Ben Roethlisberger knows a thing or two about what it takes to win Super Bowls for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The future Hall of Fame quarterback won two and appeared in three, so it’s probably good that he is starting to believe in the current team’s chances at making a run.
He texted back and forth with head coach Mike Tomlin following the 44-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Coach Tomlin texted me after the game, and I said…’Congrats on the game. That looked like the most complete game I’ve seen. You all look like Super Bowl contenders.'” Roethlisberger said via his Footbahlin podcast on YouTube. “I know James [Harrison] was talking, and people say, oh, first half, they scored points. Yeah, but you know what? That happens sometimes. And what you do is you make adjustments, and you come in the second half, and you basically shut ’em down. You get turnovers. You score on defense. So, to me, that was the most complete game. And I think that team could make a big run.”
Roethlisberger acknowledged that the Bengals’ defense is probably the worst in the league, or at least the worst he’s seen so far this season. But the Steelers went out and did what they were supposed to against that defense. The same can’t always be said. I think back to the game against the Dallas Cowboys, for example, when DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons were injured, and the Steelers didn’t take advantage. That was before Russell Wilson was the starting quarterback.
The defense allowed more points than you’d like, but throughout the full season, they have proven to be one of the league’s best. According to ESPN analytics, the special teams unit is No. 1 in the league. The offense has been the missing link to having a complete team. Having over 500 yards of offense and scoring 37 points answered that question.
After Wilson’s hot start with the Steelers, scoring 37 points against a formidable New York Jets defense, some slower games by the offense led to questions about that 37-point game being the outlier. He proved it wasn’t with a repeat performance over just six starts. If Wilson’s stats were extrapolated to a full 17-game schedule, this would be the most passing yards of his potential Hall of Fame career.
The Steelers may have just secured another non-losing season, but it’s time to prove they can get over the playoff hump. Many would have been happy just to get a playoff win, but the bar is now raised. This team might have a real shot at bringing home a seventh Lombardi Trophy.
