Semi-OT: What would you do with Roethlisberger?

[ctpatsfan77]

I hate playing Pittsburgh, largely b/c it's a very physical game (see Harrison, Rodney, and Light, Matt). That said, I think it's a heck of a lot more fun to beat the living daylights out of a good team (e.g., Pats-Vikings) than it is to beat up on the Little Sisters of the Weak (e.g., Pats-Bills @ Bills).

So, in a sense, while there is a sense of karma for me in the Roethlisberger saga, I'm wondering what Cowher's going to do. Clearly Roethlisberger isn't playing as well as he did the last two seasons, and he's probably hurting his team more than he's helping at this point (I'd say, at this moment, Batch is their best QB).

It's pretty obvious at this point that their quest to repeat is in serious trouble, though probably not outright dead. So, either put yourselves in Bill Cowher's shoes, or pretend that this was the Pats pre-Brady ( / ), and tell me: what would you do right now?

 

[PATRIOT64]

I hate playing Pittsburgh, largely b/c it's a very physical game (see Harrison, Rodney, and Light, Matt). That said, I think it's a heck of a lot more fun to beat the living daylights out of a good team (e.g., Pats-Vikings) than it is to beat up on the Little Sisters of the Weak (e.g., Pats-Bills @ Bills).

So, in a sense, while there is a sense of karma for me in the Roethlisberger saga, I'm wondering what Cowher's going to do. Clearly Roethlisberger isn't playing as well as he did the last two seasons, and he's probably hurting his team more than he's helping at this point (I'd say, at this moment, Batch is their best QB).

It's pretty obvious at this point that their quest to repeat is in serious trouble, though probably not outright dead. So, either put yourselves in Bill Cowher's shoes, or pretend that this was the Pats pre-Brady ( / ), and tell me: what would you do right now?

I say they put him in sunday as usual and he shocks us with a 250 yard passing game,2 TDs and 0 interceptions against the Broncos and beats them badly - We become Steeler rooters early sunday before our big game - I really think he will have a great game and shock the broncos...Ward will have 2 tds-Parker with 90 yards rushing..hopefully..Then we take care of business

 

[hwc]

Tough situation for Cowher.

IMO, Rothlisberger's game centers around the fact that he is strong like an ox. He's like (a young) Steve McNair. Defenders just bounce off him and he makes a play.

I just feel like the accumulation of the bike accident, the appendectomy, and the concussion has probably left him weakened at this point in the season.

Long term, the Steelers would be better off giving him some time off to fully heal up and train. But, it's hard to do that until they are mathmatically eliminated.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

Their season is over. They have something like 6 of their next 7 against potential playoff teams. That said, leave him in and let him play his way out of it and begin working toward next year.

Batch has no upside. I think he's overrated, but Roethlisberger is still very young. There's time left to improve. IMO they brought him back too early from the appendix issue.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

He's your QB and cleared medically, play him.

 

[Keegs]

I would tell him that his nose looks fake.

well, because it does.

It's not my problem, and it's not my damn nose.

 

[Fencer]

Concussions are career-threatening. Be super-careful.

 

[BTTA]

That said, leave him in and let him play his way out of it and begin working toward next year.

Agree with this, as long as there is no additional medical risk, specifically around additional concussions.

 

[CTPatsFan]

Sit him for Batch. Big Ben is being exposed as a mere hand-off specialist now that their running game has gone caput. Well, mostly.

 

[ironwasp]

If he really is physically OK, play him. Everyone has their bad days, even St Tom, my guess is that that was just a (really, really) bad day.

I see him leading the Steelers to an emotional victory over Denver on Sunday.

 

[BelizePats]

I'd punch him in the mouth!

"A hand off specialist" is one of th e great lines of the last few years!!!
Very funny and all too true.

 

[sieglo]

The Steelers will lose to Denver because Cowher wants them to lose.

Once Cowher writes off a season he will deliberately make it even more of a train wreck in order to pick up better draft picks. That's why the Steelers are either strong playoff contenders or major losers every year -- never "almost made the playoffs, 8-8 type teams.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

I don't know.
Like, what if the Denvah players say nasty things to him like the opposition did last week?
Will he be able to handle the rude taunts without permanent psychological damage to his limited psyche?

 

[patological]

'Berger probably won't even be in the league at the end of next season even if he sits the rest of this year. May be the most overrated QB--real questionable decision-making--and would truly suck if he didn't have Ward to bail him out on occasion.

If he continues to play this year, he definitely won't last past 2007. I don't know what "mild concussion" means but the impact of multiple hits is cumulative. Any hit now, even a light one, can have severe consequences.

On top of that, the guy's just not very bright. Didn't I just read that he refuses to wear the helmet with more protection. Only someone like Cowher could think this is the future of the team.

 

[Bella*chick]

I honestly don't know what I would do with him now. But I would NOT have played him last week. I would not have encouraged and gone along with his super-fast recovery from getting his head implanted on a car. The management of his health situation this year has been terrible, IMO. The results on the field show it. With the concussion situation likely to be a HUGE factor for the remainder of his playing career, the Steelers will regret his quick comeback from the accident.

SOMEONE in the organization has to tell Ben to sit down, shut up, heal and be a little smarter. They didn't do it with his stupid motorcycle and they're still not doing it.

 

[Michael]

Lowest QB rating in any SB says it all. I had all the proof the officials handed them their ring last year. But, the NFL forced YT to remove it. He has never been any more than mediocre player. The most over-rated player in the NFL. Give him the Drew treatment.

 

[borg]

Play Big Ben until they have 7 losses. Then bench his dumb ass and get him a brain transplant.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

'Berger probably won't even be in the league at the end of next season even if he sits the rest of this year. May be the most overrated QB--real questionable decision-making--and would truly suck if he didn't have Ward to bail him out on occasion.

If he continues to play this year, he definitely won't last past 2007. I don't know what "mild concussion" means but the impact of multiple hits is cumulative. Any hit now, even a light one, can have severe consequences.

On top of that, the guy's just not very bright. Didn't I just read that he refuses to wear the helmet with more protection. Only someone like Cowher could think this is the future of the team.

The league is in denial about cumulative concussions. There is a scathing story out by an SI writer about what a joke their stand is - they put the guy who was the JETS doc for years and rubber stamped Chrebet's scrambling his brain in charge of overseeing the league's policy and conducting jerry rigged research to try to back up their desired contention that there is no cumulative effect and guys can even safely play again the day of the concussion. Research designed to cover the league's ass against law suits from players contending they suffered long term brain damage under the care of team docs, conducted by a rhumatologist with a degree from the U of Guadelahara 'cause he couldn't get accepted to a real med school. Congress is getting ready to get after the league about it as they did with steriods and baseball. Because all the bogus findings this group touts effect the way HS and College athletes are being pushed through their concussions too.

Cowher blew it with Ben in the off season. He treated him like the franchise when all he ever was was the franchises's QB. I guess that was a lingering effect of the Slash years. Batch is an above average backup, and on a well managed team with a dominant defense he could have kept them well in it for the month or so so that Ben could have worked his way back in after their early bye. Neurologists outside the NFL loop suggested if Ben were their patient he wouldn't play for at least 6 months after the accident if at all this season. Much like when Tedy had his stroke. Beyond the physical issues there is a stress induced underlying emotional trauma associated with that kind of brush with mortality that experts will tell you takes 6 months or longer to work through. Playing through it is what leads to the inconsistent performances we've seen from Ben, and that just increased his potential exposure to further career threatening injury. His appendix was his body desperately waving a warning flag to Ben and his handlers to back off, and they still refused to listen.

The real problem with Ben in Pittsburgh is he's matched up with a HC who is also not the brightest bulb. When he took a page out of his Belichick workbook it got him and his QB to the big dance (although it took the zebras to carry the night once they kicked off). Then he lost his page marker and reverted to form with a QB who is a stubbornly arrogant gunslinger at heart and can only function under an iron fist. One of the reason's they let Plex go was because he and Ben were already practicing freelancing to ad lib their own playbook and playcalling in Ben's rookie year. That Superbowl performance should have served as a warning to Cowher that his QB was not one you hand the keys of the franchise to. But Cowher was apparently afraid if he continued to manage him on a short leash he would either rebel or shut down or opt out.

Not sure what they do now because the horse is out of the barn on the 2006 season and potentially Ben's brain going forward. Their schedule only gets tougher with most of their remaining opponents clawing for the playoffs. A mismatch for Charlie batch or an inconsistent Roethlisberger. And with Cowher's personal plans up in the air that team could really fracture over the way their defense of the one for the thumb has unfolded.

 

[DisgruntledTunaFan]

Big Ben obviously hasn't recovered from his near-death motorcycle accident. He's ONE blow away from ending his own life.

Why in the world is he leaving himself in there?

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Much like when Tedy had his stroke.

Except that the reason for the stroke (ischemic, not hemorrhagic) was one that is--and, in this case, was--easily treatable.

His appendix was his body desperately waving a warning flag to Ben and his handlers to back off, and they still refused to listen.

I was almost ROFL at the anthropomorphization here, but I get your point. If I were Cowher, and could have this season over again, I'd have set BR down at least through the bye week.

Unfortunately, it's now a debatable point whether Ben ever fully recovers.