Ben Roethlisberger's Shocking Second-Half Return Cements Status as One Game's All-Time Tough Guys and Competitors

At the very least, without the 3 redzone turnovers, the score should have been 24-9, assuming at least a fg on each incursion. Credit for the first two turnovers has to go to Cleveland as they were playing hard and looking to force turnovers. The turnover on downs was a coaching decision. I was surprised they didn’t have Redman in for at least two of those attempts but I believe the coaching staff had their reasons for doing what they did.

Do you think the injury would have been significantly worse were it not for the natural give in Pittsburgh’s oft’ maligned home turf?

ben is unique, and uniquely gifted not only with physical ability, but with a winner’s mentality that is compelling and inspiring, to say the least. i want to approach my job with the same determination and commitment to success as he does.

looking at the tape, i think you’ll find that they most certainly did not call the same play four times in a row at the goal line. there were different formations and different plays called there. they just all happened to be running plays with 34 getting the handoffs. if ben throws 3 of those 4 times and we don’t get it, you’re all screaming about “why can’t we just pound it in there?” and “why are we letting ben try and throw it on a broken ankle when we can just run the ball?” etc. either way arians gets the blame. actually, i want to know – i demand to know – why it was mendy getting those calls and not mr. redman. if i was 33, i’d be pissed right now. mendy looked like he has NO IDEA how to run in short yardage situations. he ran with pads high, and he ran to gaps instead of staying low and tight behind his lead blockers. it looks lilke he wants to try and hit a gap for 15 yards, when all he really needs to do is basically fall forward for a yard and half. he needed to make himself small and hidden, and instead he found open space and got the snot knocked out of him. i’m disappoinited in the way that went down. not because of the runs, but because of the runner. if we try 4 times when redman and fail, then i’d say, “good job to the browns defense.” but instead, i just want someone to explain why we didn’t use our short yardage back in a short yardage situation, especially if we were really committed to running the ball there. baffling.

an unstoppable beast. Can not put into words how amazed I was that he played second half.

That was a pretty awesome flop by colt mccoy when Mr. Farrior touched him on the shoulder out of bounds. I was also honestly surprised when worilds sprinted deep into the steeler sideline to tap Mccoy on the helmet and let him know that he barely escaped…Hochuli really wanted to throw that flag.

…given how well the Steelers OL kept #7 (InBenstructible) safe from hits after returning, to win the game.

Ben must have titanium ball joints for knees; how he didn’t tear something up the way the leg twisted under him, and how he torqued onto the ground.

The game plan I believe was to run attack to the right side, away from Sheard (sic). While all four plays may have been too similar to be effective, given the results from the previous one, it was a ballsy move on Tomlin’s part; imagine the howls if Steelers had lost the game.

Our offense started the game well, defense looked cold.

24 carries for 111 yards b/w Mendy and Redman, against a team that was stacking the box to avoid a second week of embarrassment, thus leaning on its #1 pass defense to keep game close. End result, decent 4.6 yds per carry, but 16 for 21, 280 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT knifed them at their strongest point.

Overall, I am EXTREMELY happy with this ugly win. As I said, can’t really complain about anything, as thankful as I am that Ben is not more severely injured than he is.

Way to go Steelers!

If you go through all the injuries and the times he has played with them. Ben really is one of a kind and I doubt that we will see a QB in the league that is able to do what Ben does any time soon.

I know that Brady, Rodgers, Brees are all considered technically superior but personally I’d take Ben over them any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

I could not believe Ben walked out at the beginning of the second half. I called and verified it with several people because I did not have sound on NFL mobile. I thought for sure that could not be real. I hope it was the best thing for him long term, but in that moment he showed the kind of leadership the Steelers need to get things done.

I wrote him off, swearing to my family that he would not come back from this, not against the Brownies, when there were mid-to-long term health issues at stake, and the fact that we needed to preserve him, if he came back at all in the regular season, for the playoffs. Not to mention the gruesome nature of the fall, twist and collateral damage from both.

(Jim Mora voice) “Playoffs?!! You’re talking ’bout playoffs?!”

I just hope he did not take any unnecessary risks by coming back out there, even with no apparent additional damage. Sometimes, letting things settle and swell will help in diagnosing what’s wrong. This was delayed.

Here’s to praying that this win wasn’t a Pyrrhic victory…

fumbled in the same game? It almost felt like they were trying to shave points.

I was shocked Ben came back, unbelievable tenacity. Still, Ben should not have taken that hit, he should have thrown the ball away. The guy is a magician- sidestepping an unblocked rusher up the middle- but hits like that drastically shorten a player’s career. I want to see this guy leading the Steelers into the playoffs for the rest of this decade.

This pretty much sums it up for me:

Thought number one was: "YOU STUPID MOTHERF@#%&*R! IF YOU WOULD HAVE THROWN THE DAMN BALL AWAY, YOU WOULDN’T HAVE HAD YOUR ANKLE SNAPPED OFF AND SUNK THE ENTIRE PITTSBURGH SEASON!"
Thought number two was: "Oh. My. God. Roethlisberger is not mortal. Perhaps he is a robot sent back in time to grope women and win football games."
My heart swelled up with so much pride when he returned to the field after the half. It’s hard to describe, but I felt myself get bigger, like the Grinch finding the true meaning of Christmas. I could not help but love that man for what he’s willing to sacrifice for the team.

I was thinking that his ankle was broken and his knee was shredded and all he had to do was throw the ball away. Then the tough bastard comes back in the game. UNBELIEVABLE!!! Ben is one tough SOB – this one is even crazier than the Nose Break. I hope he is ready for the 49ers.

Off topic: What are the chances we can pick up Norv Turner for OC in the off season?

Something is beyond me : why stick with Chris Kemoeatu when he stank up the joint? The penalties were bad, especially the holding one where Ben got hit anyway by his man, but to me that’s the retard we’ve come to know. What I can’t stand is when his run blocking sucks. Let me illustrate :

On that third and goal play when they ran a power and he’s lead puller he just ignored his man and turned towards a guy that was already blocked. Sure enough his guy presses the opening and BOOM! Mendenhall is on his ass. That was a sure shot TD if he just does what he’s supposed to do best. The idiot picks up his guy and that sequence turns into another hardnosed pounding and the game is all but over.

Enough with the neanderthal already. I’m no fan, but Trai Essex has to be the 6th guy from here on out. No ifs or buts about it. Kemo does not see the field unless at least two injuries occur.

Consider this an official Kemoeatu hate post. Feel free to join me!

I want some of it so I can inject itno my arm and knee

But it sure woulda been nice if he had thrown the ball away in that situation and not have had to suffer a near season ending injury. I know its what Ben does, keeping the play alive and all. Good with the bad and all that.

One thing, Ben has complete respect from his team mates. They were playing really hard for Ben. The O-line always seems to play harder when Ben is hurt and I am afraid this ailment may stretch into the playoffs.

…can you stop calling Heath Miller “sure handed” or his fumbles “uncharacteristic”? It seems to me that his fumbles are becoming more frequent, and more devastating.

Gotta give Ben credit, he is a straight up baller. Hate the Steelers, but got a ton of respect for Ben.

I thought for sure that injury was it. Never a dull moment watching this guy play (or not play). Hats off to him for being the toughest SOB (who isn’t a RB) in the NFL.

….was probably sitting at home in a puddle of his own drool at the thought that he gets to fine Harrison.

Who wins?

Is it a draw and the start of the Big Crunch and the end of the universe as we know it?

Mind-boggling stuff…