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BradshawsHairdresser
11-16-2011, 02:31 PM
Toughness.

No. 7 looms as No. 1 in toughness
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The news out of Houston is not good. Quarterback Matt Schaub has a fractured right foot and will miss the rest of the season. The Texans, who would be the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs if they started today, are left with Matt Leinart -- a first-round draft bust in 2006 -- to guide their team down the stretch.

The news out of Kansas City is not good. Quarterback Matt Cassel could miss the rest of the season with a "significant" right hand injury. The Chiefs, very much alive in the AFC West Division race despite a 4-5 record, must turn to Tyler Palko, who has played sparingly in just four NFL games and thrown 13 passes since leaving Pitt after the '06 season.

The news out of Pittsburgh is not good. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has a broken right thumb and is expected to miss ...

Not one game.

Not one play.

Amazing.

Even Roethlisberger's harshest critics have to admit he is as tough as any NFL player. If you want to call him the toughest, you'll get no argument here. It's hard to say with any certainty that he would keep playing with Schaub's injury or Cassel's. But would you bet against him?

"You know me, if I can be out there, I'll be out there," Roethlisberger often has said. "I'm always going to fight for my guys right up to the time they carry me off on a stretcher."

That happened once. It's surprising it hasn't happened a bunch of times, considering Roethlisberger has been sacked 336 times -- including postseason games -- and hit countless other times in his 7 1/2-year career. In the final regular-season game in '08 against Cleveland, he was carted off with a concussion. You might remember him giving the thumb's up signal with his left arm to the Heinz Field crowd. He played two weeks later in the first playoff game and ended up leading the Steelers to the Super Bowl XLIII title, winning the game in the final seconds with a pretty sweet pass to wide receiver Santonio Holmes at the end of a pretty sweet drive.

Roethlisberger has missed just six of 134 games because of injury or illness. There have been many times when we've wondered how he picked himself up off the ground -- or a hospital bed -- to play:

• In '06, Roethlisberger had an emergency appendectomy and played against the Jacksonville Jaguars 15 days later. Earlier that summer, he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident.

• In '06, Roethlisberger had a concussion against the Atlanta Falcons and played the next week against the Oakland Raiders.

• In '06 -- it was a really tough year -- Roethlisberger was sacked nine times in a game at Baltimore, including once by linebacker Bart Scott, who bragged he could feel the air rushing out of the quarterback's body. Roethlisberger finished that game and still says it was the hardest he has been hit.

• In '10, Roethlisberger broke his right foot in a game at Buffalo and played the next week at Baltimore.

• In that Baltimore game, Roethlisberger broke his nose on a hit by defensive tackle Haloti Ngata early in the first quarter and finished the game, leading the Steelers to a win late in the fourth quarter. "I look like I went 12 rounds with Pacquiao," he said afterward. Much later he said of that night, "What makes me smile about it is I know people from Homestead, McKeesport, places all over the city ... real Steelers fans everywhere were watching and saw the blood all over the place. I hope they said, 'That's our guy. He's one of us. He never came out. He never quit. He's pretty tough.' "

• This season, Roethlisberger was sacked five times -- six if you count a play that was nullified by a penalty -- in the game at Houston. Teammates said they could hear him screaming after a hit on his right knee in the fourth quarter. He hobbled out of the stadium that day on crutches with his left foot in a walking boot. He played the next week against Tennessee and threw five touchdown passes.

It is worth repeating:

Amazing.

Starting with that Tennessee game, Roethlisberger has played the best football of his career. It's no coincidence the Steelers went 5-1 in that stretch to take first place in the AFC North Division. In those six games, he threw for more than 300 yards three times and had 13 touchdown passes with just four interceptions. The loss hardly was his fault; his 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Wallace on a fabulous play late in the fourth quarter against Baltimore Nov. 6 gave the Steelers a 20-16 lead. The defense allowed the Ravens to drive 92 yards for the winning score in the final 2 1/2 minutes.

There's no reason to think Roethlisberger won't be just as effective when the Steelers next play Nov. 27 at Kansas City.

A broken thumb on his throwing hand would stop a lot of quarterbacks.

Not this guy.

Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com. Ron Cook can be heard on the "Vinnie and Cook" show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan. More articles by this author
First published on November 16, 2011 at 12:05 am

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flippy
11-16-2011, 02:35 PM
Only Hines would question his toughness :P

RuthlessBurgher
11-16-2011, 02:41 PM
Only Hines would question his toughness :P

And James Harrison's eye socket. :wink:

hawaiiansteel
11-16-2011, 02:51 PM
Broken thumb not issue for Roethlisberger

By Scott Brown, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, November 16, 2011

http://files.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2011-11-15/1116RoethlisInsideCAP-a.jpg

A broken thumb will keep Ben Roethlisberger off the golf course, but not the football field.

With the Steelers on a bye week, Roethlisberger vows he will be under center when the Steelers return Nov. 27 in Kansas City.

"I'd play this week," Roethlisberger said Tuesday when asked if there's a chance he won't be able to play against the Chiefs.

Roethlisberger hurt his thumb in the third quarter of the Steelers' 24-17 win at Cincinnati last Sunday. He played through the pain and completed all four of his pass attempts on the 81-yard drive that provided the decisive points for the Steelers.

Roethlisberger didn't practice yesterday, and he wore a velcro wrap on his right hand. He said he will wear a splint, at least initially, to protect the thumb. He also will use a glove on his throwing hand the rest of the season.

"It will be painful," Roethlisberger said, "but it takes a lot to keep me out."

Roethlisberger said the injury is similar to the one he sustained in 2005 during a 26-7 loss to Indianapolis.

He didn't miss any games, and the following week Roethlisberger threw for a then career-high 386 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.

"We don't think it's going to be as bad as the last time," Roethlisberger said of the injury. "The first time you break or sprain something, it's really bad. Every time after that, it's supposedly not as bad."

Roethlisberger will spend the bye week at his vacation home near Atlanta, but he will not tee it up as he had hoped.

Roethlisberger is third in the NFL with 2,877 passing yards. He has thrown for at least 200 yards in 18 consecutive regular-season games.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... z1dtMpSADH (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_767493.html#ixzz1dtMpSADH)

feltdizz
11-16-2011, 03:13 PM
That's the great thing about our offensive philosophy.. Ben gets hit so much it isn't a shock to his body like it is to other QB's.

Slapstick
11-16-2011, 03:35 PM
That has very little to do with offensive philosophy and everything to do with Roethlisberger...

RuthlessBurgher
11-16-2011, 04:20 PM
Roethlisberger will spend the bye week at his vacation home near Atlanta

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-cQ5Ki1NTJc/TU2wW59Hq1I/AAAAAAAABAQ/zCTzycuREDE/s320/OhNoNotAgain.gif

hawaiiansteel
11-16-2011, 04:48 PM
Roethlisberger will spend the bye week at his vacation home near Atlanta

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-cQ5Ki1NTJc/TU2wW59Hq1I/AAAAAAAABAQ/zCTzycuREDE/s320/OhNoNotAgain.gif


Ben's new wifey will keep an eye on him this time... :wink:

RuthlessBurgher
11-16-2011, 05:18 PM
Roethlisberger will spend the bye week at his vacation home near Atlanta

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-cQ5Ki1NTJc/TU2wW59Hq1I/AAAAAAAABAQ/zCTzycuREDE/s320/OhNoNotAgain.gif


Ben's new wifey will keep an eye on him this time... :wink:

We sent Willie Colon to protect him last time. We all know how that turned out.

Steelers>NFL
11-16-2011, 05:55 PM
Ben is the toughest QB today.

But as for all time, has to be Lord Favre.

Sugar
11-16-2011, 06:06 PM
Ben is a tough SOB, but he is still just a man. James Harrison is one of the toughest men alive and still got taken out by a freak injury. That's the luck part of the game. Injuries happen and many times it's the teams that are healthiest at the right time that make the run.

feltdizz
11-16-2011, 06:39 PM
Ben is the toughest QB today.

But as for all time, has to be Lord Favre.

Favre was addicted to pain pills and probably cost his team a few victories because he was more worried about a streak then getting healthy.

WindyCitySteel
11-16-2011, 07:12 PM
Steve McNair was pretty tough, too. That sternum thing. Ouch. Bradshaw was no wimp, either.

flippy
11-16-2011, 10:11 PM
Ben is the toughest QB today.

But as for all time, has to be Lord Favre.

I remember hearing stories that Steve McNair couldn't walk between games. They'd literally have to carry him off the plane because he couldn't walk down the steps.

And this would go on for weeks, even entire seasons. Yet that SOB would suit up and play.

I think it's a toss up between Ben and McNair for all time toughest QBs.

WindyCitySteel
11-16-2011, 10:41 PM
That has very little to do with offensive philosophy and everything to do with Roethlisberger...

Eh. Arians sent him on a lot of seven step drops with John Scott protecting his blind side. Amazing how efficient Ben has been since Starks has been back and he doesn't have to worry about being curb stomped as his back foot plants on the last step.

grotonsteel
11-17-2011, 04:44 PM
That has very little to do with offensive philosophy and everything to do with Roethlisberger...

Eh. Arians sent him on a lot of seven step drops with John Scott protecting his blind side. Amazing how efficient Ben has been since Starks has been back and he doesn't have to worry about being curb stomped as his back foot plants on the last step.

:Agree

hawaiiansteel
11-17-2011, 04:47 PM
Roethlisberger brings toughness to Steelers

By Ralph N. Paulk, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, November 17, 2011

http://files.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2011-11-16/1117RoethlisBeCAP-a.jpg

Ben Roethlisberger seemingly thrives on adversity. The Steelers quarterback has been on the field when others probably would spend game day icing stressed muscles or resting aching joints.

In October, Roethlisberger limped onto Heinz Field with an ailing foot to face fired-up Tennessee a week after getting pummeled in a ragged defeat at Houston. The Steelers humbled the Titans, 38-17, even as Roethlisberger hobbled in and out of the huddle.

On Sunday in Cincinnati, he broke his right thumb midway through the third quarter. The Steelers escaped with a 24-17 victory over the Bengals, who had been atop the AFC North.

Roethlisberger orchestrated an 81-yard scoring drive with his most reliable receiver, Hines Ward, on the bench. He did it even though the offensive line allowed the Bengals to sack him five times for the second time in three games.

"Ben is a tough guy mentally and physically," guard Ramon Foster said. "A lot of quarterbacks show their emotions, but with him you might only see a grimace whether he gets hit or breaks a thumb."

Roethlisberger, who has been sacked an AFC-high 31 times, didn't flinch on the winning drive. He took a couple of heavy blows to his banged-up body but maintained his focus.

"The way I play the game, a lot of those sacks are on me," Roethlisberger said Wednesday. "It's my fault because I hold the ball and try to make plays."

Still, until the offensive line discovered some continuity a month ago, it was peppered with criticism. It couldn't run block. It couldn't pass block.

The offensive front is last in the AFC in efficiency. Only St. Louis' line has given up more sacks (32).

Despite those unimpressive numbers, Roethlisberger is having what Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis called "one of his best seasons ever." Roethlisberger needs only 123 passing yards to reach 3,000. His touchdown-to-interception ratio of 16-9 isn't anything to brag about, but he's completing 63.3 percent of his throws, and the Steelers are 7-3 — a surprising start considering they stumbled out of the gate with a 35-7 loss in Baltimore.

"He's just a great quarterback," guard Doug Legursky said. "He's been able to stay calm no matter what happens. If it's successful for him, it's success for our offense."

"I don't make excuses, and I'm not going to complain about anything," Roethlisberger said. "I went in and grab those guys four or five weeks ago and reminded them that I'll always stand up for them."

Roethlisberger has led by example. He has played hurt and shouldered much of the blame when the Steelers came up short.

"After the first game, everyone counted us out," said Roethlisberger, who threw three interceptions and fumbled twice in that loss to the Ravens. "We just laughed because it was too early. We're not sitting where we want to be, but we're in a good spot. We're slowly working our way to the top."

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... z1dzgWgfuq (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_767774.html#ixzz1dzgWgfuq)

skyhawk
11-17-2011, 08:41 PM
Roethlisberger brings toughness to Steelers

By Ralph N. Paulk, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, November 17, 2011

http://files.pittsburghlive.com/photos/2011-11-16/1117RoethlisBeCAP-a.jpg

Ben Roethlisberger seemingly thrives on adversity. The Steelers quarterback has been on the field when others probably would spend game day icing stressed muscles or resting aching joints.

In October, Roethlisberger limped onto Heinz Field with an ailing foot to face fired-up Tennessee a week after getting pummeled in a ragged defeat at Houston. The Steelers humbled the Titans, 38-17, even as Roethlisberger hobbled in and out of the huddle.

On Sunday in Cincinnati, he broke his right thumb midway through the third quarter. The Steelers escaped with a 24-17 victory over the Bengals, who had been atop the AFC North.

Roethlisberger orchestrated an 81-yard scoring drive with his most reliable receiver, Hines Ward, on the bench. He did it even though the offensive line allowed the Bengals to sack him five times for the second time in three games.

"Ben is a tough guy mentally and physically," guard Ramon Foster said. "A lot of quarterbacks show their emotions, but with him you might only see a grimace whether he gets hit or breaks a thumb."

Roethlisberger, who has been sacked an AFC-high 31 times, didn't flinch on the winning drive. He took a couple of heavy blows to his banged-up body but maintained his focus.

"The way I play the game, a lot of those sacks are on me," Roethlisberger said Wednesday. "It's my fault because I hold the ball and try to make plays."

Still, until the offensive line discovered some continuity a month ago, it was peppered with criticism. It couldn't run block. It couldn't pass block.

The offensive front is last in the AFC in efficiency. Only St. Louis' line has given up more sacks (32).

Despite those unimpressive numbers, Roethlisberger is having what Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis called "one of his best seasons ever." Roethlisberger needs only 123 passing yards to reach 3,000. His touchdown-to-interception ratio of 16-9 isn't anything to brag about, but he's completing 63.3 percent of his throws, and the Steelers are 7-3 — a surprising start considering they stumbled out of the gate with a 35-7 loss in Baltimore.

"He's just a great quarterback," guard Doug Legursky said. "He's been able to stay calm no matter what happens. If it's successful for him, it's success for our offense."

"I don't make excuses, and I'm not going to complain about anything," Roethlisberger said. "I went in and grab those guys four or five weeks ago and reminded them that I'll always stand up for them."

Roethlisberger has led by example. He has played hurt and shouldered much of the blame when the Steelers came up short.

"After the first game, everyone counted us out," said Roethlisberger, who threw three interceptions and fumbled twice in that loss to the Ravens. "We just laughed because it was too early. We're not sitting where we want to be, but we're in a good spot. We're slowly working our way to the top."

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... z1dzgWgfuq (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_767774.html#ixzz1dzgWgfuq)

Ben is a winner.

:tt2 :tt2 :tt2 :tt2 :tt2 :tt2 :tt2 :tt2 :tt2 :tt2 :tt2 :tt2 :tt2 :tt2

fezziwig
11-17-2011, 10:16 PM
Ben does play better hurt. If Brady had to endure the punishment, injuries Ben has dealt with over the years you could bet he would need to sit the games out.

hawaiiansteel
11-21-2011, 08:50 PM
Ed: Ben Threw Today for First Time in Week

MONDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2011 WRITTEN BY ED BOUCHETTE


Ben Roethlisberger threw the football today for the first time since his right thumb was broken against Cincinnati Nov. 13 but did not get under center to take snaps from Maurkice Pouncey and did not hand the ball off. He practiced as he said last week he would, with a splint on his broken right thumb and a glove over it.

Here's an interview with the quarterback after practice today:

BEN

On cutler's broken thumb vs. yours

Ben: I don't know exactly to what extent his injury was; to avoid surgery and keep playing is lucky.

Did you wear glove today?

?Ben: I had the splint on with the glove.

Do you throw differently?

Ben: It's definitely different. It hurts first off to just grip the ball. I's something you have to get used to. Coach told me not to go today but I was like I want to get some reps, I want to throw some. I didn't take any under-center snaps. I wanted to take a few reps and at least get a feel for it and get used to it.

on pain

Ben: I doubt it goes away this week but it won't be the first time I played througha little bit of pain.

on last week:

Ben: I got treatment every day on it but other than that, that was about it.

On not numbing it:

Ben: yeah, right, correct. It wouldn't be very smart to numb your hand. It's just dealing with the pain. Adrenalin is one of the best pain medicines there is.

On Cutler hurt making a tackle and your famous tackle in Indy:

Ben: I'm a tackling machine. It's natural. There's no way I could sit there and say, 'I have to make this tackle, oh, wait, Jay got hurt, how do I do this?' No, it's just go after himand get him down. Hopefully, you don't have to make a tackle, that's the first problem.

Will this affect your accuracy?

Ben: I hope not, I'm not the best anyway. It's so early to really tell too much. We're just going to take it day by day and I promise you I'll be out there.

On taking snap from Pouncey:

Ben: I don't want him to have to change who he is. So he'll just do what he does and I'll make the adjustments.

Will you do that half-shotgun formation?

Ben: The Pistol-type thing? Yep. We did a little bit of that today too. We did it in Baltimore when my foot was hurt. At all costs we try to avoid that because it's tougher on the back to see around me. We're trying to avoid that but if that's how we have to get through some practices and plays then we'll do that.

On handoffs, can they be a problem?

Ben: It can. We didn't do any of that today either. It's one of those ones if I do feel [it's a problem] I'll just hand off with my left hand all the time.

Even a dive off your left?

Ben: Yup. Or we won't call that play.

On Tyler Palko, with KC, you know much about him?

Ben: Just from his time here. Great competitor. A guy that really puts the work in and is a good playerwho wants to be good, wants to be the best. The time he was out here he was always competing and I'd say that's one of his best qualities.

Ben: On Antonio Brown becoming a third-down target:

A lot of that goes back to Mike. A lot of that is people are rolling over Mike and we put Antonio on a spot on the backside where he's running the backside position and he's singled up alot, and when you get single coverage and you have a guy as talented as he is, with body control, with his hands, he has speed to run deep -- so it's not likehe'sjust a slow guy who can't threaten people deep. He just has a lot of tools and he puts in the extra work. If you watch us during practice, he's constantly by my side. I don't want to say this in a negative way but he's like a gnat, he's just always right there. And it's good because he's coming asking, 'OK, Ben on this play how do you want me to do this? Do youwant me to do this?' And I think that's awesome because I know where he's going to be, he knows where I want him to be. And that's one of the biggest reasons I think we've been so successful on third down in that backside is because of the extra communication that he puts in and we put in together.

Just knowing each other now. It helps, even today when I wasn't doing much, he came to me and wanted to talk about one particular route -- 'If a guy is behind me here what do you want me to do here?' Those little things are huge, that he wants to be great.

http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/inde ... me-in-week (http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/pro-sports/steelers/113392-ed-ben-threw-today-for-first-time-in-week)