What ails the Steelers? I’m not sure but here are a few ideas:

Team Chemistry
There has been a lot of squabbling on this team. Even Hines Ward went to the media to complain about Ben Roethlisberger missing a game due to a concussion. That type of squabbling can unravel a team in a blink of an eye.

Bad Coaching
Mike Tomlin was seen as a great coach last season after leading the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory. But this year, he’s been second-guessed a lot. He also doesn’t seem to have a very strong control of his team at the moment.

Troy Polamalu Injury
We all knew Troy Polamalu was good. But could he be this good? He might. His enthusiasm is contagious and without him, the Steelers seem to go through the motions.

Super Bowl Hangover
Even when the Steelers were 6-2 this season, they weren’t nearly as dominant as last season. Even in the midst of a six-game losing streak, the sense of urgency is invisible.

Big Ben and the Steelers suck right now (Image: Zuma Press)

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What is Wrong with the Steelers?

If Roethlisberger can’t play, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be in a lot of trouble. Not only would they be missing their starting quarterback, but their backup quarterback (Charlie Batch) will miss the game due to a wrist injury. That would leave Dennis Dixon as the starting quarterback.

Considering that the Steelers really need a win this weekend, I fully expect Big Ben to play. He has proven to be a warrior in the past and he’ll be a warrior again. The news that Big Ben might sit out is probably a bit of gamesmanship by the Steelers in an effort to confuse the Baltimore Ravens as much as possible.

As it stands, the Steelers still have to be considered Super Bowl contenders. When they are healthy and hitting on all cylinders, they are one of the best teams in the NFL. But if they are injured — especially if Big Ben is injured — they are definitely vulnerable.

Ben Roethlisberger will likely do what it takes to play (Image: Zuma Press)

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Will Big Ben Play Following Concussion?

To send the Steelers to a 1-0 start, Jeff Reed nailed a 33-yard field goal less than five minutes into overtime. Reed was 2-for-2 on field goals for the game, while Titans kick Rob Bironas hit only one of his three attempts.

Offensively, the Steelers got only 33 rushing yards from their running backs on 22 carries. Roethlisberger, on the other hand, was dominant at times. He finished the contest 33-for-43 for 363 passing yards and one interception. The only blemish on his statistical line were two interception.

Santonio Holmes led Pittburgh’s receivers with nine catches for 131 yards and a touchdown. Hines Ward had eight catches for 103 yards, however he had a fumble late in regulation that gave the Titans life.

For Tennessee, Kerry Collins had 244 yards passing and one touchdown — a 14-yard strike to Justin Gage. Gage finished with seven catches for 78 yards, while rookie Kenny Britt had four catches for 85 yards. The running game was relatively quiet, with Chris Johnson going for 57 yards on 15 carries against the stout Steelers defense.

In Week 2, the Steelers travel to Chicago to play the Bears, while the Titans go home to play the Houston Texans.

Ben Roethlisberger Led the Steelers to Victory (Image: Zuma Press)

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Steelers Top Titans to Start 2009 NFL Season

The 26-year-old who played college football at Virginia has steadily improved in his career. Last season, Miller played in 14 games and had 48 catches for 514 yards and three touchdowns. In each of his four seasons, he has improved his receptions from the previous season.

When Miller isn’t catching passes, he’s regarded as an above average blocking tight end. But there’s no doubt that his ability to catch the ball is his best asset — and that’s exactly why he’s become a Ben Roethlisberger favorite.

As the Steelers try to win back-to-back Super Bowl championships next season, they’ll need Miller to continue improving his play.

Heath Miller - Pittsburgh Steelers Extension (Image: Zuma Press)

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Heath Miller Gets Extension from Steelers

The suit she filed has an unusual twist to it. Along with the sexual assault complaint against Roethlisberger, there is also a libel and slander suit complaint against eight other defendants. The eight others are “reportedly employees at Harrah’s whom the woman accuses of defaming her following the assault and whom McNulty says did not adequately investigate her complaint.”
Roethlisberger’s lawyer says he is innocent.

Image: Zuma Press

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Roethlisberger Accused of Sexual Assault

Ben Roethlisberger is having to deny he has skin cancer because someone on a Facebook account pretending to be him made an announcement that he did. Roethlisberger said, “I get people all the time who come up to me and they actually get really mad because I didn’t talk to them on Facebook or something, or MySpace.” The trouble is, he doesn’t have an account on any of these sites.

I’m not sure how social networking sites can combat this without doing a major overhaul with security.

Image: Zuma Press

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Ben Roethlisberger: NO Skin Cancer

4. Kurt Warner
At 96 years of age, Kurt Warner is the oldest human to play in a Super Bowl. When upright, he’s dangerous. Will the Steelers be able to get him on his back?

3. Ben Roethlisberger
In his last Super Bowl, Ben Roethlisberger was horrible. While technically he has a Super Bowl ring, Pittsburgh won despite of his play. Can Big Ben earn a Super Bowl ring this time around?

2. Larry Fitzgerald
All of a sudden, it’s as if Larry Fitzgerald figured out that he’s really, really good. During these playoffs, when he’s not scoring touchdowns, he’s breaking NFL playoff records. Can he keep it up in the Super Bowl?

1. Anquan Boldin
After the Cardinals qualified for the Super Bowl, Anquan Boldin was in no mood to celebrate. Instead, Boldin was mad that he wasn’t on the field more often. To make matters worse, he skipped out of the locker room soon after the game. Is he going to help the Cardinals or be a distraction?

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Top Five Players to Watch in the Super Bowl

By falling down as he tries to bowl, of course. Don’t worry Steelers fans, it doesn’t appear as he got hurt. Or at least he didn’t get hurt badly enough to stop him from standing back up.

You can watch the Ben Roethlisberger bowling video at the end of this entry. This weekend, you can watch live as Big Ben tries to reclaim the magic that allowed him to win a Super Bowl championship as a wide eyed rookie.

After a very good season last year, Roethlisberger hasn’t been nearly as good this season. He’s had some injury problems — that were non-bowling related — and he’s just made bad decisions at times. Thankfully for him and Steelers Nation, the defense is fantastic and could lead the team to another championship.

Here is the Big Ben bowling video with him falling down in his attempt to throw a strike:

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Ben Roethlisberger Video – Bowling Big Ben