BALTIMORE - Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger once again displayed his extraordinary character by accepting full responsibility for the Steelers' loss yesterday to the Baltimore Ravens. Roethlisberger also accepted the savage beating administered to him by numerous members of the Baltimore Ravens. "They did a great job," said Roethlisberger. "They nearly killed me." Big Ben was unsparing in his assessment of his own performance. "Don't blame anyone but me for this one," he said, reading from a prepared text on his wrist-band. "I've got to get the job done out there." The young quarterback refused to point any fingers. Instead, he deflected all criticism away from his teammates and directed it to himself. "I don't care if ten guys are tearing me limb from limb, if I'm on my back with six pairs of spikes stomping on my throat, I've got to find a way to get the ball into the end zone."
Roethlisberger's comments were nearly identical to those he made following Steelers' losses to Jacksonville, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Oakland, Denver, and San Diego. When asked if his expression of remorse was a calculated way to craft a public image of maturity and leadership created by his agent, Roethlisberger nodded. "If you're not buying this, or if you're having a hard time believing my sincerity, that's my fault," he said. "I've got to be more credible." Roethlisberger apologized for what he said was a sub-par reading of his scripted remarks. "I'm going to keep working every day," he vowed, "and the next time I come out here to take responsibility for a loss, I'm going to be better."
