Allen Iverson will always be remembered … and not just for his Georgetown exploits and his 11-time NBA All Star Hall of Fame career.
Iverson will always be remembered for his famous rant when he was asked about not showing up at practice.
"Practice?!?!" Iverson reacted incredulously, probably because nobody played harder in games. "Practice?!?! We're talking 'bout practice?!?! PRACTICE!!!"
Ben Roethlisberger – a Hall of Famer in his own right – must have made Iverson proud when he threw for 4 touchdowns in Sunday's 36-7 Bengals blowout after not practicing all week due to COVID protocols. The mandatory quarantine also forced Roethlisberger to rest not only his surgically repaired 38-year old elbow but also his knees which were sandwiched in Dallas (although Mike Tomlin had insisted the knees were not an issue).
After a shaky (and maybe wind-affected) start against Cincinnati, Roethlisberger lofted a pass to a streaking Diontae Johnson for a 46-yard gain then hit Johnson for a touchdown two plays later. Johnson finished with 6 catches for 116 yards, despite limited contact with his QB during the week. JuJu Smith-Schuster, who says he was a little more in touch with Ben, also caught a TD pass, Chase Claypool scored twice, James Washington and Eric Ebron both had catches for first downs.
"I just love going out and playing with this group of guys.
It's just so much fun," gushed Roethlisberger who jokingly, I think, is lobbying for more time off. "Really just felt nice and rested," he said on his postgame Zoom. "I tried to talk Coach into seeing if I could take next week off too."
This is not to suggest that Roethlisberger never practice again this season. He still needs to retain his timing with his young receiving corps, which includes first-year Steeler Eric Ebron. That's as much for them as it is for Ben, but it's looking like resting on Thursdays along with his customary Wednesday off is the way to go.
That also provides more practice reps for Mason Rudolph and, to a lesser degree Josh Dobbs, should the unthinkable happen and one of Roethlisberger's weekly bumps and bruises associated with ball turns into more than a bump or a bruise.
But so far, even without practice, Roethlisberger and the Steelers remain perfect at 9-and-0.
