’s mind-boggling that anyone would ever question Roethlisberger’s manhood.

But on Sunday in Buffalo, Roethlisberger showed again what most expert NFL observers already know. There is nothing soft about the way Roethlisberger plays football.

He’s clearly one of the best QBs in the game, and he just might be the toughest.

He’s a big, strong guy who’s tough to bring down. He’s not afraid to run with the ball when he has to. And as he proved in the 19-16 overtime win over the Bills, Roethlisberger can play in pain.

Late in the second quarter, Roethlisberger suffered a sprained foot. He limped off the field as the Steelers headed into the locker room at halftime.

But in the second half, he didn’t miss a snap. He kept making plays…


You can read the rest of Mr. Bires column here.



From Ron Cook in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Did you see Roethlisberger in the 19-16 overtime win against the Bills?

“I told him after the game, ‘I’m happy to be on your team. I’m glad I’m playing with you,’ ” wide receiver Hines Ward said.

Roethlisberger’s 18-yard scramble was, for me, the best play of the season. He made a spectacular move in the pocket to spin away from linebacker Chris Kelsay, who beat offensive tackle Flozell Adams to the outside. An instant later, feeling pressure from defensive end Marcus Stroud who was chasing him with foul intentions, he sprinted to his right.

“My thought process at that point is to get up to the line of scrimmage but not go over it,” Roethlisberger said. “People talk about me taking too many sacks and not going down and taking hits. But that’s just me. Whatever it takes to make a play.”


You can read the rest of Mr. Cook’s column here.



Also Today:

Injury Update –

Coach Tomlin doesn’t expect Ben’s foot sprain to keep him out of the game this Sunday in Baltimore.

“He might be limited somewhat tomorrow,” said Tomlin during his press conference. “I am going to be optimistic and hopeful and he may be a full participant, but there is a chance he couldn’t be.

“There is some pain and discomfort. We will see where the week takes us.”

Ben is wearing a walking boot to protect his right foot.