Waiting on the word from on high

Ben and Steeler Nation are waiting for the word from Roger Goodell as to how long the suspension is going to be. If recent history means anything I would think it will be at least reduced to 4 games from the mandated 6.

I am basing that on the 2009 ruling of Michael Vick who was convicted of a crime. Granted what Ben is/was accused of is far more egregious in my view. No disrespect to animals of course but Ben is flirting with heinous acts far more despicable. And what Vick did is pretty despicable!

Nevertheless Vick was found guilty in a court of law and served a jail sentence. As for Ben, whether you believe his denials or the accuser the fact is the law saw no merit in any evidence or lack thereof. That should count for something. In fact I was surprised Goodell dropped a 6 Pack Suspension on Ben.

Frankly I applauded it too. Roger showed some real balls as did the Players Union for not fighting it. Hey these guys need to learn playing pro ball is not a right no more than working at the local factory is. Yes you have a right to seek employment but you ultimately work for someone and represent their company and reputation! Deal with it.

Not to be overlooked also is that in most scenarios the fact that you are a star and vital to a team often influences these types of decisions. Perfect example is how many times do you see the sophomore get canned from the team only to see the star Junior get a quick reprieve on a Division 1 football team? Or how the rules for Denis Rodman or Manny Ramirez somehow were different than they were for others? We all know the drill.

So in the end there is still the reality of playing football and what the Steelers need to do. So whether Ben misses 2, 4, or 6 games who starts for him?

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Most believe it is the veteran and proven Leftwich, which is not a bad choice. I would start Dixon however at least for the first game. Unless you have already decided he is never going to be a starter. Of course assuming Ben is staying for a while then the heir apparent is a bit premature to begin with. But what about trade value?

You need Dixon to show enough in a game that he is worth trading for or worth keeping! If you started from the jump he gets a chance to prove something. If he fails?

You can always go to Leftwich. He is ready. So why not just play Leftwich you ask?

Think about it? It is not like he has proven to be a big time starter. He has proven to be proven is about all. Brian had some quality seasons but he always gets hurt and he was never the 2nd coming of Terry Bradshaw or John Elway. And the reality is his ego is not that fragile to sit and back up the kid either. This is why he was brought back to Pittsburgh, to be a back up!

So if you start Dixon and he fails the worst case scenario is you play Leftwich. If you start Leftwich and he tanks then you are forced to go with the “unproven” guy!

The bottom line is you need at least a .500 record with these two filling in for Ben!

By: Andy Natalie
ProFootball-fans.com Pittsburgh Steelers Correspondent