Big Ben to finish season, probably career, vs. Ravens
The past week has been a whirlwind for Ben Roethlisberger. The fans in Pittsburgh gave their quarterback quite a retirement send-off, and the emotions from that night will surely linger for a while.
Now it’s time for a pretty compelling postscript: Roethlisberger on the road against the rival Ravens, with both teams still barely in the mix for the playoffs.
This will likely be Roethlisberger’s final game. Pittsburgh can make the postseason with a win, but only if Jacksonville upsets Indianapolis and the RaidersChargers game doesn’t end in a tie. Baltimore is in with a win, plus losses by the Colts and Chargers, and a loss or tie by Miami.
So the chance of either of these teams playing on past Sunday is remote. Nevertheless, Steelers-Ravens always arrives with a good bit of buzz.
“You’d never walk out of one of these games feeling fresh or anything like that,” Roethlisberger said. “You go to a place that is tricky to play, because it’s loud. The fans are passionate.”
The Ravens (8-8) picked this game to honor Terrell Suggs, another longtime mainstay in this rivalry. Suggs, Baltimore’s career sacks leader, played with the Ravens from 2003-18 and will be the team’s “legend of the game” Sunday. He had 20 sacks against the Steelers, his most against any NFL team.
The current Ravens will try to put Roethlisberger on the ground as much as possible.
“I’ve always appreciated playing against true competitors — guys I respect and admire — and on the football field, he’s one of the greatest to ever do it,” defensive tackle Calais Campbell said. “It’s always good going against another person that I feel like is a legend in the game.”
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson won’t be facing off against Roethlisberger and the Steelers (8-7-1) this week. Jackson missed the past three games with an ankle injury, and has been ruled out for this week as well. Tyler Huntley is the starter in his place.
JAGS SPONSOR WANTS NO
PART OF ‘CLOWN’ GAME >> The title sponsor for Jacksonville’s season finale against Indianapolis is suing the Jaguars in hopes of having its name disassociated from the game during which disgruntled fans are planning to dress as clowns to protest team owner Shad Khan’s decision to retain general manager Trent Baalke.
RoofClaim.com, a roofing company based in Georgia that does business in Florida, is seeking to avoid “its brand being emphasized as the primary sponsor of the clown game,” according to a complaint filed Thursday in circuit court in Jacksonville.
The company is demanding a jury trial and seeking damages in excess of $30,000. It also wants temporary and permanent injunctive relief from the Jaguars using the RoofClaim brand.
A Jaguars spokesman called the lawsuit “baseless and without merit,” said Friday that the team “will exhaustively protect our interests in this matter at every turn.”
SOURCES: BUCS’ LEFTWICH UP FOR JAGUARS JOB >> The Jacksonville Jaguars are interviewing Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich on Friday, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Leftwich is in his third season with the Bucs and head coach Bruce Arians and in his second season working with quarterback Tom Brady. Leftwich also was Arians’ offensive coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018.
The Jaguars requested permission on Dec. 28 to interview Leftwich, but he said he didn’t want to talk to the Jaguars. Something apparently changed his mind this week because he’s interviewing two days before the season finale.