Lombardi capable. Sounds like something Mike Tomlin would say, doesn’t it?
Those weren’t the exact words Ramon Foster used but the sentiment he recently shared was the same. He thinks there’s no reason why the Pittsburgh Steelers can’t win their 7th Super Bowl this season
“If the football gods spare us this year, we feel we can make a run,” he told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler yesterday. “Starts with Ben, ends with us.”
Of course, Foster is referring to the need to stay healthy as a unit in order to make such a run. It was perhaps the biggest factor – even understanding injuries are never Tomlin’s excuse – in preventing the team from going all the way. It’s hard to imagine this team losing with Le’Veon Bell, Maurkice Pouncey, and Kelvin Beachum all standing upright.
And without Ben Roethlisberger, as Foster points out, the hopes for a Super Bowl are dashed. So it’s up to Foster and his linemates to keep him upright.
“If Ben is getting hit and the running backs aren’t running, we can’t do anything,” Foster told Fowler.
This echoes a familiar sentiment from the veteran guard. In June, he told Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley that a Super Bowl ring is all that’s left for him to earn.
“No disrespect to the guys before us”, he told Varley for the team’s website, “but the depth, experience and camaradie that we have right now, the only thing that is lacking with us from the offensive lines before us is a Super Bowl ring”.
After all, Foster has his new contract, probably his last one. He’s made his money. Not a Scrooge McDuck level but more than enough. Chasing that ring is all that’s left.
At last look, the Steelers had the third best odds, 10/1 by online sportsbook Bovada, who unveiled their last odds in May. The New England Patriots are current favorites with 7/1 odds.
A ring for Foster would be quite the storybook ending for a former undrafted tackle out of Tennessee.
