PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 10: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers drops back to pass in the first quarter during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on December 10, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off disappointing back-to-back losses against the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots.
The sudden downturn in Pittsburgh as the former franchise great Ben Roethlisberger voiced that he thinks the historic aurora around the team may be finished.
“Maybe the tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers is done,” he said on his podcast, “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.”
Over the last month, the Steelers have stumbled, losing three out of their last four games. The recent struggles have pushed Pittsburgh to the sixth seed in the playoffs and contention for the AFC North division title.
Roethlisberger took it a step further by airing out his frustrations about head coach Mike Tomlin’s management of timeouts in the second half of the loss against the Patriots.
“You can’t afford in the second half of games to burn silly timeouts and to not have them late in the game,” Roethlisberger said. “To me, that’s bad coaching.
He continued: “There’s some feel you have to have in those situations because timeouts can be so valuable, as we saw in this game. If we have one more timeout there, we get a completion, we can work the middle of the field and all you got to do is give Boz [Chris Boswell] a 60-yard chance. Give him a chance and he’ll tie the game. I like my chances in overtime because they scored all their points early and the momentum had shifted.”
Although the Steelers have struggled mightily offensively, the team remains in the thick of the playoff picture. Pittsburgh holds a tough remaining schedule with matchups against the Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, and Baltimore Ravens.
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Despite Roethlisberger’s harsh remarks, the Steelers still hold their playoff fate in their hands over the final stretch of the season.