BlitzburghRockCity
09-06-2007, 07:01 AM
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07249/815033-66.stm?cmpid=HBEHTML
Told this promised to be a better season opener for him than last year's, Ben Roethlisberger asked, "Who did we play last year in the opener?"
The Steelers beat Miami with Roethlisberger watching from the sideline as he recovered from an appendectomy. How quickly he forgot.
"Oh," Roethlisberger said, laughing. "I guess it will be a better one, hopefully -- we have a couple of days yet."
Roethlisberger, 25, enters his fourth NFL season determined not to repeat last year in any way, shape or form, from the multiple trauma of his motorcycle accident to his appendectomy to what he said were poor decisions that led to his worst pro season, and an 8-8 record for the defending Super Bowl champions.
He has worked harder and longer hours, he said, and feels more comfortable and confident in a new offense under new coordinator Bruce Arians that puts him more in control.
"Because of the way I thought I played last year and let the guys down, I didn't want that to happen again," Roethlisberger said. "Whether it was working out earlier or being here longer or spending more time up in the meeting room with Bruce, whatever it was, I just felt like I had to put in a lot of extra work."
The rap on Roethlisberger, fair or not, had been that he did not put in enough time at work in his first three seasons. His teammates agree that he has a new work ethic this year.
"I think so," receiver Hines Ward said. "More film study. I really think [Arians] and him are understanding the game, understanding coverage and all that stuff, figuring out different types of defensive schemes and what we're trying to do. I think he has a better understanding of that than he has in the previous years."
The reasons behind Roethlisberger's determination, Ward said, are twofold: He's more mature, and last year's troubles motivated him.
"It's a maturity factor. It's learning, taking the time to put more emphasis on film study. I think every player goes through that.
"Last year, of course, it wasn't the year he wanted to have. It makes you come back and say what more can I do to work on my game to get me back? You're always trying to figure out ways you can kind of re-establish yourself and find ways to get better, and I think Ben has done a tremendous job of doing that."
Ward isn't the only one who has noticed.
"You can't help notice the more control he's in, not just developing as a quarterback or whatnot but also the control they've given him over the offense," guard Alan Faneca said. "He's more in charge of things out there."
"He's just more focused on what's going on," guard Kendall Simmons said. "He's trying to get to a level of being an elite quarterback, those guys like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
"He's doing the things he's capable of doing. He has all the ability in the world. I see him now the way he's running the offense, making calls, seeing blitzes and doing things like that."
Said coach Mike Tomlin: "He's fallen below his standards of expectations with some of the things that have happened. He's faced a great deal of adversity. He's had a great deal of success. I think it's all part of the process of going through a career and developing. He's a very talented guy. He's very smart and a football junky. I expect big things from him."
Giving Roethlisberger more control in the offense is no small matter. Arians wants him alone to call changes in the blocking protections that always were part of the line's duties.
"It's up to him to make all those changes," Faneca said. "We can't do it on our own."
Now it's all up to the quarterback, and he says he's up to it.
"I feel I know more what guys are doing," Roethlisberger said. "I'm able to kind of get guys in positions, even in the no-huddle call offenses and call the plays and stuff. I definitely feel better out there. I think the guys feel more comfortable with me now more than ever."
Truly, it is Big Ben's offense now, and "you can't make mistakes back there," Simmons noted. "You're the guy who can win or lose a game. It's all on his back, and he's doing a good job of it from what I've seen."
One of the big things we wanted to see this offseason was Ben working hard and being committed to offseason workouts and preparing for the new seasonl. He's done that and so far all indications are that he can have a banner year for us. All he's got to do is keep the interceptions to a minimum and let his playmakers help him and we'll be fine.
Told this promised to be a better season opener for him than last year's, Ben Roethlisberger asked, "Who did we play last year in the opener?"
The Steelers beat Miami with Roethlisberger watching from the sideline as he recovered from an appendectomy. How quickly he forgot.
"Oh," Roethlisberger said, laughing. "I guess it will be a better one, hopefully -- we have a couple of days yet."
Roethlisberger, 25, enters his fourth NFL season determined not to repeat last year in any way, shape or form, from the multiple trauma of his motorcycle accident to his appendectomy to what he said were poor decisions that led to his worst pro season, and an 8-8 record for the defending Super Bowl champions.
He has worked harder and longer hours, he said, and feels more comfortable and confident in a new offense under new coordinator Bruce Arians that puts him more in control.
"Because of the way I thought I played last year and let the guys down, I didn't want that to happen again," Roethlisberger said. "Whether it was working out earlier or being here longer or spending more time up in the meeting room with Bruce, whatever it was, I just felt like I had to put in a lot of extra work."
The rap on Roethlisberger, fair or not, had been that he did not put in enough time at work in his first three seasons. His teammates agree that he has a new work ethic this year.
"I think so," receiver Hines Ward said. "More film study. I really think [Arians] and him are understanding the game, understanding coverage and all that stuff, figuring out different types of defensive schemes and what we're trying to do. I think he has a better understanding of that than he has in the previous years."
The reasons behind Roethlisberger's determination, Ward said, are twofold: He's more mature, and last year's troubles motivated him.
"It's a maturity factor. It's learning, taking the time to put more emphasis on film study. I think every player goes through that.
"Last year, of course, it wasn't the year he wanted to have. It makes you come back and say what more can I do to work on my game to get me back? You're always trying to figure out ways you can kind of re-establish yourself and find ways to get better, and I think Ben has done a tremendous job of doing that."
Ward isn't the only one who has noticed.
"You can't help notice the more control he's in, not just developing as a quarterback or whatnot but also the control they've given him over the offense," guard Alan Faneca said. "He's more in charge of things out there."
"He's just more focused on what's going on," guard Kendall Simmons said. "He's trying to get to a level of being an elite quarterback, those guys like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
"He's doing the things he's capable of doing. He has all the ability in the world. I see him now the way he's running the offense, making calls, seeing blitzes and doing things like that."
Said coach Mike Tomlin: "He's fallen below his standards of expectations with some of the things that have happened. He's faced a great deal of adversity. He's had a great deal of success. I think it's all part of the process of going through a career and developing. He's a very talented guy. He's very smart and a football junky. I expect big things from him."
Giving Roethlisberger more control in the offense is no small matter. Arians wants him alone to call changes in the blocking protections that always were part of the line's duties.
"It's up to him to make all those changes," Faneca said. "We can't do it on our own."
Now it's all up to the quarterback, and he says he's up to it.
"I feel I know more what guys are doing," Roethlisberger said. "I'm able to kind of get guys in positions, even in the no-huddle call offenses and call the plays and stuff. I definitely feel better out there. I think the guys feel more comfortable with me now more than ever."
Truly, it is Big Ben's offense now, and "you can't make mistakes back there," Simmons noted. "You're the guy who can win or lose a game. It's all on his back, and he's doing a good job of it from what I've seen."
One of the big things we wanted to see this offseason was Ben working hard and being committed to offseason workouts and preparing for the new seasonl. He's done that and so far all indications are that he can have a banner year for us. All he's got to do is keep the interceptions to a minimum and let his playmakers help him and we'll be fine.