Broken beak is Ben's badge of Baltimore courage

[SteelCityMom]

Cook: Broken beak is Ben's badge of Baltimore courage
Friday, September 09, 2011
By Ron Cook , Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Peter Diana/Post-Gazette
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is helped off the field after his nose was broken from a punch by the Ravens' Haloti Ngata last season.

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By now, you might have heard Ben Roethlisberger plays pretty well against the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers have won seven games in a row in the contentious series with Big Ben at quarterback, including postseason wins last season and in 2008. They'll try to make it eight Sunday afternoon in Baltimore.

You probably also know some of Roethlisberger's signature moments against the Ravens. His five first-half touchdown passes and perfect 158.3 passer rating at Heinz Field in 2007. His winning 4-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 43 seconds left at M&T Bank Stadium in '08. His 65-yard touchdown pass to Holmes in the AFC championship game at Heinz Field that same season. His winning 9-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Redman with 2:59 left at M&T Bank Stadium last season. The comeback he led from a 21-7 halftime deficit in a divisional playoff game at Heinz Field last season. His 58-yard pass to Antonio Brown to set up the winning touchdown in that game.

But you'll never guess the career highlight Roethlisberger most cherishes against the Ravens.

Would you believe it's his broken nose in the game in Baltimore last season?
"That was no fun, I can tell you that," Roethlisberger said during a quiet moment after practice this week. "It's hard enough playing those guys anytime, but it's really hard playing 'em when you can't breathe."

No, it wasn't fun -- Roethlisberger said doctors told him his nose "looked like corn flakes" -- but it surely was significant to him. He was clubbed in the face by Ravens nose tackle Haloti Ngata early in the game. Ngata wasn't penalized on the play -- further proof to a lot of Steelers people that the NFL really isn't as interested in protecting Roethlisberger as it is the Tom Bradys and Peyton Mannings -- although he was fined $15,000 the next day about the same time Roethlisberger was having surgery.

"What makes me smile about that is I know people from Homestead, McKeesport, places all over the city ... real Steelers fans everywhere were watching and saw the blood all over the place," Roethlisberger said. "I hope they said, 'That's our guy. He's one of us. He never came out. He never quit. He's pretty tough.' "

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11252...#ixzz1XS9WwGk3

[kirklandrules]

Originally Posted by SCMom

"What makes me smile about that is I know people from Homestead, McKeesport, places all over the city ... real Steelers fans everywhere were watching and saw the blood all over the place," Roethlisberger said. "I hope they said, 'That's our guy. He's one of us. He never came out. He never quit. He's pretty tough.' "

That basically sums it up for me. This league has 31 teams that start frail little boys as their QBs. The Steelers have a football player who happens to throw the ball very well.

[stb_steeler]

U talkin to me?????

[bobby jr]

Too bad he got his nose broken I did not like seeing that. But Ben didn't do all that great in the game. The Steelers scored more in their Ravens home game without him last year than they did with him in Baltimore. The Ravens had that Baltimore game won until the very end. Sunday they will not let up I expect them to win.

[SteelCityMom]

Originally Posted by bobby jr

Too bad he got his nose broken I did not like seeing that. But Ben didn't do all that great in the game. The Steelers scored more in their Ravens home game without him last year than they did with him in Baltimore. The Ravens had that Baltimore game won until the very end. Sunday they will not let up I expect them to win.

Ben had a whopping 13 yards less than Flacco...so I guess he didn't do too great in that game either lol.

I'd like to point out too, that Batch had under 150 yards in the first game...It was Mendenhall that scored both TDs.

This thread is not about the Ravens game this week though, nor was it about any particular game last season...so quit trying to make it about that.

[Atlanta Dan]

Originally Posted by bobby jr

The Ravens had that Baltimore game won until the very end..

This is true - but in Baltimore no lead is safe with Joe "Come From Ahead" Flacco at QB

[mikegrimey]

Well too bad they only hand out W's to the team that's winning when the clock is at 00:00.


Maybe the Ravens should get a consolation prize for "having the game won until..." something like a big giant fowl with a tear in it's eye that repeats ad naseum "I... I... I thought we had them ..."

[Sixburgher]

Does the trolling jackass have to hijack every damn thread with his bullshit?

[bobby jr]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Dan

This is true - but in Baltimore no lead is safe with Joe "Come From Ahead" Flacco at QB

Tell that to the Heinz field crowd which went home disappointed last year after Flacco led the Ravens to a dramatic last minute game winning TD in Pittsburgh.

Look everyone knows it took heart for Ben to keep playing with a broken nose. But that was a low scoring game and if he had been taken out the Steelers still may have won, maybe even by more points. It's not like he led the Steelers to 40 points or threw for 300 yards in that game.

The key play was the Troy P. blind side hit on Flacco that caused a fumble with the Ravens having the lead near the end of the game. and Ben obviously had nothing to do with that play.

[tony hipchest]

maybe this game woodley will break flacco's nose and when he leaves crying to the bench crying, everyone will be assured he had nothing to do with yet another epic loss.

its gonna be great!