How could he not? At times http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/bobby-okereke-jersey , it was deafening.Antonio Brown. Le’Veon Bell. A handful of other former teammates long since gone from the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room. The talking heads on TV. They all came for him in some form or another during a turbulent offseason, questioning everything from his character to his decision making.The typically social media-averse Steelers quarterback heard it all. And yeah, it got to him.“When it affects your family then it can definitely affect you,” Roethlisberger said on Tuesday as Pittsburgh began organized team activities. “So things bother you, you think about it, but you also have to understand that we live in an amazing country, that we have opinions and people can say what they want and you just have to really focus on the guys that are here, and just make sure that they’re good and everybody I’ve talked to is good with me.”That would be a stark departure from the end of 2018, when Brown basically quit on the team before a must-win regular-season finale against Cincinnati, then spent the ensuing two months doing what he could to force his way out of town. That included taking a flamethrower to his prolific if occasionally problematic relationship with Roethlisberger. At one point Brown said he felt Roethlisberger had an “owner mentality” — a sentiment Roethlisberger admits he didn’t quite understand — before eventually being traded to Oakland.The rapid decline of the most successful quarterback/receiver combination in franchise history caught Roethlisberger off guard. He says he tried repeatedly to reach out to Brown, but the All-Pro who had a picture of the two next to his locker that included a note from Roethlisberger that read “AB, we are unstoppable,” opted not to respond.“Sent him texts, sent him calls, this was all before the season was over,” Roethlisberger said. “Never heard back so I could never really find out what was going on. For me http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/jawaan-taylor-jersey , that’s why it was so confusing because I didn’t know where it came from.”Call it part of a busy few months in which Roethlisberger felt the Steelers were “attacked from all different angles.” Not that it matters now. Brown is in Oakland. Bell signed with the New York Jets, and Roethlisberger and the other 89 players on the roster are only too eager to move on.While Roethlisberger acknowledged being blindsided a bit by the torrent of criticism, he did allow the critics may also have a point. He served as the quarterback of a team that started 7-2-1 only to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014. By that metric, he failed as a leader.“When it comes to leadership, we didn’t make the playoffs last year,” he said. “We didn’t win our division. So I lacked in leadership because that’s my job as the leader of this team is to get us to the playoffs, so I’m going to focus and refocus my energy and time on how can I be a better leader to get us back to the playoffs.”That includes being a regular at OTAs. Roethlisberger appeared only sporadically last spring, as did Brown. But with so many new faces on offense, Roethlisberger figures he needs to be a fixture, particularly after signing a contract extension last month that runs through 2021. The 37-year-old says he plans to play for the entirety of the deal.“I know I talk about season by season because of injuries, there’s things you just can’t foresee,” he said. “But in terms of, you know, my commitment to the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s three years and I’m going to honor that.”Bell’s and Brown’s departures could be addition by subtraction, at least off the field. Defensive end Cam Heyward wished both players “nothing but luck http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/gardner-minshew-ii-jersey ,” but said his focus has turned to the guys he’s currently working alongside, not the ones earning paychecks elsewhere.Asked if the last couple years were emotionally exhausting, Heyward laughed, let out an exaggerated “whew” then added “plenty.”That shouldn’t be the case this season.Roethlisberger, who has been known to publically tweak teammates for substandard play while also pointing the finger at himself, is re-evaluating the way he builds relationships. Yet those who have played with him the longest say it’s not on Roethlisberger to singlehandedly revamp the locker-room culture.“Ben is a guy that’s going to come in and do his job,” guard Ramon Foster said. “He’s going to be the guy. I don’t just want to say, ‘Yeah, there’s (going to be) a dramatic change’ because then it seems like there was a terrible problem. Just watch him. You guys will be able to tell.” Sam Darnold once thought he’d be wearing an orange helmet just a few shades brighter than his hair color.But the former USC star wasn’t precisely what the Browns were looking for in a franchise quarterback in the NFL draft. Darnold checked most of the boxes, but not all of them and Cleveland passed on him with the No. 1 overall pick, selecting Baker Mayfield instead.On Thursday night, Darnold can show the Browns they made a mistake.Another one.The youngest quarterback to start a season opener since 1970, Darnold will perform on a national TV stage for the second time already as a pro when he leads the New York Jets into FirstEnergy Stadium to face the Browns, who have played well enough to win their first two games but are still searching for their first victory since Dec. 24, 2016.Heading into April’s draft, Darnold was considered the top of the deep 2018 QB class and it appeared he would wind up in Cleveland http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/darrell-henderson-jersey , where quarterbacks have come and gone like restaurant busboys over the past two decades.“Yeah, I thought I could’ve ended up there or several other teams,” Darnold said this week. “I was excited to go anywhere. “Whoever wanted me, whoever wanted to pick me as a top pick, to me it was a dream come true right when it happened.”After the Browns nabbed Mayfield and the Giants grabbed running back Saquon Barkley, the Jets took Darnold and have been more than satisfied by his early development.He rebounded from throwing an interception that was returned for a TD on his first pass attempt in the opener and led the Jets to a 31-point win, and last week the 21-year-old became the youngest QB to pass for 300 yards.Darnold insists he’s not seeking any revenge or trying to prove anything to the Browns.“No,” he said. “I’m just going to go out there and play ball.”The Jets and Browns are on divergent paths with their rookie quarterbacks. New York has chosen to start Darnold, while Cleveland is holding Mayfield out to watch and learn behind Tyrod Taylor.It’s not a race and the Browns feel no need to rush their plan.“We feel very comfortable with the guy that we selected in Baker, and I’m sure they do with him,” coach Hue Jackson said. “He’s a fine prospect and is going to be a fine player. I think they got a good one, but we feel we have a really good one, too.”After facing Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees — two future Hall of Famers — in Weeks 1 and 2, the Browns aren’t looking at Darnold as any break.“I don’t think that any game in the NFL is a breather,” said linebacker Joe Schobert.“He’s got a big arm. He’s doing good things as their quarterback. The hardest thing to do is come into the NFL and play quarterback and be successful. And he’s so far shown himself to be pretty poised and good at it.”PRESSURE PACKEDThe Browns are down and desperate. They need a win, and after stubbing their toes twice already http://www.minnesotavikingsteamonline.com/irv-smith-jr.-jersey , need to beat the Jets. A 1-1-1 record seems light years from 0-2-1.“Our team is excited, hungry, disappointed, anxious — all of those words you want to use,” said Jackson, who is 1-32-1 in two seasons. “We just need to get it done.”BACK ‘HOME”The Dawg Pound will be a homecoming of sorts for several current Jets, who are former Browns.Running back Isaiah Crowell played the past four years in Cleveland. Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor spent two seasons with the Browns, including a breakout campaign in 2016 when the former quarterback had 1,007 yards. His QB for parts of those seasons was Josh McCown, now Darnold’s backup and mentor.Cornerback Buster Skrine played in Cleveland from 2011-14. Jets coach Todd Bowles, too, has Cleveland connections as an assistant under Butch Davis from 2001-04.ALIVE & KICKINGGreg Joseph was on the beach hanging out with friends last weekend, “you know, just living the South Florida life.” Things changed quickly.The rookie is now in the spotlight — or crosshairs — as Cleveland’s new kicker. Joseph signed this week after the Browns cut Zane Gonzalez for missing two field goals and two extra points last week.Joseph, who spent the preseason with Miami, is excited about the opportunity.“My film’s out there. My stats are out there http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/dexter-lawrence-jersey ,” he said. “I learned a lot about me, the athlete I am and the competitor I am. I’m ready to bring it here.”Q IS THE ANSWERDarnold’s favorite target through two games has been wide receiver Quincy Enunwa, who has a team-leading 13 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. Enunwa has been targeted 21 times, more than Pryor (11), Robby Anderson (six) and Jermaine Kearse (two) combined.SACK RACEThe Jets got their first four sacks of the season last Sunday against Miami, the most since getting to Taylor seven times when he played with Buffalo in Week 9 last season.“The whole unit, we definitely picked it up last week,” defensive end Leonard Williams said. “We didn’t have any sacks in the first week, even though they got the ball out pretty quickly. At the same time, I don’t want to make excuses. We definitely picked it up last week and I hope we continue to make strides on that.”___