#Ben Roethlisberger will be ‘shaking like a leaf’ after tricky Giants preparations

Ben Roethlisberger admitted he always has nerves before the first game of the season, but heading into Monday’s season opener against the New York Giants, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is feeling more nervous than usual.

Coming off a season in which he played just six quarters and suffered a season-ending elbow injury in Week 2, Roethlisberger is approaching the one-year anniversary of the last time he threw in an NFL game.

“You always have a little bit of jitters and nervousness for the first game, but the way I feel now is more than I’ve felt in a very long time,” Roethlisberger told reporters Wednesday. “I’m sure it’s only going to intensify as the week goes on. And then, Monday night, I’m sure I’m going to be shaking like a leaf.

“It’s one of those things where you get out there and hopefully it all comes back to me really quick. There’s going to be rust, there’s no doubt about it, but hopefully, we can get it knocked off sooner rather than later.

“I think that’s what makes it fun. If it wasn’t nervous and I didn’t have that anxiousness, then I think that you shouldn’t be out there. There’s not a love for the game if you don’t have that. Since I have those nerves already, it just shows that I still love this game, I’m still passionate for it, and I want to go out and win for my teammates and the fans and the city.”

Although this will be Roethlisberger’s 16th season-opening start, the uncertainty of this 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic has made this year seem different. When the Steelers run out of the tunnel in MetLife Stadium, it will be in front of an empty stadium with fake fan noise pumped through the speakers.

“We’ve talked about a lot of different scenarios, even as much as giving multiple calls at a time,” Roethlisberger said when asked how the Steelers will call plays if the Giants’ defense can hear their huddle. “I think the crowd noise is going to be just loud enough where they can’t hear you in the huddle. Hopefully, we can communicate without giving things away. It’s going to be tricky though.”

Pittsburgh is evidently preparing for more than just eavesdropping from the Giants. With a few offseason additions to their backfield, the Giants’ defense will be led by new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. But without preseason film of New York’s defense, Roethlisberger said the Steelers have opted to watch film from teams Graham has coached in the past.

“We’ve watched a lot of different film,” Roethlisberger said. “I don’t know the last time we’ve watched so many different teams, from Patriots to Giants to Dolphins, some Packers stuff. We’ve watched a lot of different things … We don’t really know, so we’ve got to be able to have a plan, and then work that plan and then plan for the unexpected. There’s going to have to be a lot of sideline adjustments going on, and I like the fact that we’re a veteran enough team that I hope we can make those adjustments.

“We can plan for things, but until you get out there, you don’t know what you’re going to see.”