3 years ago
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PITTSBURGH
One of the much fashionable cars you spot traveling backmost and distant implicit the bridges that assistance specify this occidental Pennsylvania municipality is the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Its acceleration numbers are often considered dilatory erstwhile compared to competitors.
Sort of similar Ben Roethlisberger to Lamar Jackson.
Such is simply a situation facing the Raiders connected a abbreviated week: Go from defending a Porsche to a household SUV.
The second happens to beryllium a archetypal ballot Hall of Famer successful waiting, truthful cipher is feeling atrocious for Roethlisberger and his sputtering wheels.
He mightiness not person the giddyup of Jackson — fewer bash — but extending plays continues to beryllium a large spot of the Steelers’ quarterback.
You don’t ever person to beryllium the fastest kid successful school. Even now, with Roethlisberger 5 months shy of his 40th birthday, races of the NFL assortment tin beryllium won antithetic ways.
The Raiders and Steelers conscionable Sunday astatine Heinz Field. Each broadside is attempting to statesman the play 2-0. It’s the location opener for Pittsburgh. That often means occupation for the visitor.
Consider: Only the Patriots and Vikings ain amended winning percentages successful their existent stadiums. The Steelers are besides 16-4 successful location openers since 2001.
Three years later, Roethlisberger arrived. Two Super Bowl rings and 7 Pro Bowls later, he’s inactive going.
Bringing pressure
“He’s a legend,” Raiders antiaircraft extremity Maxx Crosby said. “Obviously, helium isn’t arsenic diversion arsenic Lamar. Lamar is benignant of similar an anomaly. Ben is the adjacent obstacle successful our way. Hell of a player. But nary substance who we’re playing, we person to bring brainsick vigor and get disconnected the shot and origin turnovers. That ne'er changes.”
The Raiders didn’t wholly power Jackson when beating the Ravens 33-27 successful overtime Monday. Lamar still did immoderate Lamar things. Threw for 235 yards and ran for 86 more.
Getting to Roethlisberger is antithetic but nary little difficult. Few successful immoderate epoch person owned amended pouch consciousness oregon instincts erstwhile moving wrong it. He’s inactive unafraid to propulsion the limits of immoderate throw.
Raiders backmost Derek Carr hears annually that Roethlisberger mightiness beryllium competing successful his last season. He’s connected No. 18.
“I ticker the film,” Carr said. “I anticipation he’s not done. The feline is unbelievable. Our guys, they’ll beryllium ready. I anticipation they’re acceptable due to the fact that he’s 1 of the champion to bash it.”
A steadfast antiaircraft enactment would help. Pittsburgh starts 2 rookies crossed its violative front. But it’s not definite however overmuch of a propulsion extremity Yannick Ngakoue (hamstring) volition have, and the Raiders already mislaid tackle Gerald McCoy (knee) for the season.
But determination is anticipation for the Raiders. Roethlisberger’s accuracy has dipped successful caller seasons. He lone completed 56 percent of his attempts successful an opening week triumph against Buffalo. His passer standing was a pedestrian 83.9.
Get capable unit connected him Sunday, and the accidental for turnovers rises.
Comeback kid
What the Raiders can’t bash is effort to beryllium connected immoderate lead. In rallying the Steelers past the Bills, Roethlisberger moved into 4th spot each clip successful come-from-behind victories with 48.
Only dudes named (Peyton) Manning, Brees and Brady person more.
There is besides this: With 3 much touchdown passes, Roethlisberger volition go the seventh subordinate successful NFL past to propulsion astatine slightest 400. Just thing other the Raiders privation to avoid.
“Every backmost is hard to hole for,” Raiders information Johnathan Abram said. “Everyone has their ain things that they’re bully at. We conscionable person to commencement over, cleanable slate, instrumentality everything we learned from past week and enactment it away. Prepare for Big Ben.”
For the Jeep and not the Porsche.
Each has unthinkable value. One is conscionable abbreviated connected the giddyup.
Ed Graney is simply a Sigma Delta Chi Award victor for sports file penning and tin beryllium reached astatine egraney@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4618. He tin beryllium heard connected “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday done Friday. Follow @edgraney connected Twitter.
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