Steelers line still a work in progress

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Ben Roethlisberger’s advice to right tackle Marcus Gilbert shortly before the rookie made the first start of his career on Sunday against Seattle was simple and direct.

“I said, ‘Let the game come to you, don’t go to it,” Roethlisberger said.

Gilbert may have followed Roethlisberger’s words of wisdom a little too closely in Pittsburgh’s 24-0 romp over the Seahawks. The second-round pick out of Florida found himself on his heels twice while dropping back into pass protection.

The first resulted in a Roethlisberger sack in the first quarter that helped snuff out an early Pittsburgh drive. The other sent a shiver through the entire franchise.

With the ball at the Seattle 20 late in the first half, Gilbert shuffled back as Roethlisberger lined up in the shotgun and looked downfield. Seattle defensive end Raheem Brock spun around Gilbert and dived at the quarterback’s legs just after Roethlisberger released the ball, a 16-yard completion to tight end Heath Miller.

The play drew a flag for unnecessary roughness on Brock and sent Roethlisberger crumpling to the ground. He only ended up only missing two plays, but the near-miss was an eye opener for Gilbert.

“It was a miscommunication,” Gilbert said. “It was the dude on my side. [Ben] had the ball out but [Brock] came on and hit his knee. You can’t really do anything about that.”

Still, Gilbert hadn’t quite shaken the moment on Monday, telling teammate Ramon Foster how badly he felt.

“I told him, ‘I got [Ben’s] nose broken last year,”’ said Foster. “It’s just one of those things, don’t let it happen again.”

Though Roethlisberger praised Gilbert’s play — saying he felt Gilbert “did a great job” — the youngster’s first day start was symptomatic of a unit that remains a work in progress.

Roethlisberger was only sacked twice, but took a series of shots, not all of them because of his tendency to hold onto the ball even as the pocket collapses around him.

One of the hits came on a quick screen, a play that requires Roethlisberger to get rid of the ball the instant he gets the snap.“It was kind of crazy,” Roethlisberger said. “I have never thrown a speed screen to a wide receiver and got hit below the knees. I’ll be fine and we’ll get through it.”

And hopefully get through it upright.