Oct 17, 2016 5 min read

Notice: Undefined offset: 0 in /usr/web/cs-washington.ogdennews.com/wp-content/themes/News_Core_2023_WashCluster/includes/single/strategically_placed_photos_article.php on line 412

Notice: Trying to get property 'term_id' of non-object in /usr/web/cs-washington.ogdennews.com/wp-content/themes/News_Core_2023_WashCluster/includes/single/strategically_placed_photos_article.php on line 412

It was an interesting locker room today for the Steelers.

We were ushered in as the team was walking into the room and you wouldn’t have known they had just been bludgeoned in Miami.

In fact, it was a really loose locker room despite the news that Ben Roethlisberger had undergone surgery.

Talking with Mike Mitchell recently, he said he prefers to be the hunter instead of the hunted. Roethlisberger has said that before as well.

Judging from what I saw Monday, I would say the rest of the team believes that, as well.

That won’t be an issue this Sunday. The Steelers are definite underdogs to the New England Patriots, especially without Roethlisberger.

But the Steelers are a loose bunch, win or lose. It’s what helps them overcome these kind speedbumps.

To quote th Foo Fighers, “Turn, turn and on to the next one.”

• The big question is this: Will they be without Roethlisberger?

I was told he’s out this week, but many of his teammates, including Landry Jones, weren’t so sure.

Philip Rivers played six days after having a procedure very similar to what Roethlisberger had back in 2008 and came back six days later to play in the AFC Championship.

Now, Sunday’s game isn’t the AFC Championship by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a big game that could help determine where that game might be played.

I know, I know. Steelers fans don’t want to hear that after Sunday’s loss in Miami. But this is still a good team – albeit one with flaws.

But as we’ve seen, they can be very explosive at home.

More than one guy today referenced Jones coming into the game last year against Arizona at Heinz Field. Don’t think that hasn’t been talked about.

There was supposed to be no way the Steelers could stop Arizona’s offense. And Mike Vick was starting at quarterback, making it unlikely the Steelers would do much offensively.

But Jones came in late for an injured Vick and got the team into the end zone a couple of times to beat Arizona.

New England is better than the Cardinals, but these players need something to get them through the night.

• Ladarius Green will likely return to practice Wednesday, but don’t look for him to play against the Patriots.

A return in three weeks at Baltimore after the bye week would seem more likely. Green hasn’t practiced a single time since joining the Steelers, so it’s going to take him a little time to get acclimated.

• Cam Heyward said Monday if the Steelers played on that day, he wouldn’t be out there. But he’s not counting himself out Sunday against the Patriots because of his hamstring injury.

That’s OK. I’ll do it.

• I was told by a source that after Mike Mitchell’s second unnecessary roughness penalty against Miami, Mitchell was told he got it because the game was too chippy, it happened in the Miami bench area and the officials wanted to, “send a message.”

Sending a message that nothing more will be tolerated is fine, but in that line of thinking, had the tackle been made into the Steelers’ bench area, would the Dolphins player have been hit with a penalty?

If so, that’s not the way a game should be called.

That said, both teams were hit with untimely penalties Sunday. The Dolphins, however, overcame them.

• I’ve seen the Steelers’ 5-11 record against sub-.500 teams in their past 16 road games against such opponents bandied about. Heck, I wrote it as a nice round number since there are 16 games in a regular season.

Some people like to use that number for their own purposes – ie. Mike Tomlin didn’t have them ready to play or some other such dreck.

To me, it comes down some other issues.

Joe Starkey, whom I respect greatly, lit into Ramon Foster a little on Monday for saying that teams treat their games against the Steelers a little differently saying that’s arrogant.

I disagree. Here’s why.

Look at Sunday’s game as an example. The Dolphins are playing at home, but come onto the field to see 30,000 screaming Steelers fans.

If I were playing on that team, I’d be ticked. I would get a little extra juice from that. I would want to send those people home disappointed.

Also, that stat only includes teams that had losing records at the time the Steelers played them. For example, Kansas City was 1-5 at the time it hosted and beat the Steelers last year – without Roethlisberger.

As we saw, however, the Chiefs were not a bad team. They just got off to a slow start.