Ben Roethlisberger is well aware that he is facing one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL come Sunday. As the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions prepare to face off, the quarterback is keeping his focus on Ndamukong Suh nd Nick Fairley. The defensive tackle tandem will likely be coming for Roethlisberger the entire game and the quarterback is starting to fear for his safety.
"Well, yeah, you've got to be careful," Roethlisberger said, via ESPN.com. "You'll end up dead if you're not careful. This is a great D-line and defense. Yeah, well, I tell myself all the time to be alert for those things. But then, when the bullets are flying, who knows what's going to happen?"
Roethlisberger has been sacked more than any other quarterback in the past five seasons. To date, he has taken 379 sacks since 2001, topping the league in the category. Of course the quarterback is known for holding on to the ball for way too long causing the defense to make his way to him with ease. After catching word of the quarterbacks killer comments, both Suh and Fairley had their own responses.
Suh told reporters that he takes the comments as a compliment. He was quick to say that he was no killer, but that he will not shy away from being aggressive towards the quarterback. Fairley agreed saying it was more about staying alive rather than killing.
"I wouldn't say 'kill someone,' but if we stay alive in our rushes, sooner or later we're going to get there," Fairley said. "He's the type of quarterback that's going to hold the ball to extend plays. And watching, Coach telling us this morning, we just gotta stay alive. We can be on one side of the field, and he can reverse and come back to you. So just stay alive in the rush. That's what we're going to try and harp on."
Roethlisberger is hoping that a balanced offense will help the team avoid taking big hits from both Suh and Fairley. While it will be incredibly tough to run against the Lions defensive front, the three-headed rushing attack for the Steelers could be the team to get through. Le'Veon Bell, Jonathan Dwyer and Felix Jones could become the center piece of the Pittsburgh offense which could help Roethlisberger stay off the ground.
