New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

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Steelers stumble without Roethlisberger

Live Blog
On Sunday, in a Week 12 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers, there was something — well, someone — missing out on the field. The Steelers were without their starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. To add to their woes, their backup QB Byron Leftwich was injured in the previous week’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Because of these two injuries, the ball was put in the hands of third-stringer and perennial bench warmer Charlie Batch.

It was clear to those watching this frustrating game that the Steelers just were not the same without their usual play caller. Star wide receiver Mike Wallace did not make a catch the entire game, the running backs fumbled the ball multiple times and the offensive line was nowhere near their potential.

Was the Cleveland Browns’ defense doing better? It could be argued that they played a little above average, but I don’t think anyone would say that they looked like a Top 5, Top 10 or even Top 15 defense. So, what made the Steelers look more like a team fighting for next year’s number one pick and less like a team fighting for a wild-card spot?

Roethlisberger, the team’s 11th overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, missed his second straight game due to a shoulder strain and a rare, complicated rib injury that could have ended his career. For the past eight seasons, Roethlisberger has been the heart and soul of the Steelers’ offense. He has gone to three Super Bowls, winnning two of them. He has been downright tough, a neccesary skill as his offensive line — for the most part — has been more porous than Swiss cheese.

Now the Steelers have lost both games they have played without Big Ben this year. They are looking pathetically incompetent; a team that had hopes of making the playoffs, considering their 6-3 start, is now barely holding onto the last wild-card spot with a 6-5 record. With Roethlisberger likely sidelined for next week’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens — the Steeler’s second game against their biggest foe in just three weeks — it seems almost guaranteed that they will be 6-6 and riding a three game losing streak when they return to Pittsburgh on Dec. 9 to face the San Diego Chargers, another team vying for a wild-card spot in their conference.

In their remaining five games, the Steelers need to win three, if not four games in order to have a legitimate chance at making a run in the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Ravens, Chargers, Cowboys and Bengals stand in their way. These are four teams that can be downright scary if caught on the wrong day. For Pittsburgh, a tough road is in sight. But if they can get their leader back in time for at least most of those games, they might stand a chance.

A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Nov. 27 print edition. Evan Kendall is a contributing writer. Email him at [email protected].

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