Ben Roethlisberger: Steelers vs. Patriots opener ‘not the same’ without Tom Brady
It ain’t a party without Tom Brady in the house.
That’s how Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger feels about the NFL season opener at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 10.
“He’s a guy, I’ve said for a long time, he’s the best in the business, and he proved it again last year winning his fourth,’’ Roethlisberger said at the Steelers OTAs in Pittsburgh Tuesday, via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “If he’s not out there, it’s not the same. I have a lot of respect for him on the football field and some of the unbelievable things that he’s done. I guess we’ll wait and see what’s finally going to happen.’’
Roethlisberger has faced Brady and the Patriots eight times since he was drafted by the Steelers in 2004. The Patriots are 5-3 against the Steelers since ‘04, including a playoff win in Pittsburgh in January 2005.
In 2008, with Brady sidelined for the season with a knee injury, Roethlisberger and the Steelers beat the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, 33-10, with Matt Cassel taking snaps under center for New England.
The NFL suspended Brady for four games for his role in the Deflategate scandal, but he is currently waiting to have his appeal heard by the league.
If Brady’s suspension is upheld, second-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to be under center for the defending Super Bowl champions.
“If it’s a new quarterback, who is it, what’s his name, Gappo?’’ Steelers outside linebacker Arthur Moats said. “Either way, you definitely want to confuse them. That’s the goal for any quarterback you play against.’’
In 2010, Roethlisberger was suspended for six games by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for violating the league’s personal conduct policy when he was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year old college student in a Georgia nightclub. Roethlisberger’s suspension was reduced to four games after the Steelers QB appealed the suspension and met with Goodell.
Brady is hoping for a reduction in his four-game suspension when he eventually sits with Goodell to make his case against charges he was aware of footballs being deflated before the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts in January.
Related: Timeline of Deflategate
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