Roethlisberger's comeback ability second to none

[fordfixer]

Roethlisberger's comeback ability second to none
By Scott Brown, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, January 17, 2011
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 18525.html (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_718525.html)

A piece of unsolicited advice to coach Rex Ryan and the New York Jets: Do not, repeat do not, give Ben Roethlisberger a second chance to win a game at the end of it if you want to go to your first Super Bowl since Joe Willie Namath owned Broadway.

The Jets visit the Steelers on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game, and the one thing that stands out about their 22-17 victory at Heinz Field on Dec. 19 is what didn't happen.

Roethlisberger led the Steelers down the field in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter but came up agonizingly short.

That is one of the few times during his career that Roethlisberger has not delivered with the game on the line.

He still threw for 68 yards and rushed for 22 more in leading the Steelers to the Jets' 10-yard line before consecutive incomplete passes ended the Steelers' comeback bid.

The Jets may have vanquished Peyton Manning and Tom Brady on the way to their second consecutive AFC title game. But they don't exactly get a bargain with Roethlisberger, as Ryan noted after his team's stunning 28-21 upset of New England yesterday.

"Now (it's) 'Mission Impossible, Round Three,' " Ryan said.

The Ravens probably wouldn't argue that Ryan laced the Jets' next assignment with some hyperbole, given how the Steelers ended Baltimore's season Saturday.

Roethlisberger led the Steelers on an 11-play, 65-yard touchdown drive after the Ravens had tied the score at 24.

Roethlisberger's 58-yard pass to rookie wide receiver Antonio Brown set up Rashard Mendenhall's 2-yard scoring run.

And it only bolstered the argument that he is as clutch as any quarterback of his generation -- and may go down as one of the greatest gamers of all-time. Remember: Roethlisberger is only 28 years old.

"I have confidence in our guys. It's not just me by any means; all I have to do is throw it," Roethlisberger said of his penchant for late-game heroics. "The guys did a great job of protecting on the long pass play. I just had to throw it up and let them make a play."

Such humility probably wouldn't play too well in Baltimore, where Roethlisberger may be as reviled as Robert Irsay, the owner who moved the beloved Colts from the Charm City to Indianapolis in 1984.

He improved to 9-2 lifetime against the Ravens and again found a way to beat them at the end of a high-stakes game.

Roethlisberger's success against the Ravens is just a reflection of what he has done since going 13-0 as a starter as a rookie during the 2004 regular season -- no quarterback has ever done that in the NFL -- and then leading the Steelers to a Super Bowl title the following year.

"He may not be Brady or all the other guys, but you can't knock the guy for what he has done," Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward said. "He is a proven winner in the playoffs. And me as a player, I am just glad to be a part. When I see him in that huddle, I know I've always got a chance to win a ballgame."

The Jets probably share the same sentiment after watching Roethlisberger nearly snatch a victory from them a month ago.

"He's proven time and time again that he's one of the best quarterbacks in the league," Steelers tight end Heath Miller said. "He doesn't get a lot of respect outside of here, as much as he deserves. Hopefully we can bring home a ring this year to solidify that. Maybe his game isn't as pretty as some of the other quarterbacks who stand in there and throw the ball, but I think he's one of the best at what he does."

[Djfan]

The media is going to swim in poop in a few weeks, because Ben will have as many rings as Marsha. And, no SB losses.

[NW Steeler]

Shhhh....first things first.

[hawaiiansteel]

In crunch time, Steelers rely on Ben Roethlisberger to deliver

Posted on 1/17/2011 1:56:00 PM
By Gary Mihoces, USA TODAY


PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers, in the AFC title game for the fourth time in seven seasons, like to spread credit for that throughout the franchise. But when the clock is ticking and they need one big drive, it is Ben Roethlisberger time.
The seventh-year quarterback has been part of all those runs.

"When I see him in that huddle, I know I've always got a chance to win a ball game," says wide receiver Hines Ward.

Roethlisberger began this season under a four-game suspension for violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy in connection with a sexual assault complaint filed against him in Georgia. Pittsburgh went 3-1 without him but lost in week four here with Charlie Batch at quarterback against the AFC North-rival Baltimore Ravens.

Roethlisberger was back Dec. 5 in Baltimore. Playing with a broken nose, he threw for a late touchdown in Pittsburgh's 13-10 win. That victory ultimately gave the Steelers the division title and home field in Saturday's divisional playoff here against the Ravens.

Saturday, with the season on the line, the Steelers faced third and 19 at their own 38-yard line with just over two minutes left and a game tied 24-24.

Roethlisberger threw deep down the right side to rookie wide receiver Antonio Brown, who pinned the ball against the top of his shoulder pad and helmet for a 58-yard gain to the Baltimore four that set up the winning touchdown run in Pittsburgh's 31-24 victory.

"I have confidence in our guys. It's not just me by any means. All I have to do is throw it," said Roethlisberger, who will face the New England Patriots or New York Jets for the AFC title.

Brown's catch was reminiscent of David Tyree's helmet catch that helped the New York Giants upset the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl XLII after the 2007 season.

But Brown, a sixth-round draft pick from Central Michigan, saluted Roethlisberger: "The ball just landed on my shoulder, man. Ben made a great throw and just stuck it on me."

Pittsburgh's defense played a big role in a comeback from a 21-7 halftime deficit. Baltimore got that lead with the help of defensive end Cory Redding's 13-yard touchdown return of a Roethlisberger fumble, which most everybody on the field except Redding assumed was an incomplete pass.

In the second half, the Steelers allowed 28 net yards, forced three third-quarter turnovers that led to 17 points and sacked quarterback Ravens Joe Flacco four times.

But summing up the winning drive, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin started with Roethlisberger.

"It's Ben. You give this guy an opportunity to snap it, he is capable of producing plays," said Tomlin. " … He has a no-blink mentality."

Before his big pass, Roethlisberger said initial discussion with offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was to try something shorter. "All the receivers were all supposed to do 15-yard stop routes," said Roethlisberger.

He told Arians, "Let's just chuck it deep. If they (intercept), it will be a pick way down there, just as good as a punt."

In Super Bowl XLIII, following the 2008 season, Roethlisberger's six-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left gave Pittsburgh a 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Saturday, his target was Antonio. Santonio is now a Jet.

Roethlisberger has won his last seven starts against Baltimore. The Steelers were 0-3 against Baltimore in that span without him. Beyond the suspension, he missed a game with Baltimore last season due to a concussion and sat out the regular season final in 2007.

Roethlisberger on that 7-0 run: "Luck." Teammates disagree.

"He's a special quarterback," says tight end Heath Miller. " … He's never mentioned among the top quarterbacks for some reason, but I don't know why that's the case. He gets the job done."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football ... vers_N.htm (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2011-01-16-steekers-roethlisberger-delivers_N.htm)

[Stewie]

He's good at comebacks, but let's hope that he doesn't have to show that skill for the rest of the season.

[NW Steeler]

:Agree

Let's get a nice lead on the Jets and bleed the clock dry.

[skyhawk]

What's this? Positive press on Ben?

Blasphemy.

[fordfixer]

Stapleton: Ben Roethlisberger is Pittsburgh's Man of Steel
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
By ART STAPLETON
COLUMNIST
http://www.northjersey.com/sports/01191 ... l?page=all (http://www.northjersey.com/sports/011911_Stapleton_Ben_Roethlisberger_is_Pittsburghs _Man_of_Steel.html?page=all)

FLORHAM PARK – From his size and toughness to an ability to deliver in the clutch, Ben Roethlisberger represents everything Rex Ryan wants in a football player.

Ryan just wouldn’t have him playing quarterback if he were with the Jets.

“I would’ve made him a defensive end when he came out [of college],” Ryan said with a laugh. “Obviously, he has the heart. He’s tough; a competitor. He’s anybody’s kind of quarterback. Anybody would love to have that.”

The challenge of having to beat Roethlisberger and the Steelers twice in five weeks – at Heinz Field both times, no less — is incredibly daunting, especially with the historical implications Sunday night in Pittsburgh.

Then again, after what the Jets have accomplished in thrilling fashion over the past two weekends, nothing is more daunting than what they have overcome.
Gang Green has sent home two sure first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Peyton Manning and Tom Brady by not only coming up with phenomenal defensive game plans, but by perfectly executing them.

Their attention now turns to the Steelers and Roethlisberger.

At 6-foot-5 and 241 pounds, he’s as imposing a roadblock as they come.

Just another future Hall of Famer with Super Bowl bling standing in the way of the Jets and their first Super Bowl since Joe Namath guaranteed victory 42 years ago.

“The guy is a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of football player, one of the two, three biggest challenges in this league, because you can’t prepare for what he naturally does,” Jets defensive lineman Trevor Pryce said. “How do you prepare to tackle a guy as big as a polar bear? How do you prepare for a guy who can flick a ball 50 yards at the drop of a dime? How do you prepare for a guy who can run like he does?

“How do you prepare for someone who wants to win like he wants to win?”

All fair questions, to be sure, yet the Jets somehow have found answers for the seemingly impossible thus far, earning a return trip to the AFC Championship Game.

They beat Manning in his building, avenging their loss from last year’s title game.

They baffled Brady in his building, avenging a humbling loss from last month.

The quest to once again upend Roethlisberger and the Steelers is fueled by a different sort of motivation, considering they came away winners while at their most desperate when they visited Heinz Field on Dec. 19.

If the Jets prevail, punching their ticket to the big game in Dallas, they will become just the third team to topple the top three seeds en route to a Super Bowl, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

And considering the quarterbacks they’ve gone against, all on the road, such a playoff run has the potential of standing alone as the most improbable of all.

“OK, I’ll be honest: I wasn’t wanting Indy to be in there,” Ryan said. “I was like, ‘Oh, great, now we’re playing Indy. All right, we’ll go face [Manning] and see what happens.’ Same thing in New England, [and] now you have Roethlisberger.”

Manning, Brady and Roethlisberger have won a combined six Super Bowls.

Roethlisberger earned two in the first five seasons of his career, the last one coming two years ago.

He was suspended for four games at the start of this season for violation of the league’s personal conduct policy. His image off the field took a greater hit than any he has absorbed between the lines, although he always has seemed to thrive on the physicality of games like no other quarterback in the game today.

“You try to rattle him,” Jets defensive tackle Sione Pouha said. “The problem is that Ben does as much rattling of guys as guys do to him.”

Manning wants little or no part of contact, even though his pocket rarely is threatened.

Brady holds the ball until the last second and releases it just before getting hit.

Roethlisberger would just as soon lower his shoulder and level a pass rusher to buy time for his receivers downfield.

Which basically means all the schemes in the world could be of no help the moment Roethlisberger starts freelancing.

“It’s really street ball,” Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said. “The play doesn’t really start until he gets hit.”

And don’t think for a second Pittsburgh is going to let the Jets do all of the hitting.

“They’ve been pretty consistent about stating their intentions all year, [and] we’ve been pretty consistent about stating ours,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Tuesday in Pittsburgh. “That’s two trains on a track.”

The defense that has eliminated two legendary quarterbacks is on a collision course with a third that refuses to budge, no matter how hard you hit him.
Come Sunday, something has to give.

FLORHAM PARK – From his size and toughness to an ability to deliver in the clutch, Ben Roethlisberger represents everything Rex Ryan wants in a football player.

Ryan just wouldn’t have him playing quarterback if he were with the Jets.

“I would’ve made him a defensive end when he came out [of college],” Ryan said with a laugh. “Obviously, he has the heart. He’s tough; a competitor. He’s anybody’s kind of quarterback. Anybody would love to have that.”

The challenge of having to beat Roethlisberger and the Steelers twice in five weeks – at Heinz Field both times, no less — is incredibly daunting, especially with the historical implications Sunday night in Pittsburgh.

Then again, after what the Jets have accomplished in thrilling fashion over the past two weekends, nothing is more daunting than what they have overcome.
Gang Green has sent home two sure first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Peyton Manning and Tom Brady by not only coming up with phenomenal defensive game plans, but by perfectly executing them.

Their attention now turns to the Steelers and Roethlisberger.

At 6-foot-5 and 241 pounds, he’s as imposing a roadblock as they come.

Just another future Hall of Famer with Super Bowl bling standing in the way of the Jets and their first Super Bowl since Joe Namath guaranteed victory 42 years ago.

“The guy is a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of football player, one of the two, three biggest challenges in this league, because you can’t prepare for what he naturally does,” Jets defensive lineman Trevor Pryce said. “How do you prepare to tackle a guy as big as a polar bear? How do you prepare for a guy who can flick a ball 50 yards at the drop of a dime? How do you prepare for a guy who can run like he does?

“How do you prepare for someone who wants to win like he wants to win?”

All fair questions, to be sure, yet the Jets somehow have found answers for the seemingly impossible thus far, earning a return trip to the AFC Championship Game.

They beat Manning in his building, avenging their loss from last year’s title game.

They baffled Brady in his building, avenging a humbling loss from last month.

The quest to once again upend Roethlisberger and the Steelers is fueled by a different sort of motivation, considering they came away winners while at their most desperate when they visited Heinz Field on Dec. 19.

If the Jets prevail, punching their ticket to the big game in Dallas, they will become just the third team to topple the top three seeds en route to a Super Bowl, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

And considering the quarterbacks they’ve gone against, all on the road, such a playoff run has the potential of standing alone as the most improbable of all.

“OK, I’ll be honest: I wasn’t wanting Indy to be in there,” Ryan said. “I was like, ‘Oh, great, now we’re playing Indy. All right, we’ll go face [Manning] and see what happens.’ Same thing in New England, [and] now you have Roethlisberger.”

Manning, Brady and Roethlisberger have won a combined six Super Bowls.

Roethlisberger earned two in the first five seasons of his career, the last one coming two years ago.

He was suspended for four games at the start of this season for violation of the league’s personal conduct policy. His image off the field took a greater hit than any he has absorbed between the lines, although he always has seemed to thrive on the physicality of games like no other quarterback in the game today.

“You try to rattle him,” Jets defensive tackle Sione Pouha said. “The problem is that Ben does as much rattling of guys as guys do to him.”

Manning wants little or no part of contact, even though his pocket rarely is threatened.

Brady holds the ball until the last second and releases it just before getting hit.

Roethlisberger would just as soon lower his shoulder and level a pass rusher to buy time for his receivers downfield.

Which basically means all the schemes in the world could be of no help the moment Roethlisberger starts freelancing.

“It’s really street ball,” Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said. “The play doesn’t really start until he gets hit.”

And don’t think for a second Pittsburgh is going to let the Jets do all of the hitting.

“They’ve been pretty consistent about stating their intentions all year, [and] we’ve been pretty consistent about stating ours,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Tuesday in Pittsburgh. “That’s two trains on a track.”

The defense that has eliminated two legendary quarterbacks is on a collision course with a third that refuses to budge, no matter how hard you hit him.
Come Sunday, something has to give.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

:Agree

Let's get a nice lead on the Jets and bleed the clock dry.

Serious question - in the few times this year we tried to do that, were we successful? My possibly flawed recollection is that we were more successful in 3 and outs, or if we did happen to get a 1st down it was with at least one incomplete pass in there that stopped the clock.

Thanks -

[hawaiiansteel]

Roethlisberger poses huge problem

FOX Sports SPORTS XCHANGE , J.P. Pelzman
Updated Jan 19, 2011


Trevor Pryce has an idea to help the Jets prepare for brawny Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. It's simple, really.

The problem is it's not exactly feasible.

"The only way you prepare for Big Ben," said Pryce, a Jets defensive lineman who faced Roethlisberger many times while a member of the Ravens, "is if we could bring him in here and let him run our scout team. Then (he would) go back to Pittsburgh and we'll play (Sunday) and we'd have a better feeling for him."

It's doubtful the Steelers will agree to that, so the Jets will find another way for their defense to get ready for Sunday's AFC title game against Pittsburgh at Heinz Field.

Devising schemes to contain the elite passers in the AFC has become a weekly challenge for the Jets.

They only sacked Peyton Manning once and didn't create a turnover, but did an excellent job of keeping the Colts' receivers in front of them in a 17-16 victory at Indianapolis in the wild-card round. Other than a 57-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring, the Colts failed to reach the end zone.

The game plan against Tom Brady on Sunday was decidedly different. The Jets brought relentless pressure from all angles, racking up five sacks and seven quarterback hits. They weren't concerned about yards — Brady threw for 299 with a pair of touchdowns — but focused on taking away the middle of the field and yards after the catch.

Roethlisberger's combination of size and pocket awareness makes him a different challenge altogether.

"You can't prepare for instincts," Pryce said. "It's hard to ask (backup quarterbacks) Kellen (Clemens) and Mark Brunell to act like Big Ben. That's not going to happen. They're not him."

And although backup rookie offensive tackle Vladimir Ducasse's 6-foot-5, 325-pound size might somewhat resemble the 6-5, 241-pound Roethlisberger's bulk, Ducasse probably can't replicate his throwing arm.

Big Ben "can run," said the 290-pound Pryce. "He's as big as their left tackle. I'm big and I've bounced off him many a day. You can't blitz him and those type of things. We have to make him stay in the pocket, but even then he'll kill you."

The Jets were able to limit Roethlisberger somewhat in their 22-17 victory at Heinz Field on Dec. 19. He went 23-for-44 for 264 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions despite being sacked three times.

Cornerback Darrelle Revis helped limit trusted receiver Hines Ward to two catches for 34 yards that day. But depending on the Jets' game plan with their pass rush, Revis could see more time against deep threat Mike Wallace in the rematch.

Nickel back Drew Coleman had two strip-sacks in the Week 15 meeting.

"Drew Coleman, I think, did it best last time," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "He did sack him twice because he knocked the ball out. There was no way Drew was going to get him down. It's like, 'Hey, I think it's a lot easier just to get the ball out.' Maybe that's a strategy we all need to take.

"I would've made (Roethlisberger) a defensive end when he came out (of college)," Ryan said with a laugh. "Obviously, he has the heart. He's tough; a competitor. He's anybody's kind of quarterback. Anybody would love to have that."

Ryan made it clear he very much likes the toughness of his quarterback, Mark Sanchez. But both Pryce and Ryan admitted the Steel-tough Roethlisberger is Ryan's type of player.

"One thousand percent," Pryce said with a smile. "If he was on this team, he'd play outside linebacker. Anytime you get your nose broken like that and go back out there and go win a football game, you're a Rex Ryan guy."

Roethlisberger was suspended for four games at the start of this season for violation of the league's personal conduct policy. But while his image was tarnished, he rebounded with a strong season. Big Ben threw for 3,200 yards and 17 touchdowns with five interceptions, playing all 12 games he was eligible for despite a broken nose and assorted other injuries.

"You try to rattle him," Jets defensive tackle Sione Pouha said. "The problem is that Ben does as much rattling of guys as guys do to him."

"The guy is a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of football player, one of the two, three biggest challenges in this league, because you can't prepare for what he naturally does," Pryce added. "How do you prepare to tackle a guy as big as a polar bear? How do you prepare for a guy who can flick a ball 50 yards at the drop of a dime? How do you prepare for a guy who can run like he does?

"How do you prepare for someone who wants to win like he wants to win?"

Roethlisberger displayed that competitive fire in the previous meeting. The Steelers trailed by five points when they got the ball at their own 8-yard line with 2:08 left. But staring at all that real estate, Roethlisberger almost pulled the game out with a classic drive.

He completed four passes on the drive for a total of 74 yards and had a 22-yard scramble for a first down (but also lost 14 on a strip-sack which he recovered himself). He got the Steelers all the way to the Jets' 10, but threw incomplete on the last three passes. The Jets were helped by some good fortune on the drive, as the officials neglected to cite safety Dwight Lowery for grabbing Emmanuel Sanders' jersey. Had it been called, that penalty would have given Pittsburgh more time, as it would've had a first down at the 8 with 24 seconds left.

"It's really street ball," Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said before that game. "The play doesn't really start until he gets hit."

Ryan and Pettine's game plan against the Patriots was so brilliant that, as Pryce said, "it seemed like we had 15 guys out there."

They may need that many to tackle Roethlisberger in the open field Sunday.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/ben- ... ets-011911 (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/ben-roethlisberger-poses-huge-problem-for-new-york-jets-011911)

[proudpittsburgher]

That is one of the few times during his career that Roethlisberger has not delivered with the game on the line.

Actually, Ben delivered a perfect pass, but unfortunately for us, Matt Spaeth was on the recieving end. Heath Miller in the game and he makes the catch. It was a tough grab, but he hit him in the hands.

[papillon]

That is one of the few times during his career that Roethlisberger has not delivered with the game on the line.

Actually, Ben delivered a perfect pass, but unfortunately for us, Matt Spaeth was on the recieving end. Heath Miller in the game and he makes the catch. It was a tough grab, but he hit him in the hands.

Twice...Just sayin :tt2

Pappy