I’m in fear for my life from the long arm of the law
Lawman has put an end to my running, and I’m so far from my home….


Steelers beat the Bengals 36-10.


“When I threw Friday, my arm felt really, really good…it definitely felt good going into this game!” — Ben.





From Brooke Pryor at ESPN.com:

Ben Roethlisberger might never practice again.

OK, that’s unlikely, but Roethlisberger proved he didn’t need a week of practice when he put together his best game of the season in a 36-10 win against the Cincinnati Bengals to preserve the Pittsburgh Steelers’ undefeated record.

Unable to be at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Roethlisberger spent five days in isolation after being labeled as a high-risk close contact of tight end Vance McDonald, who tested positive for the coronavirus last week. Because he never tested positive or developed symptoms, Roethlisberger was removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday in time for an extended walk-through with the team.

That was all he needed.

The veteran quarterback completed 27 of 46 attempts for a season-high 333 yards and four touchdowns, also a season high. With the four touchdowns, he set a franchise record with 124 multi-touchdown games, good for eighth in NFL history.

It’s also Roethlisberger’s first game of throwing four touchdowns since Week 10, 2018, against the Carolina Panthers, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. He hasn’t thrown four touchdowns against an AFC North opponent since he had six against the Baltimore Ravens on Week 9, 2014.

Roethlisberger came into Sunday’s game averaging 241 passing yards per game, a mark he eclipsed in the first half when he completed 17 of 27 attempts for 243 yards and two touchdowns.

By the fourth quarter, the game turned into the Steelers’ first blowout of the season, but it took a few drives for Roethlisberger and the offense to get in sync.

Coach Mike Tomlin was never worried about his veteran quarterback playing without a week of practice — and with good reason. After 17 years in the NFL, Roethlisberger is more than capable of playing in a game without a week of going through the motions.

He’s done it before, too, throwing for nearly 400 yards against the Cleveland Browns in 2015 after not practicing all week with a foot injury.

This time, though, the week without practice was a little different.

In the past, Roethlisberger has missed practice reps, but he’s still been on the field, watching every move and listening to every play call.

But because protocol for high-risk close contacts required Roethlisberger to isolate for five days, all he could do was watch silent footage of practice on his iPad and text his coaches to ask about specific plays he saw on the film.

“Even if you’re not out there you can hear it and be a part of it, so it was definitely different,” Roethlisberger said Saturday. “I watched every play of practice, but you just watch it on your iPad at home so you don’t get to hear all those things. It was definitely a lot different than anything I have experienced before.”


You can read more from Ms. Pryor here.

You can see a video highlight of Ben’s fourth touchdown here.


More to come…