PITTSBURGH -- Ben Roethlisberger understands the irony in suggesting the Pittsburgh Steeler practices might be too rough. The $20 million franchise quarterback, after all, is off limits.Still, a quick scan down his teams crowded injury list left him wondering if its time for the coaching staff to ease up just a little bit.I will stand up for the guys up front and running backs, guys who take a pounding every day during a long season, Roethlisberger said. The season is super long as it is and very physical. And when youre doing it over and over and the guys shoulders are getting sore, knees start getting sore, and hips and hamstrings and quads and things, and then, they re-occur, you have to take a look at maybe what youre doing.Five weeks into the season, the Steelers already have seen a series of bold-faced names miss time, including right tackle Marcus Gilbert and guard Ramon Foster, the guys who are in charge of keeping Roethlisbergers jersey clean when it counts. Defensive end Cameron Heyward will miss the first game in his career on Sunday when Pittsburgh (4-1) visits Miami (1-4). Linebacker Ryan Shazier and his sprained MCL are out for a third straight week, and Markus Wheatons shoulder continues to bother him.While Roethlisberger allows that coach Mike Tomlin has to walk a fine line about the tenor of practice, hes also wary of the possible toll it could take over the long term.You see those pads on top of lockers being worn all year long, he said. Like I said, for me, I cant complain too much because Im not the one getting hit. But, I will stand up for the big boys.Its a gesture center Maurkice Pouncey appreciates, even if hes not completely sure where he stands. Pouncey stressed, Im following Ben, baby, but also understands he gets paid a lot of money to do what the coaching staff asks.Im a lineman, he said. I go get it every day and I eat afterward. But nah, its cool. Weve got a physical camp man and its paying off now.In reality, practices are as gentle as theyve ever been. The collective bargaining agreement signed in 2011 outlawed two-a-days during training camp and limits teams to one fully padded practice over the seasons first 11 weeks and three over the final six. Thats in contrast to early in Tomlins tenure.Our first year we were hitting every day, said cornerback William Gay, a rookie when Tomlin took over in 2007. You cant get no more than that.The Steelers like to thud up on Wednesdays, meaning defenders will wrap up ball carriers but dont take the hit all the way to the ground. On Fridays, the first-team offense faces the first-team defense in the seven shots drill from the 2, whichever side getting to four stops or four conversions first claiming bragging rights for the week. And it gets pretty heated. Thats kind of the point.Its a very competitive thing, defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. We talk a lot of mess.What they dont talk about, at least not in public, is easing up. Tomlins training camps can be a six-week battle of attrition, particularly this summer when he tried to help toughen up a defense that finished 30th in yards allowed. The early returns are mixed. Pittsburgh is 25th in yards but ninth in points in large part because of better play in the red zone. Tackling is a vital part of that equation, one that needs to be practiced to be perfected.You cant get in shape hitting until you hit, Butler said. When you stress muscles for the first time in trying to hit early in games and preseason, early in the season sometimes and you havent hit then, sometimes youll have injuries.Heywards tweaked hamstring had nothing to do with getting overworked in practice and everything with landing awkwardly in the second quarter last Sunday against the New York Jets. He understands Roethlisbergers role as a captain speaking up for the benefit of the team. He also understands that hitting is a necessary part of the game and with that comes inherent risk.We dont even get that much in as it is, Heyward said. You want that hardening so when you get down the road, you want to use that as an asset.Roethlisbergers words might not have fallen on deaf ears. On Thursday, the Steelers wrapped up practice five minutes early, a rarity.Game notes WR Sammie Coates (finger), Gilbert, Heyward, Shazier, Wheaton, C Cody Wallace (knee) and S Shamarko Thomas (groin) did not practice on Thursday. ... Shazier was limited while CB Justin Gilbert (knee), S Robert Golden (hamstring), RB Roosevelt Nix (back) and WR Eli Rogers (toe) were full participants.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Shoes From China Free Shipping . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. Wholesale Shoes China . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. http://www.shoescheap.us/ . With the first unit struggling of late and Amir Johnson - one of the teams iron men - hobbling on an injured right ankle, Patterson knew he could get the nod in a challenging matchup against one of the leagues up and coming players at his position. Discount Shoes Online Free Shipping . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. Cheap Shoes Clearance .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly isnt concerned that quarterback DeShone Kizer is the second-leading rusher for the Fighting Irish after five games.The Irish have had to lean heavily on the 6-foot-4, 230-pound junior to help overcome a defense on pace to give up a school-record 33.4 points a game. Kizer, 12th in the nation in passing with 1,567 yards, has carried the ball 52 times for 187 yards, which includes 49 yards lost on eight sacks.Kelly said Tuesday he monitors Kizers runs carefully.I think a couple things that have to change is that he cant expose himself to unnecessary hits and we have to be very careful in terms of the run game that we put together that were not putting him in a position where he has free hits, Kelly said.Even with those sacks and officially just 1 yard gained against Syracuse on Saturday, Kizer has outrushed Tarean Folston and Dexter Williams and nearly has as many runs as their combined 58 carries. Kizer, who set the school record for quarterbacks last season with 10 rushing touchdowns, has six already this year, which is one more than leading rusher Josh Adams (1), Folston (1) and Williams (3) have combined.The Irish got off to a 4-1 start a year ago with a balanced offensive attack, running for 1,250 yards and passing for 1,307. While struggling to a 2/3 start this season, they havent been nearly as balanced production-wise, running for 838 yards and passing for 1,639.Runs have accounted for nearly 34 percent of the total offense. The only ttime the Irish were less balanced offensively under Kelly was in first season in 2010, when runs accounted for a little more than 33 percent of the offense.ddddddddddddKelly said the reason for the disparity is because opponents defenses have been focusing on stopping the run and trying to put pressure on Notre Dames young receivers.If they want to keep doing them we have to keep proving that we can throw the football, and I think youll see that running game come back into more balance, he said.That could be a problem in the next three games as the Irish face North Carolina State (3-1), which ranks 13th in the nation in run defense, while Stanford (3-1) is 37th at 125 yards a game and 10th-ranked Miami (4-0) is 27th. The Irish may need to depend more on the run in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday, with weather from Hurricane Matthew possibly making it tough to pass.Kelly said the Irish do need to get better at running the ball, but that hes not too concerned about it because their offense averages 495 yards and 39.8 points a game, which would both be school records.If you let us throw the football all over the field, were going to throw it and we wont run it as much. So are there things we can get better at in the running game? Absolutely. But weve been afforded the opportunity to throw the ball around the field, he said.---Online: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '