The Sports Monitor

Embed from Getty Images I've never seen an ending like that . Oh, sure, I've seen games play out like the scoring summary did from Saturday night's unbelievable wild-card game. Steelers take a 15-0 lead. It looks like they have the game in hand. The Bengals take the lead late in the game. The Steelers win it with a field goal in the waning seconds. That doesn't quite sum it up, does it? Not this game. Not the way it unfolded. Let's get back to the 15-0 part. Martavis Bryant gave the Steelers that lead with an incredible TD catch from Ben Roethlisberger. He actually caught it with his butt. I'm not sure how that was a football move -- but I digress. At that point, it looked like the Steelers were in control. Then Vontaze Burfict took over for the Bengals. Yeah, that guy. Burfict sacked Roethlisberger at the end of the third quarter, knocking Big Ben out of the game. Embed from Getty Images But all the Ste...

Embed from Getty Images There's a label attached to the Steelers this postseason: The team no one wants to face. Don't buy it? Monday Morning QB thinks so . Andy Benoit says an explosive passing game and creative defense makes Pittsburgh the most dangerous team in the AFC. I don't think the Ravens had any problems facing the Steelers two weeks ago. But, hey, the Ravens aren't in the playoffs, right? The problem with the Steelers is the defense. They might be creative, as Benoit suggests, but they're also vulnerable to the big play. The team seems to play up -- or down -- to its competition. So, again, there are no Ravens in the playoffs, so they can't be accused of playing down. However, the Steelers have to like their chances with the Bengals on Saturday. One Vegas line on Sunday night had Pittsburgh as a small favorite. Does that mean the Steelers could play down to Cincy? I'm sure the Steelers will be fired up. And it is the po...

Embed from Getty Images Cue the music... Here we go Steelers, here we go. Yeah, it's playoff time. Thanks to a little help from the Buffalo Bills, the Pittsburgh Steelers are back in the postseason. The wild-card team will play the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night. That should be quite a showdown. But before we get into that game, let's look at Sunday's regular-season finale. It had the beginnings of the Ravens game from a week earlier, with turnovers costing the team and the Browns hanging around. Then the Browns realized they were the Browns. And some 200 miles away, Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick realized he was Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Steelers' defense showed some grit, Ben Roethlisberger found a receiver other than the irreplaceable Antonio Brown and the Steelers smothered the Browns at the end. And speaking of Brown, that was one heck of a season: 136 receptions for 1,834 yards. Imagine what he would have done with a healthy Ro...

View image | gettyimages.com Who had Ben Roethlisberger setting the NFL record for most yards by a backup in their office pool? 379. As in 379 yards passing. In a relief role. That's one heck of a day. Of course, it helps having two stellar wideouts like Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant to throw to. Yeah, and it's nice having the Browns on the other side, too, simply to add to the fun. Now the Steelers get a much-needed break before heading to Seattle. And, if you're keeping track at home, the Steelers (6-4) lead the Bills (5-4) and Jets (5-4) in the wild-card standings.

View image | gettyimages.com They can't be serious, can they? Ben Roethlisberger is questionable for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns. That's got to be some gamesmanship. If the Steelers can't beat the Browns without Roethlisberger, then maybe they aren't the playoff-caliber team they're supposed to be. It makes much more sense to hold out Roethlisberger this week. Add to it the bye week and he'll have two full weeks of recovery. Landry Jones is capable of leading this team. It's the Browns. It's at Heinz Field. Rest Roethlisberger. It's the smart move.

View image | gettyimages.com Now what? What do the Steelers do now that Ben Roethlisberger will be out for a couple more weeks? Well, to steal a phrase from the Raiders: Just win, baby. Whether they're playing without Le'Veon Bell, Maurkice Pouncey, Martavis Bryant or Roethlisberger the first time, the Steelers are somehow finding a way to win. The next man up, as coach Mike Tomlin likes to say, has stepped up. Landry Jones did. Well, he did what he needed to do -- get Antonio Brown the ball. Now, Pittsburgh enters Cleveland week knowing they'll be without Big Ben -- this time with a sprained foot -- but also knowing they're in the driver's seat for a playoff spot. If the season ended today, they'd be in. They're 5-4, just behind the Jets (5-3) and just ahead of the Bills (4-4) and Raiders (4-4). Anyone think they can't beat the dysfunctional Browns without Ben? I know they can. Then they get a bye. And a chance to regr...

View image | gettyimages.com There's something about this Steelers team that's growing on me. Of course, when your team pulls off an upset win directed by the third-string quarterback like it did in Sunday's 25-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, it's easy to like them. The Steelers are 4-2 and they still haven't played with Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant in the same lineup. That offense can be scary good. But what really has impressed me has been the play of the defense, generally thought to be a work in progress entering the season. Yeah, the D gave up oodles of yards to Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, but the defense made the plays when it had to. And, in case you forgot, the Cardinals entered the game and still have scored the most points in the NFL. And the Steelers have held the Patriots to their lowest total of the season so far. It's only six games, and a lot still can happen, but right now, the ...

I always loved playing football video games. Whether it was Madden, Techmo Bowl or some other game of the week, if it was football, I wanted to play it. The fun part of the game was trying to pad stats of the players I controlled. If it was second-and-short, I was chucking the ball deep to try to get the passing touchdown for my QB and the yardage for my receiver. Fourth down? I was going for it. Didn't matter where the ball was. It was like that for the entire game. Unless the game was on the line. Then I used the plays that worked to get the first down, touchdown or field goal -- whatever was needed. I couldn't help but get that same feeling about the Steelers for the last game-and-three-quarters. It seemed after Ben Roethlisberger's back-to-back games with six touchdowns that the offense was different. It was like they wanted to pad the statistics of Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger and anyone else involved in the passing game. Don't believe me...

Emmanuel Sanders is still a Pittsburgh Steeler. And Steeler Nation can relax until the draft. Long-term, this wasn't the best move for the Steelers. A third-round pick could have been better for the team. Especially when Sanders likely will leave next season as a free agent. But I get why the Steelers did it. They have a franchise quarterback and need to try to win now. Those type of moves have a way of coming back to haunt a franchise. But Ben Roethlisberger should be happy he still has one of his targets coming back. In the meantime, the Steelers are up against the salary cap searching for some players to make impact.

The Pittsburgh Steelers put on a solid front in their introduction of new offensive coordinator Todd Haley on Thursday. Mike Tomlin introduced Haley and made it a point to say that he was the one doing the interviews to find a replacement for Bruce Arians. Tomlin was trying to show he still was the one in charge, although if you read some accounts, it makes it look like he's going along for the ride. Tomlin said the right things and hit on the right topics. Haley, too, said all the right things. He made it a point to say he'll do anything to win, run or pass. So far, so good, in smoothing the transition. Then the media found Ben Roethlisberger. You can tell he's still miffed at losing Arians. It's understandable, but he shouldn't go public about it. "I've gotten a lot of calls and texts and emails from people around the league, both good and bad about him," Roethlisberger told the Post-Gazette. "Everybody has an opinion, as we al...

Call me indifferent on the hiring of Todd Haley as the Pittsburgh Steelers' new offensive coordinator. I don't fall into the camp where Haley has lost his mind and is worried about people bugging his office. And I don't fall into the camp where anyone will be an improvement over former coordinator Bruce Arians. Now, I was happy that Arians was relieved of his duties. I did not like how he called games and I thought his relationship with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was too chummy for a coach-player relationship. It might seem wishy-washy to be indifferent on Haley, the former Chiefs head coach and Cardinals offensive coordinator, but let me explain. For all of Arians' shortcomings, the Steelers did win the Super Bowl with him and made another. I think only the truly excellent offensive coordinators can elevate a team and the truly poor ones can sink a team. For most coordinators, I think they are as good as the players they have. So while I believe Arian...

Is Bruce Arians on his way out of Pittsburgh? I fell for that two years ago when it was reported Arians wasn't going to return. I'll refrain from cheering until I hear it's official. I'll also refrain until I hear who replaces him. Instead, I'll repeat my position on Arians. If he is such a good coordinator, as some might say -- or, at the very least, his supporters say Arians doesn't deserve the criticism -- why is Arians never mentioned as a possible head coaching candidate? Seriously. Why is Arians never on the short list of any vacancy in the NFL? I simply do not recall him getting any mentions as a head coach. Why? The Steelers have been to two Super Bowls recently, winning one of them. Usually coordinators on successful teams have teams beating down their doors for interviews. With Arians? There's no such clamor. The clamoring is from people asking for him to leave. They might get their wish. I'm in that camp, but I'm hesi...

I'm still scratching my head wondering how the Pittsburgh Steelers let the Denver Broncos win Sunday's AFC wild-card game. The defense was supposed to be No. 1-ranked defense and No. 1 in passing yards allowed. Yet Tim Tebow threw for 316 yards. Ike Taylor will get a brunt of the criticism because he couldn't cover himself with a blanket during the game. But it's not all his fault. The defense did not sack Tebow. In fact, it looked like they were afraid to deliver a hit to Tebow, who looks more like a tight end than a frail quarterback. It appeared the Steelers sold out to stop the run, daring Tebow to beat them with the pass. In fact, it looked like they didn't think Tebow could complete a pass. I have to admit, I, too, don't think he's much of a passer, but he completed enough to win. And, man, those completions were long. Maybe the Steelers just had a bad game plan. Maybe the team was too old on defense. Maybe Ben Roethlisberger hurt the...

I was leery of the Pittsburgh Steelers playing Ben Roethlisberger against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. It wasn't worth the risk, sending a hobbled quarterback into a meaningless game, unnecessarily risking further injury to someone vital to the team in getting back to the Super Bowl. Maybe there is something to worry about. Roethlisberger had a setback with his injured ankle, making a road game against a struggling Broncos team that much more interesting. For those thinking the game is a gimme, think again. The Steelers have struggled on the road all season, getting crushed at Baltimore, struggling to beat the Colts, losing against the Texans, barely getting by the Chiefs and edging the Browns. The wild-card game was going to be tougher before news of Roethlisberger's injury. Now, it just got a little tougher.

I don't believe for a minute that Ben Roethlisberger is healthy enough to play against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Could he hobble around and throw the ball? Yep. Is it worth the risk? Nope. The Steelers should know around kickoff if their game against the Browns has any meaning. If the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens, then a Steelers' win gives them the AFC North title. If the Ravens win -- and I think they will -- then the Steelers' game is meaningless. Roethlisberger should sit either way. The Steelers shouldn't risk further injury to Big Ben. I understand his desire to play. But the Steelers need to understand the need to keep him healthy. Do you think the Browns would like a shot at injuring him as payback for Colt McCoy's concussion? I do. Any playoff run needs Roethlisberger to be as close to 100 percent as possible. I don't see how letting him play gets him closer to that goal.

I can't blame the Pittsburgh Steelers for starting a hobbled Ben Roethlisberger against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. A win put them in the driver's seat in the AFC, and Roethlisberger gave the Steelers the best chance to win. It didn't work out. It was obvious that Roethlisberger had trouble and it hurt the Steelers throughout the night. He couldn't scramble, he couldn't follow through on his throws and he couldn't heave the long ball. I can't imagine Charlie Batch or Dennis Dixon doing much worse. After all, the Steelers scored just three points. With little chance to win the division, coach Mike Tomlin should rest Roethlisberger the rest of the season. He should give Big Ben a big break, let him heal as much as possible and have him ready for the playoffs. The Baltimore Ravens aren't going to lose in the next two weeks against the Browns and Bengals, which would wrap up the AFC North. That makes these next two games against ...

It was all there for the Pittsburgh Steelers to take. The inside track for the top seed in the AFC playoffs, a game up on the Ravens for the division title, a chance for a bye week. Instead, the Steelers short-circuited Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers. Ben Roethlisberger didn't have the magic this time, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble. It was a heroic effort by Roethlisberger to take the field, but the performance wasn't there. The usually strong defense gave up 20 points to a team that's struggled scoring touchdowns. One night earlier, the Ravens lost on their trip cross country to face the San Diego Chargers. You would think the Steelers would have taken notice. Instead, the Steelers flopped on Monday Night, a game that was delayed 35 minutes by two power outages at Candlestick Park. The power certainly was missing from the offense. Now the Steelers will need a Christmas miracle to gain the division title. It looks like any...

So much for the Baltimore Ravens being in control of the AFC North. Facing a closing schedule of the Chargers, Browns and Bengals, it looked like the Ravens had the edge in winning the AFC North and sending the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road in the NFL playoffs. Like I said, so much for that. The Chargers ran all over the Ravens, beating the Dirty Birds on Sunday night, 34-14. Now, the Steelers control their own destiny. But first, it starts with needing a win against the 49ers Monday night. A loss Monday, and the Ravens will be back in control. The good news is Ben Roethlisberger should start against the Niners. I'd expect the Steelers to show up and take advantage of this opportunity.

I'll admit it. When Ben Roethlisberger left the field in the second quarter Thursday night, I thought the Steelers were going to lose to the Browns. There was no way Roethlisberger was going to return from that injury, I thought. The heck with losing to the Browns. From the looks of that injury on the replays, I thought you could kiss any dreams of a Super Bowl run goodbye. Yeah, I was way off on that one. Roethlisberger returned to start the second half and the Steelers did just enough to beat the Browns on national television. It looked like one of those games the Steelers would squander away. Hines Ward and Heath Miller each lost a fumble inside the red zone, and the Steelers started another drive inside the Browns' 40-yard line and came away with zero points. Ward, as a side note, didn't have another catch after that fumble. Even at the end, with Roethlisberger doing his best Willis Reed, it looked like the Browns would take the lead after the Steelers w...

After almost a day to digest the Steelers' loss to the Ravens on Sunday night, there are a few things still unanswered. -- If Shaun Suisham can't be relied upon to kick a field goal, why still have him on the team? Kickers are booting 50-yard field goals with regularity these days, so why can't the Steelers find one? Yeah, I know Heinz Field is an awful place to practice your craft if you're a kicker, but this wasn't a 50-yarder, either. I'm not sure if the delay of game penalty on the Steelers' last drive was planned or not, but it certainly wouldn't have been my call. You either go for it or kick the field goal. The punt shouldn't have been an option. -- Will the NFL review the hit on Hines Ward? It certainly looks like only Steelers get helmet-to-helmet penalties these days. -- I thought the line was fine protecting Ben Roethlisberger. -- Antonio Brown looks like a star in the making. -- Rashard Mendenhall appeared to have Ch...