“I’m not saying we’re a hot team right now, but we have to win games coming down the stretch. And that’s what we didn’t do last year.” – Ben.

Bengals at Steelers, 1:00 p.m….


From the Chicago Sun Times today:

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is beat up, but that’s when he does some of his best work.


From the Kansas City Star:

The Steelers lead the all-time regular-season series with the Bengals, 48-32, after coming through with the previously-noted 27-21 win at Paul Brown Stadium back in Week 9. Cincinnati took both meetings between the clubs en route to its 2009 AFC North title, however, and completed its first home-and-home sweep of Pittsburgh since 1998 with an 18-12 decision at Heinz Field during Week 10 of last season. The Steelers had bested the Bengals five straight times prior to those two defeats from a year ago, including victories in Pittsburgh in both 2007 and 2008.

In addition to their regular-season advantage, the Steelers also scored a 31-17 road win over the Bengals in the 2005 playoffs.

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis is 5-11 all-time against the Steelers, for whom he served as a linebackers coach from 2002 through 2005, while Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin is 5-2 against both Lewis and Cincinnati as a head coach.


From the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Ben Roethlisberger is 10-4 against the Bengals, completing 63.3 percent of his passes with 20 touchdowns against 14 interceptions and an 87.8 rating. He is also aiming for his fourth straight home game with three touchdown passes. Hines Ward has 15 touchdowns against the Bengals, his most against any opponent. Mike Wallace is averaging 76 yards per game in three meetings against the Bengals with two of those being for 100 yards or more. Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap has 3.5 sacks in the last two games. Cornerback Leon Hall leads the team with four interceptions and 15 passes defensed.


From Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, during his press conference this week:

On Ben’s ability to play through injuries –

“He was hurt last week with the ankle, and he got better as the game went on. The ankle loosened up as he got more movement and so forth. It seemed to be […]

This story comes from Robert Rangel of Grove City, California.  He and his son Jonathan (photo below) took a cross-country trip to Baltimore on Sunday to watch the Steelers play the Ravens.


From Mr. Rangel:

I just want to publicly thank Ben for tossing the game ball to my son Jonathan on Sunday night as he walked off the field in Baltimore.

It was so cold the entire stadium emptied out before Ben left the field except for about six Steeler fans and a bunch of security guys.

We didn’t even know he was still out there. We just wanted to cheer the team after the game. We saw Mike Wallace walking off the field and were just saying things like “Great game!”, when all of a sudden we saw Ben approaching. He looked real tired, and I am sure he was hurting pretty bad. The crowd had been really mean to him all night long, so my son made a point of just yelling things like “Great game!” and “Way to go, Ben!”, and since we were just about alone in the stands next to the tunnel, it was easy for him to see who was yelling.

All I remember was Ben cracking a big smile (broken nose and all) and then tossing Jonathan the ball he had been holding since taking a knee to end the game. We couldn’t believe it. Jonathan, a former HS football player, hugged the ball between both arms like a running back while trying not to drop it as we waded through thousands of Raven fans leaving the stadium. By the time we walked back to our hotel, we saw a post-game video that showed Ben holding the ball while shaking Flacco’s hand and then while being interviewed on the field.

Needless to say, it made our trip from sunny California to freezing cold Baltimore the best father-son trip ever. Last year we traveled to Denver, the two years before to San Diego. Next year, we want to travel to Pittsburgh to see a “home” game.

Ben made a lifetime impression on my son (and me). We didn’t expect it, which made it even more special.

Attached is a photo […]

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. […]