By DAVE SKRETTA

AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t remember a whole lot about the last time the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Steelers’ quarterback sustained a concussion when his head banged into the knee of Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson as he leaned headfirst during a running play in overtime. He came back to play some of his best games of the 2009 season afterward, twice throwing for three touchdowns without an interception and leading Pittsburgh to a second-place finish in the AFC East.

It certainly wasn’t the first time Big Ben was banged up. 

There have been numerous concussions, several knee injuries, and a fractured thumb sustained a few weeks ago against Cincinnati.  Roethlisberger plans to play Sunday night against Kansas City, even though he admitted it’ll be painful, and that’s dreadful news to the Chiefs.

The truth is that Roethlisberger seems to play better when he’s ailing.

“He’s an extremely intense competitor,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said, “and I think adversity such as that brings that out of him. I think it’s a characteristic that all good competitors have.”

Pittsburgh had last week off, giving Roethlisberger time to heal. But the thumb still bothered him in practice this week, and he didn’t take snaps under center early in the week, working out of the shotgun with a splint under his glove to protect it. 

It’s unclear how Pittsburgh might alter its playbook in light of the injury, though it won’t be the first time there have been subtle tweaks. The team worked out of the shotgun and pistol last year against Baltimore to take some of the pressure off Roethlisberger’s sprained foot.

“I’ll be out there, I guarantee that,” Roethlisberger said.  “It won’t be an issue that way. Will it be an issue with pain and throwing? I don’t know.”

Roethlisberger said he doesn’t plan to take an injection to numb the pain. Instead, he’ll simply play right through it, something he’s done with tremendous success at other times in his career.

“For me the reason I want to play is for my guys,” he said.  “When you’re dinged up a little bit, you have to play a little better, concentrate a little bit more.”

It would take a lot more than a banged up thumb to keep Roethlisberger out this week. The Steelers (7-3) are a half-game behind Baltimore (8-3) in the tough AFC North, with Cincinnati just a game back, heading into this week’s games. They have a good opportunity to pick up a win on the road against the Chiefs (4-6), who have lost three straight and been ravaged by injuries all season.

The latest occurred two weeks ago, when quarterback Matt Cassel hurt his throwing hand late in a loss to Denver. Any hope that he’d be able to return this season vanished the very next day when he had season-ending surgery, turning the reins of an offense already missing tight end Tony Moeaki and All-Pro running back Jamaal Charles to a journeyman quarterback in Tyler Palko.

Palko appeared comfortable despite throwing three interceptions in a 34-3 loss last week at New England, which earned him another start Sunday. After that is anyone’s guess.

The Chiefs picked up Kyle Orton off waivers from the Broncos on Wednesday, but he couldn’t make it to Kansas City until Friday.  That meant there was virtually no chance he could get up to speed in time to play against the Steelers. With a tough stretch coming up, though, the Chiefs were willing to pay the roughly $2.6 million Orton is still owed to potentially play in just five games.

“We have consistently communicated that we are always looking to create competition and depth within our team,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said. “We feel adding Kyle to our roster reinforces that goal and we look forward to having him as a member of the Chiefs.”

For as long as it may be. Orton is a free agent after this season.

In the meantime, Palko is preparing to make the second start of his professional career against a team that has made a habit of competing for Super Bowls. The son of a high school coach in western Pennsylvania said he’s undaunted by the challenge, especially after making his debut in a high-profile game on Monday night at New England a week ago.

“I was surprisingly calm throughout the whole game,” Palko said.

Playing the Steelers is especially meaningful for Palko because he grew up watching the Steelers, and even played at Heinz Field while he was leading the University of Pittsburgh.

The fact Kansas City could turn around its season with a victory — the Chiefs are two games behind AFC West-leading Oakland — only adds to the pressure. Another loss with a tough stretch looming would almost certainly eliminate Haley’s crew from playoff contention.

“I’m fired up,” Palko said. “It was fun growing up in Pittsburgh, seeing the Steelers, the black and gold, understanding the tradition. It’s exciting and I’m looking forward to it.”

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Roethlisberger nursing fractured right thumb

(AP Photo/Tony Tribble)

By WILL GRAVES

AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) Ben Roethlisberger has an unexpected homework assignment during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye week: protecting a fractured right thumb.

Roethlisberger injured the thumb on his throwing hand sometime during Pittsburgh’s 24-17 win over Cincinnati on Sunday. He’s not sure when it happened, only that he noticed it while coming out for the second half.

“It was hard to determine it on the sideline, but we did all the tests (Monday), and it’s fractured in there,” Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger didn’t miss a snap as the Steelers improved to 7-3. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards in the second half, including a perfect 4-for-4 during the game-winning drive in the third quarter.

“It hurt, but (Steelers head trainer) John Norwig did a great job taping it up, making a quick splint out of tape and going with it,” Roethlisberger said. “Squeezing the ball is the hardest part, but it’s a good thing that I had a glove on it because that helps gripping it a little bit.”

This isn’t the first time Roethlisberger has played with a busted thumb. He suffered a similar injury in 2005, though it didn’t prevent him from leading the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title.

There should be no issues this time either, though Roethlisberger will continue to play with a splint. Pittsburgh travels to Kansas City on Nov. 27.

“I won’t have to throw for a week or so, (until) next Wednesday or whenever we practice next week,” Roethlisberger said. “So, that’ll be a good time for it to rest. For me, it’ll just be getting used to throwing with a splint on again and a glove on, which I’ve done before.”

Wide receiver Mike Wallace said he wasn’t aware Roethlisberger was even hurt, though the quarterback work a black brace during a shortened practice on Tuesday.

“I didn’t even notice to tell you the truth,” Wallace said.

It’s not unusual for Roethlisberger to play through minor injuries. He suffered a sprained foot in a loss to Houston on Oct. 2 then tied a franchise record with five touchdown passes in a victory over Tennessee.

“That’s just Ben,” Wallace said. “You know that something small isn’t going to slow him down like that.”

Roethlisberger has been playing some of the best football of his career during Pittsburgh’s surge following a 2-2 start. The Steelers have won five of six going into their bye week despite an inconsistent running game and a defense that’s put up its usual stellar numbers but has struggled to take the ball away.

No matter. Roethlisberger is completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,726 yards and 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions over the last six games and became the first quarterback in team history to top 300 yards in three straight games when he went over the mark against Arizona (361), New England (365) and Baltimore (330).

He didn’t quite get there against the Bengals, though he showcased his playcalling ability during a pair of no-huddle drives in the second half, including the 11-play, 81-yard march that ended with Rashard Mendenhall’s 9-yard touchdown run that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good.

Roethlisberger said it was important for the Steelers to come back with an emphatic answer after the Bengals rallied from a 14-point deficit to tie the game at 17.

“That was kind of the mentality – `Let’s go no-huddle and try and get down there. Let’s answer,’” Roethlisberger said. “We take pride as an offense in wanting to be the best. It’s our time to do it, so let’s step up and score. We always want to answer. If I remember right, it was a pretty long drive, converting third downs. That’s huge.”

Particularly after Roethlisberger’s last shot at operating out of the no-huddle ended in disaster as Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs perfectly read Roethlisberger’s call for a bubble screen and came up with an interception deep in Ravens territory to end a Pittsburgh scoring threat in a game Baltimore eventually won, 23-20.

Don’t expect Roethlisberger to turn into Peyton Manning, running his own show and spending 20 seconds standing in the shotgun barking out signals. Yet it is a significant step in the process of making the Steelers one of the most versatile offenses in the league.

“We want to be dangerous,” Wallace said. “We want to be able to beat teams in lots of different ways.”

Even if it means the glove on Roethlisberger’s hand has a little extra padding for the next few weeks.

Updated November 15, 2011

PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger has an unexpected homework assignment during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye week: protecting a fractured right thumb.

Roethlisberger injured the thumb on his throwing hand sometime during Pittsburgh’s 24-17 win over Cincinnati on Sunday. He’s not sure when it happened, only that he noticed it while coming out for the second half.

“It was hard to determine it on the sideline, but we did all the tests (Monday), and it’s fractured in there,” Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger didn’t miss a snap as the Steelers improved to 7-3. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards in the second half, including a perfect 4-for-4 during the game-winning drive in the third quarter.

“It hurt, but (Steelers head trainer) John Norwig did a great job taping it up, making a quick splint out of tape and going with it,” Roethlisberger said. “Squeezing the ball is the hardest part, but it’s a good thing that I had a glove on it because that helps gripping it a little bit.”

This isn’t the first time Roethlisberger has played with a busted thumb. He suffered a similar injury in 2005, though it didn’t prevent him from leading the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title.

There should be no issues this time either, though Roethlisberger will continue to play with a splint. Pittsburgh travels to Kansas City on Nov. 27.

“I won’t have to throw for a week or so, (until) next Wednesday or whenever we practice next week,” Roethlisberger said. “So, that’ll be a good time for it to rest. For me, it’ll just be getting used to throwing with a splint on again and a glove on, which I’ve done before.”

Wide receiver Mike Wallace said he wasn’t aware Roethlisberger was even hurt, though the quarterback wore a black brace during a shortened practice on Tuesday.

“I didn’t even notice to tell you the truth,” Wallace said.

It’s not unusual for Roethlisberger to play through minor injuries. He suffered a sprained foot in a loss to Houston on Oct. 2 then tied a franchise record with five touchdown passes in a victory over Tennessee.

“That’s just Ben,” Wallace said. “You know that something small isn’t going to slow him down like that.”

Roethlisberger has been playing some of the best football of his career during Pittsburgh’s surge following a 2-2 start. The Steelers have won five of six going into their bye week despite an inconsistent running game and a defense that’s put up its usual stellar numbers but has struggled to take the ball away.

No matter. Roethlisberger is completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,726 yards and 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions over the last six games and became the first quarterback in team history to top 300 yards in three straight games when he went over the mark against Arizona (361), New England (365) and Baltimore (330).

He didn’t quite get there against the Bengals, though he showcased his playcalling ability during a pair of no-huddle drives in the second half, including the 11-play, 81-yard march that ended with Rashard Mendenhall’s 9-yard touchdown run that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good.

Roethlisberger said it was important for the Steelers to come back with an emphatic answer after the Bengals rallied from a 14-point deficit to tie the game at 17.

“That was kind of the mentality — ‘Let’s go no-huddle and try and get down there. Let’s answer,’ ” Roethlisberger said. “We take pride as an offense in wanting to be the best. It’s our time to do it, so let’s step up and score. We always want to answer. If I remember right, it was a pretty long drive, converting third downs. That’s huge.”

Particularly after Roethlisberger’s last shot at operating out of the no-huddle ended in disaster as Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs perfectly read Roethlisberger’s call for a bubble screen and came up with an interception deep in Ravens territory to end a Pittsburgh scoring threat in a game Baltimore eventually won, 23-20.

Don’t expect Roethlisberger to turn into Peyton Manning, running his own show and spending 20 seconds standing in the shotgun barking out signals. Yet it is a significant step in the process of making the Steelers one of the most versatile offenses in the league.

“We want to be dangerous,” Wallace said. “We want to be able to beat teams in lots of different ways.”

Even if it means the glove on Roethlisberger’s hand has a little extra padding for the next few weeks.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Ben Roethlisberger has an unexpected homework assignment during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye week: protecting a fractured right thumb.

Roethlisberger injured the thumb on his throwing hand some time during Pittsburgh’s 24-17 win over Cincinnati on Sunday. He’s not sure when it happened, only that he noticed it while coming out for the second half.

“It was hard to determine it on the sideline, but we did all the tests (Monday), and it’s fractured in there,” Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger didn’t miss a snap as the Steelers improved to 7-3. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards in the second half, including a perfect 4-for-4 during the game-winning drive in the third quarter.

“It hurt, but (Steelers head trainer) John Norwig did a great job taping it up, making a quick splint out of tape and going with it,” Roethlisberger said. “Squeezing the ball is the hardest part, but it’s a good thing that I had a glove on it because that helps gripping it a little bit.”

This isn’t the first time Roethlisberger has played with a busted thumb. He suffered a similar injury in 2005, though it didn’t prevent him from leading the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title.

There should be no issues this time either, though Roethlisberger will continue to play with a splint. Pittsburgh travels to Kansas City on Nov. 27.

“I won’t have to throw for a week or so, (until) next Wednesday or whenever we practice next week,” Roethlisberger said. “So, that’ll be a good time for it to rest. For me, it’ll just be getting used to throwing with a splint on again and a glove on, which I’ve done before.”

Wide receiver Mike Wallace said he wasn’t aware Roethlisberger was even hurt, though the quarterback work a black brace during a shortened practice on Tuesday.

“I didn’t even notice to tell you the truth,” Wallace said.

It’s not unusual for Roethlisberger to play through minor injuries. He suffered a sprained foot in a loss to Houston on Oct. 2 then tied a franchise record with five touchdown passes in a victory over Tennessee.

“That’s just Ben,” Wallace said. “You know that something small isn’t going to slow him down like that.”

Roethlisberger has been playing some of the best football of his career during Pittsburgh’s surge following a 2-2 start. The Steelers have won five of six going into their bye week despite an inconsistent running game and a defence that’s put up its usual stellar numbers but has struggled to take the ball away.

No matter. Roethlisberger is completing 64 per cent of his passes for 1,726 yards and 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions over the last six games and became the first quarterback in team history to top 300 yards in three straight games when he went over the mark against Arizona (361), New England (365) and Baltimore (330).

He didn’t quite get there against the Bengals, though he showcased his play-calling ability during a pair of no-huddle drives in the second half, including the 11-play, 81-yard march that ended with Rashard Mendenhall’s nine-yard touchdown run that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good.

Roethlisberger said it was important for the Steelers to come back with an emphatic answer after the Bengals rallied from a 14-point deficit to tie the game at 17.

“That was kind of the mentality — ‘Let’s go no-huddle and try and get down there. Let’s answer,’” Roethlisberger said. “We take pride as an offence in wanting to be the best. It’s our time to do it, so let’s step up and score. We always want to answer. If I remember right, it was a pretty long drive, converting third downs. That’s huge.”

Particularly after Roethlisberger’s last shot at operating out of the no-huddle ended in disaster as Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs perfectly read Roethlisberger’s call for a bubble screen and came up with an interception deep in Ravens territory to end a Pittsburgh scoring threat in a game Baltimore eventually won, 23-20.

Don’t expect Roethlisberger to turn into Peyton Manning, running his own show and spending 20 seconds standing in the shotgun barking out signals. Yet it is a significant step in the process of making the Steelers one of the most versatile offences in the league.

“We want to be dangerous,” Wallace said. “We want to be able to beat teams in lots of different ways.”

Even if it means the glove on Roethlisberger’s hand has a little extra padding for the next few weeks.

PITTSBURGH (AP)

Ben Roethlisberger has an unexpected homework assignment during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye week: protecting a fractured right thumb.

Roethlisberger injured the thumb on his throwing hand sometime during Pittsburgh’s 24-17 win over Cincinnati on Sunday. He’s not sure when it happened, only that he noticed it while coming out for the second half.

”It was hard to determine it on the sideline, but we did all the tests (Monday), and it’s fractured in there,” Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger didn’t miss a snap as the Steelers improved to 7-3. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards in the second half, including a perfect 4-for-4 during the game-winning drive in the third quarter.

”It hurt, but (Steelers head trainer) John Norwig did a great job taping it up, making a quick splint out of tape and going with it,” Roethlisberger said. ”Squeezing the ball is the hardest part, but it’s a good thing that I had a glove on it because that helps gripping it a little bit.”

This isn’t the first time Roethlisberger has played with a busted thumb. He suffered a similar injury in 2005, though it didn’t prevent him from leading the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title.

There should be no issues this time either, though Roethlisberger will continue to play with a splint. Pittsburgh travels to Kansas City on Nov. 27.

”I won’t have to throw for a week or so, (until) next Wednesday or whenever we practice next week,” Roethlisberger said. ”So, that’ll be a good time for it to rest. For me, it’ll just be getting used to throwing with a splint on again and a glove on, which I’ve done before.”

Wide receiver Mike Wallace said he wasn’t aware Roethlisberger was even hurt, though the quarterback work a black brace during a shortened practice on Tuesday.

”I didn’t even notice to tell you the truth,” Wallace said.

It’s not unusual for Roethlisberger to play through minor injuries. He suffered a sprained foot in a loss to Houston on Oct. 2 then tied a franchise record with five touchdown passes in a victory over Tennessee.

”That’s just Ben,” Wallace said. ”You know that something small isn’t going to slow him down like that.”

Roethlisberger has been playing some of the best football of his career during Pittsburgh’s surge following a 2-2 start. The Steelers have won five of six going into their bye week despite an inconsistent running game and a defense that’s put up its usual stellar numbers but has struggled to take the ball away.

No matter. Roethlisberger is completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,726 yards and 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions over the last six games and became the first quarterback in team history to top 300 yards in three straight games when he went over the mark against Arizona (361), New England (365) and Baltimore (330).

He didn’t quite get there against the Bengals, though he showcased his playcalling ability during a pair of no-huddle drives in the second half, including the 11-play, 81-yard march that ended with Rashard Mendenhall’s 9-yard touchdown run that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good.

Roethlisberger said it was important for the Steelers to come back with an emphatic answer after the Bengals rallied from a 14-point deficit to tie the game at 17.

”That was kind of the mentality — ‘Let’s go no-huddle and try and get down there. Let’s answer,”’ Roethlisberger said. ”We take pride as an offense in wanting to be the best. It’s our time to do it, so let’s step up and score. We always want to answer. If I remember right, it was a pretty long drive, converting third downs. That’s huge.”

Particularly after Roethlisberger’s last shot at operating out of the no-huddle ended in disaster as Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs perfectly read Roethlisberger’s call for a bubble screen and came up with an interception deep in Ravens territory to end a Pittsburgh scoring threat in a game Baltimore eventually won, 23-20.

Don’t expect Roethlisberger to turn into Peyton Manning, running his own show and spending 20 seconds standing in the shotgun barking out signals. Yet it is a significant step in the process of making the Steelers one of the most versatile offenses in the league.

”We want to be dangerous,” Wallace said. ”We want to be able to beat teams in lots of different ways.”

Even if it means the glove on Roethlisberger’s hand has a little extra padding for the next few weeks.

Ben Roethlisberger has an unexpected homework assignment during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ bye week: protecting a fractured right thumb.

Roethlisberger injured the thumb on his throwing hand sometime during Pittsburgh’s 24-17 win over Cincinnati on Sunday. He’s not sure when it happened, only that he noticed it while coming out for the second half.

“It was hard to determine it on the sideline, but we did all the tests (Monday), and it’s fractured in there,” Roethlisberger said.

Roethlisberger didn’t miss a snap as the Steelers improved to 7-3. He completed 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards in the second half, including a perfect 4-for-4 during the game-winning drive in the third quarter.

“It hurt, but (Steelers head trainer) John Norwig did a great job taping it up, making a quick splint out of tape and going with it,” Roethlisberger said. “Squeezing the ball is the hardest part, but it’s a good thing that I had a glove on it because that helps gripping it a little bit.”

This isn’t the first time Roethlisberger has played with a busted thumb. He suffered a similar injury in 2005, though it didn’t prevent him from leading the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl title.

There should be no issues this time either, though Roethlisberger will continue to play with a splint. Pittsburgh travels to Kansas City on Nov. 27.

“I won’t have to throw for a week or so, (until) next Wednesday or whenever we practice next week,” Roethlisberger said. “So, that’ll be a good time for it to rest. For me, it’ll just be getting used to throwing with a splint on again and a glove on, which I’ve done before.”

Wide receiver Mike Wallace said he wasn’t aware Roethlisberger was even hurt, though the quarterback work a black brace during a shortened practice on Tuesday.

“I didn’t even notice to tell you the truth,” Wallace said.

It’s not unusual for Roethlisberger to play through minor injuries. He suffered a sprained foot in a loss to Houston on Oct. 2 then tied a franchise record with five touchdown passes in a victory over Tennessee.

“That’s just Ben,” Wallace said. “You know that something small isn’t going to slow him down like that.”

Roethlisberger has been playing some of the best football of his career during Pittsburgh’s surge following a 2-2 start. The Steelers have won five of six going into their bye week despite an inconsistent running game and a defense that’s put up its usual stellar numbers but has struggled to take the ball away.

No matter. Roethlisberger is completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,726 yards and 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions over the last six games and became the first quarterback in team history to top 300 yards in three straight games when he went over the mark against Arizona (361), New England (365) and Baltimore (330).

He didn’t quite get there against the Bengals, though he showcased his playcalling ability during a pair of no-huddle drives in the second half, including the 11-play, 81-yard march that ended with Rashard Mendenhall’s 9-yard touchdown run that gave Pittsburgh the lead for good.

Roethlisberger said it was important for the Steelers to come back with an emphatic answer after the Bengals rallied from a 14-point deficit to tie the game at 17.

“That was kind of the mentality — ‘Let’s go no-huddle and try and get down there. Let’s answer,’” Roethlisberger said. “We take pride as an offense in wanting to be the best. It’s our time to do it, so let’s step up and score. We always want to answer. If I remember right, it was a pretty long drive, converting third downs. That’s huge.”

Particularly after Roethlisberger’s last shot at operating out of the no-huddle ended in disaster as Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs perfectly read Roethlisberger’s call for a bubble screen and came up with an interception deep in Ravens territory to end a Pittsburgh scoring threat in a game Baltimore eventually won, 23-20.

Don’t expect Roethlisberger to turn into Peyton Manning, running his own show and spending 20 seconds standing in the shotgun barking out signals. Yet it is a significant step in the process of making the Steelers one of the most versatile offenses in the league.

“We want to be dangerous,” Wallace said. “We want to be able to beat teams in lots of different ways.”

Even if it means the glove on Roethlisberger’s hand has a little extra padding for the next few weeks.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t lead the NFL in any defensive category except maybe an unofficial one: missed opportunities.

Sure, the defending AFC champions are putting up their usual sterling numbers as Thanksgiving approaches. The Steelers rank near the top of the league in nearly every major defensive category, including yards against (third), pass defence (third), run defence (sixth) and points allowed (fifth).

Which makes the number in the final statistical column — takeaways — so jarring.

More than halfway through the season, a defence littered with Pro Bowlers and Defensive Players of the Year and coached by a Hall of Famer have four takeaways.

That’s four, as in the same number of takeaways by the woeful Miami Dolphins, who have played one fewer game than the Steelers (6-3).

That’s four as in on pace to set an NFL record for takeaway futility.

The Baltimore Colts generated 11 turnovers in the strike-shortened 1982 season. The Washington Redskins set the full season record by taking it away 12 times in 2006.

At their current rate, the Steelers will finish with eight; they created 35 turnovers in 2010 on the way to the Super Bowl.

“I can’t really put my finger on it man,” linebacker James Farrior said. “I just feel like the ball isn’t bouncing our way. We’ve seen balls on the ground. We’ve seen balls tipped in the air. Pretty much everything that could happen to get a turnover, to cause a turnover, we’ve seen. We just haven’t been getting it done.”

The secondary is among the best in the league yet has all of two interceptions. The front seven has generated just two fumbles, none caused by players not named James Harrison, who missed a month with a fractured orbital bone over his right eye.

Safety Troy Polamalu has built his career on making what coach Mike Tomlin calls “splash” plays. This year, Polamalu has ended up all wet.

Though he scored Pittsburgh’s only defensive touchdown on a fumble return in a 23-20 win over Indianapolis on Sept. 25, Polamalu admits Harrison did all the hard work on the play by knocking the ball out of quarterback Curtis Painter’s right hand. All Polamalu had to do was pick up the ball and stroll the 16 yards into the end zone.

Holding onto the ball when it comes his way is proving more difficult. The 2010 Defensive Player of the Year has been hit in the hands three times with a pass this season. Each time Polamalu was so intent on tackling the opponent he didn’t react in time to snag the ball.

“There have been years where I wasn’t able to even touch the ball during games and there’s years like these ones where it’s just become really, really close,” Polamalu said. “(Turnovers) would make all the difference in how we win and lose games, of course.”

Maybe that’s the most startling thing about Pittsburgh’s takeaway woes. Despite an inability to get their hands on the ball on defence, the Steelers (6-3) are winning.

That’s not the way it’s supposed to work. Consider the Dolphins are 1-7. The ’82 Colts went 0-8-1. The ’06 Redskins won just five games.

“It’s a credit to our defence that we’re still able to play in games and it’s definitely a credit to our offence because we definitely don’t give them a short field,” safety Ryan Clark said.

Defensive co-ordinator Dick LeBeau has been saying for weeks he expects things to turn around. He didn’t think he’d still be waiting for his team’s first two-turnover game in mid-November.

“It’s very frustrating for us, but we’re just going to keep swinging away,” LeBeau said.

Don’t mistake swinging away with taking unnecessary chances. Sure the Steelers would like the ball. Sometimes, getting the tackle is just as important.

“Let’s put it this way, if you get the ball once every 20 plays and they score on the other 19, which would be the most important?” LeBeau said.

At least when the Steelers are managing to take it away, they’re making it count.

Polamalu’s touchdown helped the Steelers escape Peyton Manning-less Indianapolis with a victory. LaMarr Woodley’s interception against Tennessee turned into a field goal in a 38-17 romp over the Titans. Ryan Clark’s interception on Arizona’s first drive kick-started a 32-20 victory over the Cardinals, and Harrison’s strip of Baltimore’s Joe Flacco let the Steelers take a late 20-16 lead a week ago.

Jumping on a loose ball on Sunday against the surprising Bengals (6-2) might be a problem. Cincinnati has put the ball on the ground just once. Coach Marvin Lewis calls it a bit of an anomaly and offensive co-ordinator Jay Gruden is wary of a Pittsburgh defence that’s getting healthy following injuries that have decimated the front seven.

“They’ve been trying to mix and match personnel, play people at other positions,” Gruden said. “When they get all their guys back and healthy, I’m sure the turnovers will come. They play hard, they run to the ball, their safeties hit extremely hard, they just do a great job The turnovers will come for them, just hopefully not Sunday.”

PITTSBURGH (AP)—The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t lead the NFL in any
defensive category except maybe an unofficial one: missed opportunities.

Sure, the defending AFC champions are putting up their usual sterling
numbers as Thanksgiving approaches. The Steelers rank near the top of the league
in nearly every major defensive category, including yards against (third), pass
defense (third), run defense (sixth) and points allowed (fifth).

Which makes the number in the final statistical column—takeaways—so
jarring.

More than halfway through the season, a defense littered with Pro Bowlers
and Defensive Players of the Year and coached by a Hall of Famer have four
takeaways.

That’s four, as in the same number of takeaways by the woeful Miami
Dolphins, who have played one fewer game than the Steelers (6-3).

That’s four as in on pace to set an NFL record for takeaway futility.

The Baltimore Colts generated 11 turnovers in the strike-shortened 1982
season. The Washington Redskins set the full season record by taking it away 12
times in 2006.

At their current rate, the Steelers will finish with eight; they created 35
turnovers in 2010 on the way to the Super Bowl.

“I can’t really put my finger on it man,” linebacker James Farrior(notes) said.
“I just feel like the ball isn’t bouncing our way. We’ve seen balls on the
ground. We’ve seen balls tipped in the air. Pretty much everything that could
happen to get a turnover, to cause a turnover, we’ve seen. We just haven’t been
getting it done.”

The secondary is among the best in the league yet has all of two
interceptions. The front seven has generated just two fumbles, none caused by
players not named James Harrison(notes), who missed a month with a fractured orbital
bone over his right eye.

Safety Troy Polamalu(notes) has built his career on making what coach Mike Tomlin
calls “splash” plays. This year, Polamalu has ended up all wet.

Though he scored Pittsburgh’s only defensive touchdown on a fumble return in
a 23-20 win over Indianapolis on Sept. 25, Polamalu admits Harrison did all the
hard work on the play by knocking the ball out of quarterback Curtis Painter’s(notes)
right hand. All Polamalu had to do was pick up the ball and stroll the 16 yards
into the end zone.

Holding onto the ball when it comes his way is proving more difficult. The
2010 Defensive Player of the Year has been hit in the hands three times with a
pass this season. Each time Polamalu was so intent on tackling the opponent he
didn’t react in time to snag the ball.

“There have been years where I wasn’t able to even touch the ball during
games and there’s years like these ones where it’s just become really, really
close,” Polamalu said. “(Turnovers) would make all the difference in how we
win and lose games, of course.”

Maybe that’s the most startling thing about Pittsburgh’s takeaway woes.
Despite an inability to get their hands on the ball on defense, the Steelers
(6-3) are winning.

That’s not the way it’s supposed to work. Consider the Dolphins are 1-7. The
’82 Colts went 0-8-1. The ’06 Redskins won just five games.

“It’s a credit to our defense that we’re still able to play in games and
it’s definitely a credit to our offense because we definitely don’t give them a
short field,” safety Ryan Clark(notes) said.

Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has been saying for weeks he expects
things to turn around. He didn’t think he’d still be waiting for his team’s
first two-turnover game in mid-November.

“It’s very frustrating for us, but we’re just going to keep swinging
away,” LeBeau said.

Don’t mistake swinging away with taking unnecessary chances. Sure the
Steelers would like the ball. Sometimes, getting the tackle is just as
important.

“Let’s put it this way, if you get the ball once every 20 plays and they
score on the other 19, which would be the most important?” LeBeau said.

At least when the Steelers are managing to take it away, they’re making it
count.

Polamalu’s touchdown helped the Steelers escape Peyton Manning(notes)-less
Indianapolis with a victory. LaMarr Woodley’s(notes) interception against Tennessee
turned into a field goal in a 38-17 romp over the Titans. Ryan Clark’s
interception on Arizona’s first drive kick-started a 32-20 victory over the
Cardinals, and Harrison’s strip of Baltimore’s Joe Flacco(notes) let the Steelers take
a late 20-16 lead a week ago.

Jumping on a loose ball on Sunday against the surprising Bengals (6-2) might
be a problem. Cincinnati has put the ball on the ground just once. Coach Marvin
Lewis calls it a bit of an anomaly and offensive coordinator Jay Gruden is wary
of a Pittsburgh defense that’s getting healthy following injuries that have
decimated the front seven.

“They’ve been trying to mix and match personnel, play people at other
positions,” Gruden said. “When they get all their guys back and healthy, I’m
sure the turnovers will come. They play hard, they run to the ball, their
safeties hit extremely hard, they just do a great job The turnovers will come
for them, just hopefully not Sunday.”

By Tony Massarotti, Boston.com Columnist

The Pittsburgh Steelers spread ‘em out and carved ‘em up, eschewing any notion of traditional smash-mouth football to expose what we all have known to be true for some time now: the Patriots can’t stop the pass. New England can’t get to the quarterback, can’t cover and, in the immortal words of Bart Scott, can’t stop a nosebleed, the latter even with a case of facial tissue and a cauterizing tool.

The dissection of the New England defense and the exposing of the Patriots overall, by the ever-revealing numbers:

8: Times a Steelers running back carried the ball in the first half, an inflated number that includes an inside draw by Mewelde Moore (who gained 16 yards) when Pittsburgh was trying to run out the clock at the end of the first half. By contrast, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger chucked the ball 33 times during the same period of time, attempting more passes in the first 30 minutes than 11 starters attempted all game yesterday throughout the now pass-happy NFL.

55: Times Roethlisberger dropped back to pass in the entire game, after which he presumably returned to the Steelers locker room and popped open a tall boy while knocking down some popcorn chicken (from Popeye’s, of course) and icing his arm. In all likelihood, Roethlisberger did not eat or drink during the game.

1: Passes caught yesterday by Patriots linebacker Gary Guyton, who set up the Patriots’ first touchdown with an interception of Roethlisberger on a poor throw that Guyton promptly returned to the Pittsburgh 8-yard line midway through the second quarter.

0: Passes caught by Chad Ochocinco, who was targeted once and otherwise did nothing.

40: Percentage of the Patriots’ sack total (five) that came on Pittsburgh’s final possession, after the Patriots were out of timeouts, when the Steelers inexplicably tried to pass the ball on consecutive downs. Pittsburgh ultimately punted the ball away with 28 seconds left, leaving the Patriots with the ball at the New England 22-yard line with 19 seconds to play.

2: Points awarded the Steelers on the next play when New England quarterback Tom Brady was strip-sacked amid a succession that resulted in a safety.

2: Solo tackles in the game by Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo (one solo, one assisted), who returned to action following a knee injury and was generally invisible. In his career, Mayo has four forced fumbles – never more than one in any season – to go along with 3.5 sacks and zero interceptions. What a playmaker, eh?

1.5: Of the Patriots’ 15 sacks this season, total recorded by New England linebackers. By contrast, Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley had two sacks in about a 10-minute span during the second quarter of yesterday’s game, bringing his season total to nine.

46: Selection with which Woodley was chosen in the 2007 NFL draft, 22 spots after the Patriots selected defensive back Brandon Meriweather (24th overall) in the first round.

4: Other than Mayo, who was taken 10th overall in the first round, draft picks used by Patriots coach Bill Belichick to select a linebacker in the first three rounds during Belichick’s 12-year run in New England. Those players include Shawn Crable, Tyrone McKenzie, Brandon Spikes and Jermaine Cunningham, the first two of whom are no longer with the organization.

96: Number worn by Cunningham, who was a healthy scratch yesterday and has the grand total of one – one – tackle this season. Regarded as a pass rusher extraordinaire taken with the 53d overall selection of the 2010 draft, Cunningham has one career sack.

16: In yards, longest pass yesterday caught by a Patriots wide receiver, namely Deion Branch. Brady attempted deep throws late in the game to both Taylor Price and Ochocinco, neither of which came close to being completed. In Price’s defense, he appeared to have separation but Brady threw the ball behind him.

39:22: Time, in minutes and seconds, that the Steelers maintained possession of the football, proving that the term “ball-control passing attack” is hardly an oxymoron.

5,170: Passing yards the Patriots are on pace to allow this season, a figure that would break the single-season passing yardage total established by former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino (5,084) during the 1984 season.

4: Times the New England offense was called for false-start penalties that broke down as follows: Logan Mankins (two penalties, 10 yards), Matt Light (one penalty, five yards) and Sebastian Vollmer (one penalty, five yards).

9: Total yards accumulated by Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez (nine) as well as receivers Price (zero) and Ochocinco (zero).

50: Field goal percentage of Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who doinked a 42-yarder off the right upright late in the third quarter that would have closer the Pittsburgh lead to 20-13.

0: Interceptions this season for cornerback Devin McCourty, who had seven picks last year as a rookie. McCourty, who was credit with 17 passes defended last season, has been credited with just three such plays this year.

6: Catches by Pittsburgh tight end Heath Miller in the first quarter of yesterday’s game, a pace that would have produced 24 catches if maintained throughout the course of the afternoon. Miller entered yesterday’s game with 23 catches on the year.

23: Number previously worn by Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden, who became the latest defensive back cast off by the Patriots over the weekend, joining a group that includes, among others, safeties Meriweather and James Sanders. Additionally, the Patriots placed defensive back Ras-I Dowling on injured reserve on Saturday.

92.9: Combined passer ratings of opposing quarterbacks against the Patriots this season, a number that relates directly to postseason success (according to Kerry Byrne of Cold Hard Football Facts) and places the Patriots 27th among the 32 NFL teams in pass defense. The only teams worse than New England in this area are Minnesota, Carolina, Miami, Denver and Indianapolis.

6-32: Combined won-lost record of the Vikings (2-6), Panthers (2-6), Dolphins (0-7), Broncos (2-5) and Colts (0-8).

102.1: Passer rating this season of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, whose team is due to face the Patriots on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Oct. 30, 2011

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers no longer have a Tom Brady problem. And that may be a problem for the rest of the NFL.

Old, slow and over? Not quite yet.

Ben Roethlisberger picked apart the NFL’s worst defense and the Steelers rattled the nearly unflappable Brady in a 25-17 victory on Sunday, putting an end to the two-time MVP’s decade of dominance over the defending AFC champions.

Brady came in 6-1 all-time against the Steelers, putting up eye-popping numbers in the process. He never got the chance on a chilly day at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh (6-2) controlled the ball for nearly 39 minutes and never let Brady get into a sustained rhythm.

“It’s been all Tom Brady versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and looking back on the past, how he’s owned the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I think everybody forgot about our offense a little bit and the things they’ve been doing out there,” Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. “I think they took that a little personal.”

Playing efficiently and working almost exclusively on short, safe, underneath routes, Roethlisberger completed 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers won their fourth straight following a 2-2 start.

“We can be as good as we want to be,” Roethlisberger said. “When we don’t kill ourselves and stop ourselves, we can be pretty dangerous.”

Brady passed for two touchdowns but threw for a season-low 198 yards. His attempt to lead the Patriots to an unlikely comeback ended when Pittsburgh’s Brett Keisel sacked him, forcing a fumble that Troy Polamalu slapped through the end zone with 8 seconds left to provide the final margin.

“We all have to individually look in the mirror and figure out what we need to get better at,” Brady said.

There was no sense of panic among the Patriots, who fell into a tie with Buffalo atop the AFC East. Yet the Steelers did something no team has been able to do this year: keep Brady under wraps.

Pittsburgh sacked him three times, held wide receiver Wes Welker — on pace for an NFL record for yards receiving in a season — to 39 yards on six receptions while limiting the Patriots to their fewest points since a 34-14 loss to Cleveland last year.

The Patriots punted four times, missed a field goal in the third quarter that would have drawn them within a touchdown and failed to recover an onside kick with just over 2 minutes remaining.

Not the kind of brisk execution that’s been the hallmark of Brady and coach Bill Belichick’s highly successful tenure.

“It just wasn’t a really good day for us in any phase of the game, in any area,” Belichick said. “We just didn’t do a good enough job. That’s really all there is to say.”

Brady and Belichick remain tied with Don Shula and Dan Marino for most wins by a coach/quarterback tandem. Win No. 117 will have to wait at least a week after the Steelers emphatically awoke from an early-season slumber that included one-sided losses to Baltimore and Houston.

Pittsburgh didn’t panic after the slow start. And while the Steelers weren’t ready to declare they’re back, there was a definite sense of vindication on a day that felt more like January than late October, and not just because of the chilly weather.

“It’s a huge step,” linebacker Lawrence Timmons said. “The New England Patriots have Belichick and Brady. This is a team that contends in the AFC every year and goes to the championship or the Super Bowl. So having this win, in our house, is huge and something to build on.”

On both sides of the ball.

Roethlisberger has built a career and won two Super Bowls by chucking it deep with abandon. On Sunday he didn’t complete a pass over 26 yards. He didn’t have to.

Roethlisberger consistently found Antonio Brown (a career-high nine receptions), Heath Miller (a season-high seven grabs) and speedster Mike Wallace (seven catches) on short and intermediate routes.

The West Coast-style approach worked perfectly.

Pittsburgh’s five scoring drives lasted 11, 16, 10, 14 and 11 plays. The Steelers converted 10 of 16 third downs and Shaun Suisham kicked three field goals.

“It’s very frustrating,” New England nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. “You talk about getting a team in second-and-longs and third-and-longs and taking advantage of those situations. We had them in those situations; we just didn’t take advantage of them.”

Despite being dominated for long stretches in the first half, the Patriots trailed just 17-10 at the break. Yet the magic Brady has been able to muster repeatedly against the Steelers throughout his career never appeared. On the same field where he won two AFC championships, Brady never really got comfortable.

“We had to beat them today,” safety Ryan Clark said. “We’re talking about this dominance that New England’s had on us. I think we’ve won more Super Bowls, been to more Super Bowls than they have. It’s not about history. We were excited to win today.”

Notes

• Woodley finished with two sacks to become the first Steeler to get multiple sacks in four consecutive games.
• New England RB Kevin Faulk ran for 32 yards on six carries and caught five passes for 20 yards in his first game of the season.
• Patriots lost for just the second time in their last 11 games coming off a bye and lost in October for just the seventh time since 2003.
• New England TE Rob Gronkowski set a career high with seven catches.
• The Steelers played without offensive captain Hines Ward and defensive captain James Farrior , who missed the game with injuries.
• New England defensive lineman Andre Carter had two sacks for the 11th time in his career.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers no longer have a Tom Brady
problem. And that may be a problem for the rest of the NFL.

Old, slow and over? Not quite yet.

Ben Roethlisberger picked apart the NFL’s worst defense and the
Steelers rattled the nearly unflappable Brady in a 25-17 victory on
Sunday, putting an end to the two-time MVP’s decade of dominance
over the defending AFC champions.

Brady came in 6-1 all-time against the Steelers, putting up
eye-popping numbers in the process. He never got the chance on a
chilly day at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh (6-2) controlled the ball for
nearly 39 minutes and never let Brady get into a sustained
rhythm.

“It’s been all Tom Brady versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and
looking back on the past, how he’s owned the Pittsburgh Steelers,
and I think everybody forgot about our offense a little bit and the
things they’ve been doing out there,” Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr
Woodley said. “I think they took that a little personal.”

Playing efficiently and working almost exclusively on short,
safe, underneath routes, Roethlisberger completed 36 of 50 passes
for 365 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers won their fourth
straight following a 2-2 start.

“We can be as good as we want to be,” Roethlisberger said. “When
we don’t kill ourselves and stop ourselves, we can be pretty
dangerous.”

Brady passed for two touchdowns but threw for a season-low 198
yards. His attempt to lead the Patriots to an unlikely comeback
ended when Pittsburgh’s Brett Keisel sacked him, forcing a fumble
that Troy Polamalu slapped through the end zone with 8 seconds left
to provide the final margin.

“We all have to individually look in the mirror and figure out
what we need to get better at,” Brady said.

There was no sense of panic among the Patriots, who fell into a
tie with Buffalo atop the AFC East. Yet the Steelers did something
no team has been able to do this year: keep Brady under wraps.

Pittsburgh sacked him three times, held wide receiver Wes Welker
– on pace for an NFL record for yards receiving in a season — to
39 yards on six receptions while limiting the Patriots to their
fewest points since a 34-14 loss to Cleveland last year.

The Patriots punted four times, missed a field goal in the third
quarter that would have drawn them within a touchdown and failed to
recover an onside kick with just over 2 minutes remaining.

Not the kind of brisk execution that’s been the hallmark of
Brady and coach Bill Belichick’s highly successful tenure.

“It just wasn’t a really good day for us in any phase of the
game, in any area,” Belichick said. “We just didn’t do a good
enough job. That’s really all there is to say.”

Brady and Belichick remain tied with Don Shula and Dan Marino
for most wins by a coach/quarterback tandem. Win No. 117 will have
to wait at least a week after the Steelers emphatically awoke from
an early-season slumber that included one-sided losses to Baltimore
and Houston.

Pittsburgh didn’t panic after the slow start. And while the
Steelers weren’t ready to declare they’re back, there was a
definite sense of vindication on a day that felt more like January
than late October, and not just because of the chilly weather.

“It’s a huge step,” linebacker Lawrence Timmons said. “The New
England Patriots have Belichick and Brady. This is a team that
contends in the AFC every year and goes to the championship or the
Super Bowl. So having this win, in our house, is huge and something
to build on.”

On both sides of the ball.

Roethlisberger has built a career and won two Super Bowls by
chucking it deep with abandon. On Sunday he didn’t complete a pass
over 26 yards. He didn’t have to.

Roethlisberger consistently found Antonio Brown (a career-high
nine receptions), Heath Miller (a season-high seven grabs) and
speedster Mike Wallace (seven catches) on short and intermediate
routes.

The West Coast-style approach worked perfectly.

Pittsburgh’s five scoring drives lasted 11, 16, 10, 14 and 11
plays. The Steelers converted 10 of 16 third downs and Shaun
Suisham kicked three field goals.

“It’s very frustrating,” New England nose tackle Vince Wilfork
said. “You talk about getting a team in second-and-longs and
third-and-longs and taking advantage of those situations. We had
them in those situations; we just didn’t take advantage of
them.”

Despite being dominated for long stretches in the first half,
the Patriots trailed just 17-10 at the break. Yet the magic Brady
has been able to muster repeatedly against the Steelers throughout
his career never appeared. On the same field where he won two AFC
championships, Brady never really got comfortable.

“We had to beat them today,” safety Ryan Clark said. “We’re
talking about this dominance that New England’s had on us. I think
we’ve won more Super Bowls, been to more Super Bowls than they
have. It’s not about history. We were excited to win today.”

Notes: Woodley finished with two sacks to become the first
Steeler to get multiple sacks in four consecutive games. … New
England RB Kevin Faulk ran for 32 yards on six carries and caught
five passes for 20 yards in his first game of the season. …
Patriots lost for just the second time in their last 11 games
coming off a bye and lost in October for just the seventh time
since 2003. … New England TE Rob Gronkowski set a career high
with seven catches. … The Steelers played without offensive
captain Hines Ward and defensive captain James Farrior, who missed
the game with injuries. … New England defensive lineman Andre
Carter had two sacks for the 11th time in his career.

Tom Brady built his career _ and won three Super Bowls _ finding
ways to do things to the Pittsburgh Steelers no other quarterback
can.

On Sunday, he found himself on the sideline far too long to
continue his mastery over the defending AFC champions.

The Steelers controlled the clock and held the NFL’s top offense
in check in a 25-17 victory, ending Brady’s decade of dominance of
them by forcing him to spend most of the day in a baseball cap
watching Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger do his best Brady
impression.

Roethlisberger picked apart the league’s worst defense,
completing 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and throwing a pair of
touchdowns. Brady threw two scores of his own but New England could
only muster 213 total yards, far less than half their average of
474.

“There was a poor level of execution,” Brady said. “Too many
three-and-outs. We all have to individually look in the mirror and
figure out what we need to get better at.”

Getting off the field on defense would be a good place to
start.

The Steelers held the ball for more than 39 minutes, converted
10-of-16 third downs and ran 78 plays while the Patriots (5-2)
snapped the ball just 50 times.

“It’s very frustrating,” New England nose tackle Vince Wilfork
said. “You talk about getting a team in second-and-longs and
third-and-longs and taking advantage of those situations. We had
them in those situations; we just didn’t take advantage of
them.”

Not nearly enough to hold off the surging Steelers.

Pittsburgh (6-2) won its fourth straight and beat Brady for the
first time since 2004 behind a series of long drives that Brady
could only watch.

“You always want to be out there and the defense is busting
their butts to get them off the field,” Brady said. “We needed to
do a better job complimenting their drives. If they have a long
drive, our offense can’t just go in there and do a three-and-out
like we did. We’ve got to do a better job. We made a lot of
errors.”

The Patriots punted four times and Stephen Gostkowski missed a
field goal that would have pulled New England within a touchdown in
the third quarter.

Brady threw a late touchdown pass to Aaron Hernandez with 2:35
to go cut the deficit to 23-17, but the ensuing onside kick failed
to go the required 10 yards. Pittsburgh all but ran out the clock,
and New England’s last-gasp drive ended with Brady fumbling while
getting sacked by Pittsburgh’s Brett Keisel.

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu practically pushed the loose ball
through the end zone for a safety to provide the final margin and
hand the Patriots their second loss to the Steelers in Brady’s
eight career starts against them.

“It just wasn’t a really good day for us in any phase of the
game, in any area,” coach Bill Belichick said. “We just didn’t do a
good enough job. That’s really all there is to say.”

It may be October, but the game had a January feel, and it
wasn’t just the chilly conditions.

The Steelers pointed to the matchup as a litmus test after a
sluggish _ by the franchise’s lofty standards _ start. Were they
the “old, slow” bunch that looked overmatched in losses to
Baltimore and Houston or were they simply taking their time getting
started.

The answer, it appears, is the latter, even if the Steelers
solved Brady using un-Steelerlike methods.

Rather than pound away with running back Rashard Mendenhall,
Roethlisberger _ who never met a deep ball he didn’t like to throw
_ did his best Brady imitation, moving the chains with a controlled
passing attack that took yardage in small bits.

The Steelers didn’t complete a pass over 26 yards. They didn’t
have to. Roethlisberger consistently found Antonio Brown (a
career-high nine receptions), Heath Miller (a season-high seven
grabs) and speedster Mike Wallace (seven catches) on short and
intermediate routes.

The West Coast-style approach worked perfectly.

Pittsburgh’s five scoring drives lasted 11, 16, 10, 14 and 11
plays. When the Steelers didn’t get in the end zone, Shaun Suisham
knocked in three field goals.

The long drives kept Pittsburgh’s defense well-rested and the
Steelers were able to use their fresh legs to get after the
Patriots.

Pittsburgh sacked the two-time MVP three times and kept Wes
Welker in check. Welker, on pace to set a league record for yards
receiving in a season, finished with six catches for 39 yards.

The loss kept Brady and Belichick tied with Miami’s Don Shula
and Dan Marino for the winningest coach/quarterback combination in
league history.

The duo is stuck on 116 for at least another week while the
Steelers, an afterthought early in the season, appear to be
peaking.

Notes: Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley finished with two
sacks to become the first Steeler to record multiple sacks in four
consecutive games. … New England running back Kevin Faulk ran for
32 yards on six carries and caught five passes for 20 yards in his
first game of the season. … The Patriots lost for the second time
in their last 11 games coming off a bye and lost in October for the
seventh time since 2003. … New England tight end Rob Gronkowski
set a career-high with seven catches. … The Steelers played
without offensive captain Hines Ward and defensive captain James
Farrior, who missed the game with injuries. … New England
defensive lineman Andre Carter had two sacks for the 11th time in
his career.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Pittsburgh Steelers no longer have a Tom Brady problem. And that may be a problem for the rest of the NFL.

Old, slow and over? Not quite yet.

Ben Roethlisberger picked apart the NFL’s worst defence and the Steelers rattled the nearly unflappable Brady in a 25-17 victory on Sunday, putting an end to the two-time MVP’s decade of dominance over the defending AFC champions.

Brady came in 6-1 all-time against the Steelers, putting up eye-popping numbers in the process. He never got the chance on a chilly day at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh (6-2) controlled the ball for nearly 39 minutes and never let Brady get into a sustained rhythm.

“It’s been all Tom Brady versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and looking back on the past, how he’s owned the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I think everybody forgot about our offence a little bit and the things they’ve been doing out there,” Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. “I think they took that a little personal.”

Playing efficiently and working almost exclusively on short, safe, underneath routes, Roethlisberger completed 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers won their fourth straight following a 2-2 start.

“We can be as good as we want to be,” Roethlisberger said. “When we don’t kill ourselves and stop ourselves, we can be pretty dangerous.”

Brady passed for two touchdowns but threw for a season-low 198 yards. His attempt to lead the Patriots to an unlikely comeback ended when Pittsburgh’s Brett Keisel sacked him, forcing a fumble that Troy Polamalu slapped through the end zone with eight seconds left to provide the final margin.

“We all have to individually look in the mirror and figure out what we need to get better at,” Brady said.

There was no sense of panic among the Patriots, who fell into a tie with Buffalo atop the AFC East. Yet the Steelers did something no team has been able to do this year: keep Brady under wraps.

Pittsburgh sacked him three times, held wide receiver Wes Welker — on pace for an NFL record for yards receiving in a season — to 39 yards on six receptions while limiting the Patriots to their fewest points since a 34-14 loss to Cleveland last year.

The Patriots punted four times, missed a field goal in the third quarter that would have drawn them within a touchdown and failed to recover an onside kick with just over two minutes remaining.

Not the kind of brisk execution that’s been the hallmark of Brady and coach Bill Belichick’s highly successful tenure.

“It just wasn’t a really good day for us in any phase of the game, in any area,” Belichick said. “We just didn’t do a good enough job. That’s really all there is to say.”

Brady and Belichick remain tied with Don Shula and Dan Marino for most wins by a coach/quarterback tandem. Win No. 117 will have to wait at least a week after the Steelers emphatically awoke from an early-season slumber that included one-sided losses to Baltimore and Houston.

Pittsburgh didn’t panic after the slow start. And while the Steelers weren’t ready to declare they’re back, there was a definite sense of vindication on a day that felt more like January than late October, and not just because of the chilly weather.

“It’s a huge step,” linebacker Lawrence Timmons said. “The New England Patriots have Belichick and Brady. This is a team that contends in the AFC every year and goes to the championship or the Super Bowl. So having this win, in our house, is huge and something to build on.”

On both sides of the ball.

Roethlisberger has built a career and won two Super Bowls by chucking it deep with abandon. On Sunday he didn’t complete a pass over 26 yards. He didn’t have to.

Roethlisberger consistently found Antonio Brown (a career-high nine receptions), Heath Miller (a season-high seven grabs) and speedster Mike Wallace (seven catches) on short and intermediate routes.

The West Coast-style approach worked perfectly.

Pittsburgh’s five scoring drives lasted 11, 16, 10, 14 and 11 plays. The Steelers converted 10 of 16 third downs and Shaun Suisham of Wallaceburg, Ont., kicked three field goals.

“It’s very frustrating,” New England nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. “You talk about getting a team in second-and-longs and third-and-longs and taking advantage of those situations. We had them in those situations; we just didn’t take advantage of them.”

Despite being dominated for long stretches in the first half, the Patriots trailed just 17-10 at the break. Yet the magic Brady has been able to muster repeatedly against the Steelers throughout his career never appeared. On the same field where he won two AFC championships, Brady never really got comfortable.

“We had to beat them today,” safety Ryan Clark said. “We’re talking about this dominance that New England’s had on us. I think we’ve won more Super Bowls, been to more Super Bowls than they have. It’s not about history. We were excited to win today.”

Notes: Woodley finished with two sacks to become the first Steeler to get multiple sacks in four consecutive games. … New England RB Kevin Faulk ran for 32 yards on six carries and caught five passes for 20 yards in his first game of the season. … Patriots lost for just the second time in their last 11 games coming off a bye and lost in October for just the seventh time since 2003. … New England TE Rob Gronkowski set a career high with seven catches. … The Steelers played without offensive captain Hines Ward and defensive captain James Farrior, who missed the game with injuries. … New England defensive lineman Andre Carter had two sacks for the 11th time in his career.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers no longer have a Tom Brady problem. And that may be a problem for the rest of the NFL.

Old, slow and over? Not quite yet.

Ben Roethlisberger picked apart the NFL’s worst defense and the Steelers rattled the nearly unflappable Brady in a 25-17 victory on Sunday, putting an end to the two-time MVP’s decade of dominance over the defending AFC champions.

Brady came in 6-1 all-time against the Steelers, putting up eye-popping numbers in the process. He never got the chance on a chilly day at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh (6-2) controlled the ball for nearly 39 minutes and never let Brady get into a sustained rhythm.

“It’s been all Tom Brady versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and looking back on the past, how he’s owned the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I think everybody forgot about our offense a little bit and the things they’ve been doing out there,” Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. “I think they took that a little personal.”

Playing efficiently and working almost exclusively on short, safe, underneath routes, Roethlisberger completed 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers won their fourth straight following a 2-2 start.

“We can be as good as we want to be,” Roethlisberger said. “When we don’t kill ourselves and stop ourselves, we can be pretty dangerous.”

Brady passed for two touchdowns but threw for a season-low 198 yards. His attempt to lead the Patriots to an unlikely comeback ended when Pittsburgh’s Brett Keisel sacked him, forcing a fumble that Troy Polamalu slapped through the end zone with 8 seconds left to provide the final margin.

“We all have to individually look in the mirror and figure out what we need to get better at,” Brady said.

There was no sense of panic among the Patriots, who fell into a tie with Buffalo atop the AFC East. Yet the Steelers did something no team has been able to do this year: keep Brady under wraps.

Pittsburgh sacked him three times, held wide receiver Wes Welker — on pace for an NFL record for yards receiving in a season — to 39 yards on six receptions while limiting the Patriots to their fewest points since a 34-14 loss to Cleveland last year.

The Patriots punted four times, missed a field goal in the third quarter that would have drawn them within a touchdown and failed to recover an onside kick with just over 2 minutes remaining.

Not the kind of brisk execution that’s been the hallmark of Brady and coach Bill Belichick’s highly successful tenure.

“It just wasn’t a really good day for us in any phase of the game, in any area,” Belichick said. “We just didn’t do a good enough job. That’s really all there is to say.”

Brady and Belichick remain tied with Don Shula and Dan Marino for most wins by a coach/quarterback tandem. Win No. 117 will have to wait at least a week after the Steelers emphatically awoke from an early-season slumber that included one-sided losses to Baltimore and Houston.

Pittsburgh didn’t panic after the slow start. And while the Steelers weren’t ready to declare they’re back, there was a definite sense of vindication on a day that felt more like January than late October, and not just because of the chilly weather.

“It’s a huge step,” linebacker Lawrence Timmons said. “The New England Patriots have Belichick and Brady. This is a team that contends in the AFC every year and goes to the championship or the Super Bowl. So having this win, in our house, is huge and something to build on.”

On both sides of the ball.

Roethlisberger has built a career and won two Super Bowls by chucking it deep with abandon. On Sunday he didn’t complete a pass over 26 yards. He didn’t have to.

Roethlisberger consistently found Antonio Brown (a career-high nine receptions), Heath Miller (a season-high seven grabs) and speedster Mike Wallace (seven catches) on short and intermediate routes.

The West Coast-style approach worked perfectly.

Pittsburgh’s five scoring drives lasted 11, 16, 10, 14 and 11 plays. The Steelers converted 10 of 16 third downs and Shaun Suisham kicked three field goals.

“It’s very frustrating,” New England nose tackle Vince Wilfork said. “You talk about getting a team in second-and-longs and third-and-longs and taking advantage of those situations. We had them in those situations; we just didn’t take advantage of them.”

Despite being dominated for long stretches in the first half, the Patriots trailed just 17-10 at the break. Yet the magic Brady has been able to muster repeatedly against the Steelers throughout his career never appeared. On the same field where he won two AFC championships, Brady never really got comfortable.

“We had to beat them today,” safety Ryan Clark said. “We’re talking about this dominance that New England’s had on us. I think we’ve won more Super Bowls, been to more Super Bowls than they have. It’s not about history. We were excited to win today.”

Notes: Woodley finished with two sacks to become the first Steeler to get multiple sacks in four consecutive games. … New England RB Kevin Faulk ran for 32 yards on six carries and caught five passes for 20 yards in his first game of the season. … Patriots lost for just the second time in their last 11 games coming off a bye and lost in October for just the seventh time since 2003. … New England TE Rob Gronkowski set a career high with seven catches. … The Steelers played without offensive captain Hines Ward and defensive captain James Farrior, who missed the game with injuries. … New England defensive lineman Andre Carter had two sacks for the 11th time in his career.