Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger Wants 'Everyone to Take a Deep Breath' and Relax

Things have gone downhill fast for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

They raced to an 11-0 start. They talked about getting little respect, anyway. Then they lost two straight and lost whatever respect they had been getting.

In each of the Steelers' two losses, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn't look the same. He had his moments, but failed to produce the type of game-winning magic for which he has become known. In fact, he did the opposite. In both games, Roethlisberger threw interceptions that basically ended any shot at a rally.

It got so bad that Roethlisberger suggested maybe it's time to start thinking about retirement. "If I don’t play good enough football, I need to hang it up," he said after Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills.

But now, Big Ben is sending a very different message.

"This team is special,” he told reporters Wednesday. “The season is not over. I want everyone out there to just take a deep breath. I know it’s kind of crazy right now. I want everyone to take a deep breath. We’ve got time.”

Rothlisberger makes a valid point. The Steelers are still 11-2 and pretty much have wrapped up the AFC North title. It would take a massive collapse for the Cleveland Browns (9-4) or Baltimore Ravens (8-5) to pass them.

At the same time, it's easy to sound confident when their next game is against the Cincinnati Bengals (2-10-1). And there is reason to doubt that the Steelers can actually win a playoff game against a decent opponent. The last couple of weeks, those are exactly the types of opponents Roethlisberger and the Steelers haven't been able to beat.