Recap from Teresa Varley, at Steelers.com:

The answer wasn’t just concise, it was definitive when Ben Roethlisberger was asked on Wednesday morning if his preseason enthusiasm for the Steelers was dampened at all after the team’s 33-3 loss to the Patriots on Sunday night.

“No,” Roethlisberger emphatically replied to the reporter’s question.

The reporter followed up. ‘Not at all?’ he asked.

“Not at all,” Roethlisberger replied.

You won’t find a single player in the Steelers locker room who was pleased with the outcome of the season opener, but you also won’t find a player who is throwing in the towel either. They all still believe in each other, believe in what they can accomplish, and that starts with Roethlisberger.

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“It’s one game,” said Roethlisberger. “We played the best team in football at their place. We still have a game this weekend and we are excited for it.”

Roethlisberger is the first to acknowledge there is room for improvement, the first to admit the team wasn’t ‘good enough.’ Roethlisberger completed 27 of 47 passes for 276 yards, one interception and no touchdowns and he knows it begins with him as far as improving as the team prepares to take on the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Heinz Field.

“I am only going to focus on the quarterback play, and the quarterback has to get better,” said Roethlisberger. “We didn’t execute well enough. I didn’t make enough plays, enough throws and they outscored us.

“I told the guys on Monday when we came in here, we were out there doing our run. I told the guys look up, the sun is still shining. The sky is still blue. The best thing is we still get to play on Sunday. It’s Week 1. We stared a few years ago 0-4. It’s a long season. Half the teams lost their first game. Guys realize what Week 1 was and now we are going into Week 2.

“We’re always trying to improve, get better in all areas of the game. That starts with me. I am going to do my best to get ready for this week.”

The offense was stymied all around, from the ground game which managed just 32 yards, which included a seven-yard scramble by Roethlisberger, to third down efficiency which was a mere 25%. But it doesn’t mean they have to […]

“I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t giving guys balls where they needed to catch them. I put them in front, behind, things like that. I wasn’t good enough.” — Ben, post-game.

More from Ben here.

Today Ben announces the first grant award of the 2019 season from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation at The Giving Back Fund.

The Foundation will be distributing a grant to the Essex County Sheriff’s Department, north of Foxborough where the Steelers will play the Patriots on September 8th.

The Essex County Sheriff’s Department will use the grant funds to add a K-9 to their unit as they roll out plans to expand from 10 to 13 K-9 teams.

During the 2019 NFL season, The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation will be distributing grants to K-9 units of police and fire departments in the cities and surrounding communities of each regular season away game for the Steelers. The Foundation will also distribute several grants to the Pittsburgh area. The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation invited police and fire departments across the country to submit proposals detailing their needs.

This marks the 13th season that Ben’s foundation has distributed grants to K-9 units. His mission is to support K-9 units of police and fire departments throughout the United States, with a particular emphasis on support for working dogs in Pittsburgh, PA.

“The Sheriff’s Department thanks the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation for their generous gift. In addition to providing additional security at our three facilities, K-9 units are extremely valuable when assisting narcotic detection, missing person searches, and responding to mutual aid calls. We appreciate the Roethlisberger Foundation’s commitment to assisting our Department and the communities we serve.” — Essex County Sheriff Kevin F. Coppinger.

The Foundation distributed more than $145,000 in grants to K-9 units around the country during the 2018 NFL season, including $70,000 in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. The Foundation has distributed in excess of $2.1 million since 2007, $1.7 million of which has specifically benefited K-9 programs domestically.

Fans:

You can support future K-9 grants by purchasing candy on Sarris Candies’ website, (www.SarrisCandiesFundraising.com), using a special purchase code (77-7777). Sarris will donate 25 percent of the purchase price to the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation.

For more information about Ben’s foundation or The Giving Back Fund, please contact Jessica Duffaut at www.givingback.org.

From Teresa Varley’s recap at Steelers.com:

Ben Roethlisberger knows there will be a lot of hype on Sunday night, a lot of excitement as they celebrate the championship. And it won’t bother him, instead it will be something that can serve as a motivation to be that team next year.

“I think it’s cool to be a part of,” said Roethlisberger. “You go out there and watch it. You try and channel it to say that needs to be us next year. That’s the way I look at it. It’s the first game of the year. They are the world champs. We’re just trying to get to where they have been. It will be exciting for all of us. I know the crowd will be excited. Sunday Night Football, it’s not a one o’clock game. All those things add up to an exciting night.”

This year will mark the fourth time the Steelers have opened the season against the Patriots, previously doing so in 1979, 2002 and 2015. It’s the third time they are opening against them with the Patriots coming off a Super Bowl win, and Roethlisberger was at the helm when the Steelers opened against the Patriots in 2015, a 28-21 loss.

“They are the best for a reason, coaches and players,” said Roethlisberger. “It’s not like we have had a problem with them. The league has had a problem with them. They’re that dominant. Like I have said before playing them at home is hard enough. To go to their place is almost impossible. I guess the only positive is it’s not an AFC North team.

“No one’s got a win, no one’s got a loss. They are the world champs and we have to go to their place and do our best.”

Roethlisberger, like probably every player in the locker room, will have those first-game butterflies when they take the field. But it’s not nerves, it’s just that energy of a new beginning.

“I think it’s just as much excited nervous, as nervous,” said Roethlisberger. “We are going up there. I am sure they are dropping a banner or whatever they are going to do. What an exciting and awesome opportunity for us all.”

More from Ben here.