‘Lights, camera, action’
Are you ready for some Monday Night Football?
The Steelers’ 75th all-time MNF appearance is being embraced on the South Side.
“Still pretty cool,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger offered.
But Roethlisberger, who debuted on Monday Night Football on Oct. 10, 2005 in San Diego still doesn’t take such things for granted.
“It’s just another game but it is something special,” Roethlisberger continued. “I remember as a kid, there weren’t all these games. Monday Night Football was all you had.
“And if I was nice, if I didn’t ask too many times my dad might let me watch the first quarter. But most of the time I had to go to bed. Now, I get to be on the field and there’s some kid somewhere begging to watch the game.
“That makes it pretty cool.”
Roethlisberger’s MNF debut included leading an 11-play, 40-yard drive for a 40-yard field goal by kicker Jeff Reed with 10 seconds left in regulation that beat the Chargers, 24-22.
Just another work day
“It was Ben’s usual day off today at Steelers practice, however, Ben was present and talking to/instructing the TE core of players as they worked on individuals on the South Side at the Rooney Sports Complex.”
Wednesday’s Q&A with the media
From Teresa Varley, Steelers.com:
Going into the season, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn’t know what he fully had in his offensive line. With five new starters from the 2020 season, including two rookies in center Kendrick Green and left tackle Dan Moore Jr., there were plenty of question marks.
Today though, seven games into the season, the questions are being answered and Roethlisberger likes what he is seeing.
“I think we’re understanding each other. We’re understanding the offense. Having the same group of guys in front for a while now and knowing each other. They’re taking pride. Watching that game again, they’re moving guys off the ball. You look at Myles’ (Garrett) sack and the other one where he got pressure, it was strictly him getting a jump. He timed it perfectly. It’s a lot to ask a young tackle, any tackle to be able to stop a guy that’s that good. Going back and watching what they did, it’s amazing. I was proud of the way they’re playing.”
Moore definitely stepped up against Garrett, one of the best defensive ends in the NFL, something that can definitely be a confidence booster for a young player.
“I would think it would continue to increase his confidence. I think he still takes pride in the sack and then maybe thinking, ‘Oh shoot, I wish I would have done this, or I wish I could have even been better.’ And I think I think that’s awesome to see a young guy who went against one of the best in the business to still be disappointed with the way he played.”
In addition to Moore, Roethlisberger said Green has come ‘a long way’ since the start of the season. There is still some fine-tuning happening, but that is completely expected.
“When we were working on under center snaps in OTAs, my hand is kind of off to the side and we were having issues, so I was like, ‘Alright, if you hit this spot every time, we’ll be good.’ And it wasn’t always pretty. We’re still working. Some of the shotgun snaps you can see are a little high and whatnot. When he turns around, I just give that little look, lower it down, and he will be like, ‘I gotcha.’
“He’s still learning. He’s still growing. I’m not sure how many games he’s played at center in […]
Happy Halloween 🎃
Ben is the Steelers Digest Player of the Week
From Bob Labriola:
Joking with Myles Garrett after the game on the floor of FirstEnergy Stadium, Ben Roethlisberger said his message to the Browns defensive end was: “He can keep the tombstone in his yard; I’ll take the win.”
Garrett had decided that as a way to celebrate Halloween, he would line his front yard with mock tombstones of all the NFL quarterbacks he has sacked in his young career. That made for some interesting pregame conversation, but the Steelers had their focus elsewhere. The Steelers desperately needed a win on Sunday in Cleveland, not so much for the mathematical ramifications, because there were going to be 10 more regular season games to be played regardless of the outcome of the one vs. the Browns, but more for the psychological boost associated with winning a road game against a division opponent.
Regardless of the circumstances, or the time of the year, or the opponent, or the venue, when the Steelers need a victory, they need Ben Roethlisberger to play well, they need him to lead, they need him to step forward in the significant moments and be what the team needs him to be. In the Steelers’ 15-10 victory, Roethlisberger checked all of those boxes, and because he did, the outcome ended up being what it was.
Roethlisberger completed 22-of-34 (65 percent) for 266 yards, with one touchdown, no interceptions, and a rating of 98.4. And when the Steelers absolutely, positively needed their quarterback to make a play with 1:48 remaining so that his team could get the first down that would all but ice the outcome, he delivered there as well. He delivered big time, with a perfect strike to Diontae Johnson that not only converted the second-and-8 from the 28-yard line but also allowed Johnson to catch the ball in stride and race 50 yards into Browns territory to stick a dagger into the home team’s hopes.
Roethlisberger is the Steelers Digest Player of the Week.
You can read more here.