NFL STATEMENT –

Due to public safety concerns in light of the forecasted storm this weekend in the Kansas City area, Sunday’s Steelers-Chiefs Divisional Playoff game on NBC has been moved to 8:20 p.m. ET.

Moving the game from the original 1:05 p.m. ET start time will provide local authorities more time to clear roads in the area as the weather is expected to improve throughout Sunday.

The decision to make this time change was made in consultation with state and local officials as well as the Chiefs and the Steelers.

From the Steelers:

The NFL issued the above statement regarding kickoff time for the Steelers-Chiefs Divisional Round Game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 15. The time has been changed by the NFL from 1:05 p.m. ET to 8:20 p.m. ET because of dangerous conditions that are expected due to Winter Storm Jupiter.

The game will still be televised on NBC (WPXI, Channel 11 locally).

The storm is expected to cut through the Midwest, bringing ice to the Kansas City area.

This will be the Steelers fourth time playing in primetime this year, the three previous ones victories (Washington, Kansas City and Indianapolis).

This isn’t the first time that weather has had an impact on the Steelers.

In 2004, Ben Roethlisberger’s first NFL start was delayed after a 1 p.m. kickoff against the Miami Dolphins was changed to 8:30 p.m. because of Hurricane Jeanne.

While the hurricane moved out by game time, the bad weather didn’t as a tropical depression brought rain, wind, and muddy conditions to Pro Player Stadium.

The Steelers won the game 13-3, and survived not just the Dolphins, but also Mother Nature.

The Steelers had to adapt their travel plans because of Superstorm Sandy in 2012 in advance of their game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. After the New York/New Jersey area was devastated by the storm, the Steelers changed their travel plans, arriving the day of the game as opposed to the normal day before, for the 4:25 p.m. kickoff. The Steelers won the game, 24-20.

Recap by Teresa Varley, Steelers.com:

Last week against the Dolphins Ben Roethlisberger’s stats weren’t the best of his career, completing 13 passes for 197 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

But the only statistic that mattered was the final score, a 30-12 win in the Wild Card Round.

“Winning. That’s all that matters,” said Roethlisberger. “Last week wasn’t great statistic-wise, but we won the game. That is all that matters. Winning, that’s all that matters to me.”

Roethlisberger is taking the same approach this week as the team prepares to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in a Divisional Round Game at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. The Steelers beat the Chiefs, 43-14, in Week 4 of the season, but that game is in the rearview mirror for Roethlisberger.

“You have to throw that out. It’s the playoffs,” said Roethlisberger. “Everybody wants to win this game. Everybody wants to go get it done. We will look at that tape, but it was early in the season. That was a long time ago we played each other. We are both different teams now and this is the playoffs.”

The one thing the Steelers will be looking for on Sunday will be the continued balance they have had offensively. While Roethlisberger’s final stats might not jump out, he did open the game completing 11-of-11 passes, including two touchdown bombs to Antonio Brown, one for 50 yards, the other for 62 yards. Then on the next drive Le’Veon Bell ran the ball 10 times for 83 yards, including a one-yard touchdown.

“That is what we have always said coming in to every year, we want to be a balanced offense,” said Roethlisberger. “That is what makes you most dangerous, when you can do a little bit of everything to win a football game. That is what it takes, guys being unselfish, whether it’s a receiver, running back, linemen, or quarterback. Whatever it is, whatever we have to do to win a football game. If everybody is on, we can be pretty good.”


You can read more here, and watch video of Ben’s interview here.

From Ben’s radio show this morning on 93.7 The Fan:

It was a huge victory on the field last week for the Steelers as they won their wild card round matchup with the Miami Dolphins, but an injury to Ben Roethlisberger still hangs over the team as he left the stadium in a walking boot that day.

“I’m doing well,” Ben said. But he went on to say that the foot isn’t 100%. “I feel it obviously today, but like I said, I’m walking around without a boot and I’ll be ready to go.”

There was plenty of controversy over Ben’s injury as many fans and analysts wondered why he was still in the game with the team up 18 and Mike Tomlin electing to protect another player as he pulled Le’Veon Bell.

Ben was asked about why he was still in the game at that point and whose call that is.

“That’s not my call, I’ll never go to coach and say ‘Hey, take me out.’ I stay in the game and fight with my guys. He’s the boss, he tells me to come out and sometimes I may fight him on it and say I want to stay in the game, but sometimes I’ll just listen to him and come on out of the game. So really, it’s his call, not much I can do about that.”

Ben also talked about the play call that came in for him to be throwing late in the game with the verdict all but solidified.

“Coach Haley called a pass play, we had a pretty good play called. Hindsight always is what it is, should we have ran it, could we have done this, could we have done that? Potentially, yes. We also had a receiver, a young receiver, not run the proper route, and if he would have ran the proper route, the ball probably could have come out of my hand quicker because he would have been open, and it wouldn’t have happened. That being said, I’m not injured, I’m fine, I’ll be ready to go, and we move on.”

Looking at how the rest of the team performed on the field, Ben told us about what it’s like getting to turn around and hand the ball off to Le’Veon Bell and watching him do his […]

Two of my dinner dates tonight. Luckiest man on the planet!! — Ben.

This was the rest of the party. The beautiful ladies in my life! — Ben.

Now it’s on to Kansas City!


From Teresa Varley, Steelers.com:

Ben Roethlisberger came out firing against the Dolphins, completing his first 11 passes, including two long touchdowns to Antonio Brown on the first two drives, one for 50 yards and one for 62 yards, in a 30-12 win over the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wild Card Round.

Roethlisberger finished the day completing 13 of 18 passes for 197 yards and the two touchdowns, and said the plan was to open the game passing the ball and then let that open up the run game.

“We started the game off throwing the ball,” said Roethlisberger. “That created the open running game. We’ve gone into games where we’ve run it to throw. This game we came out throwing to run. We had a mindset on the third series we were going to go to the jumbo and bring in the extra lineman, (Chris) Hubbard, and we were going to run on four straight downs if we had to.

“You’ve got to do what’s best for the team. The running game opened up and worked.”

Roethlisberger said he injured his ankle on the second to the last snap of the game, but plans to be ready to go next week when the Steelers play the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round.

“I don’t know anything yet, but we will find out soon,” said Roethlisberger. “You always worry about being hurt, but I will be out there next week.”

Le’Veon Bell made his first-ever postseason game a memorable one when he carried the ball 29 times for 167 yards and two touchdowns.

“I think the offensive line did an incredible job of controlling the line of scrimmage,” said Bell. “It made my job real easy. The receivers on the edge, getting on their defensive backs and the safeties, and Ben (Roethlisberger) putting us in the right situation. It was a total team effort today. I was trying to run hard and get what I could.”


You can read more from Ms. Varley’s post-game report here.

You can watch Ben’s post-game interview here.

You can watch all the game highlights here.

And, you can check out a few game photos here.

We were delighted to receive three “thank you’s” this week to be shared with Steeler Nation…

“Thank you Ben for supporting Glimmer of Hope Foundation and always coming to Bid for Hope. This event has raised over 2 million dollars for breast cancer research. Best wishes this weekend. You are the best!!!” — Diana Napper, Glimmer of Hope.

“Our K9s had their first training in their new ballistic vests funded by a Ben Roethlisberger grant! Thank you for helping us keep our most loyal partners safe as we protect and serve Arlington VA!” — Arlington County, VA Police Department.

“One year ago Big Ben and A.B. made my sons the happiest Steeler fans in the world.

Then, over this past summer I took my boys to Big Ben’s Football Camp. Caden got to do a ‘Meet & Greet’ with Ben and he loved it! I was also fortunate to have a field pass, and while on the field Ben came over to the tent I was in. I thanked him for giving my son the game ball and he said, ‘You’re the browns fan!’ And I said yes. He also signed the football. My kids loved the camp and Chace caught a touchdown pass from Ben during a 7 on 7 drill. We’ll be going back to camp again this year.

I also took the boys to Antonio Brown’s softball game. They had fun, and after the game we waited and waited for AB to come out of the locker room to see if he would sign our football. When he came out, he was in a hurry because he had to go to another event, but he did stop to sign the ball.

Just wanted to say thank you again and wish Big Ben, A.B., The Steelers Organization, and fans good luck in the playoffs. I hope you guys get number 7.” — CLEVELAND BROWNS fan Jared Clonch (although it appears to us that he has turned into a Steelers fan, like his sons!).