Late in the fourth quarter with his team down by two scores against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Playoff, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger head-planted on the turf in what appeared to be an obvious head injury (concussion).
Pittsburgh called a timeout immediately after this play, which it thought would enable Big Ben to stay in the game. Unfortunately (or fortunately), officials decided that the Super Bowl-winning quarterback needed to be observed for a possible concussion on the sideline.
After three plays, Big Ben was back on the field following what Pittsburgh deemed to be a neck injury. He proceeded to throw what amounted to a game-clinching interception in the end zone.
The idea that it takes five minutes to diagnosis a concussion is ridiculous. The idea that Pittsburgh concluded it was a neck injury is even more ridiculous. This is yet another example of the NFL attempting to pretend it cares about player safety. And while it happens every week, a nationally televised playoff game may enable a more extensive conversation regarding player safety and head injuries.