Steelers play huge game that matches big-time QBs

Dec 14, 2017 - 12:19 AM PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots will play a game Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field that likely will decide the No. 1 seed in the AFC. For the first time in NFL history, a game will pit two quarterbacks with a combined seven Super Bowl victories.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has five of those, the most of any quarterback in the history of the NFL. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has the other two. Since 2001, either Brady or Roethlisberger has represented the AFC in the Super Bowl in 10 of the 16 NFL seasons.

And despite their advanced age -- Brady is 40 and Roethlisberger 35 -- they enter the NFL game of the year 1-2 in the league in passing. Brady leads the league with 3,865 yards and 27 touchdowns passes. Roethlisberger is right behind him with 3,744 yards and 24 touchdowns.

"He's the best in the world," Roethlisberger said Wednesday after practice. "Maybe the best who has ever done it. I'm happy to be a part of this game."

Over the past four games, Roethlisberger has thrown 12 touchdown passes and just three interceptions.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is famous for trying to take away the best player from opposing teams. The Steelers know this could mean that All-Pro receiver Antonio Brown will be double-teamed.

If that happens, the other Steelers receivers know they will have to step up and make plays in the passing game.

"They have a great defense," rookie receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster said. "I give it up to them. When it comes to third down, if A.B. is being double-teamed and Le'Veon (Bell) is being double-teamed you have guys like me, Eli (Rogers), Martavis Bryant, Darrius Heyward-Bey. We have to make our plays."

Belichick had some high praise for the Steelers' skill players.

"He's a great player," Belichick said of Bell, who leads the NFL in scrimmage yards. "He's almost impossible to stop. He does everything well. He runs well, great power, quickness, vision, excellent receiver, hard to tackle. The guy is a great player. You have Brown ... those two guys are as good as anyone we see. Then they have a lot of other great players to go with them. It's a very talented group, their quarterback and offensive line, it's an outstanding team with a lot of weapons and good balance. They really do everything well."

SERIES HISTORY: 26th regular-season meeting. Steelers lead series, 14-11, but the Patriots have won the last three, including a 27-16 win at Heinz Field last year. The Steelers are 9-8 in games played in Pittsburgh. These two teams have played five times in the postseason, with the Patriots winning four of those games. The Patriots are 3-0 against the Steelers in AFC championship games, including a 36-17 win at Gillette Stadium in January.

--Smith-Schuster, who is coming off a one-game suspension for an illegal block against Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, said he's not going to change the way he plays the game.

"I'm still playing physical," Smith-Schuster said. "That's not going to stop my game. That's how I've always been since I was a kid. Moving forward, I'm still going to make those blocks. Yes, I'm going to be more careful. I'm going to aim for the shoulder and lower and just be more protective of the game.

"I don't want to be conservative. I'm still going to play the way I play. I'm pretty sure they want me to be physical and stay that way and keep playing the way I play. At the end of the day it is what it is. On my end, I felt like it was a good hit. At the same time, the taunting is not me. The taunting is part of it."

Smith-Schuster was penalized for unnecessary roughness and taunting on the play. He approached Burfict from the side and made contact with his head. Burfict missed the Bengals' game last week with a concussion.

--Cornerback Joe Haden, who has missed the past four games with a fractured fibula, went through his first practice in more than a month Wednesday. Whether he plays Sunday will depend upon the quality of his participation the rest of the week, head coach Mike Tomlin said.

"It feels sore, but we'll figure it out," Haden said. "It's getting there. I was limited (Wednesday) a little bit in practice. It was more of a walk-through. I'll be able to tell a bit more (Thursday)."

Haden had been running in the pool and doing light exercises before this week. He ran on the indoor field at the Steelers' practice facility Monday and Tuesday.

"(Thursday), I will be able to tell more going through individual and team drills, see how my leg holds up," Haden said. "I think it was good I went out there on Monday and Tuesday, doing those things. It was a little bit of a mental thing. I think I got that out of the way the first two days. Now I just want to be able to cover someone, stop, react and see how my leg feels."

Haden's absence has hurt the secondary. The Steelers are allowing 263.5 passing yards per game since he exited the lineup. They were allowing fewer than 200 yards per game when he was healthy.

--Head coach Mike Tomlin has been looking forward to this game with the Patriots for almost a year. The Patriots beat the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game in January and Tomlin hasn't hidden his desire for a rematch.

Tomlin took the unusual steps of admitting that to Tony Dungy of NBC three weeks ago. Now that the game is days away, Tomlin continues to hype the game.

"Man, I love it," he said. "It's good to be in big games. It's better to be in big games than ones nobody is watching, you know?

"We better be appreciative of this spot and not resist it in any way, but embrace it. Because this is what we've been fighting for since March. You know, to be in these type games against these type people, why would you fight that? It's an awesome thing."

NOTES: CB Coty Sensabaugh, who sustained a shoulder injury against the Ravens, did not practice Wednesday. ... TE Vance McDonald, who suffered a shoulder injury against the Ravens, did not practice Wednesday. ... LB Tyler Matakevich, who missed the Ravens game with a shoulder injury, was limited in practice Wednesday. ... DE Stephon Tuitt did not practice due to an illness.