Ben Roethlisberger Comments on Rivalry with Bengals, Week 2 Matchup

Ben Roethlisberger doesn't believe in the eye-for-an-eye form of justice.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback shot down any questions about potential retaliation in Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"That's not who we are," Roethlisberger said Wednesday, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. "It's a physical football game and a physical division. That's what we expect, a physical football game—clean."

Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict won't be in action for the Week 2 contest as he serves a three-game suspension stemming from the teams' playoff game last season. According to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com, the Pro Bowler was punished for "repeated violations of safety-related playing rules."

One of the biggest plays from that Wild Card Game was an especially hard hit on receiver Antonio Brown. Burfict was also fined $70,000 for three plays during the Bengals' December matchup against the Steelers, and his hit on Le'Veon Bell in their November game knocked the running back out for the season.

Cornerback Adam Jones is another source of vitriol for Steelers fans because of his questionable plays against the team. Despite the past action, Roethlisberger is looking ahead to an important game that could be a factor in the AFC North race.

He even gave plenty of praise to his upcoming opponent, saying the Bengals have "one of the best defenses in the league," per Fowler.

Pittsburgh is off to a strong start after a 38-16 win over the Washington Redskins in Week 1, but the squad should be prepared for a tough, physical battle Sunday.