Ben Roethlisberger sounded optimistic that he will be ready to play against the Bengals on Sunday despite a left pectoral muscle injury, but he said he – and the offense as a whole – have to play much better football if they expect to win.
Roethlisberger says the offense is not a group of individuals trying to do their jobs, but a collective group that functions as a unit.
Big Ben says the Bengals defense will challenge the Steelers, with former Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton doing the same disruptive things for Cincinnati he did for years in Pittsburgh.
Roethlisberger did not practice yesterday, as is customary for a Wednesday, and he was joined on the sidelines by injured linebacker Alex Highsmith, wide receiver Diontae Johnson, defensive lineman Carols Davis, and tight end Eric Ebron. Linebacker Devin Bush returned to practice as a full participant, while linebacker TJ Watt, cornerback Joe Haden, and cornerback Justin Layne were limited participants.
Five former Steelers have been nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot, the first step in a three-step process to enshrinement. Wide receiver Hines Ward, tight end Heath Miller, kicker Gary Anderson, nose tackle Casey Hampton, and linebacker Hardy Nickerson Sr. are on the list of 122 former modern era players named yesterday. Ward has made it to the semifinals five times. The list will be cut to 25 semifinalists in November and 15 finalists in January.
