Getty Steelers could look to Matt Ryan to replace Ben Roethlisberger.
After playing his potential last game at Heinz Field in Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns, Ben Roethlisberger’s potential last NFL game could be in the Wild-Card round of the playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Last postgame interview at Heinz Field for Ben Roethlisberger #Steelers
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While there are very few people that believe the Pittsburgh Steelers stand a chance in the Wild-Card round after losing to the Chiefs 36-10 in Week 16, it nevertheless will be a bittersweet moment for fans of Big Ben.
However, there are others that are choosing to poke fun at the Steelers quarterback before the playoff matchup.
Fan Trolls Big Ben Ahead of KC-PIT Matchup
Comedian Nate Game decided to coin the Chiefs-Steelers playoff game as Roethlisberger’s “retirement party.” On top of that, Game edited a photo of Roethlisberger to make him look very old, poking fun at the 39-year-old QB.
Steelers fans replied to Game’s tweet in defense of Big Ben.
“Assume Reid will keep team focused on playing entire 60 mins and not let Steelers skate out of town with an unexpected win. Obviously Colts thought Jags were a walkover and look what happened? Any given Sunday any team can win,” Roberta Judson wrote.
@NateGame_ @NFL @Chiefs Assume Reid will keep team focused on playing entire 60 mins and not let Steelers skate out of town with an unexpected win. Obviously Colts thought Jags were a walkover and look what happened? Any given Sunday any team can win.
“Ah yes. Let’s for sure dismiss the Steelers & act as if Hill & Kelce aren’t hurt, & like we didn’t barely beat the broncos last week,” Sailboatseance wrote.
Big Red on Steelers Rematch
Although the Week 18 games needed to fully play out in order for the Chiefs to know who they would be facing in the first round of the playoffs, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid had a good idea of who they would be playing. But that almost changed.
“We focused on Pittsburgh and that’s kind of the direction we headed yesterday, and then we watched the game,” Reid said during his press conference on Monday, January 10. “We were down to the last two minutes going, ‘we might be playing the Raiders,’ but we did most of our focus on Pittsburgh. The chances of it being a tie we felt was slim to none, but we got down there and it was something. It was quite a game.”
While avoiding a matchup with a divisional opponent is good, Kansas City isn’t sleeping on a team they handily beat the day after Christmas.
“I think they’re playing well together,” Reid said of Pittsburgh. “I think they’re doing a nice job with that. Ben’s playing well. The runner’s running well. The offensive line’s doing a nice job, and Pittsburgh’s always good on that defensive side. They fly around. They’ve got some all-star players on that side of the ball that do really well.
“Their wide receivers are very good too on the offensive side. They’re a good football team. They’re well coached and the organization with the Rooney family is strong. It’s been strong for so many years.”
Among the units Reid keyed in on was the Steelers’ defensive line, which has star pass-rusher T.J. Watt. Watt tied Hall of Famer Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record in Week 18, recording 22.5 total sacks this season.
T.J. Watt ties @michaelstrahan’s single-season sack record! (22.5) #HereWeGo
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“He sure looked healthy yesterday and I wouldn’t slight 56 (Alex Highsmith) on the other side either,” Reid explained. “They’ve got good rushers, number 97 (Cameron Heyward) is a Pro-Bowler too and big-time players. That’s a healthy defensive front that can bring it and Watt is one of the best in the business at it so yes, I would tell you that we need to be aware of them.”
The Chiefs face the Steelers at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday Night Football on Sunday, January 16.