Ben just grew up today.

[California-Steel]

Very interesting comments in Ben post game conference today.

To me he really slammed BA and his previous play calling. Just listen.
http://www.steelers.com/video-and-audio ... 52d94dbe18 (http://www.steelers.com/video-and-audio/videos/Steelers-post-game-press-conference/4878991e-eacf-4256-9f35-6152d94dbe18#?id=4878991e-eacf-4256-9f35-6152d94dbe18)

And Ben also realized that he has to take what the D gives him and not try to hit home runs all the time. Good to hear this from him.

[Sugar]

I didn't get the impression he slammed BA at all. If anything, he talked about tweaks he's made in his own game to take what was there instead of trying to make it happen all the time.

That's what I saw anyway.

[williar]

He looked like a real QB out there on Sunday. I applaud the way he was getting the ball out of his hands and making good decisions. You could tell he was focused...... One thing I didn't like was the way he was showing up his receivers after a few miscues. I was like, come on Ben. You're having a good day, don't get too cute. And sure after he threw that foolish interception that could have severely changed the game's momentum if that would have gone for a touchdown....

[California-Steel]

I didn't get the impression he slammed BA at all. If anything, he talked about tweaks he's made in his own game to take what was there instead of trying to make it happen all the time.

That's what I saw anyway.
He made it a point to let us know that the plays called most times did not have any underneath stuff. All receivers would be deep. He let us know that the play calling did change and it was for the better. That is pointing out his OC, at least to me that is.

[_SteeL_CurtaiN_]

He made it a point to let us know that the plays called most times did not have any underneath stuff. All receivers would be deep. He let us know that the play calling did change and it was for the better. That is pointing out his OC, at least to me that is.

Which would explain why and how Ben was able to get the ball out of his hands so quickly yesterday. Give him somewhere to go with the ball and maybe he can ya know actually throw it to someone...

[feltdizz]

I didn't get the impression he slammed BA at all. If anything, he talked about tweaks he's made in his own game to take what was there instead of trying to make it happen all the time.

That's what I saw anyway.
He made it a point to let us know that the plays called most times did not have any underneath stuff. All receivers would be deep. He let us know that the play calling did change and it was for the better. That is pointing out his OC, at least to me that is.

reeeeeeeaaaaaaach!!!!! :D

Ben and Arians are tight as hell, lets stop acting like Ben succeeds in spite of BA. They are best of friends. Anyone blaming BA in the passing game is also blaming Ben. BA is Ben's guy.


As far as Ben showing up his WR's who dropped passes.. ITS ABOUT TIME!!! The only way these guys will get it together and remember the HOT reads is if Ben makes sure they do it or suffer the consequences...

calling out bad protection... b!tching out the OL on a 3rd and 1 blown assignment in a lopsided game is what leaders do and it's the only it will get fixed. We saw what happens when Ben takes blame for a bad OL, we saw what happens when Ben doesn't step up and lead... we lose and he ends up getting killed.

[Djfan]

calling out bad protection... b!tching out the OL on a 3rd and 1 blown assignment in a lopsided game is what leaders do and it's the only it will get fixed. We saw what happens when Ben takes blame for a bad OL, we saw what happens when Ben doesn't step up and lead... we lose and he ends up getting killed.


Interesting. You're saying that a good ole boy takes the fall for the blame his team really deserves, but a leader calls them out during the game to make things better? It looks like it worked.

[hawaiiansteel]

Talk that changed nothing was a great conversation

Monday, October 10, 2011
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went to see offensive coordinator Bruce Arians last Monday, the day after the team took a 17-10 licking in Houston. He didn't like some of the things that happened with the offense. He wasn't comfortable with being sacked five times and hurried eight other times, not because of the significant physical toll the hits took, but because he felt like he was hurting the offense by holding the ball too long.

"We had a very candid conversation," Roethlisberger said.

Later that day, Arians sought out Roethlisberger to make sure the quarterback didn't misunderstand his message. He recalled this second talk Sunday: "Don't change. You're the best there is as young as you are. Why should you change because everyone is saying you're getting sacked too much?"

Turns out even the great ones need to be reminded occasionally of just how great they really are.

"It meant a lot coming from him," Roethlisberger said.

Maybe the quarterback and the coordinator should talk more often.

Roethlisberger played one of the best games of his career, throwing five touchdown passes in the Steelers' 38-17 win against the Tennessee Titans at Heinz Field. It was hard to believe he was the same guy who limped out of Houston's Reliant Stadium on crutches, wearing a walking boot on his sprained left foot.

"I'm not the only guy playing with an injury. I'm not going to complain about it," Roethlisberger told a media throng. Later, though, in a quiet moment, he acknowledged the pain was pretty bad. "But I can deal with pain. Once I found out there was no structural damage, I knew I would play. I don't want to let my guys down. I'll be out there until they take me off in a cart ... "

Said Arians, "I wouldn't trade him for anyone for that reason. He's always going to show up and give everything he has."

That was especially important in this game. It wasn't just that the Steelers were coming off the Houston loss and were 2-2. They were playing without injured linebacker James Harrison and defensive linemen Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith, three players who have combined for one NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, 10 Pro Bowls and three team MVP awards. Roethlisberger and the offense needed to be on. They were.

Injured offensive tackle Willie Colon might be Roethlisberger's closest friend on the team. He and defensive end Brett Keisel were in Roethlisberger's wedding this summer. He has seen Roethlisberger play hurt in many games.

"He knows the whole team is on his shoulders," Colon said. "It's going to take a lot to sit him down. He's just so tough. Physically, everyone knows he's an animal. But it's his mental toughness that separates him from other guys."

It helped that Roethlisberger was barely touched by the Titans. By my unofficial count, he was hit as he unloaded a shovel pass to running back Ike Redman in the second quarter and when he was sacked in the third quarter when defensive tackle Jurrell Casey beat right guard Ramon Foster. That's it.

The Steelers offensive line -- ridiculed after the Houston game and all season, really -- bounced back nicely. Left tackle Max Starks, who, as teammate Hines Ward put so eloquently, "was sitting on the couch last week," started and played 62 of 64 snaps. He had to go the distance because backup Jonathan Scott had to take over at right tackle in the second quarter for injured Marcus Gilbert (shoulder). There was more shuffling in the third quarter when center Maurkice Pouncey missed six plays with a minor knee injury. Left guard Doug Legursky jumped in at center with Trai Essex filling in at his guard spot.

"Ben always believes in our unit despite how we're playing," Colon said. "I can't tell you how much that means. He knows every guy in our room would take a bullet for him."

Roethlisberger acknowledged getting rid of the ball quickly, saying he didn't look for the "home run every play." He said he simply took what the Titans defense gave him. "They did a lot of soft zone stuff and that left Heath [Miller] and Hines open underneath. I was able to get them the ball and let them run with it."

Don't be fooled into thinking Roethlisberger has changed. He's still going to go for the home run when he thinks it's there. His final touchdown pass was a 40-yarder to wide receiver Mike Wallace.

"He was very sharp with all his reads," Ward said.

Roethlisberger did throw an interception late in the first half because of a miscommunication with Arians. The original play-call was for Roethlisberger to spike the ball to stop the clock. At the last second, he tried to change to a quick pass to wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who was lined up right with Ward and Wallace. None of the receivers heard that call and cornerback Cortland Finnegan wound up with an easy interception.

"Too bad because that play was open and would have gone a long way," Arians said.

You know it was a good day when that was all Arians had to complain about.

"We ran the ball a lot better and we blocked a lot better," he said. "It was a nice outing for everybody."

Especially for the tough-as-they-come quarterback.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11283/11 ... z1aOqu96e4 (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11283/1181006-87-0.stm#ixzz1aOqu96e4)

[feltdizz]

calling out bad protection... b!tching out the OL on a 3rd and 1 blown assignment in a lopsided game is what leaders do and it's the only it will get fixed. We saw what happens when Ben takes blame for a bad OL, we saw what happens when Ben doesn't step up and lead... we lose and he ends up getting killed.


Interesting. You're saying that a good ole boy takes the fall for the blame his team really deserves, but a leader calls them out during the game to make things better? It looks like it worked.

uhhh yeah, I think. 8)

I may not like getting called out during the game but I sure like stepping up to the challenge during the same game and making up for my mistake. What's the point of waiting until after the game?

I don't think calling out players after every play makes them better but I'm sure our WR's tell Ben they are open after every pass play. WR's are always screaming about getting more touches... and when Ben puts it on your hands and he is in a zone you better catch it. Ben was on fire and I think he was trying to send a message to the detractors and experts (like me) who said our offense stinks.

[fezziwig]

I don't want Ben to change as a QB and his ability to make something out of nothing but, 90 % of the time that is what he does due to need.
I want Ben to take the underneath stuff if that's all there is and I want Ben to air it out given the chance. The only time I want Ben to do his magic when all else fails.
Give Ben the protection and he be better than many could imagine. If it requires three step drops, developing a run game then so be it.
We watched enough games of Ben being a scrapper, winning despite all the sacks and injuries.
I liked what I saw in Ben yesterday and if things get hairy for him at times we know he can handle it. He just shouldn't have to handle play after play, game after game and season after season.


PS. I think it's a reach or pot stirring trying to read between the lines of Bens interview. I wish he would complain about Arians and tell the ass to stop trying to fit the square peg into the round hole.

[NorthCoast]

The fact is he DID change his game and he admitted as much in the post game pc. He said he took the underneath stuff that the defense was giving him.

I just don't understand where the shame is in admitting that he needed to adjust based on circumstances with protection he has not had.

[hawaiiansteel]

The fact is he DID change his game and he admitted as much in the post game pc. He said he took the underneath stuff that the defense was giving him.

I just don't understand where the shame is in admitting that he needed to adjust based on circumstances with protection he has not had.

:Agree


Post-Tennessee notes

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2011
by Dale Lolley


Ben Roethlisberger was off badly on his first two passes, though Mike Wallace somehow came up with the second throw for an 11-yard gain.

You can't blame Roethlisberger, though. He was just so surprised that he actually had a pocket to step up into.

All kidding aside, the offensive line did an outstanding job in pass protection – though running the ball effectively sure did help.

How bout all those play-action and three-step drops?

Tennessee was playing plenty of cover-2 and the Steelers took advantage by working underneath. It's what they should have done at Indianapolis, but had a bad combination of Roethlisberger refusing to throw underneath when it was open or having everybody going deep at other times.

http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/sidelines/

[Chavezz]

I didn't get the impression he slammed BA at all. If anything, he talked about tweaks he's made in his own game to take what was there instead of trying to make it happen all the time.

That's what I saw anyway.
He made it a point to let us know that the plays called most times did not have any underneath stuff. All receivers would be deep. He let us know that the play calling did change and it was for the better. That is pointing out his OC, at least to me that is.

reeeeeeeaaaaaaach!!!!! :D

Ben and Arians are tight as hell, lets stop acting like Ben succeeds in spite of BA. They are best of friends. Anyone blaming BA in the passing game is also blaming Ben. BA is Ben's guy.


As far as Ben showing up his WR's who dropped passes.. ITS ABOUT TIME!!! The only way these guys will get it together and remember the HOT reads is if Ben makes sure they do it or suffer the consequences...

calling out bad protection... b!tching out the OL on a 3rd and 1 blown assignment in a lopsided game is what leaders do and it's the only it will get fixed. We saw what happens when Ben takes blame for a bad OL, we saw what happens when Ben doesn't step up and lead... we lose and he ends up getting killed.

I agree to a certain extent. It's time Ben gets into his lineman and WR's for mistakes. He's been the "the buddy" too often. I don't want to see him turn into a Peyton Manning or a Tom Brady who I think take it to extremes. But getting in to someone who makes a mistake consistently is sometimes needed. And to me it's time he does this.

[hawaiiansteel]

Big Ben wins big by throwing short

Posted: Monday, October 10, 2011
By Mike Bires mbires@timesonline.com

http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/timesonline.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/6/91/691b8d91-08f4-5426-b4c3-54dda27950ef/4e9383844b435.preview-300.jpg

Meet the new Ben?

PITTSBURGH -- Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians claims Ben Roethlisberger hasn't changed the way he plays quarterback. But for one game at least, Roethlisberger was different.

It might be an exaggeration to say it was "dink and dunk" in Sunday's 38-17 win over Tennessee but Roethlisberger definitely threw fewer deep balls than he did the previous two weeks.

Seldom did Roethlisberger stand in the pocket and survey the field as he searched for a receiver. Seldom did he try to buy time by scrambling. For the most part, he took a short drop back and unloaded the football.

According to the official play-by-play book, 29 of the 34 passes Roethlisberger threw were described as "short." Only five were listed as "deep."

By comparison, nine of Roethlisberger's 30 passes last week in a 17-10 loss in Houston went deep. In a 23-20 win at Indianapolis in Week 3, Roethlisberger threw deep on 11 of 37 passes.

"I just tried to approach this game -- mainly not to go for the home run every play," Roethlisberger said. "Sometimes we don't have a choice. The play is called for everyone to go deep and we aren't left with any underneath stuff.

"(On Sunday), I tried getting some of the underneath stuff and focusing on what the defense gave us. They did a lot of soft zone stuff and that left Heath Miller and Hines Ward open underneath. I was able to get them the ball and let them run with it. I tried not to hold onto it ... I think it worked really well."

All things considered, it was Roethlisberger's finest performance of the season. He completed 24-of-34 passes for 228 yards, five touchdowns and a 116.2 passer rating. The five TD throws matched a career high and tied a team record. Roethlisberger's passer rating was his best of the season, eclipsing the 115.7 he posted three weeks ago vs. Seattle.

After the game, Arians was asked if throwing short was the plan due to all the sacks and hits Roethlisberger had absorbed in the first four games.

"No. Never. I don't tell him that," Arians said. "I tell him, ‘Play football the way you play because nobody in the league plays it better than you in your first eight years.' Why would you change how you play just because other people think you get sacked too much?"

But Roethlisberger, hobbling slightly with a sprained left foot, did change. Maybe he was tired of the beating he'd been taking. In the first four games, he was sacked 14 times while losing five fumbles and throwing five interceptions.

But against the Titans, he was sacked once, didn't fumble and threw only one interception. And that pick was a result of a miscommunication between Roethlisberger and his receivers on a third-and-4 call with 12 seconds left in the first half.

"You (media) can characterize it however you want," coach Mike Tomlin said of Roethlisberger's performance. "He had to make the necessary plays and he did."

As far as how his injured foot held up, Roethlisberger said, "Good. We won the game big time, so it feels good."

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/big-b ... b8d0f.html (http://www.timesonline.com/sports/big-ben-wins-big-by-throwing-short/article_c8e2db9e-c2c3-5974-9892-d048ed9b8d0f.html)