Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers / Image: Zuma Press

Head coach Mike Tomlin talked about Ben’s injury after the game:

“He took a blow, needless to say it was a concussion-oriented thing. I doubted that he was going to come back in the football game. I don’t have, of course, a lot of information in terms of where he is or his level of availability. We’ll have more information as we proceed.”

This type of injuey was bound to happen. Big Ben has already been sacked 30 times this season. And I don’t think it’s possible to calculate how many sacks Ben has avoided. He’s one of the best in the National Football League at shedding would-be tacklers. But this offensive deficiency is not the only reason the Steelers have lost four games. Their special teams hasn’t been very special at all, having given up a kick return for a score in eight consecutive games. Until they get a couple of these areas cleaned up, the Steelers will be lucky to make the playoffs.

Source: NFL.com

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Ben Roethlisberger Injured, Steelers Lose

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

On the surface, Super Bowl XLIII has been touted as the Cardinals offense vs. the Steelers defense. The Cards had the NFL’s 4th best offense (in total yards) and the Steelers had the NFL’s top defense (fewest yards allowed). But there are so many other storylines and, of course, sports writers and fans have spent the past two weeks dissecting all the possibilities.

Certainly, I believe strength against strength is the most intriguing of tonight’s matchups. But, a few others quickly come to mind. I think the Cardinals are a completely different football team when they get off to a quick start (meaning getting an early lead). And they need to have a balanced attack — running the football with Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower to compliment their high-octane passing game that features the NFL’s two best receivers, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, as well as Steve Breaston. I think both teams will have some trick plays up their sleeves. And I wonder about the familiarity of the Cardinals coaches (Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm) with the Steelers defensive personnel — if that will have any affect on the outcome of this game. Those are all things to examine when the game is over. But I believe this Super Bowl boils down to turnovers. And that may sound very obvious, but keep in mind this game is no different than any other NFL game in that regard. If you win the turnover battle, there’s a good chance you’ll win the football game. To say the Cardinals have been an opportunistic defense during this postseason would be a severe understatement. They are an incredible +9 in turnover ratio in three playoff games. They will need to remain disciplined in their assigned responsibilities while trying to force Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger into making mistakes. The Steelers, on the other hand, will focus on forcing Cards QB Kurt Warner into turnovers. Kurt has been known to put the ball on the ground in the face of a frenzied pass rush. Kurt has been outstanding in these playoffs, but you know the Steelers understand his weaknesses and tendencies and will attack them accordingly.

I want to say that defense wins championships — which would lead me to pick the Steelers tonight — but something about Arizona tells me that destiny beats defense. I would be crazy to pick the Cardinals, but…..

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Steelers seek unprecedented sixth Super Bowl title; they won championships after 1974, ’75, ’78, ’79 and 2005 seasons … Steelers lost once in Super Bowl, after 1995 season to Dallas … Before Super Bowl era, they never made a championship game … Mike Tomlin is only third Steelers coach since 1969. Chuck Noll won four Super Bowls before being replaced in 1992 by Bill Cowher, who won one title … Eleven starters remain from 2005 champion, including Super Bowl MVP WR Hines Ward … Latest version of Steel Curtain, led by Defensive Player of Year LB James Harrison, allowed fewest points in league (223), to go with high rankings in yards allowed … Pittsburgh swept Baltimore in three games this season, including AFC championship, to get to Super Bowl … RB Willie Parker has rushed for two touchdowns and 193 yards in two playoff games. His 75-yard run in 21-10 win over Seattle three years ago is longest in Super Bowl history … Cardinals are in first Super Bowl. Their last title was in 1947 while representing Chicago. Their three postseason wins this year surpass previous total for playoffs (2) … Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt was offensive coordinator for Pittsburgh’s 2005 title team. He was passed over for head coaching job when Cowher retired two years ago for Tomlin, and is 1-0 vs. Steelers since … QB Kurt Warner won Super Bowl with Rams and was MVP of game after 1999 season. He was league MVP in ’99 and 2001 and lost Super Bowl to New England in February 2002 … RB Edgerrin James has been reborn in playoffs after losing starting job to rookie Tim Hightower during season. James has 203 yards rushing in playoffs … All-Pro WR Larry Fitzgerald already has set playoff record for yards receiving (419) and has five TD receptions.

Source: NFL Media

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Super Bowl XLIII Preview

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The Pittsburgh Steelers completed their final major practice before Super Bowl XLIII today. The team implemented their gameplan for the Super Bowl last week at their Pittsburgh practice facility. The Wednesday, Thursday and Friday practices this week were mirror workouts of what the team did last week. And head coach Mike Tomlin thinks his team is ready:

“I feel great about our preparation. Of course, you evaluate your preparation by your performance in the game, but I think the guys understand everything they have to do entering the game.”

They’re certainly healthy enough to understand it. All 53 players, including receiver Hines Ward, practiced without restriction in unseasonably cold conditions (55 degrees) for an hour and 50 minutes. The Steelers first-team offense and defense worked on third-and-short, goal-line, red-zone and nickel situations, with piped-in crowd noise at the snap of the ball. As he has done all week, backup quarterback Byron Leftwich did a great job playing the scout team and giving his best Kurt Warner impersonation.

So there is nothing to mention on the injury report. Ben Roethlisberger looked sharp again today after being accused of getting an x-ray on some potentially sore ribs yesterday. ESPN was running the news in their crawler or ticker or whatever you call it — Ben Roethlisberger underwent a second x-ray Wednesday on the rib injury he suffered in the AFC championship game. But I guess it really doesn’t matter because Ben seems just fine.

The Steelers will conclude their practice week with a short walk-through session tomorrow at 10 a.m. before the club changes lodging Saturday afternoon from their Tampa hotel to a private location in the Tampa Bay area to ensure privacy before Sunday’s game.

Thanks to fellow PFWA member Peter King for today’s pool report.

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Steelers Friday Practice Report

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The Pittsburgh Steelers practiced for an hour and 55 minutes this afternoon, mostly in the rain. Receiver Hines Ward, the only Steeler on yesterday’s injury report, practiced for the first time since he was hurt in the AFC Championship game. He ran at perhaps three-quarters speed, but he worked with the regular offense and blocked and caught the ball like he was in mid-season form. At times, the team was working out in a downpour, but it certainly didn’t dampen their spirits. Head coach Mike Tomlin was happy with the effort:

“Much like a lot of our games, we had adversity today. Things very rarely go smoothly for 60 minutes in a game, and they didn’t go smoothly today with the rain. But we got our work done. This is a mentally tough group that smiles in the face of adversity.”

A little bit of controversy started up with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger today. He threw the ball well on short and deep routes during practice, but rumors began circulating that Ben had some x-rays taken. He wouldn’t comment on it and coach Tomlin said he hadn’t heard any such news. Ben did spend some time trying to stretch his mid-torso region, but I’m not sure that qualifies as a “tell” in this situation. For whatever reason, the whole x-ray thing is being kept silent if it did happen. And the only reason it’s being talked about at all is because there isn’t much else that’s considered “newsworthy.”

Today’s injury report showed that Hines Ward had full participation in practice. So, barring any unforeseen developments, the Steelers will play Super Bowl XLIII completely injury free.

Thanks to fellow PFWA member Peter King for today’s pool report.

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Steelers Thursday Practice Report

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The Steelers practiced sans pads for about two hours at the University of South Florida this afternoon. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running back Willie Parker looked sharp. Ben threw several long, tight spirals, including one bullet to receiver Santonio Holmes through the wind. And Willie ran fast and confidently. Head coach Mike Tomlin was pleased but not satisfied:

“It was a good start to our week. We practiced fast, and I thought we practiced aggressively. But it’s like I say to the team after every Wednesday practice: It’s a good start, but we’ve got to be better tomorrow.”

As for hobbled receiver Hines Ward — the only Steelers player on today’s injury report — he walked through some plays with the first-team offense just before practice began at 1:30. Then, at the start of practice, he jogged through a few pass-routes with the regular offense before working out on his own for the next 55 minutes. Hines caught balls from a Juggs machine. Then four cones were laid out in a 10-yard square and he ran 10-yard-incut pass-routes at about half-speed and caught passes. Then he ran sideline-to-sideline at slightly better than half-speed before icing his knee for about 30 minutes. From the looks of how he ran today, Hines won’t be 100 percent Sunday, but there’s little doubt he’ll be in the starting lineup.

Thanks to fellow PFWA member Peter King for today’s pool report.

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Steelers Wednesday Practice Report

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It can’t be easy taking over a National Football League dynasty. But Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is doing a pretty good job of it. In only his second year as head coach of one of the most storied franchises in NFL history, coach Tomlin has piled up an impressive 24 wins. But he knows that winning tonight’s AFC Championship game is merely a job unfinished. After all, this will be the Steelers’ seventh Super Bowl appearance. It’s a proud organization that expects to be in this position every season:

“We are happy to represent the AFC in Tampa, Florida in the Super Bowl. We respect this process. I just told this group that we have miles to go until we sleep. We are excited about trying to meet those challenges and we will prepare like we always do because we have something to do that we intended to address.”

Coach Tomlin may not have much experience (he’s the youngest head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl), but the Steelers have history on their side — five Super Bowl wins are tied for the most with Dallas and San Francisco.

Source: Steelers.com, Photo: Newscom

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Mike Tomlin: ‘We Respect This Process’

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger left this afternoon’s game against the Cleveland Browns (a game the Steelers easily won 31-0) with what appeared to be a pretty serious concussion. He had to be immobilized, his face mask was removed and he was carted off the field. Afterward, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had good news:

“At this point, all tests are negative, which is positive. We are optimistic he is going to be capable of playing. The bye is going to be helpful in regards to that. That is all of the information that I have on his status at this point. Again, it is encouraging.”

In a game that didn’t mean anything as far as playoff positioning was concerned, coach Tomlin has to be second-guessing himself in playing Ben at all. For teams that have already locked up their playoff spot and neither a win nor a loss can change it, it becomes something of a preseason game atmosphere where starters put in a certain amount of time just to keep sharp. The risk of injury, though, is always the potential downside to that plan. So, attention now turns to potential lingering effects with Ben’s injury and whether he’ll really be ready to go in two weeks for the Divisional playoffs.

Source: Steelers.com, Photo: Newscom

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Ben Roethlisberger Suffers Concussion

In a 20-13 win over the Dallas Cowboys today, the Pittsburgh Steelers forced five turnovers, had three sacks, and cornerback Deshea Townsend returned an interception for the game-winning touchdown with less than two minutes to play. The Steelers are holding opponents to less than 11 points per game during their current four-game win streak and this late in the season — when it’s time to play your best football — it appears the Pittsburgh Steelers are hitting their stride with the revival of the 70s “Steel Curtain” defense that finds them statistically first in the NFL in run defense, pass defense and total defense — not to mention fewest points allowed, yards allowed and sacks. Head coach Mike Tomlin was ecstatic after a win that kept the Steelers atop the AFC North at 10-3, a game ahead of Baltimore:

“What a beautiful game; and I mean that. I just told the team that. People get too preoccupied with style points. That was a beautiful football game because we displayed mettle and we hung together. Are we far from perfect? Yes. But this is our football team. Those guys fought, they believed in one another; and they didn’t blink in the face of adversity, most of which was caused by us; but that is life. That gives us something to work on as we move forward; it is great to do that with a victory against a top-notch opponent and it was great to do it in front of our fans. This is December; we will take the W.”

Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is the architect of a group of players that is learning how to intimidate with what is arguably the most unstoppable pass-rushing scheme in the entire NFL. I’m not sure we’re looking at the best defense ever, but it’s certainly a group that has all the pieces in place to win a game against any other team in the National Football League. And that bodes well for the Steelers come playoff time. In a league that favors the offense in every way, defense still wins championships.

Source: Steelers.com

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‘Steel Curtain’ Revival in Pittsburgh

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Pittsburgh Steelers four-time Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu has a point. The increasing number of fines for plays that weren’t even penalized is increasing and could be turning the National Football League, as we have known it, into a kinder, gentler game:

“It’s becoming more and more flag football, two-hand touch. We’ve really lost the essence of what real American football is about. They’re not really concerned about safety, because people have been doing this for… quite a few decades ….. You’ve got to figure out how to tackle people a new way. It’s too much ….. These guys (referring to retired NFL greats Dick Butkus, Jack Lambert, “Mean” Joe Greene, Ronnie Lott and Jack Tatum) really went after people. They were that way because the game was physical. Now, they couldn’t survive in this type of game. They wouldn’t have enough money. They’d be paying fines all the time, and then they’d be suspended for the year after they do it two games in a row. It’s kind of ridiculous ….. I didn’t mean being cheap, but (those who) don’t take anything from anybody. Know what I mean? Joe Greene wouldn’t take anything from anybody. Joey Porter wouldn’t. When people came to our field, they knew this was our home field. Nobody was going to mess with us. That’s the type of attitude I think is really awesome.”

The Steelers believe the $15,000 fines issued to receiver Hines Ward for non-penalized plays on successive weeks were unwarranted. And team chairman Dan Rooney and head coach Mike Tomlin contacted the league about them this week. Troy has not been fined this season.

I can see both sides of the argument. The league is concerned that the ever-increasing size and strength of players may be increasing the risk of serious injuries. And they’re strictly enforcing all contact rules, especially those involving quarterbacks and helmet-to-helmet hits. They want to protect their players. But are they doing so at a price of what made them popular in the first place?

Source: NFL.com, Photo: Newscom

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Troy Polamalu Questions Fines

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The only bad thing I can say about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is that he doesn’t update his blog very often. OK, that and the occasional errant throw. Otherwise, the guy epitomizes Pittsburgh Steelers football — he’s a blue-collar, relentless warrior. With a sprained shoulder, virtually no practice time and an offensive line that’s having trouble protecting him (I’m being kind), Ben stood tall and strong in the pocket — and mobile and athletic out of it — in leading the Steelers to a 26-21 win over the Jacksonville Jags last night. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin takes the good with the bad:

“That’s Ben. Sometimes he holds the ball too long, and the offensive line catches a bad rap for it. But you take the good with the bad because he can step up and deliver the way he delivered tonight. He’s very good at what he does, and the guys have a great deal of belief in him. He delivers time and time again.”

Check the numbers: 26-of-41 passing for 309 yards and three touchdowns. The guy is money. But after receiving a six-figure contract, this is what you do. You play hurt and you play well. It’s called earning your keep. And with a running back by committee structure in-place due to an abundance of injuries (currently featuring Mewelde Moore, Gary Russell and Najeh Davenport), more pressure has been placed on Big Ben. And thus far, he’s shouldering (pun intended) the workload.

Source: Steelers.com, NFL.com, Photo: Newscom

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Ben Roethlisberger Shoulders the Workload