“We turned the ball over six times which is crazy to even think you have a chance to be in a game, an NFL football game with six turnovers?” — Ben.
Recap provided by 93.7 The Fan & CBS Pittsburgh:
Ben Roethlisberger says Sunday’s game against Cleveland was a “crazy game all around” and it felt like a loss to him.
“Anytime you don’t win a football game it feels like a loss so it was tough coming home and then yesterday was tough. You know you didn’t lose but you also didn’t win so it definately hurts.”
Roethlisberger says the biggest thing he takes away from Sunday is all of the turnovers.
“It’s such a negative in that sense but there’s also a positive that we were still in the game and I told our defense after the game , thanks to you guys for keeping us in it and special teams for helping us not lose it.”
While Ben is disappointed to not come away with the win he says there are good things to take away from Sunday’s tie – like the play of James Conner.
“Running the ball, catching the ball, doing some great things out of the backfield, and I think with all the different looks we were getting upfront from the Browns and I think our communication was great, no pre-snap penalties on a road game like that, hostile environment, so there definitely some good things to take away from it.
A lot of people point to his lack of playing time in the preseason for the mistakes Ben made during the game Sunday, but he doesn’t think that played a factor.
“I think the first interception, the first interception was me just getting a little anxious to get the ball to AB. The guy made a great play!”
On the second interception, Ben says he just misjudged where Antonio Brown was going to be and that has nothing to do with playing in the preseason or not. The third interception just went through Jesse James’ hands with the weather affecting that one and the fumble in OT, “When guys come behind you and you can’t see them I don’t care how many reps you get, you’re not going to be able to do much about that.”
In the second quarter Ben took a hit from Browns defensive end Miles Garrett that was flagged for a ‘roughing the passer’ penalty and Roethlisberger says he didn’t think there was anything wrong with the hit. The NFL confirmed Monday that they made a mistake on the call.
“I wasn’t upset about it. I was surprised when they blew it but I wasn’t going to go crazy about it. I don’t understand why the NFL has to come out and say that? They sure as heck didn’t come out and say that the ball DID hit the guy in the helmet on the punt. Do they have to come out every call that they make wrong in games, do they come out and say it?”
Ben says he talked to James Conner the night before the game and was really happy for him when he scored that first touchdown saying, “If you get a first down don’t get up and do a celebration, go pat one of the [linemen] on the helmet. You score a touchdown don’t do a dance or do something crazy go jump in a lineman’s arms and have fun and he was like ‘Ben, I was already planning on it’ so it was great that we was already in that frame of mind.”
Roethlisberger says he talked to Conner after the game and while he was disappointed about the fumble he was happy to get that first game out of the way.
Ben says he has still not spoken with Le’Veon Bell and that he is moving forward as if he won’t be there.
“I’m not even setting expectations so that I can’t be excited or disappointed. I’m just proceeding this week like we did last week with James and the rest of the guys in the building.”
If you have a few minutes, listen to the audio of Ben’s show here, it’s worth it.
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