Ben Roethlisberger

HAHAHAHAHAHA. I’m sorry, did you want analysis of this latest edition of Thursday Night Football? …Really? Okay, here it goes.

NFL Network is the place for an AFC North division match-up that will serve as a measuring stick for both teams involved. We can see how serious Pittsburgh really is about winning their division by how hard they play against a supposed soft opponent. Cleveland can gauge itself versus the rest of their Northern brethren by mounting a valiant effort tonight.

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FC North takes center stage!

Pittsburgh Steelers

After dropping a heartbreaker to the Packers, Ben Roethlisberger got himself married and refocused towards becoming a better quarterback. Early study of his footwork would even suggest he’s done so. At first thought during this offseason, I wasn’t sure the Steelers had the firepower to hold onto the North. Now that I’ve re-examined their roster, I’m sure that they’ll be just fine. Ben’s group of young receivers have plenty of explosion after you get past Hines Ward, whose production is sure to drop off. Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders can rip the top off any defense. Rashard Mendenhall is always a tough runner, but he’ll need better cohesiveness from his offensive line. Maurkice Pouncey is a quality center, but left tackle Jonathan Scott has a lot to prove while protecting the franchise QB. Always at the top of the league, the Steeler defense should be no different this season, at least when it comes to defending the run. Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, and Brett Keisel are heavy-hitters up front, but the Pittsburgh linebackers hit even harder. Between LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons and the sack-happy James Harrison, I’m not sure who’s more intimidating. I still get concerned with their corner depth and their ability to keep up with teams that like to spread to 4-wide though. Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu are two safeties at the top of their game, each with the ability to lay the wood and defend in pass coverage. It’s an easy prediction to say they’ll get right back on top.

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 NFL Season Preview: The AFC North"

wn-and-distance situations too often, preventing the Steelers from getting any points on the board. Ben Roethlisberger looked off for most of the night, off-target with his throws and tossing it into double coverage. When he got the ball with two minutes left and failed to get a first down, I was floored. It wasn’t his night. Super Bowl XLV belonged to Aaron Rodgers, who completely dominated and whose stats would have been immaculate if it weren’t for the numerous drops his receivers committed. MVP indeed. He even took Troy Polamalu out of the game with his pre-snap reads and precise throws.

Continue reading "The Final Drive: Super Bowl XLV"

It’s finally here. After two weeks of hype and build-up (and an uber-lame Pro Bowl somewhere in there), the Super Bowl is upon us. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers are set to kick off later tonight with the Lombardi Trophy on the line. If you missed them, here are my takes on the rosters of the Steelers and Packers. Now let’s get to some analysis!

Continue reading "The Opening Drive: Super Bowl XLV"

With the strain Ben Roethlisberger’s escapades put on the Pittsburgh Steeler organization in the offseason, many thought they would barely be able to even make it to the playoffs, much less make it all the way back to a seventh Super Bowl. Yet after all the drama, the inconsistency on offense and injuries to key positions, the Steelers went 12-4 are back in the big one. With a rough loss to the Patriots and a failed comeback against the Jets in the regular season, the Steelers didn’t look as reliable as usual. After huge wins over the Ravens and Jets in the playoffs, the Steelers have scrapped their way to Dallas. Let’s break down the roster.

Continue reading "Joe's Super Bowl XLV Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers"

This is it. The best Sunday of football in the entire football calendar. (Yes, better than the Super Bowl.) Today we get to see the Bears and Packers meet up at Soldier Field and the Steelers and Jets rough it up in Pittsburgh. Here are the breakdowns of today's action.

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Unfortunately, that’s going to leave Ben Roethlisberger scrambling for his life in the pocket to get smacked around as he usually does in these affairs. Quick passes to his wide-outs and tight ends should help ease the pressure of a running game that won’t be especially explosive. Look for a few big play-action openings down the field that Ben will have to capitalize on.

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 NFL Opening Drive: Divisional Round"

Yeah…. who thought that this would be a good game? Oh who cares? It’s football!

(2-12) Carolina Panthers at
(10-4) Pittsburgh Steelers

So… is this game even worth disc

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?), Mike Tomlin's Steelers are raring for Lombardi Trophy number 7! One problem: their franchise QB Ben Roethlisberger won't be joining the fight until week six, suspended the first four games because of his publicized problems. That means Dennis Dixon starts in his place with inconsistency sure to follow. He can make big plays with his legs, but he doesn't have the acquired intelligence to be a QB in the league yet. Still, he can definitely keep them at .500 during Big Ben's absence. Rashard Mendenhall officially claimed the starting RB role, with the trust Mewelde Moore coming in for third-down duty. Hines Ward is still around after all these seasons, still constantly smiling as be lays out corners with wicked blocks. Mike Wallace counters with speed on the outside and tight end Heath Miller is a big red zone target. Rookie Maurkice Pouncey came in and laid claim to the starting center spot, leading to Justin Hartwig's release. While it's not the same mauling line as years past, the Steeler line will get the job done. Unfortunately Ben will get sacked a ton when he gets back.

Continue reading "Joe's NFL 2010 Season Preview: AFC North"

Without Troy Polamalu, the Steelers must rely on another big game from Big Ben Roethlisberger. With their week twelve meeting ending with an overtime field goal, this rematch is up for grabs. On Heinz Field, I'll give a slight edge to Pittsburgh.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 16"

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) at Baltimore Ravens (5-5)

Well, we just heard Big Ben Roethlisberger will be sitting this one out as a precaution. Since back-up Charlie Batch was lost for the season last weekend, Dennis Dixon will get his first career start in the NFL. Unfortunately for him it’s against the Baltimore Ravens defense, which is undoubtedly frothing at the mouth at the prospect of a first-time signal caller. Mike Tomlin will call a run-heavy offense to keep the Raven defenders away from his quarterback and his team in the playoff hunt. I honestly see the Ravens getting this win.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: week 12"

Now Big Ben Roethlisberger isn't as pressured in the pocket.Denver’s defense will be hoping to rebound after being embarrassed by Baltimore last week, but the offense will have to put up points if they have any hope of stymieing the Steelers.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 9"

Wow, it was blowout city this weekend. 11 of the 13 NFL games in week 7 were decided by ten points or more. That’s just ridiculous. Maybe it was good I was moving furniture on Sunday… wait, no it still wasn’t. To the Final Drive of week 7! 

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Someone finally looked like a rookie quarterback; things are going south in Tennessee, and some guy named Brett Favre made headlines. I wrap up week four in the NFL with the Final Drive! 

(3-1) New England Patriots 27

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 4"

In week four of the NFL season, at least one more undefeated team will fall. AFC forces meet in Boston, and one of the best rivalries in the league takes it to a whole ‘nother level thanks to a certain unretiring quarterback. Week four Opening Drive commence! 

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lly obvious that the Steelers are not the same without Troy Polamalu and can’t simply rely on Ben Roethlisberger to drop back all day. 

 

(3-0) Indianapolis Colts 31
(1-2) Arizona Cardinals 10 

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Critics be silenced! The Chicago Bears have defeated the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers!

A week after his less-than-stellar outing against the Green Bay Packers, Jay Cutler came home to Chicago and proved to be worth the king’s ransom that was paid for his services. Though there is certainly room for improvement, this is a win the Bears desperately needed.

Continue reading "Bears Shock Steelers with Late Field Goal"

Their offensive line is suspect at best, failing to open up holes or protect franchise QB Ben Roethlisberger. I’d argue that half of Pittsburgh’s sacks come from a shoddy o-line, with the other half coming because Ben holds onto the ball forever.

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Ben Roethlisberger's legend just keeps growing. Peter King of SI.com recently reported that Big Ben played the Super Bowl with a broken rib. Just another chapter in the legend of the 26-year-old quarterback who now has more Super Bowl rings than three-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning and Brett Favre and two-time MVP Kurt Warner. 

Continue reading "BIG BEN'S LEGEND GROWS"

Now THAT was a finish. With toes touching and his hands grasping, Santonio Holmes drove a stake into the collective heart of the Arizona Cardinals and their fans. It was the last score of a thrilling fourth quarter that saw the Cardinals rally from thirteen points down to take a 23 – 20 lead with 2:37 left on the clock. That was 35 seconds more than the Pittsburgh Steelers needed to drive 78 yards to the end zone, regaining the lead and winning the forty-third Super Bowl. I won’t waste your time recapping plays like James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return or Larry Fitzgerald’s 64-yard catch and run. You watched those on Sunday. Instead, I’ll try to hit the nuances and little snippets you may have missed as you stuffed down wings and left the room during gameplay so you wouldn’t have to miss a commercial.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Super Bowl XLIII"

They had to rely more on Ben Roethlisberger’s arm more than they would have liked to, I’m sure. Thankfully, he lived up to his hefty contract this season by lifting his team to a 12-4 record and through two rounds of playoff action, thanks to a first round bye and home field advantage (courtesy of the Titans’ early exit). After facing the dominating defense of the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers get a bit of a break against the Cardinals’ less than stellar unit. Arizona has stepped up its play in recent weeks, shutting down superb running attacks on their way to the Super Bowl, and they’ll try to continue that success against Willie Parker and the Steelers. Pittsburgh would like to avoid relying on Roethlisberger for four quarters if at all possible, but they know they can if necessary. (That must be a nice feeling to have.) Their physical offensive line will look to impose their will on Arizona’s defense early which will soften them up late in the game. It’s an easy formula for Pittsburgh: run the ball, set up the play-action pass.

Continue reading "Joey A's Super Bowl Opening Drive: Game Preview"

This season’s trip to the Super Bowl is a testament to Ben Roethlisberger’s ability to make the big play when it matters, unlike their Super Bowl season in 2005 when he was just managing the game and handing off to Jerome Bettis. Roethlisberger is a top-tier NFL quarterback because of his ability to take big hits and keep the play alive, which ironically is the biggest flaw in his game and could cut his career short. He had a few scares this year, injuring his throwing shoulder, throwing hand, and suffering a mild concussion in the regular season finale, but he’s rebounded dramatically to lead his team through the playoffs against brutal competition in the Chargers and rival Ravens. Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes are a dangerous combination at wide receiver, with Ward’s blocking and chain-moving grabs and Holmes’s explosive speed. Tight end Heath Miller, Big Ben’s favorite target, missed a few games during the middle of the year, but finished strong as the Steelers climbed to the number two seed in the AFC. Miller is a big part of the Steelers’ red zone offense, and Ben loves to look his way. On special teams, Holmes has bolstered his value with timely touchdowns or great field position for his ball-control offense off of his punt returns.

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It's a 50-50 action.

The game will come down to this one question: Can Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense score enough points to put pressure on the Cardinals?

Pittsburgh offense and Arizona's defense have had their share of problems this season. Pittsburgh's O is ranked near the bottom of the league, while Arizona's defensive unit allows more than 330 yards per game. But, one of them will be the difference in the game.

Continue reading "STEELERS' OFFENSE WILL DECIDE SUPER BOWL XLIII"

easons why the Pittsburgh Steelers will suffer yet another disappointing and underachieving season: Ben Roethlisberger and Bruce Arians. Big Ben's stature as one of the NFL's so-called star quarterbacks is diminishing by the week and his once bigger-than-life persona in Pittsbugh and around the league is getting smaller and smaller with each errant pass. Arians' reputation is also taking a major hit with his subpar play-calling and his inability to cure the offense of its ills, factors that should weigh heavily into his future with the team.

Continue reading "BIG BEN IS PLAYING SMALL"

a 400-yard output and a 26-21 victory for the Steelers.

The no-huddle offense allows quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to call his own plays at the line of scrimmage and have the offense dictate the matchups by keeping the same defense on the field. This is what Roethlisberger did at Miami of Ohio and this is what he did in the playoff run in 2005. It also keeps embattled Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians from calling all the plays. We've seen him call plays and you don't want Arians calling 100 percent of the plays.

Continue reading "STEELERS HUDDLED AROUND FOR TWO KEY WINS"

er constant pressure in this one, but Philadelphia managed to turn that pressure into nine sacks of Ben Roethlisberger. That’s right, nine. Five of those sacks came on six consecutive Pittsburgh passing plays in the second quarter. It left Ben aching for most of the game as another hit in the fourth quarter caused him to leave the field to examine a right hand injury. Donovan McNabb, on the other hand, was only sacked 3 times, and at one point in the first half had completed 15 for 15 pass attempts. He wasn’t out for Philly at the start of the second half, so Kevin Kolb took two series under center. Donovan soon returned and kept his Eagles in the driver’s seat against one of the AFC’s best.

Continue reading "Eagles beat the Steelers in the Pennsylvania Bowl"

like 41-0.Who is to blame? Four come to mind: 1) the Steelers' offensive line, 2) quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, 3) head coach Mike Tomlin and 4) offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.The Steelers offense has a lot of loose ends it needs to tighten up and I don't think it can be fixed in one season. Basically, Pittsburgh needs to rebuild that offense from scratch starting with the O-line. It may be good enough to score against the Texans or the Browns but it is not good enough to scare the Eagles, Ravens, Chargers, Jags, Colts, Patriots, Cowboys and Giants.Philly's defense was great on Sunday but players tend to look faster when they're not being blocked. It looked like the Eagles had 12 guys on defense the entire game. I do give the Eagles credit for playing with a ton of energy and pouncing on a clear mismatch. I didn't think they could keep it up for 60 minutes, especially coming off an emotionally draining Monday night loss to the Dallas Cowboys. As Darth Vader would say, the Eagles were "Impressive!" Donovan McNabb looks strong. He's just playing out of his mind right now. But health has always been an issue with him and Brian Westbrook.I'm starting to have my doubts about Tomlin as head coach. Tomlin has yet to put his stamp on this franchise and all we know about him is he can't win without Bill Cowher's players. But first, he needs to give a hard look at his offensive line. Someone needs to lose his job for this unit to finally show some accountability. I mean nine sacks and countless hurries for a team that threw the ball less than 30 times! If I were Tomlin, I would start by benching right tackle Willie Colon in favor of Max Starks.But the play of the O-line was just 1/3 of the problem. Big Ben turned into BIG BEND. Roethlisberger needs to go back to QB school and learn how to throw the ball away when he feels pressure. His mechanics are just awful. His delivery hasn't changed since his rookie year and he holds on to the ball waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. BIG BEND also has poor footwork. He's off balance when he's flushed out of the pocket. He got away with that mess his first three years in the league but defenses have adjusted and now he has to learn to pick up the tempo when he drops back. The thing with Roethlisberger is this: When he's good, he's really good. But when he's bad, he's really bad. There is no middle ground with BIG BEND and that's because he has poor mechanics.The main problem for the Steelers is offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. He doesn't adjust. When your quarterback is getting heat, you shorten the routes of the receivers and throw to the hot spots, which is usually on the side of the blitzers. That's football 101!!!!The Baltimore Ravens are licking their chops and I am concern for Roethlisberger's health come Monday night because the Ravens are not as nice as the Eagles. When the Ravens smell blood, they will eat you alive!And then there is Jacksonville in Week 5.

Continue reading "STEELERS LOSE MORE THAN A GAME"

I’ve heard of “playing not to lose”…but thanks to last night’s awkward decision by head coach Romeo Crennel, I’ve also seen “playing not to win.” How else can you really explain his call to kick a field goal late in last night’s game versus the Steelers when his team trailed by seven? Fourth and seven or not, you have to go for the first down there, if not for the touchdown. What do you have to lose if you fail? The situations remain the same, regardless of turning the ball over or kicking the field goal. The Browns would have either turned the ball over on downs at the thirty or kicked off after a field goal which would’ve probably given the Steelers possession between the 20 and 30 yard lines. Either way, the Browns would still need a defensive three and out to regain possession and then they’d STILL need a touchdown!

Continue reading "Browns Play to Lose...and then Lose"

orking through most of the game but had time to notice that Steven Jackson is a really big dude and Ben Roethlisberger has a really big head. Not that I am perfect by any stretch of the imagination as I am sure people would have plenty to say about me if I were on television.

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postseason for the Brownies, they may very well need to play in Pittsburgh against the bad-driving Ben Roethlisberger, and possibly even New England against the annoyingly beautiful Tom Brady.

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