Ben Roethlisberger Comments on Tom Brady's Deflategate Ruling and More

Ben Roethlisberger’s Pittsburgh Steelers would have a better chance of beating the New England Patriots if Tom Brady were still suspended, but the Steelers’ leader was not surprised his quarterback counterpart will be on the field in the NFL season opener Thursday.

Roethlisberger met with New England reporters on a conference call Sunday morning and said he “wasn’t surprised at all” Brady’s suspension was overturned. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com passed along some of the signal-caller’s comments:

"

Just felt like the league had done something without ... I guess it was just more of a feeling, an inkling, of knowing that the commissioner jumped to a pretty harsh punishment.

I still have a ton of respect for Tom. I think he’s the best in the business. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. Of course, one part of you doesn’t want him out there, because he is the best in the world. A bigger part of you as a competitor wants him out there because he is the best.

"

Steelers fans will surely be thrilled Roethlisberger is ready to compete against the best, because that is exactly what he is slated to face Thursday in the Super Bowl XLIX champions.   

As incredible as Brady was in 2014 and in the final game against the Seattle Seahawks, it was defender Malcolm Butler who made the game-winning interception at the goal line in the final moments.

Thursday’s showdown will likely be billed as a battle between Brady and Roethlisberger, but Pittsburgh’s quarterback will be tasked with facing Butler and the rest of the New England defense in what promises to be a hostile environment.  

Roethlisberger suggested as much, per Reiss: “It’s going to be electric. Especially having Tom out here, and just everything that’s going to happen, it’s going to be awesome.”

Roethlisberger actually alluded to the hoopla surrounding the season opener and the unveiling of the Patriots' Super Bowl banner when discussing the reasons he expected Brady to be on the field:

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It’s the way that NFL football should start, and that’s maybe one of the reasons I knew that Tom would be out there, because I knew the NFL doesn’t want to start a game without him out there. Nerves will be running, jitters will be running for everybody. For young guys, I think it’s fun that they get to experience this, and even old guys like myself, I’m sure I’ll be nervous.

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Perhaps the only safer bet than an electric atmosphere at Thursday’s game is the diligence with which the footballs will be checked. Considering the entire Deflategate scandal emerged from allegations the balls in New England’s AFC Championship Game victory over the Indianapolis Colts were underinflated, expect the referees to monitor with extreme caution Thursday.

Roethlisberger also commented on everyone’s favorite offseason subject: "I’ve never actually known or cared what my game balls are like. I don’t know what PSI is in there, that’s never been my thing from high school to college to the NFL. So I have no idea what our equipment guys have the inflation number at. So I am totally clueless to all that stuff. I just play ball."

With all the noise surrounding Brady’s overturned suspension, it is easy to overlook the importance of the actual game Thursday.

That would be a mistake because the Steelers and Patriots both figure to compete for postseason spots in the AFC this season. It may only be Week 1, but a head-to-head victory for either squad could go a long way toward determining tiebreakers and seeding come January. It could also play a role in the ever-important home-field advantage if these two teams meet in the playoffs.

Roethlisberger likely knows just how critical the season opener is this year, and he isn’t surprised he will have to earn a victory over the full-strength Patriots.