Gloves hand Roethlisberger advantage

Any number of factors might keep Ben Roethlisberger from guiding the Steelers to their sixth Super Bowl appearance.

Gloves, he promises, won't be one of them.

"People don't realize that there are quite a few throws that are made easier by wearing the gloves," Roethlisberger said. "If I'm rolling left and I just want to launch the ball downfield, wearing the gloves actually helps me grip the ball better and get more velocity on the throw."

As he did during practice yesterday, Roethlisberger will have his hands covered Saturday, if temperatures for the Steelers' divisional-round playoff game against the New York Jets are in the low-teens.

Roethlisberger is not worried the gloves cause him to throw an off-target pass. Actually, they're the least of his concerns.

"I've noticed that some people are concerned, but me wearing gloves isn't a big deal. Playing better against the Jets than I did last time, that's a big deal," Roethlisberger said. "I'll keep it real simple: The gloves make throwing in cold weather easier because they stick to the ball a little bit. That's the only reason I wear them when it's cold outside.

"It's not like I'm trying to keep my hand warm for the sake of keeping it warm -- that pouch will do that."

The pouch -- often found around a quarterback's waist -- is good enough for most, including the three who share the Steelers' locker room with Roethlisberger. Gloves have no place in the lockers occupied by Tommy Maddox, Brian St. Pierre or Charlie Batch.

"With Ben, I think a lot of it is what you do growing up," Maddox said of the gloves. "It's what you are comfortable with. I'm not comfortable wearing them, so I don't.

"But see, when I was growing up, nobody wore gloves. I never saw (Terry) Bradshaw, (Roger) Staubauch or (Joe) Namath wearing them, so I sure wasn't going to try them."

Roethlisberger, however, has worn gloves in cold conditions since he was in high school, and he believes that keeping his hands warm is essential in cold conditions.

Former Bears quarterback Jim McMahon and the Patriots' Tom Brady are the only quarterback to wear gloves and win Super Bowls.

"When I first got here everybody looked at me funny when I broke out the gloves," Roethlisberger said. "But since that first day, things haven't been too bad."

However, "If I start throwing interceptions, I'm going to take them off. Obviously, I'm going to make that adjustment," Roethlisberger said.