Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers are huge underdogs heading into their AFC Wild Card matchup with the two-time defending conference champion Kansas City Chiefs heading into Sunday’s game.
It was just a few days ago that the Steelers (9-7-1) were on the verge of missing out on the playoffs altogether. A tie in Sunday night’s game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers would have eliminated Pittsburgh from playoff contention.
Just when it seemed like both teams were playing for the tie in overtime (and a spot in the playoffs), Chargers head coach Brandon Staley had a brain fart. He called a timeout with just over 30 seconds remaining, enabling Las Vegas to kick itself and the Steelers into the playoffs. For all intents and purposes, the Steelers are playing with house money.
Set to take part in what could potentially be his final NFL game, Big Ben had an eye-opening quote when talking to the media on Wednesday.
“We probably aren’t supposed to be here. We’re probably not a very good football team,” Ben Roethlisberger told reporters. “Out of 14 teams that are in, I think we’re probably at No. 14. We’re double-digit underdogs in the playoffs. So let’s just go play and have fun and see what happens.”
Big Ben’s sarcastic manner aside, there’s an argument that can be made. Pittsburgh didn’t look like a playoff team throughout pretty much the entire regular season. It ranked 21st in points scored and 20th in points allowed. The team was outscored by north of three points per game and boasted a 2-6 record against teams with a winning record. It also tied the hapless Detroit Lions back in Week 10. Yuck!
Related: Sportsnaut’s NFL Playoff and Super Bowl predictions
Ben Roethlisberger with realistic stance heading into playoff game
“We’re probably 20-point underdogs, and we’re going to the No. 1 team — I know they’re not the No. 1 seed, but they’re the No. 1 team that’s won the AFC the last two years, arguably the best team in football,” Roethlisberger continued. “We don’t have a chance. So let’s just go in and play and have fun.”
- Ben Roethlisberger stats (2021): 64.5% completion, 3,740 yards, 22 TD, 10 INT, 86.8 rating
As sarcastic as this might seem, it’s actually a good mentality to have with Pittsburgh currently sitting at 12.5-point underdogs heading into Arrowhead against the Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Why?
Well, it’s rather simple. There’s no pressure on Mike Tomlin’s squad. Under that guise, the team can play loose and see what happens. Roethlisberger is 39 years old. He’s been in the NFL for 18 seasons. He knows what he’s doing here.