The Steelers had already clinched a playoff slot, so Sunday’s regular-season finale against Cleveland may have seemed meaningless.

Despite the 13-9 final score, it was anything but. Not only was there the chance to win the AFC North title and a first-round bye, but several players also had the opportunity to set milestones during the game.

Antonio Brown, the Steelers MVP, had 90 yards receiving and reached 1,100 yards to join Mike Wallace, making them the third Steeler tandem to accomplish the feat. Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress did it in 2002, while Ward did it again in 2009 with Santonio Holmes.

Then there was quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who topped 4,000 yards passing. It was the second time in his career he had done so, and the win was the 80th of his career in just his 113th start. He joined elite company, including Tom Brady, Ken Stabler and Roger Staubach.

Tight end Heath Miller also reached a pinnacle, tying Hall of Famer Lynn Swann in career receptions for fourth place in Steeler history.

But if you ask any player on the team, including those three, their achievements paled in comparison to the one they wanted for Ward.

Ward already has played in four Pro Bowls and three Super Bowls, and has an MVP award from Super Bowl XL to his name. He owns 13 team receiving records. But with five catches, giving him 1,000 for his career, Ward would pretty much claim his ticket to Canton.

“All week I was just trying to say, ‘Man, I just want to win.’ Because we still have a chance (to win) the AFC North and get that bye week,” Ward said. “I think winning meant more to me than anything, but in the back of my mind I thought, ‘Man, it would be great to get 1,000 catches.’ “

Ward admitted he was nervous as that thought and the game drew closer.

On the first offensive play of the fourth quarter, Ward took a shovel pass from Roethlisberger. Although it went for negative yardage, it was the 1,000th of his career.

“My 1,000th catch, my whole career here, this is amazing,” Ward said. “Coming to the NFL, I was just proud to be in the NFL. My goal wasn’t to catch a thousand balls or anything. But through hard work and perseverance and being able to stay healthy … here I am. It’s an elite club to be in.”

Hall of Famer Jerry Rice is the only other player to have both 1,000 receptions and multiple Super Bowl rings, and just eight other players have reached 1,000 catches.

“We’ve been counting down since week one for him to do it, and it took till Week 17 in the fourth quarter,” safety Troy Polamalu said. “But he got it and deserves it. He’s been in a run-first offense for so long. I don’t know who else is on that list, but it would be interesting to see because being in Pittsburgh and putting up the numbers he did in a run-first offense for maybe 10 of his first 14 years, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”

The words throughout the locker room echoed Polamalu.

“Man, he is one of the greatest ever in my book,” defensive lineman Brett Keisel said. “He has the same kind of story that I do and that is why I respect him so much. He played special teams, worked his way into the receiver role, and now 1,000 receptions, that is amazing. He is one of the all-time greats. There is no doubt he’ll be in the Hall of Fame. It’s been a honor to play with him.”

“I can’t say enough about Hines,” tackle Max Starks said. “I’ve been his teammate for eight years now, and he’s amazing, the things he can do. I’m very glad he hit that milestone and he is very deserving of it.”

“He’s a great player, a Hall of Famer, a role model,” Wallace said. “He’s like a big brother to me. He doesn’t say much, he just comes ready to play. It was on the top of our list to get Hines his catches and I’m glad we did.”

The question now: is this the curtain call for an athlete who has played the game with the tenacity of a throwback player? Although his contract runs through 2012, Ward wasn’t ready to talk about that. Instead he was focused on the playoffs and helping Pittsburgh to another Super Bowl appearance.

“I just want to thank all the guys. I think they were my biggest fans,” Ward said. “To catch a 1,000 balls is big, considering playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers you have to worry about the weather conditions. I’m just focused on doing what I can do to help this team and the younger guys make the playoffs.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Denver Broncos in the wildcard round on Sunday, January 8. Unfortunately for them, they will be down one of their biggest offensive weapons. No, I’m not talking about Ben Roethlisberger. The quarterback is expected to be fine for the game. Instead, Pittsburgh will have to win without their top running back. The Steelers have placed Rashard Mendenhall on the injured reserve list as a result of a torn ACL. Without him, the Steelers will need other backs to step up and run the football if they want to advance past the Broncos.

Mendenhall suffered the torn ACL in the regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns. Mendenhall had just eight carries at the time he suffered the injury. The diagnosis was later confirmed by the Steelers and the move to place him on the IR list was done swiftly. Mendenhall will have surgery later in January and need at least several months to recover from the ACL injury. However, there is still reason to believe he will make a full recovery. ACL injuries can vary in how long they take to heal but the hope is that Mendenhall will be able to play in the 2012 season opener. With the time of the injury, that will be a question mark. But he will see the field in 2012.

Without Mendenhall, the Steelers are down their top rusher. He leads the team with 928 yards on the ground and nine touchdowns. His 228 carries are more than twice the total of any other running back on the team. Isaac Redman figures to take the bulk of the carries against Denver. He ran the ball 19 times against the Browns in the regular season finale and has 479 rushing yards on the season. The performance of Redman will be key for the Steelers, especially given the sore ankle for Roethlisberger. But he has proven himself to be a capable backup and should perform well in this game. But even if that happens, the Steelers will still miss the big play potential of their top back. More than ever, the Steelers will have to rely on their stellar defense.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to play the Denver Broncos in the first round of the playoffs on January 8, 2012. The game will be held in the high altitude and low oxygen conditions of Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver. Unfortunately, for Steelers S Ryan Clark, this means he will not be able to play and he has been pulled out of the game.

Clark carries the sickle cell trait in his blood and when exposed to high altitude and reduced oxygen, this condition can become life-threatening. Clark learned this in 2007 when he last played in Denver. That game cost him his spleen and gallbladder, as well as a loss of 30 pounds and an end to his season. He thought he was going to die.

So what exactly is sickle cell and how is it affected by high altitude and reduced oxygen?

Sickle cell affects the red blood cells in the body. It is caused by a trait that is acquired from both parents.

Healthy red blood cells are round in shape and designed to move easily through the blood vessels. They carry the iron-rich protein called hemoglobin which carries oxygen throughout your body. In people with sickle cell disease, these red blood cells are crescent shaped and carry abnormal hemoglobin. Because of the shape of the cells, they can also block blood flow in the vessels. This can cause pain, organ damage and serious infections.

In order to have sickle cell disease, you need to have received the sickle cell trait from both of your parents. However, if you only receive the trait from one parent, you are diagnosed with sickle cell trait. This means that you will more than likely not have symptoms of the disease but can see complications under certain conditions.

Ryan Clark is considered to have sickle cell trait. He does not suffer from the disease on a regular basis but can experience complications and can pass the trait to his children.

Complications for those carrying the sickle cell trait occur under conditions of high atmospheric pressure, low oxygen levels, dehydration and high altitudes. Unfortunately for Clark, those account for many of the conditions in Denver. The higher altitude and reduced oxygen can be difficult enough for healthy individuals to receive enough oxygen for their body, but with sickle cell trait it becomes even more difficult.

While the idea of missing the first playoff game is not appealing to Clark, neither is a risk of potential complications. This is not the first game he has missed because of this condition. The Steelers have played Denver two times since that game in 2007 and Clark was pulled out of both of them.

Deborah Braconnier is a former athlete, medical professional and avid football fan. She is a freelance writer and Featured Contributor for the NFL and Olympics. She has followed the Denver Broncos since she was a child and can usually be found yelling at the television during football season. Follow her on Twitter at @fwcdeborah.

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Read More: Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT), Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers are playing the Cleveland Browns in Week 17 and they should have Ben Roethlisberger available. The Steelers QB missed Week 16 with a high ankle sprain but the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that he was a full participant in Friday’s practice and is expected to start against Cleveland.

That’s good news for the Steelers who still have something to play for. They’ve clinched a playoff spot but still have a shot at securing a division title, first round bye and even perhaps home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

If the Steelers beat the Browns, and the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers would win the AFC North and receive the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs. Without that No. 2 seed, they will be the fifth seed without a first round bye. The Steelers can even secure the No. 1 overall seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs if they win and both the Ravens and New England Patriots lose.

So the Steelers have plenty to play for, which means Roethlisberger will be out there. Previous reports indicated that they may get him just 25-30 snaps so he’s not rusty entering the playoffs.

If Roethlisberger can’t go, or comes out, Charlie Batch would replace him.

Check out SB Nation’s Behind The Steel Curtain for more on the Steelers.