Steelers Blog

Inside the locker room: Ben Roethlisberger

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger spoke to the media before practice on Wednesday. Below is what he had to say.

Re: Going on the road again:
We are excited about going on the road and into a hostile environment. It’s Sunday night football. It’s going to be fun.

Have you ever lost in Cincinnati?
I have no clue.

Is this like a home game for you?
We usually have a lot of Steelers fans on the road. It’s just fun to go into a hostile environment like that because it’s a division game.

Is this game more important because it’s a division game?
Absolutely. It’s our first game in the AFC North. We need to play our best football.

What are your goals for success on the road?
Our first goal on the road is to try to get off to a fast start so we can take the crowd out of it.

Re: Andy Dalton
I said last year that I thought he was going to be a good quarterback. He’s shown it. Last year he went to the Pro Bowl. He makes plays. I think he’s a good player.

Will you spend more time taking snaps from Doug Legursky?
Nope. We will treat it like a normal week.

Re: Cincinnati’s defensive line:
They get after the passer. They really put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. That’s where it starts with them.

Re: Their secondary making plays:
They do but it starts up front. They have some great secondary guys, cornerbacks and safeties. They are veterans. They’ve been around for a long time. They are an experienced group.

Re: Playing in London next season:
I guess it was inevitable. Let’s talk about this week.

Re: Mike Adams:
I think he’s done a great job of stepping up and filling in. He’s improved every day and every week in practice. He’s a guy that I know wants to get better and prove himself. It will be a good challenge for him this week.

Re: Max Starks always stepping up when needed:
It’s great having him around. I came in the league with Max. I’ve always been a big supporter of his. He’s bailed us out quite a few times.

Do you see an edge with your team this week?
Do you mean when talking to you guys?

Yes:
We just want to get down to business. We haven’t gotten into a rhythm yet where we play every Sunday. We’ve bounced around with games on different days of the week. We just want to get back out there and play football.

How much have injuries contributed to the team’s struggles?
We’ve always prided ourselves around here on the next guy stepping up and being ready. We’ve continued to do that this year and will continue to do it.

Re: Coach Tomlin being criticized for not having control:
I think people are just comparing him to Coach Cowher. Every coach is a little bit different. I am sure Coach Cowher was a little bit different than the coach before him. Coach Tomlin is a player’s coach. Guys enjoy playing for him. He gets after us. He just doesn’t do it in front of you guys, which is good.