Ben Roethlisberger easily passed through the National Football League concussion protocol after he was hurt last week.
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However, those injuries should not keep him out of Sunday’s game at Jacksonville.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) passes during the first half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015, in Pittsburgh.
“We’re capable of doing that”, Tomlin said. His four touchdown passes – two to Brown and one each to Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant – came in less than 20 minutes of as Pittsburgh turned a 10-6 deficit into a 38-10 lead.
“Guys are growing”, Roethlisberger said. Chuck Pagano feels his team needs to improve “We have to respond”.
Colts head coach Chuck Pagano and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck discuss Indianapolis’ loss to the Steelers Sunday night.
“We couldn’t get anything going offensively”, Colts coach Chuck Pagano said.
This time Gore ripped off a 9-yard run on first down, but then on second down two young linebackers who were their most recent No. 1 draft picks – Ryan Shazier and Bud Dupree – teamed up to dump Gore for a 3-yard loss. Brown possibly reclaimed the job full-time after sprinting 71 yards for the fourth punt return score of his career.
Quarterback- Ben Roethlisberger feasted on the Colts once again, completing 24-of-39 pass attempts for 364 yards and four touchdowns. “Today we showed that”.
The Steelers’ defense limited Indianapolis to 240 yards of total offense and forced three turnovers. Other times, they brought only three and dropped eight into coverage.
Here’s another time you might have gotten the vague idea that things weren’t going to end well: Three times in the Colts first five possessions, their starting field position was in Steelers’ territory. “We’re not afraid to take shots”. That run ended abruptly when Roethlisberger went off and Hasselbeck exited in the fourth quarter with neck and shoulder pain.
“We didn’t handle their blitz early really well”, Hasselbeck said. “I would hope that I could (play)”. Miller, who is nursing a rib injury, had started 41 consecutive games, but the Steelers did not miss him much because rookie Jesse James stepped in and caught three passes for 30 yards.
Jacoby Jones fumbled the opening kickoff, and Indianapolis recovered at the 11. Give me the Vinatieri field goal which (assuming he makes the kick) would make it 28-13. He caught 8 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. The longest play of the night went to running back Frank Gore on a 34-yard reception. For as unstoppable as Roethlisberger, Brown and the rest of Pittsburgh’s offense looked while racing past the Colts, the Steelers’ early season missteps mean there is very little margin for error.
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If the Steelers continue to perform on offense like they are now, their defense only has to be slightly better than mediocre for the team to win a championship. With 12:35 left in the third quarter, the Steelers took a heavy lead at 28-10. With usual starter Andrew Luck (kidney) still out, if Hasselbeck is unable to play in Sunday’s upcoming game against the Jaguars, third-stringer Charlie Whitehurst would figure to start at quarterback.
