Tag: Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger: Might be time for Steelers, Mike Tomlin to part ways

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger said Wednesday that it could be time for coach Mike Tomlin to depart Pittsburgh.

Roethlisberger stated on his podcast that Tomlin would be better off with a new job and the Steelers just might benefit with a new head coach.

Tomlin is in his 19th season as Pittsburgh coach. Roethlisberger was the quarterback for 15 of those seasons and played his entire 18-year career with the Steelers.

Roethlisberger even suggested the Penn State college coaching vacancy as something that might fit Tomlin, who has a record of 189-113-2 (.625) as a head coach, 8-11 in the postseason, including the Super Bowl title in 2008.

“It’s being talked about around here a lot: Maybe it’s a clean-house time. Maybe it’s time,” Roethlisberger said. “I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin. But maybe it’s best for him, too. Maybe a fresh start for him is what’s best. Whether that’s in the pros, maybe go be Penn State’s head coach. You know what he would do in Penn State? He would probably go win national championships. Because he’s a great recruiter.”

The Steelers (6-6) have lost five of their last seven games after a 4-1 start despite having four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers as quarterback. Pittsburgh is tied for first place in the AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens.

The Steelers visit Baltimore on Sunday.

Roethlisberger said he doesn’t want to see Pittsburgh fire Tomlin. He feels it’s best to seek a split where both sides can start over.

“Here’s what you don’t do: You don’t fire a guy like Coach Tomlin,” Roethlisberger said. “He’s a Hall of Fame head coach, he’s respected. What you do is you come to an understanding and agreement, and it’s like, ‘Hey, listen, I think it’s probably best for both of us.’”

The Steelers have dropped six straight playoff games, starting with a loss to the New England Patriots in the 2016 season AFC Championship Game.

A 13-win Pittsburgh team was upset by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the following’s season divisional round and the Steelers have gone down in the wild-card round on four occasions, including last season’s 28-14 loss to the Ravens with Russell Wilson as quarterback.

Roethlisberger pointed out the Steelers have seen longstanding coaches go before. Chuck Noll was on the job for 23 seasons before Bill Cowher spent 15 seasons in Pittsburgh prior to Tomlin.

“You go, ‘Hey, coach, listen, it’s probably best for all parties involved, let’s start over.’ It happened with Chuck Noll, it happened with Coach Cowher,” Roethlisberger said. “Coach Tomlin’s been here a long time. You’d give him a statue, whatever you’ve got to do, because he deserves it, he’s earned it. But it’s time to find that next guy. Who’s that next guy that could be here for the next 20 years?”

Roethlisberger mentioned how the Philadelphia Eagles faced a similar fork with Andy Reid as coach. The two parted ways after the 2012 season after 14 seasons and no Super Bowl titles.

The Eagles have since won two crowns and Reid has won three as coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I think he might say it’s time for a fresh start,” Roethlisberger said of Tomlin. “Andy Reid, when he got let go in Philadelphia … do you think he for one minute regrets it? And now the Eagles have won since he left, and he’s won.”

The Steelers last won the Super Bowl in the 2008 season when Roethlisberger was quarterback and Tomlin was in his second campaign as head coach. Roethlisberger also won the Super Bowl in the 2005 season when Cowher was head coach.

Roethlisberger passed for 64,088 yards, 418 touchdowns and 211 interceptions in 249 games (247 starts) with Pittsburgh. He stands sixth in career passing yards, eighth in career touchdown passes and was a six-time Pro Bowl selection.

–Field Level Media

Oct 28, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Sr. waves the Terrible Towel before a game against the New York Giants at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Steelers to honor Ben Roethlisberger, Maurkice Pouncey, Joey Porter Sr.

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ben Roethlisberger, Maurkice Pouncey and Joey Porter Sr. will be inducted into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Hall of Honor at halftime of a Dec. 15 “Monday Night Football” game against the visiting Miami Dolphins.

Pouncey was the center for star quarterback Roethlisberger for 11 seasons from 2010-20 while Porter was a stellar linebacker for Pittsburgh from 1999-2006. Roethlisberger played for the Steelers from 2004-21 and guided the squad to two Super Bowl victories.

“It’s special,” Steelers President Art Rooney II said in a news release. “Just to welcome a group of guys that mean so much to Steelers football, mean so to our fans. These three guys made a difference for us over the course of their careers. This group is a pretty special group and belong in there with the rest of them.”

Porter was in attendance for the announcement, made Saturday at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa.

“It’s called the Hall of Honor for a reason,” Porter said. “It’s an honor to be in it. To be mentioned with all the guys that played before that are in the Hall of Honor is special. Being in Pittsburgh, you know the tradition of what it means to play for the Steelers.

“So just to be always mentioned amongst the greats, that’s what makes it amazing. It’s an honor.”

Porter is the son of current Pittsburgh cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

The elder Porter was a three-time Pro Bowl pick and won a Super Bowl during his team with the Steelers.

Roethlisberger was a six-time Pro Bowl selection. He holds or shares at least 52 franchise regular-season records and 18 postseason marks.

Pouncey spent his entire career with the Steelers and was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection.

–Field Level Media

Nov 13, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (left) greets safety Terrell Edmunds (right) before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Ben Roethlisberger criticizes Steelers, coach Mike Tomlin

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Former Pittsburgh Steelers star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger does not have a glowing review of how his former team performed in its last game.

And one of his targets is Mike Tomlin, who was Roethlisberger’s head coach for the final 15 seasons of Big Ben’s 18-year career.

Roethlisberger couldn’t believe Tomlin called two timeouts early in the fourth quarter during a 21-18 loss to the hapless New England Patriots last Thursday night.

“You can’t afford in the second half of games to burn silly timeouts and to not have them late in the game,” Roethlisberger said on his podcast, “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.” “To me, that’s bad coaching.”

Pittsburgh’s late bid to force overtime against the Patriots lasted two plays as the clock ran out with Pittsburgh in possession of the ball at the New England 42-yard line.

Roethlisberger felt if the Steelers had done a better job of time management with the timeouts, they might have had a chance at a tying field goal.

“There’s some feel you have to have in those situations because timeouts can be so valuable, as we saw in this game,” Roethlisberger said. “If we have one more timeout there, we get a completion, we can work the middle of the field and all you got to do is give (Chris Boswell) a 60-yard chance. Give him a chance and he’ll tie the game. I like my chances in overtime because they scored all their points early and the momentum had shifted.”

The Steelers (7-6) have lost three of four games and are fighting for a playoff spot. If they miss out, it will be two straight seasons of no playoffs in the post-Roethlisberger era.

During Roethlisberger’s career, Pittsburgh never finished below .500 and made the playoffs in 12 of 19 seasons. The Steelers won Super Bowls following the 2005 and 2008 seasons.

Now Roethlisberger wonders this: “Maybe the tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers is done.”

He definitely doesn’t like what he’s seeing.

“I understand the further you get away from that, the harder it is unless it’s being passed down and carried the right way,” Roethlisberger said. “It just feels like that’s something that’s been lost on this team. I’ve felt that certain guys on the team aren’t in it for the team, they’re in it for themselves. Well, now some of the guys on the team are saying the same thing.”

The Steelers are in third place in the AFC North and one of six teams in the AFC with a 7-6 record.

Pittsburgh visits the Indianapolis Colts — another 7-6 team — on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Jul 23, 2021; Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) talks with defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) before drills during training camp at the Rooney UPMC Sports Performance Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Cameron Heyward takes offense to Big Ben’s jab at current players

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Pittsburgh Steelers captain Cameron Heyward didn’t take too kindly to former teammate Ben Roethlisberger’s recent claim that too many current NFL players are “coddled” and have a “me-type attitude.”

Roethlisberger’s comments were published Friday by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“The team was so important,” Roethlisberger said, referring to his first few seasons with the Steelers. “It was all about the team. Now, it’s about me and this, that and the other.

“I might be standing on a soapbox a little bit, but that’s my biggest takeaway from when I started to the end. It turned from a team-first to a me-type attitude. It was hard. It’s hard for these young guys, too. Social media. They’re treated so well in college. Now, this new NIL stuff, which is unbelievable. They’re treated so special. They’re coddled at a young age because college coaches need them to win, too. I know (former Miami of Ohio coach Terry) Hoeppner never coddled me. Neither did (former Steelers coach Bill) Cowher.”

Heyward, 33, was teammates with Roethlisberger from 2011 until the latter retired at the end of last season. The five-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman admitted to being upset upon hearing the words of the former quarterback.

“It looks as though we are looked at as selfish players, and I don’t think that’s the point,” he said on the “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” podcast. “We have a lot of young players that come from different backgrounds, have experienced different things from what others or I may have experienced. That doesn’t make them selfish or more of a me-type attitude. … There are a lot more team-first guys than me-type attitude. I took offense to that.”

Heyward made it clear that he wasn’t throwing shade at Roethlisberger.

“Don’t say Cam is calling out Ben — it’s not like that,” Heyward said. “But I will say, I’ll protect my team. I will make sure that everybody knows that we care only about football on the field and less about off the field. We can all understand Ben has been a heck of a QB. You don’t do this game and become a Hall of Fame quarterback and do it at a low level.

“Ben has taken some hits not a lot of other teams could do. He saved us, he won games we weren’t supposed to win, and he’s always stepped up. But it was the team around him that helped him do it, and I don’t want anyone to ever forget that the whole team won — not just Ben.”

Roethlisberger, 40, moved into fifth place on the NFL’s all-time passing yards list on Dec. 19.

The six-time Pro Bowl selection played his entire 18-year career in Pittsburgh, and he owns most of the franchise’s passing records, including completions (5,440), yards (64,088) and touchdowns (418). He led the Steelers to two Super Bowl victories.

–Field Level Media

Jan 16, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) warms up before an AFC Wild Card playoff football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Steelers GM getting close look at 2022 QB class

Posted on | by Field Level Media

In Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins we trust.

This has been the company line since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger left the Pittsburgh Steelers in a relative no-man’s land at quarterback.

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine there are starting-caliber quarterbacks available in the 2022 NFL Draft. But he also said the Steelers aren’t fretting the potential reality of playing the veterans on the roster.

Colbert witnessed multiple games played by Field Level Media’s top-ranked quarterback in the draft, Pitt’s Kenny Pickett. The team also spent time at the Senior Bowl with Liberty quarterback Malik Willis.

There are also veteran free agents who could be available, or trade targets at the position, whom the Steelers are vetting.

“We won’t narrow it to any one place, never have, never will,” Colbert said Tuesday in Indianapolis. “Quarterback is obviously a huge position in any given season, especially this season with our Hall of Fame quarterback calling it a career. Is it different this year? Yes. Is it going to change how we approach things? No. We have two vets in Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins who have started NFL games … and they’ve won games. We think we have two capable NFL quarterbacks. How we’ll add to that I can’t say.”

Beyond the quarterback position, a number of roster-build scenarios could play out for Pittsburgh, depending on the results of free agency. One of the team’s priorities has been to engage JuJu Smith-Schuster, who returned to the team in 2021 on a one-year deal.

“JuJu did a great comeback from the shoulder injury that he suffered,” Colbert said. “Much to our surprise, he was available to us late in the season as well as the playoff game. We commend him for doing that and putting his free agent thoughts aside and helping us win a playoff game. We take that into account. JuJu has been a great player for us.”

Colbert said he didn’t pause before endorsing the addition of Brian Flores to the coaching staff. Flores has a pending lawsuit against the NFL. Colbert said the litigation wasn’t a factor, but Flores’ resume was.

“Brian Flores has been a successful NFL head coach and defensive coordinator, and I was excited to have him,” he said. “As I mentioned to coach Flores when he first came into the office, I really like his background because he started out on the personnel (side).”

–Field Level Media

Nov 14, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) passes against the Detroit Lions during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Tomlin: Steelers will consider all options to find new starting QB

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Pittsburgh Steelers have known who their quarterback was for most of the past 18 seasons.

But with Ben Roethlisberger expected to announce his retirement, there suddenly is plenty of uncertainty over the team’s quarterback position.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday the team will consider a variety of options in which to find their new starting quarterback. Tomlin said he and general manager Kevin Colbert will discuss whether to proceed forward with an internal option, acquire a signal-caller via trade or free agency or select one in the NFL draft.

“All options are on the table,” Tomlin said during a media briefing two days after Pittsburgh’s season ended with a 42-21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC wild-card game. “I enjoy working with Kevin this time of year because we speak plain English. We have to improve our football team. There’s two major ways you do it. You do it to free agency, and you do it through the draft.

“We have to look at what’s available to us in the draft positionally. And we have to look at what’s available to us, potentially, in free agency, positionally, and then we kind of bring those two discussions together. And it kind of gives us a path in which to go about addressing our needs.”

Replacing a future Hall of Famer like the 39-year-old Roethlisberger doesn’t seem insurmountable to Tomlin.

“I’m excited about that — that challenge,” Tomlin said. “Those of us that are competitors are. It’s a challenge, man. It kind of makes you uneasy. But I’ve learned to run to those challenges. I’ve learned to appreciate those challenges. The uncertainty surrounding them is inspiring to me in terms of producing work.”

One veteran quarterback who may be available via trade is Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks. Quarterbacks who could become free agents include Jameis Winston, Teddy Bridgewater, Andy Dalton and Nick Foles.

The internal options are Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins.

Rudolph is 5-4-1 in 10 starts over the past three seasons. Eight of those starts came in 2019 after Roethlisberger sustained a season-ending elbow injury. Rudolph passed for 1,765 yards, 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions that year.

Haskins didn’t see any action for the Steelers this season. He went 3-10 as a starter over the previous two seasons for Washington before being released late in the 2020 campaign. He passed for 2,804 yards, 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

“Mason and Dwayne have had their moments, but they’ll have to prove that,” Tomlin said about the possibility one of them could be the team’s next starter. “And not only in the team development process but through playing itself. They’re guys that start that I wouldn’t characterize as every-day starters. And so they’ll be given an opportunity to establish themselves, and there’s going to be competition. There always is.

“I think that both guys have positioned themselves to fight that fight with what they’ve done from a work standpoint and a professionalism standpoint in 2021.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 26, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Steelers battle Browns in Ben Roethlisberger’s possible home finale

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns are long shots that need a multitude of things to go right if they are to crack the AFC playoff field.

By the time the two AFC North rivals meet on Monday night in Pittsburgh, it will be an elimination game with the loser surely out of the mix and the winner facing slim odds to land one of the conference’s seven playoff spots.

The Steelers (7-7-1) enter the weekend with the 11th-best record in the AFC, while the Browns (7-8) hold the 12th position. In the AFC North, the Cincinnati Bengals (9-6) are in the lead and the Baltimore Ravens (8-7) hold second place.

Making the situation dire is that six AFC teams already have at least nine victories and four others possess eight wins.

Adding to the atmosphere is the possibility that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be starting the final home game of his career.

The two-time Super Bowl champion is in the homestretch of his 18th season and can feel the clock ticking on his time in Pittsburgh.

“Looking at the bigger picture, I would say that all signs are pointing to this could be it,” the 39-year-old veteran said Thursday. “Regular season, that is — I know we still have a chance to potentially get a playoff game there if things fall our way and we take care of business and things have to happen.”

Roethlisberger ranks fifth in NFL history with 63,721 passing yards and eighth with 416 passing touchdowns. This season, he has passed for 3,373 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

With the crucial game looming, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who arrived in 2007, wasn’t ready to take a full trip down memory lane.

“To be honest with you, we don’t have enough time,” Tomlin said. “I mean, I’ve experienced 15 years of Hall of Fame-caliber play as it pertains to Ben. My focus and his focus this week is this game and preparing for this game and performing well in this game.

“I’m sure there will be an appropriate time in the future where I’ll get an opportunity to sing his praises, and I will gladly do so.”

Tomlin’s attention is on getting the Steelers out of a funk that has seen them go 2-4-1 over the past seven games. The Browns can relate, as they have dropped two straight contests and three of their past four.

Each of Cleveland’s last two defeats was by two points — to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15 and to Green Bay Packers last week.

Three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Myles Garrett (career-best 15 sacks) is highly aggravated over his team’s plight.

“If you’re a Browns fan, you’re frustrated,” Garrett said. “If you’re a Browns player, you’re frustrated. If you have anything to do with us, you know that. We’ve had chances, we just haven’t converted or capitalized. I can’t tell you how frustrated we are or I am.”

Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield has come under fire for a subpar season in which he has 15 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions. Mayfield was picked off four times in the loss at Green Bay, and his wife, Emily, said her husband received death threats after the contest.

Baker Mayfield also has been booed at home for the first time in his four-year NFL career.

“There have been a lot of firsts for me this year, but that comes with the territory of the position that I’m in,” Mayfield said on Thursday. “I have to handle it the best I possibly can.”

Mayfield passed for 225 yards in a 15-10 loss to the Steelers on Oct. 31, when Pittsburgh scored the final 12 points. Roethlisberger passed for 266 yards and the go-ahead touchdown.

Cleveland activated four players from the COVID-19 protocol on Thursday, including center JC Tretter. Garrett (groin) was a limited practice participant while running back Kareem Hunt (ankle) was among the Browns who sat out.

For Pittsburgh, tight end Pat Freiermuth (concussion) was a full practice participant Thursday, but defensive end Chris Wormley (groin) missed the session. Both players sat out last week’s 36-10 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

–Field Level Media

Dec 5, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) signals they will go for two points against the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. They converted and won the game 20-19. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Ben Roethlisberger to address playing status after season

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger plans to discuss his playing status after this season.

Roethlisberger addressed the situation — well, somewhat — after Pittsburgh’s 20-19 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The topic was on the table after an ESPN report circulated that the 39-year-old had told some former teammates and those within the organization that he expects the 2021 season to be his last.

“I haven’t told everybody that, no,” Roethlisberger said. “Honestly, we just got done with this game, I’m exhausted. We play in a couple hours, it feels like. That’s my focus. My focus is on Minnesota and what we have to do to get ready.

“I’ll address any of that stuff after the season. I’ve always been a one-game-at-a-time, one-season-at-a-time person. I’m going to stay that way.”

Coach Mike Tomlin scoffed at the notion that Roethlisberger’s situation is a distraction for the Steelers (6-5-1).

“Ben doesn’t allow it to become an issue,” Tomlin said. “Ben has been pretty solid in terms of his expressions that he’s singularly focused on what we’re doing now. He’ll deal with those things on the other side of his journey, and I’m with him on it. So it’s not a distraction. I thought it was funny that it was seemingly a story this weekend, to be honest with you.”

Roethlisberger has played his entire 18-year career in Pittsburgh, and he owns most of the franchise’s passing records, including completions (5,319), yards (63,106) and touchdowns (412).

The six-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion has had one of his least productive seasons as a pro in 2021, throwing for 2,758 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Jul 22, 2021; Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7 ) talks with head coach Mike Tomlin (right) during training camp at the Rooney UPMC Sports Performance Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Tomlin: Ben Roethlisberger is best QB for Steelers

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin came to the defense of struggling quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on Tuesday.

When asked if the 39-year-old Roethlisberger is the best quarterback for the offense, Tomlin was quick with a response.

“Absolutely. What he does and what he’s done makes me really comfortable in saying that,” Tomlin said.

Tomlin also noted that Roethlisberger “has some hip issues” following Pittsburgh’s 27-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The six-time Pro Bowl quarterback also sustained a left pectoral injury following a 26-17 setback to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 19.

Roethlisberger has thrown for 1,033 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions in four games for the Steelers (1-3), who have mustered just five offensive scores this season.

“It’s him some, it’s us collectively some,” Tomlin said. “We’re not looking to make excuses. We’ve had some big-play opportunities, we haven’t cashed in on them, and we need to cash in on them. They’re a big component to moving the ball and scoring, particularly when you’re not working as efficiently as you’d like on possession downs, which we aren’t. Chunk plays eliminate a lot of execution.”

Roethlisberger is playing in his 18th season in the NFL after signing a restructured contract that included a pay cut over the offseason. He’s spent the entirety of his pro career in Pittsburgh and won two Super Bowls with the Steelers.

Mason Rudolph and former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins are Tomlin’s other options at quarterback.

Rudolph, 26, has thrown for 2,089 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 15 career games with the Steelers. He was selected by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Haskins, a 2019 first-round pick of the Washington Football Team out of Ohio State, was released last year in his second season with the team due to a combination of poor performance and a lack of professionalism.

Haskins, 24, signed a one-year deal with the Steelers in January.

He has completed 60.1 percent (267 of 444) of his passes for 2,804 yards with 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 16 career games (13 starts).

–Field Level Media

Sep 19, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger throws to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster before they play the Las Vegas Raiders at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Big Ben’s status unclear as Steelers prep for Bengals

Posted on | by Field Level Media

For 17 years, Ben Roethlisberger has been an obstacle the Bengals have seldom been able to get past. Whether the quarterback will be barring the way again remains in question as the Pittsburgh Steelers host Cincinnati at Heinz Field on Sunday.

Roethlisberger suffered a left pectoral injury during the Steelers’ Week 2 home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. On Wednesday, Roethlisberger stayed in street clothes, didn’t participate in practice and admitted he hasn’t thrown a ball since that loss. But he also didn’t discount his chances to start.

“Today’s only Wednesday,” said Roethlisberger, who has thrown for 483 yards during the Steelers’ 1-1 start but also took 10 hits against the Raiders. “We have a lot of time to get ready to go.”

Cincinnati (1-1) is counting on facing Big Ben.

“We’re gonna prepare for their guys to play,” said Bengals coach Zac Taylor. “If they don’t, they have really good guys in place behind them.”

No one is behind in the AFC North, where all four teams have 1-1 records. That sets up the Bengals’ trip to Pittsburgh as a big early-season swing game inside the division. Cincinnati won an overtime game in Week 1, then lost a close game at Chicago in Week 2 after four turnovers — including three interceptions on three consecutive throws by Joe Burrow.

The second-year quarterback said he’s already put it in the past.

“Those guys get paid on defense too,” Burrow said. “You just put it behind you and move on to the next one.”

Burrow has been sacked nine times in just two games, second-most in the NFL, and the Bengals may try to offer more protection by leaning on running back Joe Mixon (196 rushing yards) against a defense that prioritizes getting to the QB. But Cincinnati’s plans often go awry at Pittsburgh, where it hasn’t won since 2015.

The Bengals snapped a 10-game losing skid to the Steelers in the second meeting last season, a 27-17 win in Cincy. But Roethlisberger is 24-8 in his career against this divisional rival; the win total is tied for the highest in the 39-year old’s career against a single team.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin didn’t sound concerned about Roethlisberger on Monday. Instead, his focus was on the first divisional matchup of the season.

“We got a hot kitchen this weekend in Pittsburgh. AFC North ball,” Tomlin said. “This is a coach’s week. We’ve got to work.”

Typically “AFC North ball” involves strong defense and a running game. The rushing attack hasn’t yet materialized for Pittsburgh with rookie first-round pick running back Najee Harris held to just 3.2 yards per carry in his first two NFL games. Pittsburgh enters last in the NFL with 57.0 rushing yards per game.

The Steelers will also be working to shore up a dinged-up defense. Outside linebacker T.J. Watt, with his team-leading 3.0 sacks, was limited by a groin injury on Wednesday, as were cornerbacks Joe Haden (groin) and Justin Layne (Achilles). Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith (groin), defensive end Carlos Davis (knee), and receiver Diontae Johnson (knee) were all non-participants. Nose tackle Tyson Alualu also went on injured reserve this week with an ankle fracture.

The good news for the Steelers was linebacker Devin Bush (groin) was a full participant.

The Bengals were missing a trio of key players on Wednesday. Wide receiver Tee Higgins (shoulder), cornerback Trae Waynes (hamstring), and guard Xavier Su’a-Filo (knee) all did not participate.

The Bengals believe they’ve improved from a year ago. Getting a second straight win against Pittsburgh, which hasn’t happened since 2012-13, would go a long way toward proving it. Taylor sidestepped the specific matchup, but acknowledged it was a key measuring stick game.

“Getting a road win, versus a division opponent … yeah, that does mean a lot in that way,” he said.

–Field Level Media