Cover 2 Schemes a concern for the Steelers offense?

Steelers expect Roethlisberger to bounce back “I had a bad day,” Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said regarding his play Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. “I know everyone here has had a bad day, ” Roethlisberger added. Roethlisberger did have a bad day but he’s earned the right to have a bad day every once in a while. On Sunday Roethlisberger completed half of his passes (20-40) against the Cincinnati Bengals for 174 yards, one interception and a 51.5 passer rating. It was his worst game since a week 3 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008. Roethlisberger claims he didn’t feel great from the first drive of the game. “Actually, at the beginning of the game I didn’t feel great,

Wednesday Notebook: No linebacker controversy in Pittsburgh

Starting in place of Lawrence Timmons Monday night, inside linebacker Keyaron Fox led the Steelers with 9 total tackles including 8 solo tackles against the Broncos Fox drew praise from head coach Mike Tomlin following the game and again on Tuesday at Tomlin’s weekly press conference. “Guys like James Farrior and Keyaron Fox really created a lot of disruption,” Tomlin said. Even though neither guy registered a sack, they created disruption. They broke the pocket down. Guys did a nice job complementing that with solid coverage on the back end, and as the evening wore on we were able to gain a significant advantage in that regard.” There is some thought around the Steelers that Keyaron Fox is a better

Roethlisberger throws season high 3 TD’s; Steelers beat Lions 28-20

Pittsburgh 28 – Detroit 20 Ben Roethlisberger threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns as the Pittsburgh Steelers held on to beat the Detroit Lions 28-20, Sunday afternoon at Ford Field in Detroit. The Steelers jumped out to a 21-13 half time lead on a touchdown run from Rashard Mendenhall and touchdown receptions from Hines Ward and Heath Miller. The Steelers took control of the game in the 3rd quarter as Roethlisberger connected with rookie wide receiver Mike Wallace for a 47 yard touchdown reception as the Steelers jumped out to a 15 point 3rd quarter lead. A common theme for the Steelers has been letting teams hang around and that is exactly what happened again this afternoon.

Mendenhall stars; Steelers hold on to beat Chargers 38-28

Pittsburgh — Coming off back-to-back losses, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin challenged his team this week and the Steelers offense answered the bell early and often. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns and the Steelers got a dominating performance from 2nd year running back Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall making his first start of the season, rushed for 165 yards and two touchdowns on the night. The Steelers controlled the clock with a strong running game and precise passes from Roethlisberger to take a commanding 28-7 lead in the 4th quarter. But, for the defending Super Bowl Champs, no lead is safe. Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers roared back, scoring 21 (4th) quarter points to

No Polamalu: Steelers need Timmons back to full health

With Troy Polamalu sidelined for at least the next three weeks, Lawrence Timmons role in the Steelers defense becomes that much more important. Timmons missed the Steelers opener with an high ankle sprain and the Steelers will be counting on him to return to the starting the lineup in week 2. Like Polamalu, Timmons gives the Steelers plenty of options due to his athleticism. The Steelers next three opponents feature quarterbacks (CHI) Jay Cutler, (CIN) Carson Palmer and (SD)Phillip Rivers. Safety Tyrone Carter is no Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark struggled at times when Polamalu left the game. Cutler will be looking Carter’s way early and often next Sunday. An healthy Timmons will be the key. The Latest Buzz

Steelers blank Bills 17-0

Pittsburgh 17 – Buffalo 0 Photo: David Hague – Inside Pittsburgh Sports In their most important game of the preseason, the defending Super Bowl champions put on a dominating performance in the first half. Ben Roethlisberger went 15-of-19 for 168 yards and James Farrior had a 22-yard interception return for a touchdown as the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Buffalo Bills 17-0 Saturday night. Post-Game Observations

Day 11: Roethlisberger sharp in Monday Afternoon Practice

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had what might have been his strongest performance in training camp Monday afternoon. Roethlisberger starred in the team 11-on-11 drills and was very sharp throughout the practice. Roethlisberger’s top targets in today’s practice were Heath Miller and Hines Ward. While the coaching staff has never come out and said that the #2 quarterback job is open, some in the media seem to think it is. When the Steelers drafted Dennis Dixon in the 5th round, the organization had Dixon rated as a 3rd round value. Just like Batch, Dixon has had mixed results through the first 11 days of camp. Batch who got off to a slow start, has performed well as of late, including

The bests and worsts of the first weekend of Steelers preseason camp:

By Paul Ladewski Photo: David Hague – Inside Pittsburgh Sports Best observation: When asked which team was his early Super Bowl favorite, head coach-turned-media guy Mike Shanahan said, “I have pick the Steelers. You have to stay with the defending champions until somebody beats them.” But doesn’t the return of Tom Brady (genuflect here) make the New England Patriots the favorites again? “The Patriots have Tom Brady, but the Steelers have a great defense,” said Shanahan, who didn’t have to explain further. Best sign: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger aimed a few zingers at the media, then he threw some high, hard ones at his receivers. Despite his off-the-field problems, Big Ben’s focus is on playing football. Worst sign: The same five

Roethlisberger calls allegations outrageous

Ben Roethlisberger made his first comments today at a 2:00 p.m. press conference, denying that he sexually assaulted (July 2008) Nevada woman Andrea McNulty, calling the “vicious” allegations outrageous and that he will fight to the end for his family and his reputation. Roethlisberger claimed he first heard of the allegations on Saturday and that he would never force himself on a woman. The civil suit was filed over the weekend as Andrea McNulty seeks nearly $450,000 from Roethlisberger and $50,000 from eight Harrah’s employees. There are no plans from investigators to open a criminal investigation. Roethlisberger was very emotional today and made it very clear today that he will fight the allegations to the end. Roethlisberger’s Statement “I did

Steelers Notebook: News and Notes

The Latest Steelers Buzz A numbers of talent evaluators around the league believe the 09 Steelers will be the best Steelers team of the decade. That is saying a lot, considering the Steelers have won two Super Bowls this decade but it is a strong argument. Holmes motivated to have a big year * Santonio Holmes appears primed to have a breakout season in 09. The buzz around Holmes is that he has matured as a person since the Super Bowl and entering year four, he has the chance to set his price on his next contract. His value is extremely high right now and if he reaches his potential statistically and has a 75-80 catch season, with 1,000+ receiving