Bob Smizik: Roethlisberger Faces Toughest Test Sunday

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Bill Cowher is not sure what devilish concoction the defensive masterminds of the New England Patriots will unveil Sunday night when they play the Steelers in the AFC championship game at Heinz Field.

But he does know this:

"It will be something we probably haven't seen before."

If coach Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel could cook up a plan that held Peyton Manning, the best quarterback in the NFL, without a touchdown, what can they do to Ben Roethlisberger? That's particularly true after Roethlisberger reverted to callow rookie status last week against the New York Jets.

There's no doubting Roethlisberger will be challenged, perhaps like he has never been challenged before. If the Patriots could make future Hall of Famer Manning look like a rookie, what will they do to a real rookie?

"He'll come up with something different," Cowher said of Belichick. "You can take that to the bank."

If the Jets made Roethlisberger look like less than ordinary -- twice -- how will he handle the strategies of Belichick and Crennel, who all but won the coaching job with the Cleveland Browns on the basis of the clinic he put on against Manning and the Colts?

Belichick and Crennel might just want to do a thorough study of what the Jets did to Roethlisberger -- first in the game between the two teams Dec. 12 and again last week.

In the first game, which was tied, 3-3, going into the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger completed nine of 19 for 144 yards with two interceptions. His passer rating was 33.6. In the second, he completed 17 of 30 passes for 181 yards. He threw two interceptions and had a passer rating of 57.8.

Obviously, the Jets know something about confusing Roethlisberger and, in all likelihood, Belichick and Crennel can learn from it.

That doesn't mean Cowher has thought about replacing Roethlisberger. The suggestions from some fans that the Steelers go with Tommy Maddox are preposterous. The only thing that will get Roethlisberger out of the lineup is injury, not poor play. And he's not injured, despite an unconfirmed report that his thumb is bothering him.

Cowher made a point at his news conference yesterday to reiterate his belief in his quarterback. He pointed out that after Roethlisberger threw an interception on the first play of the final possession of regulation, the Steelers came right back and called a pass on their first play in overtime, which was complete.

"That speaks volumes" said Cowher.

Not much will be different against the Patriots.

"I don't see any reason to change our approach," he said. "He's made a lot of plays for us. We're not sitting here today if it wasn't for him doing some of the things he's done all year."
There's no question Roethlisberger is the key to this game, though.

Much was made of the Steelers' poor play against the Jets. In fact, the defense was superb -- holding the Jets without an offensive touchdown -- and the running backs were first-rate -- rumbling for 193 yards and a 4.5-yard average behind an offensive line that allowed only one sack.

The game was close because of special teams, and Roethlisberger, who had an interception returned for a touchdown.

Though much has been made of Roethlisberger's declining play late in the season, that's not altogether true. He has had poor games against the Jets and before that against the Washington Redskins, who had one of the best defenses in the NFL.

But, in between, he was dazzling against Jacksonville Dec. 5 -- with an almost perfect 158.0 rating -- and Baltimore, another strong defense, when his rating was 125.1 Dec. 26. He had two interceptions, but also threw for 316 yards Dec. 18 against the New York Giants.

He's a rookie and he's going to be inconsistent. He's also going to have difficulty with New England's defense. That doesn't mean all is lost. The Steelers might not score a lot of points against the Patriots, but that doesn't mean the Patriots won't score fewer.

As the quarterback, Roethlisberger might be the most important player on the field, but victory -- and defeat -- do not rest only with him.

The Steelers are capable of winning with an ordinary performance from their quarterback. But they can't win with a poor one. Avoiding a poor performance won't be easy against strategists like Belichick and Crennel.

(Bob Smizik can be reached at bsmizik@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1468.)