Ben ready to take on Cleveland to open regular season

Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t have to be told that the regular season is about to get under way.

Ben tells Channel 11 that he already knows what’s coming this weekend, simply by the atmosphere at practice.

“The excitement, the attention to detail, sense of urgency, all those things are turned up a little bit,” he said.

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The buzz at practice makes it “feel real,” says Roethlisberger, and that level of excitement will build throughout the end of the week and into the weekend. After all, not only is it the opener, but it’s against division rival Cleveland.

“AFC North. Hard-fought, physical football game,” Roethlisberger said. “Just doing anything we can to try to win.”

On draft day, the Browns’ No. 1 pick, Myles Garrett, was asked which AFC North quarterback he was most eager to play against.  Garrett didn’t hesitate when he answered “Big Ben!” Garrett said he was “coming for him first, to chop him down.”

Garrett may not get a chance to do that on Sunday -- he left practice on Wednesday with an ankle injury.

Roethlisberger didn’t seem fazed anyway.

“I've been playing this game for 14 years now,” Roethlisberger said. “He wouldn't be the first, he was not the first or the last person to talk about trying to get me. I'm just blessed to have a group in front of me that's going to help protect that.”

Because of a recent hack on Google, Roethlisberger was listed online as the “owner” of the Baltimore Ravens. But as the Steelers prepare for Sunday’s game, it might be said that Roethlisberger owns Cleveland.

After all, Ben has won 21 of the 23 games he’s played against the BRowns and has a record of 10-2 in Cleveland, tying him with Derek Anderson for the most wins in Cleveland by any quarterback since the Browns returned to the NFL 18 years ago.

Despite that domination, Roethlisberger knows he can’t look past the Browns.

“I'm going to treat this like it's the most important football game of the season,” he said.

Cox Media Group