From Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today:

The news out of Pittsburgh is not good. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has a broken right thumb and is expected to miss …

Not one game.

Not one play.

Amazing.

Even Roethlisberger’s harshest critics have to admit he is as tough as any NFL player. If you want to call him the toughest, you’ll get no argument here. It’s hard to say with any certainty that he would keep playing with Schaub’s injury or Cassel’s. But would you bet against him?

“You know me, if I can be out there, I’ll be out there,” Roethlisberger often has said. “I’m always going to fight for my guys right up to the time they carry me off on a stretcher.”

That happened once. It’s surprising it hasn’t happened a bunch of times, considering Roethlisberger has been sacked 336 times — including postseason games — and hit countless other times in his 7 1/2-year career. In the final regular-season game in ’08 against Cleveland, he was carted off with a concussion.

Roethlisberger has missed just six of 134 games because of injury or illness. There have been many times when we’ve wondered how he picked himself up off the ground — or a hospital bed — to play…


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

The contest for November starts today….


If you have a Steelers-decorated game room, rec room, bedroom or any room in your house then you can enter! Just send us a photo of it!

We will post all the photos in the Contest Album in the gallery throughout the week and we will select a winner next Tuesday, November 22nd!

The winner will receive an autographed 8×10 photograph to add to their Fan Cave of Ben hoisting the Lombardi Trophy after the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII (photo at left).

You have one week to photograph that favorite room and send it in! Please include your name, where you are from and anything you’d like us to know about your Fan Cave.

The winner will be notified on Tuesday and the website will be updated with the winner’s name. Good Luck!

Send emails to: bigben7website@gmail.com

Ben spoke to the media today about his injured thumb:

Roethlisberger injured the thumb on his throwing hand sometime during Pittsburgh’s 24-17 win over Cincinnati on Sunday. He’s not sure when it happened, only that he noticed it while coming out for the second half.

“It was hard to determine it on the sideline, but we did all the tests (Monday), and it’s fractured in there,” Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger didn’t miss a snap as the Steelers improved to 7-3. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards in the second half, including a perfect 4-for-4 during the game-winning drive in the third quarter.

“It hurt, but (Steelers head trainer) John Norwig did a great job taping it up, making a quick splint out of tape and going with it,” Roethlisberger said. “Squeezing the ball is the hardest part, but it’s a good thing that I had a glove on it because that helps gripping it a little bit.”

This isn’t the first time Roethlisberger has played with a busted thumb. He suffered a similar injury in 2005, though it didn’t prevent him from leading the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title.

There should be no issues this time either, though Roethlisberger will continue to play with a splint. Pittsburgh travels to Kansas City on Nov. 27.

“I won’t have to throw for a week or so, (until) next Wednesday or whenever we practice next week,” Roethlisberger said. “So, that’ll be a good time for it to rest. For me, it’ll just be getting used to throwing with a splint on again and a glove on, which I’ve done before.”

Roethlisberger has been playing some of the best football of his career during Pittsburgh’s surge following a 2-2 start. The Steelers have won five of six going into their bye week despite an inconsistent running game and a defense that’s put up its usual stellar numbers but has struggled to take the ball away.

No matter. Roethlisberger is completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,726 yards and 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions over the last six games and became the first quarterback in team history to top 300 yards in […]

…for Ben and his teammates to play in the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl!! Being selected as a starter in the Pro Bowl is a huge honor for players! Let’s show our team how much we support their selection – vote early, vote often! Make Hawaii Black & Gold!

The annual contest of the AFC and NFC’s best will take place Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012 at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii.

Steelers on the ballot from the offense include Ben, Rashard Mendenhall, Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown, Hines Ward, David Johnson, Heath Miller, Marcus Gilbert, Max Starks, Ramon Foster, Chris Kemoeatu, and Maurkice Pouncey.

Defensive players include Brett Keisel, Ziggy Hood, Casey Hampton, James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, William Gay, Ike Taylor, Troy Polamalu, and Ryan Clark.

Ben now ranks third in the NFL in passing yards behind Drew Brees and Tom Brady! He is 224 of 354 (63.3%) for 2,877 yards, 16 touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 93.2 rating so far this season!

Balloting is open until Monday, Dec. 19 at the conclusion of Monday Night Football (Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers, 8:30 p.m.).


The Pro Bowl teams will be announced at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27 on a special NFL Total Access 2012 Pro Bowl Selection Show on NFL Network.


You can vote for the Black & Gold as many times as you like, just click here!

You can read more on the 2012 Pro Bowl here.

You can check out photos from Ben’s participation in the 2008 Pro Bowl here.



Also Today:

Kudos to a rookie QB from a former Rookie Quarterback of the Year….

From Jim Corbett, USA TODAY –

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger intercepted Cincinnati Bengals rookie Andy Dalton Sunday at the end of the Steelers, 24-17 victory Sunday and told the kid to hold his head high.

In the eyes of Pittsburgh’s two-time Super Bowl-winner , the fifth quarterback chosen in the April draft is the best of a talented 2011 quarterback class — better than first overall pick and Carolina Panthers sensation Cam Newton; better than Jacksonville’s 10th pick Blaine Gabbert and […]

“It was a divisional game, so it was huge for us to get out here and come to a hostile place with a team playing great football. It was a good one for us. A good test.” — Ben, post-game.

Ben completed 21 of 33 passes for 245 yards with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jerricho Cotchery.

Running back Rashard Mendenhall added two short touchdown runs, while Shaun Suisham kicked a 39-yard field goal for the other points.

It was Rashard Mendenhall who scored the go-ahead touchdown late in the third quarter. He carried the ball 16 times for 44 yards.

Pittsburgh’s defense came up with two interceptions in the fourth to claim a 24-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in a key AFC North battle.



“It was really windy. That’s the only reason I went with the glove, because you can spin it a little better. It definitely affected some throws, but you know me, I’ll never make excuses.” — Ben, when asked about wind conditions affecting his throws.



Mike Wallace caught six passes for 54 yards and carried the ball two times for 31 yards.

Andy Dalton connected on 15-of-30 passes for 170 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for Cincinnati (6-3), which had a five-game winning streak snapped.

“That was kind of the mentality — ‘Let’s go no-huddle and try and get down there. Let’s answer.’ We take pride as an offense in wanting to be the best. It’s our time to do it, so let’s step up and score. We always want to answer. If I remember right, it was a pretty long drive, converting third downs. That’s huge. It gives our defense a break, wears their defense down, and when you score at the end of it, then it’s good.” — Ben, on the decision to go no-huddle late in the third quarter.

With the score tied at 17-17 midway through the third quarter, the Steelers put together an 11-play, 81-yard scoring drive. Jerricho Cotchery got the march going with a 13-yard catch. Antonio Brown caught a 12-yard pass a few plays later to put the ball at the Cincinnati 40. Isaac Redman followed with an 11-yard run before Wallace added a 12-yard catch to put the ball at the nine. Mendenhall then broke through a leg tackle and rumbled […]

To Ben and the Steelers, from active military around the world, veterans, and their families here in the US:


“Good morning from Iraq! I’m a US Army soldier, getting ready to finish out my tour in Iraq and was just wondering if you would like to pass on to Ben (and the rest of the team) some of the attached photos of me and my teammates during our travels through the country with my Terrible Towel.

“I’ve been a Steeler fan since I was a kid and never thought I’d get to do the things I’ve been doing for the Army and for our country…I just wanted to share these with you all and hope you enjoy them…One thing I’ve been able to do is follow the Steelers during this deployment and I’m looking forward to getting home and catching the last couple of the season from my home (in Virginia) with my family. Take care and thanks!” — CW3 Thomas Romero, US Army – serving in Iraq



“Ben: You do a good thing to recognize veterans. A prompt from home, especially the home team, boosts morale and gives our guys a huge lift. I was there, I know.” — God bless you, Dan Baker (Wheeling)



“Ben, throughout history men have won and lost great battles. For the ones that are lost doesn’t mean that the war is over so continue doing the amazing job that you do and in the end you will become victorious…I also want to take this opportunity to say I am very grateful for all the support you and the Steelers show our military, going to war is one of hardest things a soldier must face but knowing we have support, helps us to remember why we serve in the first place. God Bless and Go Steelers!” — Veteran Corporal Gregory Yakubik, 1st BN 5th Marines, Charlie Company, United States Marine Corps



“As a retired U.S. Marine Master Sgt., thank you Big Ben for the many days of happiness and relief of stress that your style of play has brought me. You’re one tough dude, keep playing hard and…Go STEELERS!!!” –MSgt. George L. Hall, […]