Big Ben finally getting his wish

Monday, August 21, 2006 The third-year quarterback has been asking for no-huddle for two years. PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger has had almost no playing time in the preseason. Right now, that's hardly a concern for the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl. The Pittsburgh Steelers' coaches are giving him what he's long wanted — a chance to run the no-huddle offense — and that's all Roethlisberger could ask for. Especially since he's been asking for it almost since he became the starting quarterback in 2004. Call it a reward for winning the Super Bowl. Call it a move to give defenses more to think about from what usually is the most run-heavy offense in the NFL. "Ben was asking to do this for two years before he could convince them to do this," backup quarterback Charlie Batch said after the Steelers played erratically in losing to the Minnesota Vikings 17-10 Saturday night. "He showed on the first drive what he could do with it." Right down and scored Roethlisberger, somewhat of a surprise starter after being listed as questionable with a sprained right thumb ligament, moved the Steelers' offense so quickly and efficiently that he threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Cedrick Wilson on his sixth and last play of the game. "Pretty much the whole drive was a no-huddle," Roethlisberger said after his second brief but effective start in as many exhibition games. Roethlisberger believes the no-huddle creates favorable matchups because defenses can't always get the personnel groups on the field they want. Also, it allows him to throw more, something Roethlisberger has been pleading with offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt to let him do. "We wanted to work on the no-huddle and you can see he wants to do it," coach Bill Cowher said. "He's got great command. I thought he had a good presence out there." So did Wilson, who said, "It went well. We had some new guys in there and I think we handled it pretty well." Trying to convince Cowher Roethlisberger's challenge is to convince Cowher that the no-huddle offense is worth keeping during the regular season. It goes against the Steelers' offensive philosophy in some ways because it is pass-heavy, but Roethlisberger is convinced the positives outweigh the negatives. "It changes the pace of the game, and we got a chance to prove it out there," Batch said. Batch also moved the offense while playing most of the first half, throwing for 103 yards, only to have two drives late in the second quarter end with an interception and a fumble while he was being sacked. The interception came when Batch and rookie wide receiver Santonio Holmes each read the defense differently. Too many mistakes "We still have too many mistakes here and there," Cowher said. "There were too many things popping up. We just didn't play consistent enough." He obviously didn't include Roethlisberger in that group. Despite the quarterback's motorcycle accident two months ago, and the thumb injury, Roethlisberger has looked sharp and in command. That's why Cowher has limited him to two series in two games. "To be honest with you, with the training camp he's had and when I've seen him in games, I think he's fine," Cowher said. "I haven't see any rust. He's playing with a lot of confidence right now. I want to give him a taste of it, and that's all I need to see." Apparently, that's all the coach needs to see to be convinced Roethlisberger can operate the no-huddle set. The system puts a considerable burden on the quarterback not only to get everyone on the offense lined up properly, but to read the defense quickly to make sure the play call will work. "He has the ability to call what he wants to call," Cowher said. "We have a chance to talk to him if we see certain things. We wanted to work on it and be able to do it. I know he's eager to do it. It's another option we have." Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.