Ben Roethlisberger returned from injury to lead the Steelers to victory. (Getty)
Call it what you want, but the Steelers survived. They outlasted the Bengals in Cincinnati, and are on the divisional round, where they will meet the Denver Broncos.
Roethlisberger will be the key storyline heading into Saturday’s matchup, after being carted off the field in the third quarter. Roethlisberger returned when it seemed like all hope was lost, and then the Steelers were given a second chance after a Jeremy Hill fumble.
Roethlisberger came on for the winning drive, and gave Pittsburgh just enough to give his team the edge. He hit Antonio Brown on a key fourth down, and found him again on the play that resulted in 30 penalty yards for the Steelers.
After the game, Roethlisberger would not give CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson any clear answers on his status for next week.
It was a messy contest from both teams, with fight breaking out throughout. The Steelers needed a late penalty to give them the edge, but now they must deal with important injuries to key players before next week. Both Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown were injured in the second half, and both will be key components for the Steelers moving forward.