Big Ben stands behind Marcus Gilbert

By Scott Brown | ESPN.com

PITTSBURGH -- A day after coach Mike Tomlin said Marcus Gilbert isn’t in danger of losing his starting job, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger gave the Pittsburgh Steelers' right tackle a vote of confidence.

“I know the person (Gilbert) is and the competitor he is,” Roethlisberger said Wednesday. “He’s going to come out and be ready to play.”

Gilbert would probably like a do-over to the start of the season as much any anybody in the Steelers' locker room.

The 6-foot-6, 315-pounder has given up four of the five sacks allowed by the Steelers, including a pair to Ravens outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil in a 26-6 loss at Baltimore.

Dumervil’s second sack last Thursday was the basketball equivalent of dunking ferociously on someone. He bull-rushed Gilbert and dropped the fourth-year veteran on his back, taking down Roethlisberger in the process.

The play was such an unmasking that Gilbert’s teammates didn’t even subject him to some good-natured ribbing while watching film of it this week.

“I think it was more humbling to Marcus,” Roethlisberger said.

http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/9132/big-ben-stands-behind-marcus-gilbert

Let's see you have a slow footed plodder being asked to block one of the best pass rushers in the NFL and have your $100 million HOF QB you claim you want to protect take straight drop backs all night?

Wonderful game plan by Chubbs Peterson Haley.

And now, as I said before the season, Yinzers all over the web are blaming Munchak.

He'll be the next fall guy.

Of course BR7 has his back, as he should, after TWO games. You have to use games like the Ravens in week TWO as a measuring stick to see where the team is. Gilbert goes against the Steelers D in practice and may look like an all-star. Why? Because as we're finding out, the Steelers D pass rush just might not be that good.

Give Gilbert a few games to see if he can right the ship.

I sure hope Gilbert will improve. He has been a turnstile. Remember how long it took Tomlin to sit Adams and he's back this year.

As soon as the DL comes around and as soon as Shazier and Jones learn more about the system, you will see more blitz by committee. It used to be a liability when you dropped Harrison or Foote into coverage. Now you can rush with any LB or cover with any LB. The issue right now is inexperience in the front 7. That simply takes time.

Couldn't agree more Ella. I'm not hitting the panic button after week 2. I understand why some people have since it was such a bad loss to a team we hate that is in the division.

Well the idea IS for Ben to stand behind Gilbert, not be on his back looking up at him. Do your job big boy...

Drizztbob wrote:

Well the idea IS for Ben to stand behind Gilbert, not be on his back looking up at him.  Do your job big boy...

He's not going to sit there and say the guy is horrible, that won't help the situation, just make it worse because then Gilbert and the rest of the line won't want to protect Ben.