Ben Roethlisberger Focused, New Conduct Policy, Jones Questionable
By Kim Myers
The Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to Atlanta for their final road game of the 2014 season to face the Falcons. While they’re working on the goal of winning out to secure a playoff spot, we’ll be busy looking for mentions of your Black & Gold so we’ve got you covered. Here’s your Steelers Morning Huddle for Thursday, Dec. 11th.
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Focus, man!
ESPN’s Scott Brown says not to ask Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger about playoff scenarios or seeding because his only focus is the Atlanta Falcons. Roethlisberger has refused to discuss anything in the potential future, or anything in the past, particularly why the Steelers seem inclined to lose to sub-.500 teams.
"“That’s a reflective-type question and I’m not going to reflect on the season right now or what’s beyond this game. It’s the here and now. We’re installing Atlanta stuff. Our focus is 110 percent on Atlanta and we’re doing everything we can to play the best football we can.” – Ben Roethlisberger"
Flow charts will solve everything
In a unanimous vote, the NFL owners changed the Personal Conduct Policy for all NFL employees. They can do that unanimously because the NFLPA basically gave up their rights to have a say in that during the last CBA agreement (way to go DeMaurice Smith!). The new policy sets a clear set of steps to be taken for each incident including NFL-funded counseling services for victims and families, an extensive list of prohibited conduct (because apparently it needed to be spelled out that it’s not cool to hit your fiancé unconscious in an elevator) and the use of independent investigations instead of waiting for “the criminal justice system to work its process.” You can read up on the new policy in the NFL’s new handy-dandy flow chart, because of course it’s a flow chart.
Jones’ status in doubt
The Steelers might catch a break from giving up a million-yard pass play again this Sunday if Atlanta Falcons WR Julio Jones is kept out with a hip injury that cut his Monday night in Green Bay short even after he had racked up 225 receiving yards on 11 catches. Around the NFL’s Dan Hanzus says that Falcons coach Mike Smith hopes Jones will be ready on Sunday against the Steelers but will not be partaking in practice, at least not to start the week. Hopefully this hip injury takes Jones out of the game because the Steelers secondary isn’t likely to unless they do a complete 180 by Sunday, and find some cornerbacks who can cover receivers.