From the Diaries

"Guys are rushing wide, trying to keep me in the pocket," Ben Rothlesberger said of opposing defenses. "A lot of the big plays from my first two seasons came when I got out of the pocket." He reasons. The problem is, his LT Marvel Smith doesnt see it that way. Smith chimes back with... "That might be true, but I haven't noticed it." It is Smiths' job to protects Ben's blind side and he has different angle on it. "I haven't seen anything specific like that, I mean, it might be an emphasis for somebody, and he's made a lot of plays outside the pocket, but I haven't seen anything like [perimeter players rushing wide] specifically."

Bill Cowher his coach is still scrambling for the answers too. "It's hard to pinpoint; there's so much that goes into it," Cowher said after practice yesterday. "There's the protection, the route, then the actual throwing of the football. He's just got to continue working with receivers to develop the kind of continuity that we [once] had."

Ben admits though, this is his responsibility.
"It starts with me," said the 24-year-old quarterback. "I have to make the adjustments, make the corrections."

My point here is this- things are in a bit of turmoil in Pittsburgh, so say them all.

I say, let Ben think he needs to get outside to make his plays, we got a coupla guys named Jared Allen and Tamba Hali who are licking their chops. That will play right into this defense.

No one, Palmer, Plummer, Smith or Leinhart has made a living scrambling out of the pocket againt this defense. But hey, Ben, you are welcome to try!