On Chargers offense…
"They're getting you on 1st-and-10 and it just speaks to Philip Rivers, their planning (and) the autonomy that they give him in terms of getting in good plays at the line of scrimmage. When you're averaging seven yards a play on first down, it's because you've got no negative plays. They're giving that guy enough latitude. He's getting out of negative plays or potentially negative situations. You don't see him getting dropped behind the chains very often, and it just speaks to their schematics and what they do under Whiz (Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt). But also, the latitude, autonomy and the intelligence that Philip Rivers has and the way they're able to utilize him in terms of attacking people. They've got a myriad of receivers. Obviously all talented first-rounders and so forth. Antonio Gates and others at tight end. He's got a full complement of people." – Head Coach Mike Tomlin
On Philip Rivers…
"He's a guy that you're excited about competing against because you know he's dually prepared (and) you know he's extremely talented. He's a unique competitor. He's just one of those guys, but he needs no endorsement from me. I think we all (in) this business understand who he is and what he's capable of." – Head Coach Mike Tomlin
"He's an MVP-caliber player and he's playing at an MVP level right now. What he did last week was pretty spectacular – 25 in a row. It's hard to follow all the games because he's on the west, but it's easy because he's a quarterback to kind of keep track of how he's doing." – QB Ben Roethlisberger
On Austin Ekeler…
"Obviously, he's going to be in a different role in this game but he's a dynamic player. You can just tell by the ways in which they're willing to give him the ball in the running game, in the passing game, jet sweeps and so forth. He's also a solid contributor on special teams. … When I look at the special teams tape, man he is a dynamic player. He's capable of doing the same things on the offense and oftentimes, all the guy needs is an opportunity." – Head Coach Mike Tomlin
On Chargers defense…
"Their defense is a formidable one. They've got one of the top defenses in the NFL. Gus Bradley's their coordinator. They're a very fundamental group. They don't give up big plays. They're stout versus the run and the pass. If you look at the stats, it bears it out. They're well-balanced, really in kind of all areas. They're competitive in just about every situation you put them in. They're getting back to full strength in terms of having some key components." – Head Coach Mike Tomlin
"They're an all-around good defense. They're top 10 against the run, top 10 against the pass, top 10 overall. I think any time you talk about good defenses, you start with pass rush and they've got two really good ends that get after the quarterback." – QB Ben Roethlisberger
On Joey Bosa…
"They've got Joey Bosa back and we're preparing for him to be an every-down player. He's played two games and I'm sure they've just been kind of getting him back into the fold. We anticipate him being an every-snap player. Obviously, he's going to be a formidable tandem along with (Melvin) Ingram." – Head Coach Mike Tomlin
On Derwin James…
"Derwin James is a top-notch safety. You're seeing his impact and the positive contributions his presence is bringing to them. Not only in terms of what he's able to do in the secondary – he had an interception I think a week ago – but the things he's able to do on and around the line of scrimmage. Whether it's in the run game, first, second down, whether it's in the blitz game, I think he's got 3.5, 4 sacks, or just the general disruption that his presence provides. He's often too big for perimeter people to block and deal with, and obviously, his athleticism is an asset to him against much bigger people." – Head Coach Mike Tomlin
