PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Ben Roethlisberger has played in the same number of playoff games that the Browns franchise has been in since the Super Bowl era. Twenty-one games of playoff experience and he’s told his teammates how to approach Sunday against the Browns.
“I think every player should approach this playoff game like it could be their last playoff game ever,” Roethlisberger said. “We’ve used examples of players and coaches who have been in this league for a long time that have never been in the postseason, never been to a Super Bowl, whatever it may be.”
“I think it’s prudent for every player to take that mindset and approach. I know I am because nothing is guaranteed in the game, or this world.”
If there is a time in our history where we should understand there are no guarantees, its right now.
Roethlisberger met with his team on the field this week to impart that knowledge.
“Our captain, our quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, he already made a statement about giving it everything you have and that’s the mentality our team has right now,” said defensive end Stephon Tuitt.
“When I was a young guy people tried to explain to me that take advantage of this, that and the other,” Roethlisberger said. “You’re thinking I am young; I’ll get back. It’s not guaranteed. I think all of the veteran guys as we are winding down our careers, we understand we don’t know what is next. If there is going to be a next for some guys. We just want to make the most of our opportunity and we just keep trying to tell those guys and emphasize to them how important this time is.”
The last time the veterans were in the playoffs, it was one of the toughest losses of the Mike Tomlin era. Giving up 45 in a loss at home to Jacksonville.
“They don’t come around,” Tuitt said. “They are not guaranteed. It’s very hard to make it to the playoffs. When you make it to the playoffs, you want to have a great game. That game we had against Jacksonville wasn’t a great game defensively for us. When we play the Cleveland Browns, we will not be put on the stand like that.”
Roethlisberger is making sure he’s not just leading with his words, but with his example.
“He’s got a lot of energy right now,” Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said of Roethlisberger. “He’s running around and he’s wanting to be in meetings and talking about ball and talking about, ‘Hey, we can do this, we can do that’.” I’m like, ‘Hey, we can’t do too much. There are only about 75 plays in a game. We can come up with 200 calls, but I don’t know if that’s the prudent thing to do’. He’s been really into it.”
Roethlisberger joins a list of quarterbacks of the same age in Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers.
“To be a part of it, to be in this tournament as Coach [Mike Tomlin] calls it, it’s an honor and a pleasure to be able to do it,” Roethlisberger said. “I am hoping that it’s not one and done. We are going to give it everything we have so I can be the last old man standing.”