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Don't write off season just yet
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a brief chat with linebacker James Farrior near the end of their 35-7 smackdown Sunday by the Baltimore Ravens. It was a man-to-man talk. It was a captain-to-captain talk. And it wasn't anything like you might imagine.
Roethlisberger did not say: "I'm so sorry I played like this. Throwing three interceptions and losing two fumbles is so unlike me. I never do that against those guys."
Although he could have said just that.
Farrior did not say: "I apologize for our defense. We couldn't stop the run. We couldn't stop the pass. We couldn't stop anything."
Although he, too, could have said it.
No, the conversation was a little more upbeat. At least Roethlisberger meant it to be upbeat. This is his recollection of what he told Farrior:
"There's not much we can do about this game. Let's just make sure we stay together and keep fighting as an offense and a defense. Let's don't let anything come between us. I know we won't."
On the surface, that might not seem like such a good thing.
The star quarterback is worried that a team that went to two of the past three Super Bowls and three of the past six is capable of crumbling after just one loss, awful as it was?
But I don't believe that was Roethlisberger's message to Farrior, their teammates or you. I think he was trying to say the Steelers' leadership is so strong that it will be able to bring the team back from the massive kick to the ego delivered by the Ravens.
"I know [Farrior] will take care of the defensive guys," Roethlisberger said. "We'll take care of the offense. We'll come back from this better and stronger as a team."
I have no reason to doubt the man.
I'm certainly not willing to write off the season after one ridiculously lopsided defeat.
I know what a leader Roethlisberger has become. He played a miserable game Sunday against a team he had owned and had beaten seven consecutive times. But his body language never betrayed him. He knew he couldn't afford to sulk. He knew teammates were watching him.
"I grabbed the offense and told the guys, 'The season isn't won or lost today. The division isn't won or lost today. We just have to regroup,' " Roethlisberger said.
Presumably, Farrior said the same thing to his defense. I know what a leader he is, as well. He's the Steelers' unquestioned leader. The defense was terrible Sunday, allowing Ravens running back Ray Rice to rush for 107 yards and quarterback Joe Flacco to throw for three touchdowns. It didn't force a turnover and had just one sack.
The talk that the defense is getting too old to be effective has started. That's inevitable after this sort of lame performance, especially with eight starters in their 30s. But Farrior won't allow doubt to creep into the minds of the defensive players. I don't suspect there's much chance of that, anyway.
"You guys have been saying we're too old for years," Farrior said of the media. "You keep saying it enough, one of these days you'll be right. I just don't think it's now."
Most of all, I know what a leader coach Mike Tomlin is. His record is 48-24, including postseason games. This was, by far, his worst defeat. Only four other times did he have double-digit losses -- against New England (34-13) in 2007, Tennessee (31-14) in '08 and New Orleans (20-10) and New England (39-26) last season. After each of those games, it was as if it were The Mourning After around here. It seemed like the end of the world. But Tomlin made certain his men regrouped, and they made the playoffs in '07, won the Super Bowl in '08 and got to the Super Bowl last season.
That's why Tomlin won't panic after this loss. He won't allow his players to shrug it off as "just one game," which is a real temptation after this kind of beating. He made them aware of their mistakes Monday afternoon when they gathered at their South Side complex. He'll go about correcting those mistakes this week before the game Sunday at Heinz Field against the Seattle Seahawks.
Is it really that much of a stretch to think Tomlin will bring the Steelers back again?
Not for me.
Not for Ravens coach John Harbaugh. "That's a heck of a football team. I guarantee you, they'll be back."
Certainly, not for Roethlisberger. "I just think this was a bump in the road."
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Tuesday, September 13, 2011
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a brief chat with linebacker James Farrior near the end of their 35-7 smackdown Sunday by the Baltimore Ravens. It was a man-to-man talk. It was a captain-to-captain talk. And it wasn't anything like you might imagine.
Roethlisberger did not say: "I'm so sorry I played like this. Throwing three interceptions and losing two fumbles is so unlike me. I never do that against those guys."
Although he could have said just that.
Farrior did not say: "I apologize for our defense. We couldn't stop the run. We couldn't stop the pass. We couldn't stop anything."
Although he, too, could have said it.
No, the conversation was a little more upbeat. At least Roethlisberger meant it to be upbeat. This is his recollection of what he told Farrior:
"There's not much we can do about this game. Let's just make sure we stay together and keep fighting as an offense and a defense. Let's don't let anything come between us. I know we won't."
On the surface, that might not seem like such a good thing.
The star quarterback is worried that a team that went to two of the past three Super Bowls and three of the past six is capable of crumbling after just one loss, awful as it was?
But I don't believe that was Roethlisberger's message to Farrior, their teammates or you. I think he was trying to say the Steelers' leadership is so strong that it will be able to bring the team back from the massive kick to the ego delivered by the Ravens.
"I know [Farrior] will take care of the defensive guys," Roethlisberger said. "We'll take care of the offense. We'll come back from this better and stronger as a team."
I have no reason to doubt the man.
I'm certainly not willing to write off the season after one ridiculously lopsided defeat.
I know what a leader Roethlisberger has become. He played a miserable game Sunday against a team he had owned and had beaten seven consecutive times. But his body language never betrayed him. He knew he couldn't afford to sulk. He knew teammates were watching him.
"I grabbed the offense and told the guys, 'The season isn't won or lost today. The division isn't won or lost today. We just have to regroup,' " Roethlisberger said.
Presumably, Farrior said the same thing to his defense. I know what a leader he is, as well. He's the Steelers' unquestioned leader. The defense was terrible Sunday, allowing Ravens running back Ray Rice to rush for 107 yards and quarterback Joe Flacco to throw for three touchdowns. It didn't force a turnover and had just one sack.
The talk that the defense is getting too old to be effective has started. That's inevitable after this sort of lame performance, especially with eight starters in their 30s. But Farrior won't allow doubt to creep into the minds of the defensive players. I don't suspect there's much chance of that, anyway.
"You guys have been saying we're too old for years," Farrior said of the media. "You keep saying it enough, one of these days you'll be right. I just don't think it's now."
Most of all, I know what a leader coach Mike Tomlin is. His record is 48-24, including postseason games. This was, by far, his worst defeat. Only four other times did he have double-digit losses -- against New England (34-13) in 2007, Tennessee (31-14) in '08 and New Orleans (20-10) and New England (39-26) last season. After each of those games, it was as if it were The Mourning After around here. It seemed like the end of the world. But Tomlin made certain his men regrouped, and they made the playoffs in '07, won the Super Bowl in '08 and got to the Super Bowl last season.
That's why Tomlin won't panic after this loss. He won't allow his players to shrug it off as "just one game," which is a real temptation after this kind of beating. He made them aware of their mistakes Monday afternoon when they gathered at their South Side complex. He'll go about correcting those mistakes this week before the game Sunday at Heinz Field against the Seattle Seahawks.
Is it really that much of a stretch to think Tomlin will bring the Steelers back again?
Not for me.
Not for Ravens coach John Harbaugh. "That's a heck of a football team. I guarantee you, they'll be back."
Certainly, not for Roethlisberger. "I just think this was a bump in the road."
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