Roethlisberger bypassed for Team MVP again
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Year 15 of the Ben Roethlisberger experiment has been bigger and better than ever.
At least statistically.
And that鈥檚 saying a lot.
Roethlisberger leads the NFL in completions, passing yards and passes for first downs, and is creeping up on team landmarks that have never before been seen in Pittsburgh: 5,000 yards passing, 450 completions and 35 touchdown passes.
However, it was the same old story in the team MVP voting Thursday. One of his receivers, JuJu Smith-Schuster, was voted team MVP for the seventh time in Roethlisberger鈥檚 career. Roethlisberger has won it only once 鈥� in 2009.
Smith-Schuster enters the final regular-season game with 106 receptions for 1,389 yards and six touchdowns. He鈥檚 fourth in the league in yardage and tied for fifth in receptions. He鈥檚 certainly a deserving winner, but one could justly wonder why Roethlisberger doesn鈥檛 receive more respect from his voting teammates in a season in which so much has been on his shoulders.
Don鈥檛 expect a riff in the locker room anytime soon, according to the other offensive captain.
鈥淗e鈥檚 won before,鈥� said Maurkice Pouncey with a shrug. 鈥淕uys just probably felt bad for JuJu not making the Pro Bowl. He鈥檚 done a lot of stuff. He鈥檚 having a great year, and to not get the Pro Bowl 鈥︹��
Pouncey鈥檚 voice trailed off. When reminded that the guy who lockers next to him is leading the NFL in passing, Pouncey just shrugged again.
鈥淵eah but that鈥檚 what鈥檚 expected out of Ben,鈥� he said.
Isn鈥檛 that unfair?
鈥淵eah it is,鈥� Pouncey said with a laugh. 鈥淏ut he鈥檚 a first-ballot Hall of Famer, so more things are expected from him than others. I鈥檓 pretty sure he voted for JuJu, too. He wanted JuJu. Everybody鈥檚 kind of mad he didn鈥檛 make the Pro Bowl.鈥�
Roethlisberger wasn鈥檛 available for comment after the winner was announced. Earlier in the day, though, he put in a strong, focused performance in front of the media at a time when focus might be hard to come by.
Three times Roethlisberger answered a question with a variation of his first comment: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care about anything but winning this football game, because nothing matters if you don鈥檛.鈥�
How might Roethlisberger assess his team鈥檚 chances if they do make the playoffs?
鈥淒oesn鈥檛 matter,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to talk about that until Monday if it happens. Like I said, I鈥檓 not looking forward to the playoffs. We have to take care of our business first.鈥�
Ding, ding, ding. It was THE winning answer in Thursday鈥檚 locker room. The leader is focused.
Not that it meant much to the voters.
Was Roethlisberger disappointed?
鈥淗ell no,鈥� said Pouncey. 鈥淚 mean, he has so many accolades. Does he have to have every single one? I mean, he just set our franchise record. There鈥檚 no way that bothers him. What probably bothers him more is he鈥檚 never been MVP of the league. I think he was a Super Bowl MVP, right?鈥�
Nope. The receivers went up and grabbed those two awards from him, too.
Like all the other MVPs before him, Smith-Schuster didn鈥檛 drop the ball.
鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome, man,鈥� said Smith-Schuster. 鈥淚 never expected to be where I鈥檓 at today in Year 2, but it鈥檚 great. I鈥檝e got to keep striving.鈥�
As long as Roethlisberger鈥檚 throwing him the ball, he will.
NOTES: Antonio Brown missed his second practice this week, but on Thursday the reason was expanded from coach鈥檚 decision to coach鈥檚 decision/knee. Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner was surprisingly abrupt when asked about Brown. 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to answer any questions about Antonio,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ext.鈥� 鈥� Sean Davis (quadriceps) missed his second practice and said he鈥檚 unsure if he鈥檒l play Sunday, but he said it with a big smile. Friday鈥檚 practice will tell. Jordan Dangerfield confirmed he replaced Davis at free safety. 鈥� LG Ramon Foster (coach鈥檚 decision) and ILB Vince Williams (toe) also missed Thursday鈥檚 practice.