Roethlisberger expects to play but other changes brewing
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Only one topic interested Ben Roethlisberger less than the state of his bruised ribs:
Jesse James鈥� catch/no-catch of a year ago.
Or, specifically, how does Roethlisberger 鈥渞eflect on the Jesse James catch a year later, and 鈥撯��
鈥淚 don鈥檛,鈥� Roethlisberger snapped.
鈥� 鈥� how it impacts the game, and 鈥撯��
鈥淚 don鈥檛,鈥� Roethlisberger said again.
The reporter didn鈥檛 try again, but the Steelers are. They and their sore quarterback will try to beat the New England Patriots for the first time in six tries Sunday in a showdown at Heinz Field.
The Steelers haven鈥檛 beaten the Patriots since they surprised them in 2011, but have since lost five in a row.
Last year鈥檚 was the closest of the five, and if the teams were playing by this year鈥檚 rules the Steelers would鈥檝e pulled out the win. But James, who had caught an apparent 10-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger with 34 seconds remaining, did not take a step with the ball. He only twisted and dove into the end zone. Upon hitting the ground, he bobbled the ball 鈥� therefore didn鈥檛 鈥渟urvive the ground鈥� 鈥� and the touchdown, along with the win, was overturned.
The rule has since been changed to define possession as both feet down and making a football move, as opposed to taking a step. By the new definition, James would鈥檝e crossed the plane with possession, the Steelers would鈥檝e gotten the first seed of the playoffs, and they would鈥檝e gone on to win the Super Bowl.
Alas, it all went up in smoke.
How often does Roethlisberger relive the game?
鈥淣ot a lot,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have to be able to put things behind you and move on. You have training camp, and they made a rule off of that game, so you hear about it a lot then. Obviously for this week it gets brought up, but for the most part you have to move on.鈥�
It was a lot easier for the Steelers to move on three weeks ago, but after three down-to-the-wire losses, they鈥檙e scrambling for their playoff lives.
The Patriots certainly haven鈥檛 been a panacea for losing streaks since Bill Belichick took over in 2000. Since he became coach, the Steelers have lost 11 of 14 meetings, including three playoff games.
Are the Steelers frustrated?
鈥淲ell, it鈥檚 frustrating when you can鈥檛 beat anybody. If you can鈥檛 beat the Raiders at Oakland 鈥�,鈥� Roethlisberger said but didn鈥檛 finish the thought.
鈥淭he Patriots are one of the best teams for a reason,鈥� he continued. 鈥淲e are not the only team that has issues with them. They are that good. So, the past is the past. We can only focus on this week.鈥�
This week, Roethlisberger will play with the bruised ribs suffered during a Raiders sack in the second quarter Sunday in Oakland. The injury kept Roethlisberger out most of the second half, but he returned to direct a touchdown drive, as well as the hook-and-ladder play that led to a missed field goal.
Roethlisberger answered the question about his rib with better humor than he did the question about James, but the quarterback remained sparse.
鈥淔ine, feeling good,鈥� Roethlisberger said.
Is he ready to go?
鈥淵es, sir,鈥� Roethlisberger said.
Roethlisberger took his usual Wednesday off, and is hoping he can get away without wearing a flak jacket.
The Steelers appear to have made at least one change in anticipation of the Patriots: Cameron Sutton lined up with the first team nickel defense as the slot corner in place of Mike Hilton.
Sutton was a third-round draft pick last year and has played in 17 games with only one start 鈥� against the Patriots. He and Artie Burns were the Steelers鈥� starting cornerbacks that day and Patriots wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Danny Amendola combined to make only six catches for 83 yards.
A slot corner鈥檚 responsibility this year will primarily be Julian Edelman, who missed last season with a torn ACL. This season Edelman has 56 catches for 621 yards and four touchdowns.
Another change for the Steelers could include kicker.
Chris Boswell, in a horrible slump that hit bottom in Oakland with a slip and fall on the potential game-tying field goal, will have his 鈥渢ryout鈥� on Thursday. The Steelers worked out kickers Kai Forbath and Matt McCrane on Wednesday at Heinz Field.
鈥淚鈥檝e been in that situation before,鈥� said Boswell. 鈥淚 came here off the street. I was cut many (four) times before that. I鈥檝e kind of always had my back against the wall since coming out of college. That鈥檚 the position I鈥檓 in right now. We鈥檒l see what happens from here.鈥�
Boswell signed a four-year, $19.2 contract extension before the season, but has missed five extra points and six field goals, including two in Oakland.
鈥淚t鈥檚 mechanical. It鈥檚 mental. I think it鈥檚 a mixture of everything,鈥� Boswell said. 鈥淵ou just got to figure it out as you go and find something that works for you. Something that works for me won鈥檛 be something that works for somebody else. I think it鈥檚 just kind of figuring myself out and coming back from this.鈥�
NOTES: Sitting out of Wednesday鈥檚 practice were Roethlisberger (ribs), RB James Conner (ankle), C Maurkice Pouncey (coach鈥檚 decision), S Sean Davis (knee) and RT Marcus Gilbert (knee). Reserve OLB Anthony Chickillo (ankle) was limited.