Ben Roethlisberger threw for 181 yards and completed a 28-yard touchdown pass to
Mike Wallace in the first half of Sunday's game against Jacksonville. His quarterback rating was 113.4 after the second quarter and he appeared to be well on his way to another sterling performance, one week after tossing five touchdown passes in a victory against the Titans.
In the third and fourth quarters, the Jaguars -- and the wind -- finally disrupted the Steelers' passing game. Roethlisberger completed just 1 of 5 passes in the third and fourth quarters, and the Steelers had to hold on for a 17-13 victory after being held off the scoreboard in the second half.
"We had other guys open," Roethlisberger said. "I just have to drive the ball. I have to make the necessary adjustments when the wind picks up, stop floating it and try to drive it through the wind.
"I never make excuses. When it's blowing, you have to put a lot of spin on the ball. I just wasn't doing that. It's something I can easily change."
Several of Roethlisberger's incomplete passes, including some in the first half, came with receivers open deep downfield. Roethlisberger, who said the Jaguars were taking away the underneath routes and daring him to throw deep, simply misfired.
"The wind most definitely was a factor, but we won't use that as an excuse at all," said Wallace, who did not catch a pass in the second half for the second consecutive week. "We just have to keep working at it. We'll get it. Unfortunately, we left about three touchdowns out there."
Roethlisberger's only completion of the second half came on the first drive. It was a 19-yarder to
Hines Ward. On the next play, Roethlisberger missed a wide open
Emmanuel Sanders, who had beaten his defender to the end zone.
Roethlisberger also missed Sanders on another deep pass in the first half and could not connect on a deep pass to Wallace in the second half.
"It was gusting pretty good," Roethlisberger said of the wind. "
Dan [Sepulveda] said on the last punt he wanted to take off and run. He didn't even want to punt it. It was what it was. It was kind of Heinz Field. One series it blows one way, then it swirls on you. Like I said, no excuses. You have to drive the ball through the wind."
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Originally Posted by LatrobePA
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