The Pittsburgh Steelers' attempt to erase an ugly 29-point deficit and pull off the largest comeback in NFL regular season history fell short Thursday night, as a last-second incomplete pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Pat Freiermuth in the end zone sealed an oddly thrilling 36-28 win for the Minnesota Vikings.
After the game, Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool came under scrutiny for an inopportune first-down celebration during their final drive, which cost them precious seconds. When asked about the celebration, Roethlisberger told reporters that it wasn't his job to confront Claypool -- the responsibility belongs to head coach Mike Tomlin.
"The problem is, it sounds like [Roethlisberger] doesn't care. And he should," Tiki Barber said during the Tiki and Tierney show on Friday. "The whole team is young, which maybe highlights why they've struggled so much this season. Because the veteran leadership is either not there or not standing up. We're talking specifically and maybe only about Roethlisberger. It's almost like he's checked out on that side of his responsibility, which is the biggest part...
"Right now, it doesn't sound like he's interested in leading this team. The only other thing that you can take from that is, he's trying to blame Mike Tomlin for something. The only way I could have Roethlisberger's back is if he's blaming Tomlin, and there's something insipid going on that he's trying to highlight... Maybe that's the case, I don't know. The way he said that made it sound like, 'I don't care,' or, 'I've tried and it hasn't worked, and now it's Tomlin's job.'"
Claypool admitted to his crunchtime blunder after the game, telling reporters that he's "definitely gotta be better." But he didn't exactly concede that the celebration played a part in Pittsburgh's loss. Claypool said the referee wasn't close enough to him when the play concluded, and that what cost the team time was Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks knocking the ball out of his hands.
The indifference from Roethlisberger, deliberate or not, certainly reaffirmed that his time with the team is nearing its end. His night wasn't exactly pleasant -- he endured several hits inside the pocket during the first half. To his credit, though, Roethlisberger turned on the switch after halftime, finishing with 308 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.
Pittsburgh (6-6-1), which sits in third place in a tight AFC North race, will host the Tennessee Titans (8-4) in a Week 15 matchup on Dec. 19. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the Steelers have just a 9-percent chance to reach the playoffs and a 2-percent chance to win the division.
Tiki and Tierney's complete thoughts on Roethlisberger and the Steelers can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Tiki and Tierney Show on Twitter @TikiAndTierney and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.