Sports

Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

Big Ben leads Steelers over Broncos

DENVER — Ben Roethlisberger was missing reads and his receivers, and it had the Pittsburgh Steelers reeling in the first half.

It was all so very unlike Roethlisberger. The situation only got worse after halftime, when his sack and fumble led to Robert Ayers’ long touchdown return.

If Big Ben was rattled, he didn’t show it, needing just four plays to march the Steelers 80 yards for the touchdown that put them ahead for good in their 28-10 rout of the Denver Broncos on Monday night.

“I kind of rushed a little bit,” admitted Roethlisberger, whose team has now won five straight. “I think offensively we’ve got a long ways to go. We made a lot of mistakes and we’ve got to keep searching for the ceiling because we can’t play the way we’ve been playing and continually beat good conference teams.”

There definitely was a good/bad element to Roethlisberger Monday night.

The good came with a pair of 3-yard touchdown passes to Hines Ward and another to rookie wideout Mike Wallace.

The bad was losing a fumble when he was hit from behind by Kenny Peterson, the ball flying free and Ayers scooping it up for a 54-yard TD. Roethlisberger also threw an interception with the Steelers poised to put more points on the board when Andre’ Goodman stepped in front of a pass that sailed behind Ward.

But when the Steelers (6-2) needed him most, Roethlisberger delivered.

“That guy you can’t ever stop,” Wallace said. “He just makes things happen.”

There was no argument from the Broncos, who dropped their second straight after opening the season 6-0 under rookie coach Josh McDaniels.

“Great quarterback,” Goodman said. “He doesn’t panic, no matter what the situation is. His head is always in the game.”

Part of the reason for the Steelers’ second-half turnaround was trying out a new tactic — the nonstop no-huddle. The Broncos certainly weren’t ready for it.

The Broncos shouldn’t have been surprised; the Steelers talked all week about employing the no-huddle at Denver.

The Steelers received a lift from safety Tyrone Carter, who intercepted a Kyle Orton pass in the second quarter and raced 48 yards for a touchdown that gave Pittsburgh a 7-3 halftime lead.

Carter finished off the night in grand style — picking off another Orton pass.

“I just like the opportunity to step up and show my teammates that I can make plays when my number is called,” Carter said.