Roethlisberger named AFC Offensive Player of the Week
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Ben Roethlisberger has opened the season on fire with three consecutive 300-yard passing games for the first time in his career.
The AFC Offensive Player of the Week leads the NFL in passes for first downs (58), is second in passing yards (1,140), and is third in completions (92).
But there鈥檚 a stat that鈥檚 astonished even him: Roethlisberger鈥檚 been the beneficiary of three roughing-the-passer penalties.
鈥淔or me to get three calls in a season of roughing the passer is out of this world, let alone through three games,鈥� Roethlisberger said. 鈥淵ou guys know me. I don鈥檛 really complain or talk about it, so to actually get a couple is kind of crazy.鈥�
Roethlisberger has a reputation for toughness and a history of not receiving much protection from officals. But this year, with the more stringent rules, he鈥檚 been protected.
Roethlisberger鈥檚 even hearing miked-up apologies from players such as Gerald McCoy, who apologized to Roethlisberger in Monday鈥檚 game seemingly as he hit him.
Nothing like that鈥檚 ever come from the lips of Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata or Bart Scott.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you ever hear an apology from a Raven,鈥� Roethlisberger said.
The Ravens are up next, of course, and Roethlisberger won鈥檛 say it, but he鈥檚 no doubt enjoying the increased protection being afforded by officials. He took the late hit from McCoy, but seemed to go down easy in drawing a call on Jason Pierre-Paul. Roethlisberger said it wasn鈥檛 a flop.
鈥淚 know that was a big deal with me getting hit in the head,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut going back and looking at it, that was JPP鈥檚 bad hand. His hand鈥檚 got a cast on it. I couldn鈥檛 figure out why it kind of stung me so much until I looked back and saw that that was the reason it kind of got me. I knew that was a good call. When you hit a guy in the head, hit me with a cast, it鈥檚 going to hurt a little bit.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that guys would (flop), but you never know. Some quarterbacks just go down when a guy gets close anyway. So is that flopping? I don鈥檛 know.鈥�
Roethlisberger was asked about his other stats.
鈥淚鈥檇 rather be 3-0 and not throw for 300,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or me it鈥檚 always about winning and losing. But I also think that鈥檚 kind of the direction offenses are going, games are going. Look at the number of points that are being scored. I think you gotta kind of keep up with the Joneses.鈥�
THE ANCHOR-MAN
They call Matt Feiler 鈥淎nchor,鈥� because, as Marcus Gilbert said, 鈥淗e has such good lower-body strength, even when a guy bull-rushes him, or even on a drop block, he anchors down. And the anchor stops anything. He did a lot of that in the game Monday.鈥�
Feiler played so well at right tackle that he heard from former teammates and coaches at Bloomsburg. And his current coach, Mike Tomlin, said 鈥淢att did an awesome job.鈥�
Feiler played right tackle next to another substitute, B.J. Finney, the right guard. They had a reason for playing so seamlessly.
鈥淲e鈥檝e definitely taken more reps together than I have with anyone else on the line,鈥� Feiler said. 鈥淗aving him next to me is more of a familiar feeling.鈥�
Roethlisberger said he didn鈥檛 make any changes due to the inexperienced right side.
鈥淣ot a one,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 one change that I made. Randy (Fichtner) might鈥檝e called some things, put a tight end over there, or whatever, but when we were in the no-huddle and I was calling plays, I didn鈥檛 think about it one time. To me, that鈥檚 the ultimate compliment to two guys that are out there. Obviously Finnney plays a lot so that wasn鈥檛 new, but for Anchor to be out there, I thought he did a great job.鈥�
Feiler and Finney entered the league as undrafted free agents, so they fit in with the Steelers鈥� other undrafted linemen, Al Villanueva and Ramon Foster, to give the Steelers four undrafted starting linemen in Tampa Bay.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even think about that,鈥� Roethlisberger said. 鈥淭o me that shows, one, they work, that they come every day and put in the time, and two, what Coach (Mike) Munchak means to that group and to this team.鈥�
INJURY REPORT
n Mike Hilton (elbow) didn鈥檛 practice but said he has a chance to play this week.
n JuJu Smith-Schuster (abdomen) didn鈥檛 practice, but was unavailable to the media.
n David DeCastro (hand) and Marcus Gilbert (hamstring) both participated fully in Wednesday鈥檚 practice. Gilbert expects to have no problem playing Sunday night, while DeCastro is trying out casts this week to find one that allows him to play.
n Roethlisberger and Foster were given the day off.
IN THE WEE HOURS
Joe Haden tweeted the following upon arriving in Pittsburgh, from Tampa, Tuesday morning: 鈥淟and in Pittsburgh to a drug test! Seriously it鈥檚 3 a.m. Couldn鈥檛 wait till the morning?鈥�
Apparently, the NFL sends a testor for players after they return from every road trip. Haden said he never had to do it in Cleveland, but has now been tested each year he鈥檚 been with the Steelers. The test is for performance-enhancing drugs, and Haden was one of seven selected to step into the airport bathroom.
鈥淟uckily I was second,鈥� Haden said. 鈥�(Chris) Boswell went first. Those tests take seven to 10 minutes a person. I鈥檓 just trying to figure out if we could鈥檝e come back in the morning around 10 or 11.鈥�
Feiler and Javon Hargrave were last in line and left the airport an hour after landing.
As for the competition between Artie Burns and Coty Sensabaugh at the cornerback spot opposite him, Haden put it this way:
鈥淚t鈥檚 really good competition, two capable dudes. Coach T鈥檚 just looking for us to finish hard, practice, stay on top of stuff. Whoever he feels is doing it, that鈥檚 who鈥檚 going to play.鈥�
What will this mean to Burns鈥� confidence?
鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely not a good feeling,鈥� Haden said. 鈥淏ut at the end of the day Artie鈥檚 been through a lot. He鈥檚 a dude that鈥檚 very, very tough mentally, so I think this is going to bring the best out in him. It鈥檚 going to make him start playing like he should play.鈥�