PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – You could hear it in his voice as he spoke following the 41-37 loss at the Chargers on Sunday. Ben Roethlisberger took us through what his COVID experience was like after he flew out separately to play after not practicing all well.
"It was Saturday night (November 13)," Roethlisberger said. "I got a lot of credit for self-reporting. I really just called our trainer and said I wasn't feeling well."
"I didn't think I should head to the team hotel because I didn't want to get anyone sick. I assumed I had a little bug. He (trainer John Norwig) said 'Ben we have to tested you because if you have symptoms, any kind of symptoms, you have to get tested'."
"I still thought it was going to be nothing. Found out when I got home it was positive for COVID."
Roethlisberger said from then on, he tested every day. He took lots of vitamins and minerals and basically hoped every day the test would be negative.
"Interesting, different," Roethlisberger said of the experience. "I think the MVP of the week is my wife. It was not easy for all of the kids to be home, me to be home. A grumpy husband that wants to be at football. I just had to be the back-up, substitute teacher."
"It was an interesting time, wearing a mask at home, trying to help with homework. Still trying to spent time on meetings and looking at the iPad and going over plays. It's tough not getting practice perspective, watching practice from behind. I know I don't always participate in practice, but at least you are there and can see it first-hand. It's different on film watching it at night."
Roethlisberger said he started feeling better last Sunday (November 14) and by the next day was physically better. He finally had the negative test on Friday and had a trainer over at his house and he threw passes for the first time. Roethlisberger also said he did some cardio exercises at his home gym for three days leading up to the game.
Roethlisberger ended up 28 of 44 for 273 yards (3rd highest of the season) and a season-high three touchdowns with no interceptions.
"I saw the same thing as if he was at practice the whole week," said receiver Diontae Johnson. "Consistency. It just felt good to have him back out there and have the offense get going."
Johnson was involved in one of the questions Roethlisberger had with the outcome. Late in the game before the Steelers took the lead with a field goal, Roethlisberger threw short to Johnson and a late flag was thrown. The refs huddled and said they were going to call interference, but deemed the pass uncatchable.
"What a crazy game," Roethlisberger said. "A bizarre sequence of events. We want to finish the game up. They called a pass interference or a holding and they picked it up for uncatchable. Referees discretion I guess, we settle for three."
"That's disappointing. We'd like to use the clock and finish that game off."
Roethlisberger called it a 'big loss', but still time left with a number of division games to play. One area that did have him perplexed, being just 4 of 7 in the red zone including a first and goal at the five in the first half and not getting any points.
"It's frustrating when you can't score," Roethlisberger said noting times he was upset. "As an offense and as the leader of the offense, you have to take it on yourself. There is no one specific reason other than we didn't put seven points on the board, that's frustrating as a quarterback."
