Ben Roethlisberger 'not giving up' on changing Steelers' fortunes after 1-3 start

Ben Roethlisberger is used to wearing the black and gold. His hip, though, is sporting a different color scheme.

“It’s a little black and blue,” Roethlisberger said Wednesday morning.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 39-year-old quarterback injured his hip during a 27-17 loss Sunday at Green Bay, and he still was feeling the effects three days later.

Roethlisberger said the hip is “pretty sore” and that “if I showed you a pic, it might (turn) your stomach.”

Although Roethlisberger’s numbers are among the worst produced in the NFL this season, he doesn’t think it will keep him from playing Sunday when the 1-3 Steelers face the 3-1 Denver Broncos at Heinz Field.

“That’s the plan,” he said.

That might be an unpopular sentiment among fans given the way Roethlisberger has performed at the outset of his 18th NFL season. Roethlisberger’s 78.9 passer rating ranks No. 27 among his peers, and he has thrown the same number of interceptions (four) as touchdown passes. His 6.1-yard average per pass attempt ranks No. 28.

And, of course, the Steelers are stuck in last place in the AFC North, two games behind the other three division opponents.

Following the lead of coach Mike Tomlin at his press conference a day earlier, Roethlisberger believes most of his problems are mechanical and can be fixed.

“I know that I can play better football,” he said. “I believe in myself. I know that no matter what is going on, I’m going to fight my butt off to get a win. If that is the way I need to lead right now by showing these guys I’m going to do everything I can to win a football game, then I’ll keep doing that.”

First, Roethlisberger must correct deficiencies that he thinks are related to his hip injury. After the loss in Green Bay extended the Steelers’ losing streak to three games, Roethlisberger said he noticed he was “dipping” his right elbow when he threw.

“I’m not going to make excuses, but as a quarterback, so much is involved in the lower body,” he said. “People think as a quarterback or thrower, how is your arm doing? Your arm is a small part compared to the whole package. It’s your core, it’s your lower body. I’ve got to find ways to be better with my lower body.

“Going back and watching, a lot of throws I missed, I missed because my lower body wasn’t in sync. (It was) over-striding, not stepping toward my target, things mechanically that I need to fix and I know I can fix. When you’re dealing with pain, it’s hard to get through those things, but it’s nothing I can’t get through.”

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson is confident Roethlisberger will rebound from his slow start.

“He’s going to have a couple bad throws here and there. That’s football,” he said. “The best of the best are going to do that. Overall, I see past that because at the end of the day, he’s my quarterback. I’m always going to be behind his back no matter what, and I’m still going to go out there and make plays for him to make him look good.”

Roethlisberger had the fastest release time of any NFL quarterback in 2018 and 2020, his two most recent healthy seasons. This year, his release time of 2.33 seconds also is tops in the NFL and is on par with his 2020 average of 2.3.

The quick release time this year, though, could be attributed to a young offensive line and Roethlisberger trying to avoid sacks. He already has been sacked 10 times — three fewer than in the entire 2020 season — and he has the body damage to show for it.

Roethlisberger injured his left pectoral muscle in the home opener against Las Vegas, he said “everything hurts” after the home loss to Cincinnati and now the hip injury has placed him on the injury report again.

“I don’t want to dwell too much on the physical things, the ailments, because its sounds like an excuse,” Roethlisberger said. “I’m not going to make that. I need to be better. I need to fight through and figure out how to make better decisions, how to make better throws, be a better football player. That is why I said I’m not going to quit. I’m not doing that. I’m not giving up on this season. No one in this building is. It’s still early, and there is a lot of fight left in us.”