Ben Roethlisberger On Latest Patriots Cheating Rumors: 'I'm Not Gonna Be The One That Gives Them Bulletin Board Material'
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan)- Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger joined The Cook and Poni Show on Tuesday in his regular weekly appearance to preview the season opener Thursday night in New England.
With the New England Patriots stealing the headlines again today as reports have surfaced that they sent employees into opponents locker rooms to steal play sheets, Roethlisberger was asked about the report but said he just heard the news as he came off the practice field.
"I'm not one to comment on opponents, especially when we're getting ready to play them. I'm not gonna be the one that gives them bulletin board material, so maybe next week we can comment on it a little more."
Those reports the Patriots included information that teams take extra precautions when they play against the Patriots to keep their playbooks and information out of Belichick and Brady's hands, and although Roethlisberger said he hasn't seen it first hand, he has heard from friends on other teams about their paranoia.
"I haven't done any of that, I don't know that any of our team has, but I have talked to some of my friends on other teams, guys that have played against them that have taken that. I've heard those precautions, you know sweeping locker rooms for bugs. Those stories that I've heard from other teams are pretty crazy. I have not taken any of that, maybe (I should) look into it, I don't know."
With the Steelers and Patriots opening the season on national TV this Thursday, Roethlisberger talked about what it will be like going into such a hyped up game as the Patriots will be unveiling their 2014 Super Bowl banner.
"It's never an easy place to play, never an easy team to play," Roethlisberger told us. "Then you throw in Brady being out there, that victory that their fans are so excited about and then unveiling the banner for the Super Bowl and Thursday night football, opening game, there's a lot of variables that I know Coach Tomlin always says that we don't worry about those variables, but they do mean something. There's definitely going to be an added energy, excitement...even someone that's played as long as I have, we'll get jitters and nerves and anxious."
Roethlisberger talked about the other obstacle the offense will have to face in overcoming the abscence of Le'Veon Bell, Maurkice Pouncey and Martavis Bryant.
"We're gonna be a few guys short on offense, but it just means that the rest of us have to step our game up and do our jobs. We don't have to try and fill in and do more for Le'Veon, or Martavis or Maurkice, we just have to do our job and do it to the best of our abilities."
Because of those injuries and the rescinded suspension for Tom Brady, the Steelers are going into New England as underdogs and Roethlisberger responded to most people not giving them much of a chance of coming out of Foxboro with a victory.
"Not much chance, we have no chance, I don't even know why we're going," Roethlisberger joked. "And that's ok. Whether we're picked to win it, picked to lose it, it doesn't matter to us. We don't look at that...the biggest thing is that we leave it all on the field and let the cards kind of fall where they might."
The #1 Cochran Ben Roethlisberger show airs every Tuesday LIVE at 11 am on The Cook and Poni Show on 93-7 The Fan.
