Pittsburgh Steelers (official thread)

[BuckNutty]

The truth about Big Ben

By Joe Starkey
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, September 7, 2006


Can the most successful third-year quarterback in NFL history -- a quarterback who loses a game about as often as he loses an appendix -- possibly be underrated?
Yes, and thank you for asking.

Actually, underappreciated might be the more appropriate term for Ben Roethlisberger, who will miss tonight's opener against the Miami Dolphins on account of his emergency appendectomy Sunday.

The Steelers will not crumble in his absence. Tommy Maddox doesn't live here anymore, so as long as Charlie Batch stays upright, the club should be able to survive even a couple of games without Big Ben.

At worst, they'll split.

But let's not kid ourselves. Roethlisberger is the Steelers' best player. He's the main reason the franchise snapped that pesky, 25-year Super Bowl drought, and he's the biggest key to winning it all again.

He's also one of the top five quarterbacks in football, and I'm not sure I'd rather have anyone else if I needed to win, say, a playoff game in Denver.

What's amazing is that so few people would agree with me.

What's even more amazing is that so many people still consider Roethlisberger to be more a function of the Steelers' system than anything else.

Take Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman -- aka Dr. Z -- who is very good but who deserves an 'F' for his recent assessment of Big Ben. The subject matter was active quarterbacks who might be first-ballot Hall of Famers. Dr. Z began with Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, Brett Favre and Roethlisberger.

So far, so good. But in differentiating between Palmer and Roethlisberger, the 'Z Man' writes, "I like Palmer's chances better. He seems to carry the team, whereas Roethlisberger, as effective as he is, is more a product of the system."

How many times have you heard that in the past two years? It's right up there with the line that goes, "The Steelers don't ask Roethlisberger to do too much."

Unless you include the part about them asking him to carry them to the Super Bowl, that is.

Remember, the Steelers' running game wasn't working all that well during the historic run through Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Denver. So, they put their trust in Roethlisberger. They came out passing in all three games, and all he did was ring up the fourth-best three-game playoff passer rating (125.8) in NFL history.

Behind some guys named Montana, Simms and Aikman.

It's true that the Steelers system fits Roethlisberger's talents, and that he's lucky to have so much talent around him. But couldn't the same be said of every great quarterback? The West Coast offense and throwing to Jerry Rice kind of fit Joe Montana's skill set, wouldn't you say?

What's also true of Roethlisberger is that he does some of his best work when "the system" breaks down.

Remember that touchdown pass just before the half in the AFC title game, the one where he scrambled away from pressure and lofted a ball just over 20 Broncos fingertips, to Hines Ward in the back of the end zone? That wasn't in the game plan. Neither was a similar, Elway-like scramble-and-chuck to Ward in the Super Bowl.

You know, the one where Roethlisberger straddled the line of scrimmage before heaving a cross-field cannon shot.

How many other quarterbacks make that play?

Roethlisberger is stunningly efficient, and it's not as if he dinks and dunks his way down the field. He led the NFL in two telling categories last season -- yards per attempt and touchdown percentage.

He obviously had a bad Super Bowl, but, like a pitcher without his best stuff, he battled and stayed in the game. Besides the big pass to Ward, he ran for a touchdown, threw a key block on the gadget-play touchdown and turned a broken play into a first down when the Steelers were running out the clock.

In other words, he found ways to help his team win the game, which is what a complete football player does. And which no quarterback in the NFL does better. Roethlisberger's career record stands at 27-4.

Yeah, 27-4.

Joe Starkey is a sports writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He can be reached at [email protected]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_469165.html

 

[BuckNutty]

Batch of trouble? Steelers hope backup QB can get them past Dolphins

By The Associated Press
Thursday, September 7, 2006


The Pittsburgh Steelers play their first game that counts since winning the Super Bowl. Finally, the player who received the biggest signing bonus on the club gets to show what he can do.
Rookie receiver Santonio Holmes? Newly signed cornerback Ike Taylor? Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward?

No. How about backup quarterback Charlie Batch -- who, except for two winning spot starts last season -- often is one of the least-seen players on a most-visible team that has gone an NFL-best 26-6 the last two seasons?

Batch couldn't ask for a much bigger stage this time as he fills in Thursday night for out-of-action quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the NFL's season-opening game against the Miami Dolphins. Batch once helped the Lions make the playoffs, but still calls this the biggest game of his career.

It's not because Batch gets to go against former elementary school classmate Jason Taylor, the Dolphins' star defensive lineman, for the first time since both played college ball in the Mid-American Conference.

"I'm really looking forward to this because I haven't been able to take part in an opener for a while," said Batch, whose last such start came with Detroit in 2001. "I'm excited, I really am."

The Steelers won their final four in the regular season and four more in the playoffs to win their first Super Bowl in 26 years, but Batch threw exactly one pass in those games. He wouldn't be starting this one if Roethlisberger hadn't needed an emergency appendectomy on Sunday, forcing him to miss at least one game.

That's why it may be easy to forget Batch was once seen as one of the NFL's best young quarterbacks, one good enough that the Lions gave him a $10 million signing bonus before the 2000 season. To this day, that's about $1 million more than any Steelers player has gotten.

"He's pretty athletic. He knows their offense well," Dolphins coach Nick Saban said of Batch. "They are not as quarterback oriented an offensive team (as some other teams). They run the ball really effectively. They have a really good play-action game."

The Dolphins were as quarterback oriented as any team when Dan Marino ran the show, but they haven't had a Pro Bowl QB since him -- until now. Daunte Culpepper missed the Vikings' final nine games last season with three torn knee ligaments, but has returned months earlier than expected and with a new team.

Quarterback play is always important in deciding an NFL winner, but especially so in this opener. If Culpepper can get into a rhythm early with his receivers against one of the NFL's toughest defenses -- the Steelers have nine of 11 defensive starters back from February -- it might force Batch to throw more than coach Bill Cowher would like.

One important matchup is Ike Taylor, who signed a $22.5 million contract only last week, against Dolphins receiver Chris Chambers, who had 82 catches for 1,118 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.

The Steelers would prefer to get the lead early, then turn running back Willie Parker loose on the outside against a Miami defense that excels in the pass rush but might be vulnerable against a runner with the speed Parker possesses.

"Their defense is playing with a lot of confidence now because they ended the regular season on a heck of a win streak," Batch said. "When you come into the next year with a lot of experience, and still have a lot of your guys back, it makes for a tough test for us."

Maybe, though, tougher still for the Dolphins, who probably would prefer to open the season against an opponent other than the returning Super Bowl champion in its home stadium.

Not that Jason Taylor, who grew up watching the Steelers and understands how Pittsburgh embraces them, expects the atmosphere and opening-night pageantry to have much influence on the outcome.

"What's the difference? We don't watch the (pregame) concert," he said. "We will go out for the pregame warmup, we will play football and get back on the plane and get home. It's the same thing we do every week. Who cares who we are playing or what they have going on at halftime? We don't watch that stuff."

Batch knows he will be excited, and said calming those emotions will be important to him settling into the offense quickly in his first start since Nov. 13.

"Yes, it's a blow to our offense not having Ben out there," said Ward, who is expected to play after missing the four exhibition games with a sore hamstring. "But Charlie's capable of going out there and getting the job done."

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_469427.html

 

[OSUsushichic]

Congrats to Santonio on his first official NFL catch!

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

Steelers full of surprises in opener

Friday, September 08, 2006

Alan Robinson
ASSOCIATED PRESS

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PITTSBURGH ? Miami coach Nick Saban had the red challenge flag in his hand, hitched it forward and back, and couldn?t seem to let it go in time. Maybe the Dolphins should flag their own coach for a costly delay.
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller chugged his way down the sideline on an 87-yard touchdown pass play midway through the fourth quarter, fill-in quarterback Charlie Batch?s third scoring pass of the game, and the Super Bowl champions beat the Dolphins 28-17 last night in the NFL?s first game of the season.
"It seemed like it took me forever to get there," Miller said.
For good reason.
Miller?s score shouldn?t have stood ? TV replays clearly showed his foot splayed out of bounds between the 1- and 2-yard lines. However, Saban hesitated to throw his flag, which fell to the turf sight unseen as referee Walt Coleman watched the extrapoint kick. That meant the Steelers didn?t have to try to get the ball into the end zone from short yardage.
Asked if he got in, Miller said, laughing, "Touchdown. Yeah."
Saban apparently thought he could throw the challenge flag at any time before Jeff Reed kicked the extra point, but no official saw him ? and thus, no replay. And no Dolphins upset, either, even though the Steelers didn?t look particularly sharp in their first game that counted since the Super Bowl ? despite Willie Parker?s 115 yards rushing, Miller?s 101 yards receiving and Batch?s first three-TD game since Nov. 18, 2001, with Detroit.
"They said they didn?t see it," Saban said. "Whose fault is that? "
Saban explained that assistant coaches in the press box first had to watch the replay before notifying him whether to challenge.
"We can?t challenge something until we see it," he said. "When we saw it, I threw the flag. It was well before the kicker kicked it. The official said he didn?t see it, and when he said he didn?t see it, there was nothing he could do. That shouldn?t happen."
Miami, down 21-17 at the time, had a chance to come back, but new quarterback Daunte Culpepper was intercepted on consecutive series, with linebacker Joey Porter scoring on a 42-yard return with about three minutes left.
"We knew we had put them in a situation where they had to pass the ball. I had my chance to make the play and I made it," Porter said.
The Dolphins, trying to build on their six consecutive victories to end last season, never led until Ronnie Brown scored on a 5-yard run to make it 17-14 in the third quarter. .
Standing in for Ben Roethlisberger, who had an appendectomy Sunday, Batch made his first season-opening start since 2001 with Detroit. He looked rusty for two drives, only to settle in and throw a 27-yard TD pass to Nate Washington to cap a 75-yard drive early in the second period.
Batch was 15 of 25 for 209 yards. Culpepper finished 18 of 37 for 262 yards.

 

[iambrutus]

nick saban throws the challenge flag like a 3 year old girl. seriously, if you want it to be seen it has to make it to the field, be a man like Cowher and throw the damn thing half way across the field!

 

[BuckNutty]

Miller's thriller

By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, September 8, 2006

The Steelers professed to be right at home on the national stage prior to opening the 2006 NFL season on Thursday night.
"We're starting off where we finished off," linebacker Clark Haggans said. "We finished off big, and we're starting off big."

It doesn't get much bigger than an 87-yard, game-winning touchdown pass.

The Steelers needed all 87 of those yards on the longest Steelers' pass play in Heinz Field's six-year history, the one that beat the Miami Dolphins, 28-17.

Quarterback Charlie Batch found tight end Heath Miller, who had beaten linebacker Zach Thomas, on first-and-10 from the Steelers' 13-yard line with 6:25 remaining and the Dolphins ahead, 17-14. The pass traveled approximately 17 yards. Miller did the rest, completing the longest Steelers' scoring strike since Kordell Stewart hit Bobby Shaw for 90 yards on Dec. 16, 2001 at Baltimore.

"I can't say enough about our football team," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. "The resiliency, the way they responded. Really, a state of panic never set in."

Miami coach Nick Saban tried to challenge the decisive touchdown -- TV replays showed Miller out of bounds inside the 2-yard line -- but threw his red flag just prior to Jeff Reed's extra-point attempt.

Referee Walt Coleman never acknowledged the red flag, and no review was forthcoming.

Reed had a chance to give the Steelers a seven-point lead but missed a 44-yard field-goal attempt with 3:13 left.

Linebacker Joey Porter went 42 yards with the first interception return for a touchdown of his eight-year career on the next snap, making the Steelers' big night just a little bit bigger.

"We knew what we can go out there and do under any circumstances," Porter said.

The Steelers (1-0) play at Jacksonville on Sept. 18.

The Dolphins (0-1) host Buffalo on Sept. 17.

The Batch-to-Miller connection completed the first 100-yard receiving game of Miller's career (three catches for 101 yards and one TD).

Apparently unimpressed by the Steelers' status as the NFL's defending champions and clearly not intimidated by the third-largest crowd in Heinz Field history (64,927), the Dolphins fell behind twice but hung tough and rallied in the second half.

Miami took its first lead of the night with a seven-play, 80-yard march in the third quarter that was capped by a 5-yard TD run by running back Ronnie Brown.

The Steelers marched to the Miami 1-yard line on their following possession. But on first-and-goal, Batch bobbled the snap and then fumbled. It was recovered by cornerback Will Allen at the Miami 5.

The Steelers regained possession at their 13 with 6:25 remaining, setting the stage for the Batch-to-Miller magic.

The Steelers were without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (appendectomy), who was replaced by Batch.

Miami played minus starting right cornerback Travis Allen (ankle), who was replaced by Andre Goodman.

Batch threw a pair of first-half touchdown passes, 27 yards to wide receiver Nate Washington and 7 yards to wide receiver Hines Ward, in matching his career-high of three TD passes for the first time since Nov. 18, 2001 at Arizona, when he played for Detroit.

"He won," offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt said. "I thought he managed the game well. He never got flustered. He made some good plays."

Running back Willie Parker carried 29 times for 115 yards, the third straight time in the regular season and the seventh time in his career that Parker has surpassed 100 yards rushing.

Strong safety Troy Polamalu also had an interception for the Steelers.

Mike Prisuta can be reached at [email protected].

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_469562.html

 

[elliemae]

nick saban throws the challenge flag like a 3 year old girl. seriously, if you want it to be seen it has to make it to the field, be a man like Cowher and throw the damn thing half way across the field!

Yeah! I agree there! Or smack him in the head with it! I bet Cowher had a little chuckle over that,since he makes it way known when he throws it!

 

[BuckNutty]

Porter's TD interception return seals 28-17 win
Friday, September 08, 2006

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Peter Diana, Post-Gazette
Charlie Batch hugs Joey Porter after Porter returned a Daunte Culpepper interception for a TD in the fourth quarter last night.

As they did so often on their run to a Super Bowl championship last season, the Steelers emerged from beneath the rubble to pull out a win to open the NFL season last night in Heinz Field.

Quarterback Charlie Batch overcame a costly fumble at the Miami 1 in the fourth quarter and threw an 87-yard touchdown pass to tight end Heath Miller to lift the Steelers to a 28-17 victory against the Miami Dolphins.

"Panic never set in on our football team," coach Bill Cowher said. "It was a good start."

Linebacker Joey Porter sealed the win when he intercepted a Daunte Culpepper pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown with 2:59 left.

The touchdown to Miller was the third scoring pass of the night for Batch, playing four days after starter Ben Roethlisberger had his appendix removed. The electrifying connection with Miller turned into the longest touchdown pass in Heinz Field history and came with 6:11 to go.

Offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt presented Batch with some options during a break just before the play, and the quarterback chose the pass to Miller. As he barked out signals, he noticed the cornerback and safety moving to cover Hines Ward and virtually ignoring Miller.

"I stared down Hines, hit Heath over the top and the rest is history," Batch said.

Safety Troy Polamalu intercepted a Culpepper pass with 5:51 left, but Jeff Reed missed a 44-yard field-goal attempt. Porter took care of matters by himself a few minutes later with his interception return for a touchdown.

Peter Diana, Post-Gazette
Willie Parker picks up yardage against the Dolphins last night at Heinz Field. He rushed for a game-high 115 yards.

It looked as if Batch, a 31-year-old quarterback from Homestead, would be a goat, but instead he turned in one off the game's best performances. He completed 15 of 25 passes for 209 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

"I thought Charlie played very well, played very efficient," Cowher said.

Batch also threw touchdown passes to Nate Washington and Ward in the second quarter as the Steelers took a 14-10 halftime lead.

His fumble came with 11:58 to go and the Steelers down by three.

"You never want to be the guy who is going to take a step back," Batch said.

Miami's Ronnie Brown ran for two touchdowns of 2 and 5 yards, and Olindo Mare kicked a 26-yard field goal for the Dolphins. But the Steelers slammed the Dolphins' ground game, holding them to 38 yards rushing on 18 carries. Culpepper was 18 of 37 for 262 yards, but no touchdowns, two interceptions and three sacks.

Willie Parker ran a career-high 29 times for yards for 115 yards for the Steelers, the seventh 100-yard game of his three-year NFL career.

Miller caught three passes for 102 yards, a career high.

He caught the touchdown pass from Batch at the 30 and outran linebacker Zach Thomas and cornerback Will Allen.

"I knew he could run that far, I didn't know he could run that fast," Cowher said. "He looked good running by me, but he still had a long way to go."

A sluggish game broke open in the second quarter when the Steelers took a 7-0 lead on Batch's 27-yard touchdown pass to Washington.

Washington, inside the 5, aggressively went for the ball and beat strong safety Travares Tillman for it. Washington landed in the end zone for his first regular-season NFL catch and first touchdown.

Matt Freed, Post-Gazette
Steelers fans cheer for the team at the begining of the game.

"He did a really good job of going up and making a play," Batch said. "That's what Nate does."

Miami's tedious offense received a boost when Wes Welker returned a Chris Gardocki punt 47 yards to the Steelers' 15. Culpepper threw a 13-yard pass to Brown on first down, then Brown ran up the middle for a 2-yard touchdown and a 7-7 tie with 5:14 left in the first half.

The Steelers reclaimed the lead, 14-7, on Ward's 7-yard touchdown catch of a pass from Batch in the back of the end zone. It came with 1:49 left in the half.

Parker fuel-injected that seven-play, 77-yard drive with a 32-yard run off right tackle, running through the arms of Thomas. On third down, cornerback Andre Goodman was penalized 23 yards for interference on a deep pass to Cedrick Wilson.

It was Goodman again who failed to cover Ward for the touchdown in the end zone. It was Ward's first catch of the game.

The Dolphins salvaged three points before the half ended, when Mare kicked a 26-yard field goal with 32 seconds left. That score was made possible by Welker's two pass receptions, covering 51 yards.

Marty Booker helped to put the Dolphins on top for the first time when he caught a short pass and turned it into a 52-yard gain when safety Tyrone Carter slipped to the ground.

Matt Freed, Post-Gazette
Ike Taylor defends as the Dolphins' Chris Chambers loses the ball in the second quarter.

Cornerback Ike Taylor then did something all too familiar and frustrating to his coaches. From the Steelers' 5, Culpepper threw too far for his receiver right into the arms of Taylor in the end zone. But Taylor, who admitted to dropping at least 10 interceptions last season, dropped this one too. On the next play, Brown ran 5 yards for his second touchdown and a 17-14 Miami lead.

Then came Batch's fumble at the 1.

"You don't worry about Charlie Batch," Cowher said of his reaction at that point. "He's a very confident guy. Those things happen; they happen, and you move on."

After the Steelers' defense finally forced a Miami punt, Batch requested the play to Miller from Whisenhunt. Replays showed Miller was knocked out of bounds at the 1, but the officials ruled a touchdown.

When Miami coach Nick Saban threw the red flag to challenge the call, the officials did not see it as Reed kicked the extra point, and no challenge was accepted.

Polamalu and Porter then snuffed out the Dolphins' last two tries to pull it out.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06251/720137-66.stm

 

[iambrutus]

porter had a VERY nice game last night with 2 sacks and the INT return!!!

fast willie looked good - waited for the holes, didn't seem to always be looking for the outside, he is looking like a better back every day!

 

[the_woodster]

come on cowher, let willie parker run for a td in the redzone. i need the fantasy points.

 

[Brickeye]

How about that first touchdown of the year by Tiffin University's own Nate Washington.

 

[elliemae]

How about that first touchdown of the year by Tiffin University's own Nate Washington.

That was REAL NICE on his part!

 

[BuckNutty]

Steelers remember reactions to Sept. 11
"This is bigger than football. This is your country and people are dying."
Monday, September 11, 2006

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Terror struck the Steelers deeply five years ago today, just as it did most Americans, and it changed the way they think, act and contemplate their future.

The Steelers have achieved uncommon success in the five years since terrorists rammed two commercial jetliners into the World Trade Center, another into the Pentagon and one far short of its intended target when a passenger uprising caused it to crash into a field in Somerset County. They've won a Super Bowl, and competed in three AFC championship games.

Coincidentally, the Steelers arrived on a chartered jet from Jacksonville the day before the terrorists attacked, having lost the opening game of the 2001 season to the Jaguars. They will prepare this week to fly to Jacksonville for their second game of the season a week from tonight.

Fullback Dan Kreider was in the training room receiving treatment for a calf injury when the news thundered through the team's UPMC training complex that Tuesday morning, an off day for the players. His thoughts were similar to many players who wandered in and out of the trainer's room that day.

"This is bigger than football," Kreider remembers thinking. "This is your country and people are dying."

Many Steelers weren't here yet, still playing in college, such as linebacker Larry Foote, a senior at Michigan then who remains affected by the events of 9/11 five years later.

Foote worries about the future.

"You know these days are coming to an end, I believe, just watching the news and what's going on. Stuff is just crazy. It's going to be a nasty place at any minute. With all these bombs and poverty going on, people are desperate and they're going to do crazy things."

At the University of Florida, Max Starks remembers precisely where he was when his mother called him with the news.

"I was in my dorm room, Hall 95, room 208. It was a Tuesday. I had a late class so I was sleeping in. About 10 o'clock, I got a phone call from my mom: Wake up, wake up, wake up. A plane just crashed into the World Trade Center."

Starks, drafted by the Steelers in 2004 and their starting right tackle, turned on his television.

"It was an eerie feeling. I thought of my freshman roommate, Carlos Perez, who was from Hoboken, N.J. His brother worked in the World Trade Center. The first thing I did was call Carlos. I said 'Carlos, is your brother OK?' He said 'I can't get through, the phones are jammed.' He was really worried.

"Then, I went to class and nobody could focus on class or anything, so the teachers let us out. We went down to the team meeting room and coach [Steve] Spurrier was talking to us about how we have to practice, just in case they still want us to play the game, but 'I don't think the game will be played just for security reasons.' But we need to go about our day, we can't let this mess us up.

"Right before practice, I got a call from Carlos. His brother was late that day for work and missed it by 15 minutes. That was a blessing. It hit that close to home."

Not all of Starks' acquaintances were so lucky.

He coached a powder-puff football team at Florida State. The father of one of his players was a firefighter who died in the WTC collapse.

"It had an impact on everybody for everyday life, not just mine," Starks said. "You look at airport security, you look at things that changed, what's happened in Britain, how the face of this country is changing, how everything's not as private as it used to be, everything has to be open, it has to be out there. You don't feel you have that privacy or that little bit of alone time because someone's watching.

"You have so many people who are so pessimistic about things. I feel the country used to be so much more open about accepting everybody of all cultures. Now, because of this, you start having more prejudice toward other people, minorities, different faiths, of different ethnic backgrounds because of the stereotypes."

Like many business people, the Steelers must fly on jetliners as part of their profession. Because they fly on charters, they may not have the issues that go with flying commercially, but that does not mean they don't worry.

"You think a little more when you're flying, no question about that," Kreider said.

The fullback, who hails from Amish country in Lancaster County, was uplifted by some of the post-9/11 events, though.

"It says a lot about this country as far as the people who stepped up in New York City. I think there are times other countries think we're a spoiled country, but I believe people are resourceful and when the challenge came, people stepped up."

NOTE -- By releasing rookie running back Patrick Cobbs Friday, the Steelers will not have to send anything to the New England Patriots for the trade that acquired him the previous week. For Cobbs to have cost the Steelers a seventh-round pick in 2007, he would have had to be on the roster for five games or active for three. He was on their roster for one, active for none. The Steelers will learn today whether a team put in a claim for Cobbs. If he clears waivers, they could sign him to their practice squad or he would be free to sign elsewhere.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06254/720871-66.stm

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Steelers' Roethlisberger questionable

ALAN ROBINSON

Associated Press

<!-- begin body-content -->PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher may not decide until this weekend if quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will start Monday night in Jacksonville, even if Roethlisberger already seems to have decided he is playing.
Roethlisberger missed the Steelers' opening 28-17 victory over Miami on Thursday after having an appendectomy on Sept. 3. He is listed as questionable, meaning there is a 50-50 chance he will play against the Jaguars.
The quarterback is convinced he will be ready for the only Monday night game this season for the Super Bowl champions. He threw to some receivers Tuesday, a day the team otherwise did not work out, and has told Cowher he wants to play.
Asked if he thinks Roethlisberger will push hard to get on the field, Cowher said, "Yes."
"The bottom line is making sure he's comfortable, he feels like he can protect himself and he's going out there not thinking about those things," Cowher said. "It's getting the (medical) clearance, dealing with going through the work load and seeing how his body responds to that."
Cowher emphasized Roethlisberger has had a stressful few months medically, with his near-fatal June 12 motorcycle accident and the appendicitis attack less than three months later.
"The kid's been through a lot," Cowher said. "That's the thing that I want to make sure of, that he is comfortable and he feels good about himself. Then we'll make the decision at that point. Again, I'm not ready to say (now), `OK, the doctors say he's OK.'
"He's a very competitive young man, and we'll talk. We have an open dialogue, and we'll go from there."
Roethlisberger is expected to practice Wednesday, the first workout the Steelers will have had in a week. They have an unusually long 11-day break between games, and Cowher said that could be beneficial for Roethlisberger.
"Yes, he needs to practice," Cowher said. "He's not going to sit there and not practice until Monday and then have me say, `Go out and play.' ... We'll see how he feels, see how efficiently he's able to move around."
Roethlisberger sat out a 23-17 overtime loss to Jacksonville last season because of a knee injury. In that loss, backup Tommy Maddox committed four turnovers in one of the worst games by a quarterback in team history.
In the overtime, Maddox not only lost a fumble that likely prevented the Steelers from kicking a decisive field goal, he threw the interception that Rashean Mathis returned 41 yards for the winning score. Maddox was cut by the team in March.
The Steelers got much better play against Miami last week from backup QB Charlie Batch, who threw three touchdown passes in his first season-opening start in five years. Batch, who replaced Maddox as Roethlisberger's backup following that Jacksonville game last year, is 3-0 as a fill-in starter the last two seasons.
<!-- end body-content -->

 

[BuckNutty]

Big Ben questionable for Jaguars game

By Scott Brown
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, September 13, 2006


The forecast for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is apparently as cloudy as the skies that dumped rain on the Steelers' South Side practice facility Tuesday.
Roethlisberger is officially listed as questionable for Monday night's nationally televised game in Jacksonville, and coach Bill Cowher said a decision on Roethlisberger could be made later this week or as late as possible (i.e. right before the 8:30 p.m. kickoff).

The Steelers return to practice today, and Roethlisberger, less than two weeks removed from an emergency appendectomy, will be monitored closely by Cowher and the training staff.

"I want to make sure he's comfortable, and he feels good about himself," Cowher said, adding that Roethlisberger was expected to do some light throwing at the practice facility yesterday. "I'm not ready to say that if the doctors say he is OK (he will play). We have an open dialogue, and we'll go from there."

Cowher may have the luxury of erring on the side of caution when it comes to his franchise quarterback.

Charlie Batch passed for 209 yards and three touchdowns in place of Roethlisberger in the Steelers' opener last Thursday, leading the Steelers to a come-from-behind victory over a team that has Super Bowl aspirations.

As well as he played in the opener, Batch will give way to Roethlisberger as soon as the third-year pro is ready to go.

Whether that will be against another Florida team that has high hopes is anyone's guess at this point, Roethlisberger's coach included.

"It will probably be closer to Friday or Saturday (when a decision is made) before we see how he feels and where he is and kind of go from there," Cowher said.

Cowher was clear on one thing: Roethlisberger will have to practice if he is to play against Jacksonville.

Not that it is that simple for Roethlisberger.

The panoramic view Cowher must take because of a 16-game regular-season schedule may ultimately override Roethlisberger's desire to get back on the field, no matter how well he tells his veteran coach he is feeling.

And knowing how competitive his quarterback is, Cowher figures to watch Roethlisberger as closely as he listens to him over the next couple of days so he can get as accurate a read as possible on him.

"We've talked enough that I have a feel for him and what he feels," Cowher said.

Roethlisberger missed last year's 23-17 overtime loss to the Jaguars at Heinz Field.

Cowher indicated that all Roethlisberger has endured since leading the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl win is one reason why he will not be rushed back into action.

"The bottom line," Cowher said, "is making sure he's comfortable and can protect himself and he's not going out there and thinking about those things."

In addition to Roethlisberger, safety Troy Polamalu (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Monday night's game along with tight end Jerame Tuman (hamstring). Wide receivers Hines Ward (hamstring) and Nate Washington (knee) are listed as probable as is tackle Max Starks (knee).

Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected].

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