Big Ben off to best start of career

PITTSBURGH – What do you get as a gift for winning AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 12th time in your career?
If you’re Ben Roethlisberger, it’s getting your star running back after a two-game suspension.
Roethlisberger received the AFC honor Wednesday for his 369-yard, three-three touchdown performance in the Steelers’ win Sunday over San Francisco. Coming off a season in which he tied for the league lead in passing yards, Roethlisberger is off to the best start of his career and now gets All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell back when the Steelers (1-1) travel to St. Louis (1-1).
It’s a scary proposition to opposing teams.
“To get one of your guys back, it does a little something extra to the locker room,” Roethlisberger said. “I’m sure it does something a little extra to the other team’s locker room, too. To get someone like Le’Veon back … really kind of picks us up.”
Roethlisberger hasn’t needed much picking up of late. He’s the only quarterback in the NFL to have thrown for more than 300 yards in each of the first two weeks of this season and has gone over that total in 12 of his past 19 games. It also marks the first time in his career he has thrown for more than 300 yards in back-to-back games to open a season.
Considering the Steelers don’t have another quarterback in their history with more than six 300-yard games, it’s an impressive run.
“I think Ben has gotten better and better each year,” Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said. “His understanding and anticipation, his ability to change things at the line of scrimmage put them in the best-case scenarios at the line of scrimmage. He’s just matured. He’s one of the best quarterbacks in the game.”
Fisher should know. He faced Roethlisberger four times as the Titans’ head coach. He’s seen Roethlisberger complete nearly 72 percent of his passes in those games for 1,138 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.
The Rams have a talented defense that leads the NFC in sacks with eight. But Roethlisberger is perhaps the best quarterback in the league passing under duress.
In 2014, he was pressured 177 times, yet completed 89 of 140 for 11 touchdowns and no interceptions.
“That’s the point we expressed to our defense (Wednesday),” Fisher said. “You’re going to have to bring your A game. And even with that, he’s going to make his plays. He’s got a great group of wide receivers.”
The group is led by All-Pro Antonio Brown, who seems to have taken his connection with Roethlisberger to another level.
Roethlisberger has targeted Brown 22 times in the first two games, completing 18 of those for 328 yards and two touchdowns. He has a passer rating of 149.1 when targeting Brown. A perfect rating is 158.3.
And if you don’t pressure him, as the 49ers failed to do in the Steelers’ 43-18 victory Sunday, the results also are not favorable to a defense.
“When we keep him upright, we have results like we had this past Sunday,” said Steelers left tackle Kelvin Beachum. “He’s offensive player of the week, he’s throwing touchdowns, (Antonio Brown) is happy, everybody is happy.”
The Steelers enter Sunday’s game with the NFL’s top-rated offense in yards gained and third in scoring.
Roethlisberger has been the key.
“Ben’s playing really well. He’s got a good group of players around him,” Fisher said. “He makes a lot of plays. The run game is impressive and Le’Veon is coming back. He should be eager to make a statement.”
Cornerback William Gay was given the day off from practice. Defensive lineman Daniel McCullers (knee) and linebacker Ryan Shazier (shoulder) also did not practice. … Cornerback Cortez Allen (knee) was limited. … To make room for Bell on the 53-man roster, the Steelers released rookie wide receiver Tyler Murphy.