After losing a tough game to the Dallas Cowboys, the Pittsburgh Steelers must win out in order to stand a chance at making the playoffs. Sunday’s game was a back-and-forth affair that placed the ball in Ben Roethlisberger’s hands with a chance to win in overtime. Rather than coming through in the clutch, Roethlisberger made a horrible throw that resulted in an interception, giving the Cowboys the ball in field goal range and essentially handing them the victory.
Despite the crucial mistake, Roethlisberger was not willing to fully take the blame for the loss after the game. Instead, he seemed unhappy with some of Pittsburgh’s playcalling. Tight end Heath Miller, who was effective in the first half, did not catch a single ball in the second half.
“I just don’t think we called the right plays to get (Miller) the ball,” Roethlisberger said after the game, via Pro Football Talk.
The Steelers scored 14 points in the second half compared to 10 in the first, but Big Ben expressed disappointment in the offense’s decision to get away from the no-huddle attack.
“That’s tough for me to answer right now,” he said. “The second half we didn’t do much of it, and that’s disappointing.”
Did I say not willing to fully take the blame? It turns out Roethlisberger did that, too.
“Yes, absolutely (the loss was my fault),” Roethlisberger said according to the Star-Telegram. “One hundred percent. It’s on me. I let the team, the fans, everybody down.”
If we were talking about any other team, it would be a lot easier to chalk Roethlisberger’s comments up to mere frustration after a brutal loss. However, this is not the first time he has openly criticized offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s playcalling. The relationship between Haley and Roethlisberger has appeared rocky from the start, and it would stand to reason that it could get worse if the Steelers wind up missing the postseason.
