After starting 0-2 for the first time in his career, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said Tuesday morning on his weekly radio show that the veteran guys on the roster are going to have a meeting Wednesday in order to hash out what they need to do to get the team in the win column.
“We’re going to sit down and talk and figure out a way to right the ship and make sure that these young guys know that this is unacceptable, and it starts with all of us older guys,” said Roethlisberger. “We all have to be leaders and step up and show these guys what the Steeler way is and that when we step in stadiums, and we have that black and gold on our backs and there’s a certain level of excellence that goes with that, and we need to get back to that.”
Roethlisberger said he talked to safety Ryan Clark in the locker room after the 20-10 loss Monday night to the Cincinnati Bengals and both agreed that the 08’ers, the 12 veteran players still on the team from the 2008 season, would meet Wednesday.
“This is unchartered for us guys that have been around here and Steeler Nation and Steeler fans,” said Roethlisberger. “This is not what we’re all used to. So it’s something that we need to make sure that we reiterate with the young guys and get on them.”
Roethlisberger also said that if it takes bringing in the six Lombardi trophies and setting them in the team meeting room and putting up the Hall of Fame pictures in order to get the point across to the younger players, then that’s what they will do.
Kudos to Roethlisberger because anything extra from a leadership standpoint right now certainly can’t hurt things. Including the preseason, the Steelers have lost 11 of their last 13 games and with the infusion of young players now on the roster, they need to learn just how unacceptable losing is in Pittsburgh.
Will this meeting and subsequent actions by the veterans make any sort of difference? We’ll find out Sunday night as the Steelers will host the 2-0 Chicago Bears. Starting a season 0-3 usually means a team is almost certain not to make the playoffs, so while it’s still early in the season, it’s almost a must-win game.
