Originally Posted by
By Joe Starkey
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
This time last year, Charlie Batch was fighting for his football life.
Knee surgery had ended Batch's 2004 season after one week of training camp. What's more, he had appeared in just three regular-season games since signing with the Steelers after the 2001 season.
He was competing with Brian St. Pierre for the team's No. 3 quarterback job and still was unsure if the knee would allow him to go full throttle.
"The (doctors) kept saying, 'OK, once we break out of camp, you'll be feeling OK,' and I'm like, 'Well, I gotta get through camp first -- you know, if I don't make it through camp, then I won't be here,' " Batch said. "So, it was something you kind of had to keep fighting through. It was frustrating because of the uncertainty. I wanted to come in and show I could still play and not be the forgotten guy."
Batch barely survived, thanks in part to an excellent preseason finale against Carolina, which pays another visit to Heinz Field for Thursday's preseason finale. He beat out St. Pierre and won a roster spot as the No. 3 man after many thought the Steelers might only keep two quarterbacks.
Batch, 31, wound up starting two games at midseason before a broken hand put him on the shelf again, but he returns for his ninth NFL season, solidly entrenched as Ben Roethlisberger's backup.
"This has probably been Charlie's best training camp since he's been here," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said Tuesday. "I feel very comfortable with Charlie Batch."
Through three preseason games, Batch has completed 63.6 percent of his passes (21 of 33) for 202 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
"It feels good to be out there in different game situations instead of just late situations, like I was (in the preseason last year)," Batch said. "I have to take advantage of working with the starters and make sure that, hey, I'm able to put this together to where if I had to play, they know I'll be able to step right in."
Batch is the most experienced of the backups in the AFC North, and he proved last season he could still move a team effectively. That was especially true in the first half of his second start, when he completed 13 of 19 passes for 150 yards and ran for a touchdown against Cleveland. He did not return for the second half because of a broken right hand.
Teammates such as running back Willie Parker, who was Batch's roommate at training camp, speak highly of him.
"He's the backup, but he's a leader," Parker said. "It's the perfect situation. I respect that guy a lot."
Quarterback Shane Boyd, currently fighting for his NFL life, said Batch has been an enormous help.
"He has a lot of knowledge on the game and how to run the game," Boyd said. "He's been a starter, a backup, and he has a lot of insight. He's willing to share, always talking to us on the sidelines, letting us know what he sees."
The bonus for Batch is playing for his hometown team. He grew up in Homestead, 15 minutes from Heinz Field. He'd love to be a starter again, but this is the next-best thing.
"It's a good thing to be that close to home," Batch said. "It's a good feeling. I always made this my offseason home, even when I was in Detroit. It all kind of worked itself out."
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks