One of the primary reason the Pittsburgh Steelers are ready for anyone in the playoffs is the very same reason they cannot function without Antonio Brown. Now, Ben Roethlisberger has the offence humming as not many quarterbacks are as capable as Big Ben. He posted his seventh consecutive game on Monday’s 34-6 blowout of the Houston Texans with multiple touchdowns. This was the longest active streak ever in the NFL.
PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 22: Le’Veon Bell #26 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts after rushing for a first down in the first half during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Heinz Field on October 22, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Roethlisberger has been averaging at 325.5 passing yards per game since the 11th week with a total of 16 touchdowns to five interceptions as he completed 173 of 255 passes with 67.8 percent rate. This was a conservative second-half game plan which gained the team a sizeable lead over the Houston team as they kept Roethlisberger from adding to his 226-yard total with two more scores.
Apart from the interception in the final seconds of the loss, the team faced to New England in the 15th week, Roethlisberger played an almost perfect game on such a big stage.
He seemed more like a player setting the pace and less like some taking a career victory lap with the 200th game with the Steelers on Monday. The 35-year-old Roethlisberger said from the podium, “To be with one team, to put the black and gold on every week for as many years as I have, for the fans and my teammates and the many, many teammates I’ve played for — I’ve been blessed.”
Monday’s triumph bagged a first-round playoff bye for the Steelers who had the benefit of an extra week of rest before they reached the Super Bowl in 2008 as well as 2010. Roethlisberger accepts it’s time to return to the prior standby before that it is necessary for the tone to be set by working hard.
