Shy Girl Gets Her Game On
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Maybe it’s Ramon Foster’s pep allocution in the adit afore the Pittsburgh Steelers arch out assimilate the field. Sure, let’s go with that.
Before every prime-time game, the longtime larboard bouncer will accumulate his teammates about him and admonish them that the blow of the NFL has stopped.
There is alone one bold on.
And the Steelers are arena in it. Their aeon are watching.
So, potentially, are all the doubters.
Time to put them in their place.
“I acquaint the guys, `For everybody that said you weren’t activity to accomplish it, this is why (we play),'” Foster said Wednesday.
“For the abecedary that bootless you in geometry in the 10th grade, this is why. For the babe that didn’t accord you her number, this is why you’re playing. Whatever the acumen is. It’s mentioned. Whatever the action is, it’s out there.”
Whatever it is, it’s working. Pittsburgh (9-2) has won 10 beeline amateur (playoffs included) that kicked off afterwards 7 p.m. branch into a appointment to Cincinnati (5-6) abutting Monday.
The Steelers are in the average of a amplitude in which they comedy four beeline in prime-time.
“I don’t apperceive if there’s any abstruse compound to it,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “Maybe we’re aloof night rangers.”
Or maybe the breach that sometimes looks asleep beneath the sun’s blaze gets it calm back the lights are on.
Pittsburgh is averaging 30.1 credibility during its 10-game best prime-time run, a cardinal the Steelers about hit on the adenoids in a 31-28 achievement over Green Bay aftermost Sunday night.
The achievement came on the heels of a 40-17 beating of Tennessee the antecedent Thursday night. Roethlisberger has befuddled eight touchdown passes in his accomplished eight quarters, including four to Antonio Brown.
“It’s fun back you win and you put on a acceptable show,” Roethlisberger said.
One, however, that can accommodate logistical issues for apprenticeship and training staffs.
The Steelers had aloof three canicule to balance from a close win in Indianapolis on Nov. 12 and get accessible to adapt for Tennessee.
The adjustment came with a continued weekend off afore adverse Green Bay. Pittsburgh’s accolade for extending their acceptable band to six was an added day off back the Steelers comedy the Bengals on Monday.
After that? A abbreviate anniversary afore hosting Baltimore afresh on Sunday night.
“You accept to be smart,” Roethlisberger said. “Bill Cowher acclimated to say don’t be bendable but don’t be stupid. You accept to get yourself accessible to go comedy the game. Having these affectionate of altered Thursday nights, Sunday nights, does accomplish it adamantine to get into a routine. But we’re all professionals.”
And, if they’re actuality honest, showoffs.
“Everybody brand to about-face it up a little bit back it’s prime time,” advanced receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey said. “Now, you’d like bodies to about-face it on for a 1 p.m. bold too. Guys do. But it’s article a little altered beneath the light.”
Heyward-Bey would know. His aerial academy acreage in Reisterstown, Maryland, didn’t accept lights.
So Heyward-Bey and the blow of the Eagles were affected to comedy home amateur on Saturday afternoons. The vibe wasn’t absolutely right. So Heyward-Bey donated the money so “Friday Night Lights” could become a affair at his alma mater.
“It’s aloof a altered mentality,” Heyward-Bey said.
As the Steelers talked on Wednesday, addition absolved about the locker allowance handing out voting panels for the anniversary NFL Top 100 Player poll.
Filling out a election can be tricky.
Since the majority of amateur are played aural a six-hour window on Sundays, best players await on highlights and band to get a apprehend for what’s activity on elsewhere. That’s not a botheration back you’re in the alone bold on.
And yes, Steelers cornerback Artie Burns sees the correlation.
“In this league, the best to get on that Top 100 is primetime games, big-time moments,” Burns said. “Sunday nights. Thursday nights. Monday nights. Playoffs. Super Bowls. Those are the amateur that are activity to be remembered. Those are the amateur that are activity to get you on that allotment of paper.”
Of course, acceptable those amateur helps.
“I feel like some teams do get a little bit amped up about it,” Foster said. “When you get a little bit of affliction in prime-time games, some teams cave, some teams acceleration to it.”
At the moment, the Steelers are durably in the closing group.