Big Ben happy as an underdog

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Don’t count Ben Roethlisberger among those concerned about the bagel next to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason win total.

If anything, the quarterback figures an 0-4 August might actually help the Steelers as they prepare for the season opener against Tennessee on Sept. 8.

“I like that we’re still the underdogs and we’re the ‘nobody’ team and everyone’s counting us out,” Roethlisberger said. “That’s still fine with me.”

If the Steelers played the role of possum during their exhibition games, they proved pretty adept at it.

Save for a solid if not spectacular first half by the starters against the Kansas City Chiefs last week, Pittsburgh hardly looked like a team ready to disprove the doubters.

Though most of the first team sat out a 25-10 loss to Carolina on Thursday night, the guys who did play continued a string of mostly uninspired performances.

The special teams again looked sloppy after a botched punt return resulted in a safety.

Third-string quarterback Landry Jones tossed three interceptions and the defense let former Cleveland starter Derek Anderson channel 2007 while throwing for two touchdowns.

“We gave up a big play on defense,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “We turned the ball over on offense. You do those in a visiting stadium and you really reduce your chances of winning.”

His team’s record now reset to 0-0, Tomlin will have plenty of ammunition when the 53 men who survive the final round of cuts return to practice on Monday. Still, he’s not panicking after the first winless preseason of his seven-year coaching career

“I feel comfortable with the men that we are working to battle with next week,” Tomlin said.