Gebäudetypen » PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger was still

in the process of picking himself up off the Heinz Field turf when the scrum started Artie Burns Jersey , one that sent a message that at the moment it might be unwise to mess with the Pittsburgh Steelers.Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey and right guard David DeCastro were not particularly pleased with how Carolina safety Eric Reid launched himself at Pittsburgh’s franchise quarterback as Roethlisberger finished off an 18-yard scramble during the third quarter of a 52-21 dismantling of the Panthers on Thursday night.Together the two perennial Pro Bowlers — a combined 630 pounds give or take a meal — let Reid and a handful of his teammates know they didn’t appreciate Reid’s approach to his job. What followed was 30 seconds of flexing, grabbing and shoving before Reid was ejected for targeting.“You’ve got to be there for your guy,” DeCastro said. “Just trying to stand up for him and show him we’ve got his back.”As the Steelers made their way back to the huddle, Roethlisberger gave his linemen peace of mind should the NFL decide to hit their wallets after sticking up for him.“Ben came up after and said, ‘If any fine gets handed out, I’ll handle that,'” Pouncey said with a laugh.Pouncey, in the fourth year of a five-year contract that will pay him $44 million, can certainly afford to write the check. He believes the fact he won’t have to if it comes to that says a lot about Roethlisberger — and a lot about the current climate within the Pittsburgh locker room.“It’s cool man,” Pouncey said. “I appreciate all the guys repping like that.”Those guys have found their identity over the last five weeks. Pittsburgh (6-2-1) set a record for the most points by an NFL team in the 17-year history of Heinz Field while rolling to a fifth straight victory. The reward? Five days off to rest up before starting a daunting final stretch that begins on Nov. 18 in Jacksonville in a playoff rematch that saw the Jaguars stun Pittsburgh at home in January.“Last year is last year Sean Davis Jersey ,” Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton said. “We’re a different team just like they’re a different team.”If anything, Pittsburgh looks much better than while getting pushed around by Leonard Fournette and Blake Bortles in a confidence-shaking 45-42 setback that led to an exodus in both the secondary and portions of the coaching staff.Randy Fichtner took over for Todd Haley as offensive coordinator and, even with star running back Le’Veon Bell sitting out due to concerns with his one-year contract, has put together an attack that looks as dynamic and varied as anything in the league.James Conner, Bell’s replacement, already has 11 touchdowns through nine games, as many as Bell has scored in any full season. Roethlisberger spread the ball all over the place on a night he finished with more scoring passes (five) than incompletions (three).“We’ve got a lot of weapons on this team and Ben showed it tonight getting the ball to all of them,” DeCastro said.Roethlisberger’s only complaint is that Fichtner may get a little too loud in the headset because he’s so pumped up about the next play call.Pittsburgh’s defense kept Carolina’s Cam Newton under wraps, sacking him five times while limiting the Panthers to 242 yards, the fourth straight game an opponent has finished with 275 yards or less. Save for a couple of early communication breakdowns that allowed Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey to get loose Ramon Foster Jersey , the Steelers kept things tight.“I don’t think it’s a come-to-Jesus moment where something miraculously just happened,” defensive tackle Cam Heyward said. “I think everybody got back to work. It showed on the practice field and it showed ever since. This is a big win, but it’s not like we don’t have games after this. We’ll enjoy it for tonight and enjoy it for the weekend, but when we get back in we have to get back to work.” PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike Munchak revels in projects such as Chukwuma Okorafor. The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach loves few things more than taking raw talent, particularly talent with an unconventional background, and turning into something far more substantial.The list of Munchak’s protégés includes starting left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, a former Army officer who did three tours in Afghanistan before starting his NFL career. Ditto Matt Feiler, who went undrafted after a career at Division II Bloomsburg, but has forged a path from practice squad flyer to dependable reserve.Now it may be Okorafor’s turn. The rookie third-round pick practiced at right tackle with the starters on Wednesday with Marcus Gilbert still dealing with a knee injury and Feiler — who has made five straight starts in Gilbert’s place — dealing with a pectoral issue.It’s uncertain whether Feiler will be ready to play on Sunday when the Steelers (7-2-1) visit Denver (4-6), leaving Okorafor as the next best option to line up across from Broncos star linebacker Von Miller.All the 21-year old Okorafor — who was born in Nigeria and spent a portion of his childhood there before moving to the United States at age 12 — may have to do is find a way to keep a six-time Pro Bowler who already has 10 sacks this season from disrupting Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.No pressure or anything.“He’s know what he’s doing Vince Williams Jersey ,” Okorafor said on Wednesday. “Got to just keep on watching film and keep playing.”Roethlisberger, for his part, doesn’t expect Okorafor or Feiler or whoever might be at right tackle to be able to handle Miller by himself.“Nobody can really block Von Miller to tell you the truth, so we’ll have to put a couple guys over there,” Roethlisberger said.“We are not going to be crazy and make one guy do it. We’ll have to put a couple guys over there because he and (Bradley) Chubb are pretty special.”Maybe, but the Steelers like what they’ve seen from Okorafor, whom they took with the 92nd overall pick in the draft after a solid career at Central Michigan. The 6-foot-6, 320-pounder is big but athletic and carved out a role as a blocking tight end in running situations. There’s never any doubt when Okorafor is in the game. Because he wears No. 76, he’s required to check in with the referees when he reports. That won’t happen if he simply lines up next to right tackle David DeCastro.He’s more than happy to enjoy his anonymity and do his job, one that is far different than what he envisioned when the phone rang in April with the Steelers on the other end. Munchak Zach Gentry Pittsburgh Steelers Jersey , a Hall of Fame offensive lineman in his own right, likes to turn his players into students of the game. Okorafor is doing his best to be a sponge.“No offense to my coach back in college, but like it’s kind of a whole new level of looking at plays, looking at your technique and every single play,” Okorafor said.Okorafor hardly considers himself the same player he was six months ago, a tribute to Munchak’s approach. Quick to use his sense of humor to get a player’s attention, Munchak has taken a bit of a more professorial approach with Okorafor. It’s working. Okorafor watches film and admits he’s stunned at how far he’s come in six months, all of it a tribute to Munchak.“Coach Munch knows what he’s doing, he knows how to train guys,” Okorafor said. “Every guy plays differently and takes coaching a different way. You can’t force the same type of coaching on every single guy and think it’s going to work.”It’s one of the reasons the Steelers have ripped off six straight wins Zach Gentry Pittsburgh Steelers Jersey , five of them with Feiler making the first starts of his NFL career in place of Gilbert. Pittsburgh kept humming along anyway. The expectations won’t change if Okorafor jogs into the huddle with the starters in Denver.“He’s got all the tools, he’s just young,” DeCastro said. “I remember being a rookie and the game was fast. There was a lot going on and there’s things I didn’t know back then that I learned and experienced and made my life easier. Just got to come in there and play fast when he has to, take care and pick him up when we can.”NOTES: DE Stephon Tuitt (elbow) did not practice. … LB Anthony Chickillo (ankle) was a full participant. … Roethlisberger, CB Joe Haden and C Maurkice Pouncey were given the day off.