Quotes from Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger's Interview on NFL Network's Thursday Night Football Sprint Halftime Show
Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger appeared on NFL Network's Sprint Halftime Show at halftime of the San Francisco 49ers-San Diego Chargers game on Thursday Night Football. Roethlisberger spoke with Rich Eisen, Marshall Faulk, Steve Mariucci and Deion Sanders on an array of topics, including the Steelers' matchup with the New York Jets this Sunday and the 11-2 New England Patriots. Here is a video link for the interview on NFL.com and selected quotes.
Quotes from Ben Roethlisberger on NFL Network's halftime show:
On the Steelers run to the playoffs:
"In this league it's all about when you get hot and you want to try to get hot late in the year. I feel defensively we're playing great, but offensively we haven't really put our best football together yet. We're hoping we can try to do that here late in the year and put together a good little run and hopefully make the playoffs and do something spectacular."
On his health:
"I'm doing pretty well. I just have a little bit of black my under eye but other than that I'm doing pretty well."
On the New York Jets:
"A lot of people sit there and analysts talk about their offensive problems, but for me I'm obviously watching their defense and watching how incredible that defense is - the blitzes and the guys all over the place, the different looks and fronts. It's going to be a big challenge for us on offense and we need to make sure that we're on our screws and we put together a good gameplan and execute. It's going to take our best ball on offense to handle that defense."
On if bothers him that he isn't mentioned among the elite quarterbacks:
"I just play to win the game. I'm not one that cares too much about numbers or putting up stats; I just want to win football games and win championships, and that's all I try and do. I know I'm not the prettiest quarterback when I do it, but at the end of the day, a W is a W to me."
On what he expects from former teammate Santonio Holmes when the Steelers play the Jets on Sunday:
"We expect Holmes] to come [out] and be really fired up and excited. He's a fantastic player. He brings a lot of different dimensions to that team as he did for us when he was here. I know he'll be a little extra excited and probably a little nervous, a little jittery. I'm hoping [Ike Taylor and that defense can shut him and the rest of that Jets offense down."
On the New England Patriots:
"They're the complete package. Obviously everybody talks about how good they are offensively, and that has a lot to do with Tom Brady, who I believe is the best in the game right now. It's defense, it's special teams; they're putting it all together and they're playing at an extremely high level right now. They're a hot football team and it's going to take a lot to be able to even slow them down."