Ben Roethlisberger knows the Pittsburgh Steelers are heavy underdogs in their playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend. But what he had to say about the game was a little surprising considering he loves to compete. When speaking to reporters, Roethlisberger was brutally honest about the Steelers’ chances of winning.
“I would assume, as a group, you understand that we probably aren’t supposed to be here,” Roethlisberger said, per ESPN. “We probably are not a very good football team. Out of 14 teams I think are in, we’re probably number 14. … We’re probably 20-point underdogs, and we’re going to the No. 1 seed, the No. 1 team. I know they’re not the No. 1 seed, obviously, but they’re the No. 1 team that has won the AFC the last two years, arguably the best team in football. We don’t have a chance. So, let’s just go in and play and have fun.”
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The Steelers clinched a playoff spot on Sunday night when the Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Los Angeles Chargers. The interesting thing about that is had the game ended in a tie, the Raiders and Chargers would be heading the postseason while the Steelers would be eliminated from contention. And that came close to happening as the Raiders and Chargers were tied with just seconds left in overtime before Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson nailed a game-winning field goal.
“I wish I would’ve went to bed instead of stayed up with the stress,” Roethlisberger said when asked if he watched the Raiders-Chargers game. “But what a crazy, crazy game. Crazy ending. You go into the evening excited about getting in and then your hopes start to dwindle there for a little while. And then the last drive, you really think they’re going to play for the tie. But there’s other plans out there.”
This could be the last playoff run for Roethlisberger as their reports of him retiring once the season ends. He’s been the Steelers starting quarterback since 2004 and led the team to three Super Bowl appearances with two wins. If this is the final season for Roethlisberger, he finishes his career with 64,088 passing yards, 418 touchdowns and 211 interceptions with a 93.5 passer rating.
