Game # 4 Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) at Houston Texans (2-1) Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011 1:00 p.m. (ET) Reliant Stadium Houston, Texas Game #4 Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) at Houston Texans (2-1) Date: Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011 Kickoff: 1:00 p.m., ET Site: Reliant Stadium (71,054) Houston, Texas Playing Surface: Grass TV Coverage: CBS (locally KDKA-TV, channel 2) Announcers: Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) Dan Dierdorf (color analyst) Local Radio: Steelers Radio Network WDVE-FM (102.5)/WBGG-AM (970) Announcers: Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play) Tunch Ilkin (color analyst) Craig Wolfley (sideline) Spanish Radio: Grupo Imagen - Destrito Federal (Mexico City) XEDA-FM 90.5 A Look at the Coaches: Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin Overall regular-season record: 45-22 (.671)/fifth season Regular-season record at Pittsburgh: 45-22 (.671)/fifth season Playoff Record/Years: 5-2/three years Houston Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak Overall regular-season record: 39-44 (.469)/sixth season Regular-season record at Houston: 39-44 (.469)/sixth season Playoff Record/Years: n/a For all of the most up-to-date information on the Pittsburgh Steelers, visit the team s official web site at. Updated daily, the web site has the most extensive information on upcoming games and the most comprehensive news on the Steelers. Pittsburgh Steelers 2011 Schedule/Results Preseason (3-1) Friday, Aug. 12 at Washington L, 7-16 (KDKA) Thursday, Aug. 18 PHILADELPHIA W, 24-14 (FOX) Saturday, Aug. 27 ATLANTA W, 34-16 (KDKA) Thursday, Sept. 1 at Carolina W, 33-17 (KDKA) Regular Season (2-1) Sunday, Sept. 11 at Baltimore L, 7-35 (CBS) Sunday, Sept. 18 SEATTLE W, 24-0 (FOX) Sunday, Sept. 25 at Indianapolis W, 23-20 (NBC) Sunday, Oct. 2 at Houston 1 p.m. (CBS) Sunday, Oct. 9 TENNESSEE 1 p.m. (CBS) Sunday, Oct. 16 JACKSONVILLE 1 p.m. (CBS) Sunday, Oct. 23 at Arizona 4:05 p.m. (CBS) Sunday, Oct. 30 NEW ENGLAND 4:15 p.m. (CBS) Sunday, Nov. 6 BALTIMORE 8:20 p.m. (NBC) Sunday, Nov. 13 at Cincinnati 1 p.m. (CBS) Sunday, Nov. 20 BYE Sunday, Nov. 27 at Kansas City 8:20 p.m. (NBC) Sunday, Dec. 4 CINCINNATI 1 p.m. (CBS) Thursday, Dec. 8 CLEVELAND 8:20 p.m. (NFL Net./KDKA) Monday, Dec. 19 at San Francisco 8:30 p.m. (ESPN) Saturday, Dec. 24 ST. LOUIS 1 p.m. (FOX) Sunday, Jan. 1 at Cleveland 1 p.m. (CBS) Times and TV Network may change due to NFL flexible scheduling Postseason Sat.-Sun., Jan. 7-8 Wild Card Weekend (NBC, CBS & FOX) Sat.-Sun., Jan. 14-15 Divisional Playoff Games (CBS & FOX) Sunday, Jan. 22 Conference Championships (CBS & FOX) Sunday, Jan. 29 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl (Hawaii) (NBC) Sunday, Feb. 5 Super Bowl XLVI (Indianapolis) (NBC) NOTE: All times are Eastern. Home games in Bold/CAPS.
THE COACHES MIKE TOMLIN was named the 16th head coach in Pittsburgh Steelers history on Jan. 22, 2007. Hired at the age of 34, Tomlin became only the third head coach hired by the Steelers since 1969. Tomlin became the youngest head coach in NFL history to both coach in and win a Super Bowl when he led the Steelers to a 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. By winning the Super Bowl in only his second season as a head coach, he also became the fastest to win a Super Bowl title in Steelers history. Tomlin is one of only seven coaches in league history to win a Super Bowl within his first two seasons as an NFL head coach. Tomlin compiled a 43-21 record in the regular season during his first four years as head coach. His.672 winning percentage after four seasons tied for first in team history. By leading the Steelers to a 12-4 record in 2010, Tomlin became only the second Steelers head coach to post winning records in each of his first four seasons. The Steelers offense ranked 14 th in the NFL (14 th passing, 11 th rushing) despite playing its first four games without its starting quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh s defense ranked second in the NFL (first vs. run, 12 th vs. pass) while leading the NFL with 48 quarterback sacks. The Steelers set a team record and led the NFL, allowing only 62.8 rushing yards per game. The Steelers continued to be dominant at Heinz Field under Tomlin in 2010. Pittsburgh finished with a 5-3 home record in 2010 after finishing 7-1 (2007), 6-2 (2008) and 6-2 (2009) at home during Tomlin s first three seasons. Tomlin s 24-8 record and.750 winning percentage at home after four seasons ranks second in Steelers history. Tomlin was a three-year starter at wide receiver at William and Mary (1990-94) and finished his career with 101 receptions for 2,046 yards and a school-record 20 TD catches. A first-team All- Yankee Conference selection in 1994, he established a school record with a 20.2 yards-per-catch average. Tomlin was the NFL s second-youngest head coach in 2007, and he became only the second Steelers coach in team history to win at least 10 games during his first year at the helm. The Steelers posted a 7-1 record at home in 2007 and were 5-1 in the AFC North (3-0 at home). Tomlin became only the second Steelers head coach to win his first three games. During 2007, the Steelers became just the fifth team in NFL history to win their first four home games by at least 20 points. The Steelers defense was dominant under Tomlin s guidance in 2008, leading the NFL in total defense (237.2), pass defense (156.9), points per game (13.9), total yards per play (3.9), rushing yards per attempt (3.3), passing yards per attempt (4.7) and third down efficiency (31.4), and finished second in league rushing defense (80.3). Tomlin led the Steelers to a 10-6 record in 2007, and became just the second coach in team history to post a winning record, win a division title and earn a playoff berth in his inaugural season. GARY KUBIAK is in his sixth season as head coach of the Houston Texans, recording a franchise record 39 wins since being hired on January 26, 2006. Kubiak has led the Texans to the three best seasons in franchise history, going 8-8 in 2007 and 2008 before producing the first winning season in team history in 2009, narrowly missing the playoffs at 9-7. His tenure has been marked by continued offensive improvement, including team records for total offense per game in each of the last four seasons and the four highestscoring seasons in team history. STEELERS RADIO COVERAGE For the 13th consecutive year, WDVE-FM (102.5) and WBGG- AM (970) are carrying all Steelers games. Additionally, Steelers games can be heard on a 47-station network spanning Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland. For the second straight year, all Steelers games will be broadcast in Spanish on Estadio W (730 AM). For the 17th straight season, Bill Hillgrove serves as the Voice of the Steelers and handles play-by-play duties for the broadcast. Joining Hillgrove for his 13th season as an expert analyst is Tunch Ilkin, the former Steelers All-Pro offensive tackle. Joining the team for his ninth season is former Steeler offensive lineman Craig Wolfley, who provides sideline analysis. Stations on the Steelers Radio Network include: FLAGSHIP STATIONS (2) WDVE-FM (102.5) WBGG-AM (970) PENNSYLVANIA (31) Altoona-WVAM (1430) Altoona-WRKY (104.9) Beaver Falls-WBVP (1230) Beaver Falls-WMBA (1460) Bedford-WAYC (100.9) Bradford-WESB (1490) Butler-WISR (680) Chambersburg-WCHA (800) Clarendon-WKNB (104.3) Clarion-WCCR (92.7) Cooperstown-WUUZ (107.7) DuBois-WOWQ (102.1) Erie-WJET (1440) Gettysburg-WGET (1320) Grove City-WWGY (95.1) Harrisburg-WTPA (93.5) Indiana-WQMU (92.5) Johnstown-WRKW (99.1) Johnstown-WNTW (990) Latrobe-WCNS (1480) Punxsutawney-WPXZ (104.1) Saegertown-WUUZ (94.3) Scottdale-WLSW (103.9) Scranton-WEJL (630/1240) Scranton-WEZX (96.1/106.9) Somerset-WNTJ (850) State College/Pleasant Gap- WRSC (98.7) Uniontown-WMBS (590) Washington-WJPA (1450) Williamsport-WCXR (93.3) Williamsport-WZXR (103.7) OHIO (3) Findlay-WFIN (1330) Westerville-WTDA (103.9) Youngstown-WNIO (1390) MARYLAND (4) Cumberland-WTBO (1450) Frostburg-WFRB (560) Hagerstown-WHAG (1410) Mountain Lake Park-WKHJ (104.5) WEST VIRGINIA (6) Buckhannon-WBRB (101.3) Fairmont-WRLF (94.3) Fairmont-WMMN (920) Morgantown-WKKW (97.9) St. Mary s-wjaw (630) Wheeling-WWVA (1170) MEXICO (1) Mexico City-Imagen DF (90.5 FM) 2011 AFC North Standings W L T Pct. Pts. Opp. Pittsburgh 2 1 0.667 54 55 Baltimore 2 1 0.667 85 40 Cleveland 2 1 0.667 61 62 Cincinnati 1 2 0.333 57 54 This Week in the AFC North: Sunday, Oct. 2: Pittsburgh (2-1) at Houston (2-1), 1:00 p.m. (CBS, KDKA-TV, channel 2) Buffalo (3-0) at Cincinnati (1-2), 1:00 p.m. (CBS) Tennessee (2-1) at Cleveland (2-1), 1:00 p.m. (CBS) New York Jets (2-1) at Baltimore (2-1), 8:20 p.m. (NBC) All times are Eastern.
STEELERS PRONUNCIATIONS Arnaz Battle... (ARE-nez) Trai Essex... (TRAY) Ramon Foster... (ra-mone) Brett Keisel... (KEE-sull) Chris Kemoeatu... (kay-moy-ah-too) Keenan Lewis... (KEY-nan) Jamon Meredith... (JUH-mon) Mewelde Moore... (Muh-WELL-dee) Troy Polamalu... (Pole-uh-MAH-lu) Maurkice Pouncey... (Mar-KEESE POUN-see) Ben Roethlisberger... (ROTH-lis-ber-ger) Shaun Suisham... (Swee-zum) LaMarr Woodley... (la-marr) Jason Worilds... (Worlds) MEDIA NOTES Houston Texans Conference Call: Houston Head Coach Gary Kubiak and QB Matt Schaub will be available for interviews via conference call on Wednesday, Sept. 28, in the Steelers media workroom. Kubiak will be at 10:20 a.m. and Schaub will be available between 3:30-4:00 p.m. Weekly Press Conference: Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will conduct his weekly press conference every Tuesday at noon in the Steelers media workroom at their UPMC Sports Performance Complex headquarters. The press conference will be broadcast live on ROOT Sports. Official Steelers Website: Media and fans can read about the latest Steelers news on the official Steelers website. The site,, features breaking news, statistics, player biographies and much more. Media-Only Section of The Steelers Media Relations Department offers a Media- Only section on steelers.com. To sign up for this service, go to http:///mediarelations/ and register as a new user below the left hand navigation bar. Then follow the instructions on the Media Relations page and once your registration is approved, you will receive an email and can access all information. If you have any questions or problems, please email steelers_digest@yahoo.com. NFLmedia.com: Journalists worldwide have access to the dedicated media website featuring news from the NFL and its teams. Daily releases, statistics, domestic and international NFL updates and other information about the NFL are available. The site also provides links to other NFL and individual team sites. LAST WEEK S GAME Pittsburgh 23, Indianapolis 20 Sunday, Sept. 25 Indianapolis, Ind. (Lucas Oil Stadium) Pittsburgh Team Notes: Pittsburgh improved to 16-16 overall and 10-12 on the road on Sunday Night Football, including the Steelers second straight win. Head Coach Mike Tomlin is now 16-5 (9-3 on the road) in primetime and 6-4 (4-3 on the road) on Sunday Night Football. The Steelers improved to 325-206 all-time against AFC opponents. Marked the first victory for Pittsburgh in Indianapolis during the regular season since 1991. Pittsburgh is now 15-6 all-time during the regular season against the Indianapolis Colts. The win marked the Steelers first win at Lucas Oil Stadium and improved their record to 7-5 on the road against Indianapolis. It also snapped a two-game regular season losing streak to the Colts. Tomlin is now 45-22 during the regular season as the Steelers head coach. Steelers defense held Colts starting QB Kerry Collins to 13-of- 29 passing for 93 yards with a passer rating of 52.8 before he left the game after three quarters with a possible concussion. Pittsburgh held backup QB Curtis Painter to 5-of-11 passing for 60 yards and a quarterback rating of 62.7, while forcing a fumble on sack that was returned for a touchdown. The Indianapolis offense did not score a touchdown until the fourth quarter. It ended the Pittsburgh defense s streak of eight consecutive quarters of keeping the opposing offense out of the end zone. Pittsburgh outgained Indianapolis in total yards 408 to 241, including 364 passing yards compared to 144. Pittsburgh Individual Notes: QB Ben Roethlisberger Completed 25-of-37 pass attempts for 364 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a passer rating of 97.1. Recorded his 16 th 300-yard passing game of his career. The last time Roethlisberger threw for 300 yards or more was on 12/ 23/10, vs. Carolina (320). 364 yards passing marked the seventh-most passing yards of his career (503, 433, 417, 398, 387, 386). Orchestrated a 10-play, 60-yard drive in the final two minutes to set up a game-winning 38-yard field goal with 0:04 left in the game to give Pittsburgh a 23-20 victory. It marked the 24 th gamewinning/overtime drive of his career. Registered an 81-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace to put Pittsburgh up 10-0. Tuesday, Sept. 27 Noon - Coach Tomlin Press Conference (ROOT Sports) No player availability THIS WEEK S SCHEDULE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE) Wenesday, Sept. 28 Thursday, Sept. 29 Open locker room Open locker room 12:30-1:00 p.m. 12:15-12:45 p.m. Practice 1:15-3:15 Practice 1:00-3:00 p.m. p.m. Coach Tomlin available Coach Tomlin available upon request after upon request after practice practice Open locker room 3:15 Coordinators available - 3:45 p.m. on field after practice Open locker room 3:00-3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30 Practice 10:45 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. Open locker room 12:30-1:00 p.m. Coach Tomlin available upon request after practice Saturday, Oct. 1 No media availability Sunday, Oct. 2 Monday, Oct. 3 1:00 p.m. (ET) TBA Away Game at Houston Texans (Reliant Stadium) CBS (KDKA-TV, locally channel 2)
Marked the third longest pass play of his career and the longest since an 83-yard completion to Santonio Holmes (vs. St. Louis, 12/20/07). Recorded 171 yards on 7-for-11 passing with one touchdown and a passer rating of 137.5 in the first quarter. Marked a career-high for passing yards in the first quarter. It was also the most passing yards by a Steelers quarterback in the first quarter, dating back to 1991. Totaled 231 passing yards in the first half, his fifth-highest first half total of his career. Out of those five games, the Steelers went on to win four of them. Date Opp. Passing Yards 12/23/10 vs. Car 259 10/5/08 at Jac 239 10/18/09 vs. Cle 239 10/22/06 at Atl 235 9/25/11 at Ind 231 WR Mike Wallace Registered a career-high 144 yards on five receptions with one touchdown. Recorded a career-long 81-yard touchdown reception, to give Pittsburgh a 10-0 first quarter lead 129 yards on three receptions with one touchdown in the first quarter marked the most receiving yards in the first quarter by a Steelers receiver, dating back to 1991. Surpassed 100+ receiving yards for sixth consecutive game (franchise record) and 11 th of his career: Game Yards Rec TDs 9/27/09, at Cin 102 7 0 9/19/10, vs. TB 100 3 2 11/8/10, at Cin 110 7 1 11/14/10, vs. NE 136 8 2 11/21/10, vs. Oak 116 3 1 12/19/10, vs. NYJ 102 7 0 12/23/10, vs. Car 104 4 1 1/2/11, at Cle 105 3 1 9/11/11, at Bal 107 8 0 9/18/11, vs. Sea 126 8 1 9/25/11, at Ind 144 5 1 Six consecutive games with 100+ receiving yards is tied for the second longest streak in NFL history. 11 100+ yard receiving games passes Yancey Thigpen for the sixth most 100-yard games by wide receivers in franchise history: Rk. Player 100-yard receiving games 1. Hines Ward 34 2. John Stallworth 29 3. Louis Lipps 16 4. Plaxico Burress 12 Lynn Swann 12 6. Mike Wallace 11 7. Yancey Thigpen 10 Registered two receptions for 48 yards on the Steelers opening drive that traveled a total of 50 yards to setup a K Shaun Suisham field goal to give Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead. RB Rashard Mendenhall With 37 yards on 18 carries, Mendenhall (2,587) passed Kordell Stewart (2,561) for the 14 th most rushing yards in team history. Registered the second and third longest punt returns of his career: 37 and 25 yards. Both came one week after registering a career-long 41-yard punt return vs. Seattle, 9/18/11. TE Heath Miller Recorded a season-high five receptions for 71 yards. LB James Harrison Forced a fumble on a sack of QB Curtis Painter that S Troy Polamalu returned for a touchdown to give Pittsburgh a 20-13 lead with 5:13 left in the fourth quarter. It was Harrison s 25 th career forced fumble, all coming since the start of the 2007 season. CB William Gay Made 21 st career regular-season start in place of injured CB Bryant McFadden. Including the postseason, marked fourth start in the past five games. DT Ziggy Hood Started in place of injured DE Brett Keisel, marking his 11 th career start. Hood started a career-best 10 games last season for injured DE Aaron Smith CB Keenan Lewis Registered first career start as part of a nickel formation for the Steelers. S Troy Polamalu Returned a fumble 16 yards for a touchdown to give Pittsburgh a 20-13 lead. Marked fifth career fumble recovery. K Shaun Suisham Hit the game-winning field goal from 38 yards with four seconds left on the clock, marking his second game-winning kick as a member of the Steelers (41-yard field goal at Buffalo, 11/28/11) and the fourth of his career. Connected on 3-of-4 field goal attempts, including a 48-yard field goal, tying his career-high as a member of the Steelers (at Buffalo, 11/281). He is now 18-of-21 during the regular season as Pittsburgh s kicker. TEAM CAPTAINS Through a team vote the Steelers decided on the team captains for the 2011 season. WR Hines Ward was voted an offensive co-captain for the seventh consecutive year (2005-11) and will be joined by QB Ben Roethlisberger as a co-captain, who previously served as a cocaptain with Ward in 2008 and 2009. LB James Farrior was named a captain of the Steelers defense for the eighth straight year (2004-11), while WR Arnaz Battle was voted captain of the special teams unit for the first time in his career. RB Mewelde Moore Helped move the Steelers into position on the drive for the gamewinning field goal in the final minutes with three plays: 22-yard reception to the Colts 41-yard line, five-yard run to the Colts 25 yard-line and a four-yard run to the Colts 21-yard line. WR Antonio Brown Set a career high with 75 yards on four receptions, surpassing his previous career-high of 67 yards he set on four receptions in Week Two versus Seattle.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR PITTSBURGH TEAM NOTES The Steelers look to improve to 326-206 all-time against AFC opponents. The Steelers are looking to win their third straight game and improve to 3-1 all-time during the regular season against the Houston Texans. Pittsburgh looks to improve to 2-0 on the road against the Texans. The Steelers look to earn their second consecutive victory against an AFC South opponent and improve to 11-9 against the division since it formed in 2002. PITTSBURGH INDIVIDUAL NOTES Head Coach Mike Tomlin Will attempt to improve his record to 5-3 against the AFC South and 2-0 against the Texans. With a win, will improve to 21-14 on the road versus AFC opponents during the regular season, including winning eight of the last nine. QB Ben Roethlisberger Needs three touchdown passes to equal 150 for his career, becoming only the second Steelers quarterback to reach the mark (Terry Bradshaw, 212). After registering the seventh-most passing yards of his career (364) last week at Indianapolis, is looking to register back-to-back 300+ yard passing games for only the second time in his career (301, 10/29/06, at Oak; 433, 11/5/06, vs. Den). RB Rashard Mendenhall Needs two rushing touchdowns to pass Walter Abercrombie (22) for the 10th-most in the team s history. WR Mike Wallace With 100-yards receiving will record his 12th 100-yard receiving game of his career and his seventh straight. Below is the numbers from Wallace s last six regular-season games: Game Yards Rec TDs 12/19/10, vs. NYJ 102 7 0 12/23/10, vs. Car 104 4 1 1/2/11, at Cle 105 3 1 9/11/11, at Bal 107 8* 0 9/18/11, vs. Sea 126 8* 1 9/25/11, at Ind 144** 5 1 *tied career-high set on 11/14/10 vs. New England **career-high Needs one more 100-yard receiving game to tie the NFL record for consecutive games with 100-yards receiving. Player Team Year Consecutive Games Charley Hannigan Hou 1961 7 Michael Irvin Dal 1995 7 Mike Wallace Pit 2010-11 6 Raymond Berry Bal 1960 6 Bill Groman Hou 1961 6 Pat Studstill Det 1966 6 Isaac Bruce StL 1995 6 WR Hines Ward Needs 16 receiving yards to surpass Hall of Famer Don Maynard (11,834) for 20 th in NFL history. TE Heath Miller After recording a season-high five receptions for 71 yards in the Week Three win over Indianapolis, needs five receptions to reach 300 for his career, becoming the seventh player in franchise history to reach the mark and only the second tight end. LB James Harrison After recording a sack and forced fumble of QB Curtis Painter in Week Three, needs 2.5 sacks to tie Greg Lloyd (53.5) for the sixthhighest career total in team history. SS Troy Polamalu After returning a fumble 16 yards for the second fumble returned for a touchdown of his career, is one away from tying Jason Gildon (3) for the most fumbles returned for touchdowns in franchise history. Needs one touchdown to move into a tie for the second-most defensive touchdowns in Steelers history: Player INT TDs FR TDs Total Def. TDs Rod Woodson 5 1 6 Carnell Lake 3 2 5 Dwayne Woodruff 3 2 5 Jack Butler 4 1 5 Troy Polamalu 2 2 4 Mel Blount 2 2 4 Jim Bradshaw 2 2 4 Donnie Shell 2 2 4 Chad Scott 4 0 4 One interception shy of tying Jack Lambert (28) for the ninth-most in Steelers history. Needs one interception return for a touchdown to tie Dwayne Woodruff, Deshea Townsend and Tony Campagno (3) for the thirdmost in franchise history. Needs 41 yards to surpass Chad Scott (368) for the ninth-most interception return yards in a career in Steelers history. DE Aaron Smith Needs two sacks to tie Dwight White (46.0) for the eighth-highest career total in Steelers history. LB LaMarr Woodley After registering 1.5 sacks in the first two games to surpass Ernie Holmes (40.0) for the 10th-most in franchise history, needs 3.5 to catch teammate Aaron Smith (44.0) for the ninth most all-time. PIT-HOU CONNECTIONS Local Connections Texans offensive line coach John Benton coached at California University (Pa.) from 2000-2004. Texans wide receivers coach Larry Kirksey coached for the University of Pittsburgh in 1989. Steelers P Daniel Sepulveda was born in Austin, Texas. Daniel attended Highland Park High School in Dallas and attended Baylor University in Texas. Steelers CB Curtis Brown was born in Longview, Texas. Brown attended Gilmer High School (Gilmer, Texas) and attended The University of Texas. Steelers OT Jonathan Scott was born in Dallas, Texas. Scott attended Carter High School in Dallas and attended the University of Texas. Steelers WR Arnaz Battle was born in Dallas, Texas. Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders was born in Bellville, Texas. Sanders attended Bellville High School and attended Southern Methodist University in Texas. Steelers DE Ziggy Hood was born in Amarillo, Texas. Hood attended Palo Duro High School in Amarillo. Steelers NT Casey Hampton was born in Galveston, Texas. Hampton attended Ball High School in Galveston and attended the University of Texas. Pro Connections Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Texans special teams coordinator Joe Marciano were on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff together in 2001.
Steelers wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery played for the Denver Broncos from 2000-2002, when Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak, offensive Coordinator Rick Dennison and tight ends coach Brian Pariani were all on the Broncos coaching staff. Steelers linebackers coach Keith Butler was a linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks from 1983-1987 when Texans running backs coach Chick Harris was on the Seahawks coaching staff. Steelers WR Arnaz Battle was a member of the San Francisco 49ers from 2005-2009 when Texans defensive backs coach Vance Joseph was on the 49ers staff. Texans quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp coached on the 49ers staff in Battle s rookie season in 2003. Joseph also coached on the 49ers staff with Steelers special teams coach Al Everest from 2007-2009. Steelers offensive line coach Sean Kugler and Texans defensive line coach Bill Kollar both coached for the Buffalo Bills from 2007-2008. Kugler also coached with Texans wide receivers coach Larry Kirksey with the Detroit Lions from 2001-2002. Steelers QB Charlie Batch played for the Detroit lions in 2001 when Texans wide receivers coach Larry Kirksey was on the Lions staff. Steelers tight ends coach James Daniel was on the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff with Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips from 2002-2003. Daniel was also on the Falcons staff with Texans defensive line coach Bill Kollar in 2000. Steelers K Shaun Suisham played for the Dallas Cowboys in 2009, when Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was the head coach of the Cowboys. Texans linebackers coach Reggie Herring was also on that Cowboys coaching staff in 2009. Steelers WR Jerricho Cotchery and Texans TE Joel Dreesen were teammates with the N.Y. Jets in 2005. Cotchery was also teammates at the Jets with Texans OG Wade Smith from 2006-2007 and Texans RB Derrick Ward for the first half of the 2004 season. Steelers CB Bryant McFadden and Texans K Neil Rackers and QB Matt Leinart were teammates with the Arizona Cardinals in 2009. Steelers WR Arnaz Battle was teammates with Texans WR Bryant Johnson with the San Francisco 49ers in 2008. Johnson was also teammates with Steelers LB Larry Foote with the Detroit Lions in 2009. College Connections Steelers TE Heath Miller and Texans QB Matt Schaub were teammates at the University of Virginia from 2001-2003. During their time together for the Cavaliers, Schaub and Miller hooked up for 15 touchdowns. Steelers WR Jerricho Cotchery and Texans LB Mario Williams were teammates at North Carolina State University from 2003-2004. Steelers OG Ramon Foster and Texans RB Arian Foster were teammates at the University of Tennessee from 2004-2008. In addition to being teammates, they are distant cousins. They also were both undrafted college free agents that made NFL rosters and were teammates with Steelers OT Chris Scott from 2005-2008. Steelers tight ends coach James Daniel and Texans linebackers coach Reggie Herring were on the Auburn Tigers staff together from 1991-1992. Steelers WR Antonio Brown and Texans P Brett Hartmann were teammates at Central Michigan University from 2008-2009. Steelers LB LaMarr Woodley and Texans DE Tim Jamison were teammates at the University of Michigan from 2004-2006. Steelers S Troy Polamalu and Texans NT Shaun Cody and QB Matt Leinart were teammates at the University of Southern California from 2001-2002. Steelers LB Stevenson Sylvester and Texans CB Brice McCain were teammates at the University of Utah from 2006-2008. Steelers LB Jason Worilds and Texans OT Duane Brown were teammates at Virginia Tech from 2006-2007. Steelers S Ryan Mundy and Texans RB Steve Slaton were teammates at West Virginia University in 2007. Several Steelers and Texans are products of the same colleges, including the following: STEELERS-TEXANS COLLEGE CONNECTIONS STEELERS COLLEGE TEXANS TE David Johnson... Arkansas State... OT Derek Newton P Daniel Sepulveda... Baylor... LS Jon Weeks WR Antonio Brown... Central Michigan... P Brett Hartmann QB Charlie Batch... Eastern Michigan... WR Kevin Walter RB Rashard Mendenhall... Illinois... K Neil Rackers LB LaMarr Woodley... Michigan... DE Tim Jamison LB Larry Foote LS Greg Warren... North Carolina... QB T.J. Yates WR Jerricho Cotchery North Carolina State... LB Mario Williams OG Trai Essex... Northwestern... CB Sherrick McManis OT Jamon Meredith... South Carolina... CB Jonathan Joseph TE Weslye Saunders S Troy Polamalu... Southern California... LB Brian Cushing QB Matt Leinart NT Shaun Cody OG Ramon Foster... Tennessee... CB Jason Allen OT Chris Scott RB Arian Foster OG Chris Kemoeatu... Utah... CB Brice McCain LB Stevenson Sylvester TE Heath Miller... Virginia... QB Matt Schaub LB Jason Worilds... Virginia Tech... OT Duane Brown S Ryan Mundy... West Virginia... RB Steve Slaton STEELERS-TEXANS SERIES HISTORY Series History: Series began in 2002 Overall: Pittsburgh leads 2-1 At Pittsburgh: Series tied at 1-1 At Houston: Pittsburgh leads 1-0 Neutral Sites: n/a Last Regular-Season Meeting: Sept. 7, 2008 (in Pittsburgh) Pittsburgh 38, Houston 17 Postseason Series: n/a Pittsburgh is 2-1 in the regular season against Houston...the Steelers have won the last two meetings between the two by a combined score of 65-24...Pittsburgh has played at Reliant Stadium once, winning 27-7 in 2005...Head Coach Mike Tomlin is 1-0 versus Houston, winning 38-17 at Heinz Field in 2008...the Steelers are 10-9 against the AFC South since it was formed in 2002...under Head Coach Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh is 5-3 against the AFC South. 2011 REGULAR SEASON STATISTICAL COMPARISON Steelers Category Texans 18.0... Points Scored Per Game... 30.0 18.3... Points Allowed Per Game... 20.0 20.7... First Downs Per Game... 22.0 380.3... Total Yards Per Game...400.7 85.6... Rushing Yards Per Game...138.0 294.7... Passing Yards Per Game...262.7 7... Sacks By... 7 0... Interceptions By... 3 33:24... Avg. Time of Possession...33:39 6... Touchdowns... 9 2... Rushing Touchdowns... 2 3... Passing Touchdowns... 6 1... Touchdowns on Returns... 1 4/6... Field Goals... 9/9 49.8... Punting Avg.... 45.0 11.3... Punt Return Avg....18.9 31.5... Kickoff Return Avg....34.3
TEAM NOTES Starting Away From Home: This season the Steelers play three of their first four games on the road for the first time since 2001, and for only the eighth time in team history. In 2001, Pittsburgh went 3-1, including winning two out of three of those road games. This weeks game in Houstonis the last of three games in the first four weeks of this season. Pittsburgh recorded their first road win of 2011 last week in Indianapolis. The Steelers have won seven of their last eight regular-season road games. Since 1970, Pittsburgh has opened the season with three of the first four games on the road five times and in four of those occurances they finished the four game set with at least a.500 record. The chart below shows how they finished the first four games and the regular season. Year first four games first three road games end of season 2011 2-1 1-1 - 2001 3-1 2-1 13-3* 1992 3-1 2-1 11-5* 1986 1-3 1-2 6-10 1982 3-1 2-1 6-3* 1972 2-2 1-2 11-3* *made the postseason 1982 was a strike interupted season Home Openers: With the 24-0 victory over Seattle in Week Two, the Steelers have won nine straight home openers, dating back to 2002. It was the 13th time the Steelers opened at home against an NFC opponent since 1970, compiling an 9-4 record in those games. Controlling The NFC: After beating Seattle in Week Two, the Steelers have won 24 of their past 29 regular-season games versus teams in the NFC, dating back to 2003. The Steelers are 98-58-1 all-time against the NFC, including 56-19-1 at home. Pittsburgh has won six of there last seven games against NFC opponents. The Steelers have reeled off six consecutive home vicories versus NFC teams. Pittsburgh last lost to an NFC team at Heinz Field in 2008 (14-21, vs. New York Giants). Prior to losing to the Giants, Pittsburgh had won eight straight games versus NFC teams at home. The Steelers are 6-2 versus the NFC in the Super Bowl. If You Build It, They Will Come: The Steelers registered three of the top-10 all-time attendance records for a single game during the 2010 season, including the single-game record. In the AFC Championship victory over the N.Y. Jets, the Steelers broke the single-game record. The attendance of 66,662 surpassed the old mark of 65,597 set October 25, 2009, during a game versus the Minnnesota Vikings. For the 2010 season, Pittsburgh averaged 63,084 fans (504,669 total) at home games. The previous regular-season record was 65,392, which was set on November 16, 2009 versus Cincinnati. Pittsburgh set the team home attendance record in 2009 by averaging 63,458 (507,882 total). Pittsburgh has sold out 304 straight games at home, dating back to Nov. 5, 1972 versus Cincinnati. Following is a look at the team s average attendance in its 10- plus years at Heinz Field: Year Total Attendance Avg. 2001 499,191 62,399 2002 490,274 61,284 2003 477,584 59,698 2004 507,385 63,423 2005 507,434 63,429 2006 499,461 62,433 2007 496,675 62,084 2008 503,125 62,890 2009 507,882 63,458 2010 504,669 63,084 2011 63,663 63,663 Team record Heinz Field Advantage: The Steelers own the best home record in the NFL with a 228-88-1 record (.719) since 1970. Pittsburgh is 43-14 (.754) at home over the past seven seasons, including a 1-0 record so far in 2011. Pittsburgh finished the 2004 regular season with an undefeated (8-0) home record for only the third time in team history and for the first time in 25 years. The Steelers finished the 1979 regular season with an undefeated home record (8-0) and eventually won Super Bowl XIV. The Steelers were also undefeated at home (7-0) in 1972. The following is a look at the list of the Steelers records at home since 2004: Year Record 2004 8-0 2005 5-3 2006 5-3 2007 7-1 2008 6-2 2009 6-2 2010 5-3 2011 1-0 Run Stuffers: After giving up 170 rushing yards in Week One, the Steelers defense held there last two opponents under 100 yards rushing, including giving up only 31 yards on the ground to Seattle in Week Two. It marked the lowest rushing total allowed by the Steelers since giving up 30 yards to New Orleans on 11/8/ 10. That performance was part of a 2010 season that saw Pittsburgh s defense shatter the team record for rushing yards/ game by allowing just 62.8 yards per game. The previous mark was 74.7 rushing yards/game set in 2001. The following is a look at the top five yards/game rushing defenses in team history, including 2010 s 62.8 average: Year Avg./Game 2010 62.8 2001 74.7 2008 80.3 2004 81.2 1997 82.4 Additionally, the Steelers rush defense finished as one of the best since the NFL merger. The following is a list of the NFL s top five rush defenses (since 1970): Year Team Rushing Yds. Allowed/Game 2000 Baltimore Ravens 60.6 yds./game 2006 Minnesota Vikings 61.6 yds./game 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers 62.8 yds./game 1995 San Francisco 49ers 66.3 yds./game 1994 Minnesota Vikings 68.1 yds./game Turning Up the Heat: PIttsburgh has registered seven sacks in 2011, including five sacks in Week Two versus Seattle, tying for the third highest single-game total of the Mike Tomlin era and the most since registering six versus Oakland on 11/21/10. In Week Three against Indianapolis, LB James Harrison forced a fumble on a sack of Curtis Painter that S Troy Polamalu returned 16 yards for a touchdown to give Pittsburgh a 20-13 lead in the fourth quarter. Since 1994, the Steelers have led the AFC in sacks six times and the entire NFL three times, including in 2010. Since 2004, the Steelers have the most sacks in the NFL with 309.
The Steelers led the NFL with 48 sacks in 2010, including a season-high six in Week 11 versus Oakland. In 2009, the Steelers finished with 47 sacks, ranking first in the AFC and second in the NFL. Sacks became an official NFL statistic in 1982, however, a record of passers tackled was kept prior to that time. Following are the Steelers single-season sack totals dating back to 1970: Pittsburgh Steelers Team Sack Totals (Since 1970) Year Total Year Total 1970... 26 1991... 38 1971... 33 1992... 36 1972... 40 1993... 42 1973... 33 1994... 55 * 1974... 52 1995... 42 1975... 43 1996... 51 1976... 41 1997... 48 1977... 32 1998... 41 1978... 44 1999... 39 1979... 49 2000... 39 1980... 18 2001... 55 * 1981... 40 2002... 50 1982... 34 2003... 35 1983... 50 2004... 41 1984... 47 2005... 47 1985... 36 2006... 39 1986... 43 2007... 36 1987... 26 2008... 51 1988... 19 2009... 47 1989... 31 2010... 48 1990... 34 2011... 7 * Team Record Holding Their Ground: Over the last two weeks Pittsburgh has allowed at total of 128 rushing yards. In Week Two against Seattle the Steelers held the Seahawks to only 31 rushing yards. Over the past 10-plus years, Pittsburgh s defense has been among the best at holding its opponents to the fewest rushing yards in the league. The Steelers allowed just 961 yards rushing in 2010, an average of only 62.8 yards per game. That average ranked first in the NFL. In 2009, the Steelers gave up 89.9 yards per game on the ground, which was first in the AFC and third in the NFL. Additionally, since 1994 the Steelers have led the AFC in rushing defense nine times and the entire NFL four times. Over the past nine seasons (including 2011), Pittsburgh has allowed an NFL-low 10 100-yard rushers. Baltimore is second with 17. Following is a look at the number of yards rushing the Steelers have allowed in each of the past 11 seasons: Year Rushing Yds. Allowed Avg./Game AFC/NFL Rank 2001 1,195 74.7 1st/1st 2002 1,375 85.9 1st/1st 2003 1,741 108.8 8th/12th 2004 1,299 81.2 1st/1st 2005 1,376 85.5 3rd/3rd 2006 1,412 88.2 2nd/3rd 2007 1,438 89.9 2nd/3rd 2008 1,284 80.3 1st/2nd 2009 1,438 89.9 1st/3rd 2010 1,004 62.8 1st/1st 2011 298 99.3 6th/12th Total 13,860 85.0 1st/1st Defense! Defense! Defense!: Pittsburgh shut out the Seattle Seahawks in Week Two, 24-0. It marked the fourth shutout during the Mike Tomlin era and the first since 12/28/08 (31-0, vs. Cleveland). It marked the 28th shutout for the Steelers since 1960, which is the second most in the NFL during that time span: Team Shutouts Chicago 30 Pittsburgh 28 Miami 25 New England 24 San Francisco 24 Defensive Dominance: The Steelers have given up 18.3 points per game in 2011 to rank seventh in the NFL. Last season Pittsburgh gave up just 232 points, which ranked first in the AFC and in the NFL. The Steelers have allowed the fewest points in the NFL since the beginning of the 2007 season. Pittsburgh has allowed just 1,083 points during that span. The following is a list of the top four teams in the NFL who have allowed the fewest points since the start of the 2007 campaign: Team Points Allowed Pittsburgh 1,103 Baltimore 1,199 New England 1,260 Green Bay 1,282 Road Warriors: The Steelers have had great success playing away from Heinz Field over the last decade. The Steelers are 1-1 in away games this season and were 7-1 on the road in 2010. Since the beginning of the 2000 season, the Steelers own the fourth-best road winning percentage in the NFL. The following is a list of the top road winning percentages since 2000: Team W L T Pct. Indianapolis 59 30 0.663 Philadelphia 58 31 1.650 New England 58 32 0.644 Pittsburgh 54 36 0.600 New Orleans 51 38 0.573 New York Giants 51 39 0.567 Continued Success: Since the 1970 merger of the National and American Football Leagues, the Pittsburgh Steelers own the best record in the NFL. The following is a look at the top three regular-season records since the merger in 1970: Team W L T Pct. 1. Pittsburgh Steelers 386 247 2.609 2. Miami Dolphins 379 254 2.599 3. Dallas Cowboys 375 260 0.591 Among The Best: The Steelers have 579 career wins (including postseason), which is the fourth-most in NFL history. The following is a listing of the top five teams in the NFL for career wins (including postseason): Team Wins 1. Chicago Bears 721 2. Green Bay Packers 692 3. New York Giants 658 4. Pittsburgh Steelers 579 5. Washington Redskins 572 Additionally, Pittsburgh owns the second-best record in the NFL since the free-agency era (since 1993) with a 183-107-1 (.631) record. The following is a look at the top three regular-season records in the free agency era (since 1993): Team W L T Pct. 1. New England Patriots 187 104 0.643 2. Pittsburgh Steelers 183 107 1.631 3. Green Bay Packers 182 109 0.625 Regular-Season Success: Pittsburgh owns the third-best regular-season record in the NFL over the past 10-plus seasons.
LOOKING AHEAD... The Steelers return home to play the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Oct. 9 at Heinz Field. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. and will be televised nationally on CBS (locally KDKA-TV, channel 2). The Steelers have averaged over 10 wins per year and have earned seven playoff berths, six division titles and two Super Bowl victories in that time period. The following are the top five teams in regular-season winning percentage from 2000-2011: Team W L T Pct. Playoff Berths New England 128 51 0.715 8 Indianapolis 125 54 0.698 9 Pittsburgh 117 61 1.656 7 Philadelphia 114 64 1.640 9 Green Bay 108 71 0.603 7 Sustaining Success: Pittsburgh has made the playoffs six times and won the AFC North five times since the divisional realignment in 2002. The Steelers won the AFC North Division for the third time in four years in 2010. The Steelers have won 20 division titles since the NFL merger in 1970, the most in the NFL during that time. The following is a list of teams that have won the most division titles and qualified for the playoffs since 2002: Team Playoffs Division Titles Indianapolis 9 7 New England 7 7 Philadelphia 7 6 Pittsburgh 6 5 San Diego 5 5 Green Bay 6 4 In the Red Zone: In Week Three, Pittsburgh was 1-of-2 inside the 20-yard line, recording one field goal. Following is a look at how the Steelers offense has performed in the red zone this season: Opponent Att./Scores TDs FGs Pts @ Baltimore... 2/1... 1... 0... 7 vs. Seattle... 4/3... 2... 1... 17 @ Indianapolis... 2/1... 0... 1... 3 Total... 8/5... 3... 2... 27 Red Zone Defense: In a Week Two shut out of Seattle the Steelers defense didn t allow the Seahawks offense to reach the red zone and only one Seattle possession ended across midfield. Following is a look at how the Steelers defense has performed in the red zone in 2011: Opponent Att./Scores TDs FGs Pts @ Baltimore... 6/5... 3... 2... 27 vs. Seattle... 0/0... 0... 0... 0 @ Indianapolis... 3/3... 1... 2... 13 Total... 9/8... 4... 4... 40 Five & 10: The Steelers rank in the top five in the AFC and/or the top 10 in the NFL in several team and individual categories in 2011. Following is a list of those rankings: Pittsburgh Steelers - 2011 AFC/NFL Rankings Team Offense Statistic Rank (AFC/NFL) Passing Net Yards/Game... 294.7... 4th/8th Passing Net Yards/Play... 7.5... 4th/8th Third Down Efficiency... 48.7... 3rd/5th Team Defense Statistic Rank (AFC/NFL) Total Yards/Game... 263.3... 2nd/2nd Yards Per Play... 4.6... 3rd/3rd Passing Net Yards/Game... 164.0... 1st/1st Passing Net Yards/Play... 4.7... 1st/1st First Downs/Game... 13.0... 1st/1st Points Per Game... 18.3... 4th/7th Net Yards Per Game Differential... 117.0... 1st/2nd Inside the 20 TD%... 44.4... 5th/16th Avg. Yards Allowed on First-Down... 4.73... 3rd/5th Special Teams Statistic Rank (AFC/NFL) Kickoff Return Avg... 31.5... 4th/7th Gross Punting Avg.... 49.8... 4th/5th Net Punting Avg.... 41.6... 3rd/7th Individual Offense Statistic Rank (AFC/NFL) Roethlisberger (Passing Yards)... 942... 3rd/T-6th Roethlisberger (Avg. Gain)... 8.72... 3rd/6th Roethlisberger (3rd Down Passer Rating) 102.1... 3rd/6th Roethlisberger (Longest Completion)... 81... 3rd/4th Wallace (Receptions)... 21... T-2nd/T-3rd Wallace (Receiving Yards)... 377... 2nd/2nd Wallace (Receptions/Game)... 7.0... T-2nd/T-3rd Wallace (Receiving Yards/Game)... 125.7... 2nd/2nd Wallace (25+ Yard Receptions)... 4... T-1st/T-1st Wallace (Most Yards From Scrimmage)... 377... 6th/8th Wallace (First Downs)... 18... T-4th/T-5th A. Brown (Third Down Receptions)... 6... T-3rd/T-5th Individual Defense Statistic Rank (AFC/NFL) Polamalu (Defensive Fumble Recoveries).. 1... T-2nd/T-5th Polamalu (Fumble Returned For TD)... 1... T-1st/T-1st Individual Special Teams Statistic Rank (AFC/NFL) Sepulveda (Punting Average)... 49.8... 4th/5th Sepulveda (Net Average)... 41.6... 3rd/7th A. Brown (Punt Return Average)... 12.8... 5th/11th A. Brown (Kickoff Return Average)... 31.5... 3rd/6th COACHING NOTES Primetime Specialist: Head Coach Mike Tomlin improved to 16-5 overall in primetime games, including an 8-3 record on the road, with the Week Three win at Indianapolis. He is 6-0 on Monday Night Football, 6-4 on Sunday Night Football and 4-1 on Thursday Night Football. Tomlin joined only Bill Cowher (Steelers), Tom Flores (Raiders), Steve Mariucci (49ers), George Siefert (49ers) and Don Shula (Colts, Dolphins) as coachees to win their first six Monday Night Football games. Among The Best: Since Head Coach Mike Tomlin was named of the Steelers in 2007, Pittsburgh has compiled the third-most wins in the NFL during that time span (45). The following is the top five regular-season records in the NFL since 2007: Team Record Playoff App. Super Bowl App. NE 53-14 3 1 IND 49-18 4 1 PIT 45-22 3 2 SD 43-24 3 0 GB 43-24 3 1 Strong Out Of The Gate: In Week Two Pittsburgh won its fifth straight home opener under Head Coach Mike Tomlin. He is the only Steelers head coach to win his first five home openers. Under Tomlin the Steelers are 11-5 in the month of September. In Control: Head Coach Mike Tomlin owns an 18-7 all-time mark against teams in the AFC North. Tomlin owns an impressive 10-2 record against divisional foes at Heinz Field. Fast Start: Head Coach Mike Tomlin was 43-21 from 2007-10, tying former coach Bill Cowher for the best total by a Steelers head coach in his first four seasons at the helm. Our House: Head Coach Mike Tomlin owns a 25-8 regularseason record at Heinz Field in his four seasons in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are 1-0 in 2011 at home.
Tomlin Versus the NFC: With a victory over Seattle in Week Two Head Coach Mike Tomlin improved his regular-season record to 13-4 against NFC teams in his fifth season at the helm of the Steelers. The Steelers were 3-1 in 2010 against NFC teams (Week 1 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, Week 3 victory against Tampa Bay, Week 8 defeat at New Orleans, Week 16 victory Carolina). Nine Times: Head Coach Mike Tomlin became only the seventh head coach to win at least nine games in each of his first four seasons since the NFL merger in 1970. Tomlin joined George Siefert, Mike Holmgren, Bill Cowher, Chuck Knox, Mike Sherman and John Robinson. Few And Far Between: Head Coach Mike Tomlin became only the second coach in Steelers history to post winning records in each of his first four seasons. Tomlin is the only coach in team history to win division titles in each of his first two seasons (2007-08). In 2007, Tomlin became the second head coach in team history to post a winning record in his first season with a mark of 10-6. High Honor Roll: Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August of 2010. LeBeau had an outstanding NFL career, finishing with 62 career interceptions (seventh all-time) and 171 consecutive starts (then- NFL record for a cornerback) with the Detroit Lions. LeBeau was also inducted into the Ohio State University Hall of Fame in 2009. He played at Ohio State as a cornerback and halfback and was a member of the 1957 national championship team. INDIVIDUAL OFFENSIVE NOTES Comeback Kid: In Week Three at Indianapolis QB Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers on a 10-play, 60-yard drive in the final two minutes that led to a game-winning 38-yard field goal with 0:04 left. It marked his 24th game winning/overtime drive of his career in the regular season. Roethlisberger led three fourth quarter/overtime game-winning drives in 2010. Roethlisberger guided the Steelers to a 13-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 13 despite having a broken nose and an injury to his right foot. Roethlisberger tossed a nine-yard, game-winning touchdown pass to RB Isaac Redman with less than three minutes remaining in the game to give Pittsburgh the win. Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a 19-16 overtime victory in Week 12 at Buffalo and also guided the Steelers from a 22-20 deficit late in the fourth quarter to a 23-22 victory in Week 7 at Miami in 2010. 300-Yard Plateau: QB Ben Roethlisberger totaled 364 passing yards in Week Three at Indianapolis. It marked the seventh most passing yards in a single game in his career (503, 433, 417, 398, 387, 386). He has thrown for over 300 yards 16 times in his career, including four times since the start of 2010 Week 7 at Miami (302 yards), Week 10 versus New England (387) and Week 16 versus Carolina (320). The 16 career 300-yard passing games are a team record. Roethlisberger threw for over 300 yards five times in 2009, which broke the team record of four previously held by Tommy Maddox (2003) and Neil O Donnell (1995). Quick Start: QB Ben Roethlisberger completed 7-of-11 passes for 171 yards and one touchdown for a 137.5 passer rating in the first quarter against the Colts. The 171 yards were the most yards he has thrown for in the first quarter during his career. Dating back to 1991, it was the highest first-quarter passing total of any Steelers quarterback. Roethlisberger went on to total 231 yards during the first half, the fifth highest first half total of his career. Out of those five games, the Steelers went on to win four of them. Facing The NFC: With a career record of 71-30 as a starter, QB Ben Roethlisberger has posted gaudy numbers no matter the opposition. Throughout his career, Roethlisberger has feasted on competition from the NFC. In 26 career regular-season games against NFC opponents, Roethlisberger has posted a 20-6 record while completing 406-of-659 passes (61.6 pct.) for 5,539 yards with 34 touchdowns and 17 interceptions for a passer rating of 94.9. Roethlisberger s statistics against the NFC are equally impressive in games at Heinz Field. In 14 career games against NFC opponents at home, Roethlisberger has a 13-1 mark while completing 217-of-365 passes (59.5 pct.) for 3,139 yards with 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions for a passer rating of 94.8. Roethlisberger won his first seven starts against NFC teams. Title Man: QB Ben Roethlisberger has led the Steelers to the AFC Championship Game four times in his first seven seasons. He is one of only two active NFL quarterbacks to win multiple Super Bowl titles (Tom Brady). Roethlisberger joined Roger Staubach, Bernie Kosar, Tom Brady and Donovan McNabb as the only quarterbacks to lead their teams to the conference title game at least three times in their first five seasons as the starting quarterback. Controlling The North: QB Ben Roethlisberger owns a 29-8 (.784) record as a starter against AFC North opponents during his career with the Steelers. He finished a perfect 5-0 in 2010 against divisional foes. Roethlisberger had won 12 straight games against divisional foes as the starter prior to the Week 3 setback at Cincinnati in 2009, which was the longest streak in the NFL and the longest since Peyton Manning won 12 straight from 2004-06. In his 37 career games versus division opponents, Roethlisberger has posted a perfect passer rating once (11/5/07 vs. Baltimore) and has recorded a passer rating of over 100.0 a total of 14 times. The following is a look at his statistics against the AFC North in his 37 games as a starter: 37 games vs. Statistic AFC North (as a starter) Record... 29-8 Completion Pct. (Comp.-Att.)... 60.8 (643-1,057) Passing Yards... 8,200 Passing Touchdowns... 51 Interceptions... 35 Passer Rating... 87.4 Also, the following is a look at Roethlisberger s career statistics against AFC North opponents as a starter at home compared to the road: Statistic Home vs. AFC North Away vs. AFC North Record...15-4... 14-4 Completion Pct. (Comp.-Att.)... 60.9 (332-545)... 60.7 (311-512) Passing Yards... 4,358... 3,822 Passing Touchdowns... 28... 23 Interceptions... 20... 15 Passer Rating... 88.0... 86.6 Starting Strong At Heinz: QB Ben Roethlisberger improved his record to 5-0 in home openers, with a 24-0 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week Two. Below is how he has performed in the five home openers he has played in: