Ben Roethlisberger Outside the Huddle

In the eighth of a series of Outside the Huddle galleries, SI's photographers focused on Ben Roethlisberger during the Steelers' AFC North showdown with Cincinnati.

Big Ben is on pace for another 3,000-yard passing season, with 2,469 yards and 14 touchdowns through nine games.

Dhani Jones and the Bengals were cordial as usual before the game, but then sacked Roethlisberger four times and held him without a TD pass for the first time this season.

Roethlisberger shares a few pre-game words with safety Troy Polamalu, who would re-injure his knee later in the day.

Roethlisberger and Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin have each other's back. That bond was evident as the Steelers won last season's Super Bowl.

Big Ben wears No. 7 in honor of one of his childhood idols, former Denver quarterback John Elway.

Roethlisberger and Hines Ward have won two Super Bowls together. The first in 2006, when Ward was named MVP and Roethlisberger the youngest Super Bowl-winning quarterback in NFL history.

Roethlisberger's 174 yards passing against the Bengals were his fewest since he had 131 against Philadelphia in September 2008.

Roethlisberger entered the season as one of the most efficient passers in history, ranking 10th in completion percentage (63.16) and 7th in passing yards per attempt (7.90). Through nine games this season he's completed 67.9 percent of his passes (8.2 yards per attempt).

Roethlisberger is the only quarterback in NFL history to have two perfect passing games in the same season, putting up the number against Baltimore and St. Louis in 2007.

As much of a downer it was losing twice to the Bengals this season, Roethlisberger has his mind set on getting the Steelers back into the playoffs.