Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger understandably had a lot to talk about in his postgame press conference.
His Steelers just went to 8-0 after defeating the Dallas Cowboys 24-19 in Dallas.
Mike Tomlin has now started his head coaching career with 14 straight non-losing seasons. No coach has *ever* had a longer streak to begin his career.
The Steelers are 8-0 for the first time ever and the NFL's only undefeated team.
Appreciate Mike Tomlin.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 9, 2020
That defeat sent the Cowboys to 2-7 on the season.
America’s Team Vs. The World’s Team
Big Ben was not subtle in letting Cowboys Nation know that the Steelers fans were in the house for the game.
He said:
“I’m not trying to take any shots at anybody, but if you didn’t know who America’s Team was, you should have seen the stands and all the Terrible Towels. Dallas may be America’s Team but we’ll be the World’s Team. We’ve got fans everywhere and they are the best in the world.”
Despite the way it sounded, Roethlisberger showed plenty of respect to the Cowboys team.
“It’s a good team. I don’t care what their record says. I was talking to [Steelers left tackle] Al [Villanueva] afterwards and said that might be the best pass-rush defense…. Give [the Cowboys] a lot of credit.”
The Underdogs Came Out Strong
Dallas was the overwhelming underdog coming into this game.
Down to their fourth starting quarterback (Garrett Gilbert) in 8 weeks, the team’s defense played perhaps the best half of football they played all season, holding the Steelers to 9 points in the first half.
The Cowboys went into the locker room at halftime with a 13-9 lead.
Big Ben’s Knee
Roethlisberger headed into the locker room before halftime with an apparent knee injury.
He has taken his share of hits in the past so it’s not surprising that he downplayed it in the press conference.
“Someone hit me right on the side of the knee and it felt like it kinda bent my knee a little bit. That’s part of the game of football; guys get hit all the time. I just had some discomfort so we thought at the end of the half we’ll head in [early] to get it looked at. Doc just wanted me to keep him updated in the second half, so I was just keeping it loose, keeping it warm.”
When asked if the knee will be a concern in upcoming games, he quickly answered:
“No, I’ll be fine. Thank you for asking.”
Can the Steelers Be Perfect?
If not before, give it about 2 more weeks before Big Ben is asked if the 2020 Steelers can match the feat of the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
I'm wondering are the 1972 Miami Dolphins starting to peek in on the Steelers. Czonka, Mercury and Griese hold that Champagne for now.
— Anthony S. (@snoopydawg44us) November 9, 2020
The ’72 Dolphins were perfect, winning every game from Week 1 through the Super Bowl to go 17-0.
That’s long been considered a record that couldn’t be matched, but people will soon wonder.
In 2007, the New England Patriots came close to perfection, going 16-1; their season ended with a loss to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
Looking at the Steelers schedule, the team has tough games ahead with the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills.
Ben is correct that all teams will be coming after the Steelers so they cannot overlook Cincinnati, Cleveland, or Indianapolis either.
Watching the Steelers handle the opponents and the pressure in the second half of the season will be fun for all football fans.
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