Roethlisberger bypassed for Team MVP again
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Year 15 of the Ben Roethlisberger experiment has been bigger and better than ever.
At least statistically.
And that无毛视频檚 saying a lot.
Roethlisberger leads the NFL in completions, passing yards and passes for first downs, and is creeping up on team landmarks that have never before been seen in Pittsburgh: 5,000 yards passing, 450 completions and 35 touchdown passes.
However, it was the same old story in the team MVP voting Thursday. One of his receivers, JuJu Smith-Schuster, was voted team MVP for the seventh time in Roethlisberger无毛视频檚 career. Roethlisberger has won it only once 无毛视频� in 2009.
Smith-Schuster enters the final regular-season game with 106 receptions for 1,389 yards and six touchdowns. He无毛视频檚 fourth in the league in yardage and tied for fifth in receptions. He无毛视频檚 certainly a deserving winner, but one could justly wonder why Roethlisberger doesn无毛视频檛 receive more respect from his voting teammates in a season in which so much has been on his shoulders.
Don无毛视频檛 expect a riff in the locker room anytime soon, according to the other offensive captain.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 won before,无毛视频� said Maurkice Pouncey with a shrug. 无毛视频淕uys just probably felt bad for JuJu not making the Pro Bowl. He无毛视频檚 done a lot of stuff. He无毛视频檚 having a great year, and to not get the Pro Bowl 无毛视频ξ廾悠禎
Pouncey无毛视频檚 voice trailed off. When reminded that the guy who lockers next to him is leading the NFL in passing, Pouncey just shrugged again.
无毛视频淵eah but that无毛视频檚 what无毛视频檚 expected out of Ben,无毛视频� he said.
Isn无毛视频檛 that unfair?
无毛视频淵eah it is,无毛视频� Pouncey said with a laugh. 无毛视频淏ut he无毛视频檚 a first-ballot Hall of Famer, so more things are expected from him than others. I无毛视频檓 pretty sure he voted for JuJu, too. He wanted JuJu. Everybody无毛视频檚 kind of mad he didn无毛视频檛 make the Pro Bowl.无毛视频�
Roethlisberger wasn无毛视频檛 available for comment after the winner was announced. Earlier in the day, though, he put in a strong, focused performance in front of the media at a time when focus might be hard to come by.
Three times Roethlisberger answered a question with a variation of his first comment: 无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 care about anything but winning this football game, because nothing matters if you don无毛视频檛.无毛视频�
How might Roethlisberger assess his team无毛视频檚 chances if they do make the playoffs?
无毛视频淒oesn无毛视频檛 matter,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not going to talk about that until Monday if it happens. Like I said, I无毛视频檓 not looking forward to the playoffs. We have to take care of our business first.无毛视频�
Ding, ding, ding. It was THE winning answer in Thursday无毛视频檚 locker room. The leader is focused.
Not that it meant much to the voters.
Was Roethlisberger disappointed?
无毛视频淗ell no,无毛视频� said Pouncey. 无毛视频淚 mean, he has so many accolades. Does he have to have every single one? I mean, he just set our franchise record. There无毛视频檚 no way that bothers him. What probably bothers him more is he无毛视频檚 never been MVP of the league. I think he was a Super Bowl MVP, right?无毛视频�
Nope. The receivers went up and grabbed those two awards from him, too.
Like all the other MVPs before him, Smith-Schuster didn无毛视频檛 drop the ball.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 awesome, man,无毛视频� said Smith-Schuster. 无毛视频淚 never expected to be where I无毛视频檓 at today in Year 2, but it无毛视频檚 great. I无毛视频檝e got to keep striving.无毛视频�
As long as Roethlisberger无毛视频檚 throwing him the ball, he will.
NOTES: Antonio Brown missed his second practice this week, but on Thursday the reason was expanded from coach无毛视频檚 decision to coach无毛视频檚 decision/knee. Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner was surprisingly abrupt when asked about Brown. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not going to answer any questions about Antonio,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淣ext.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Sean Davis (quadriceps) missed his second practice and said he无毛视频檚 unsure if he无毛视频檒l play Sunday, but he said it with a big smile. Friday无毛视频檚 practice will tell. Jordan Dangerfield confirmed he replaced Davis at free safety. 无毛视频� LG Ramon Foster (coach无毛视频檚 decision) and ILB Vince Williams (toe) also missed Thursday无毛视频檚 practice.