zulater
12-02-2013, 06:08 AM
Ben Roethlisberger didn't play this well when he led the Steelers to a 14-1 record and the AFC championship game as a rookie in 2004. He wasn't this good in 2005, 2008 or 2010 when the team made it to the Super Bowl. He is playing the best football of his life in his 10th NFL season and the Steelers are 5-7 and all but out of the playoff chase.
Shame on Roethlisberger's teammates and coaches for letting him down.
It's appropriate that Emmanuel Sanders dropped the late 2-point conversion pass Thursday night that would have tied the score against the Baltimore Ravens. Roethlisberger's receivers have dropped passes all season. Sanders dropped a long one at the Tennessee 15 on the first play of the first game. Talk about a bad omen. Sanders also had two other drops against the Ravens in the 22-20 loss. Will Johnson dropped a touchdown pass a few moments before Sanders' dropped conversion try. Le'Veon Bell and Derek Moye dropped touchdown passes earlier in the season. Antonio Brown is the NFL's leading receiver, but he dropped a big pass in a loss at Oakland and let another pass slip through his hands for an interception in that same game. Even Heath Miller -- usually the most dependable player on the team -- dropped a couple of touchdown passes.
It's fair to think the Steelers would be at least 7-5 if the receivers held on to even half of their drops.
Roethlisberger won't blame the receivers, of course. He learned a long time ago that a quarterback takes blame for everything even when it isn't warranted. "I needed to put that ball in a better spot for Emmanuel to catch it," he said after the failed conversion play.
That was nonsense. Roethlisberger put that pass in a perfect spot. Nearly all of his passes were on target in the second half against the Ravens when he completed 17 of 26 for 179 yards and led three long touchdown drives.
Roethlisberger also knows it's important for a quarterback to be the team leader. That's why he sought out Sanders in the locker room Thursday night. "I just told him to keep his head up. He's made too many big plays for this team to get down on himself." Roethlisberger read the situation differently after the Oakland loss and challenged Brown to play better. Then, there was the exchange Roethlisberger had with Bell Thursday night.
"It was after the play he tried to kick it outside and tripped," Roethlisberger said. "I just told him there are times he's got to set the tone for the team. It can't always be on the linemen. There are plays when he's just got to put his head down and go for it."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ron-cook/2013/12/02/Ron-Cook-Stellar-Big-Ben-deserves-better-from-Steelers/stories/201312020038#ixzz2mJobBveC
Shame on Roethlisberger's teammates and coaches for letting him down.
It's appropriate that Emmanuel Sanders dropped the late 2-point conversion pass Thursday night that would have tied the score against the Baltimore Ravens. Roethlisberger's receivers have dropped passes all season. Sanders dropped a long one at the Tennessee 15 on the first play of the first game. Talk about a bad omen. Sanders also had two other drops against the Ravens in the 22-20 loss. Will Johnson dropped a touchdown pass a few moments before Sanders' dropped conversion try. Le'Veon Bell and Derek Moye dropped touchdown passes earlier in the season. Antonio Brown is the NFL's leading receiver, but he dropped a big pass in a loss at Oakland and let another pass slip through his hands for an interception in that same game. Even Heath Miller -- usually the most dependable player on the team -- dropped a couple of touchdown passes.
It's fair to think the Steelers would be at least 7-5 if the receivers held on to even half of their drops.
Roethlisberger won't blame the receivers, of course. He learned a long time ago that a quarterback takes blame for everything even when it isn't warranted. "I needed to put that ball in a better spot for Emmanuel to catch it," he said after the failed conversion play.
That was nonsense. Roethlisberger put that pass in a perfect spot. Nearly all of his passes were on target in the second half against the Ravens when he completed 17 of 26 for 179 yards and led three long touchdown drives.
Roethlisberger also knows it's important for a quarterback to be the team leader. That's why he sought out Sanders in the locker room Thursday night. "I just told him to keep his head up. He's made too many big plays for this team to get down on himself." Roethlisberger read the situation differently after the Oakland loss and challenged Brown to play better. Then, there was the exchange Roethlisberger had with Bell Thursday night.
"It was after the play he tried to kick it outside and tripped," Roethlisberger said. "I just told him there are times he's got to set the tone for the team. It can't always be on the linemen. There are plays when he's just got to put his head down and go for it."
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/ron-cook/2013/12/02/Ron-Cook-Stellar-Big-Ben-deserves-better-from-Steelers/stories/201312020038#ixzz2mJobBveC