Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is saying that he is optimistic that Ben Roethlisberger will be able to start against the Cleveland Browns for the final week of the season. That noise you hear now is every Steelers fan letting out a resounding “why?”

It was debatable whether Roethlisberger should play against the San Francisco 49ers two weeks ago but after the Ravens lost it made sense. After Roethlisberger looked terrible, looked injured and the 49ers defense destroyed him it made less sense to start him last week. Now after the Steelers won without Roethlisberger last week it seems to make no sense for Roethlisberger to start this week.

The Steelers have a chance to win the AFC North, which means a first round bye in the playoffs and the Steelers could even slip into the first seed overall and get home field throughout the playoffs. Obviously everybody would prefer to get the first round bye but not if it means risking Roethlisberger’s health and costing the Steelers a trip to the Super Bowl. The Steelers can go to the Super Bowl if they are the five seed. They can’t go to the Super Bowl if Roethlisberger is injured.

Benching Roethlisberger doesn’t guarantee that the Steelers give up the division either. Last week the Steelers not only won without Roethlisberger but they won by a score of 27-0. They did it the way that Pittsburgh traditionally wins, running and defense. Sure, their opponent was the St. Louis Rams who are currently in the running for the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. The Cleveland Browns aren’t exactly Super Bowl contenders either though.

The Browns are playing without their starting quarterback Colt McCoy-who has been out since suffering a concussion after a hit from James Harrison in the two teams’ last meeting-and their offense only ranks 29^th in the league. The Steelers’ defense also seems to step up when Roethlisberger doesn’t play. Last week the defense shut out the Rams and last season when Roethlisberger missed four games the defense only allowed 12.5 points per game against four teams that had a combined record of 41-23 by the end of the season.

The offense won’t be completely the same if Roethlisberger doesn’t play but it won’t be bad either. Cleveland’s defense ranks 10^th in the NFL but that is largely because of a pass defense that ranks 2^nd in the NFL. Cleveland’s rush defense is actually only 30^th in the NFL and not far off from the Rams defense that the Steelers ran all over last week.

The Steelers can beat the Browns even if Roethlisberger doesn’t play and then their fate lies in the hands of the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals game. The Bengals game will be much tougher for the Ravens. Besides the fact that the Ravens choke in big situations, you also have a Bengals team that will be pumped to hold on to their playoff spot. If the Bengals win they clinch only their third playoff spot in 20 years. The game is also in Cincinnati where the stadium has sold out for only the second time this year.

The Steelers should rest Roethlisberger one more week and it’s possible Pittsburgh still gets the first round bye. Even if the Ravens win and the Steelers are the fifth seed every Steelers fan has faith that Roethlisberger can navigate the Steelers through the playoffs one more time. Nobody has faith that Charlie Batch can do it if Roethlisberger plays and makes his ankle worse.

Sources:

Tomlin optimistic Roethlisberger could start at Cleveland, Chicago Tribune

The last several generations of Lee Andrew Henderson’s family were Pittsburgh born and even though he was born in Alabama he has been a long time fan of the Pirates, Steelers and Panthers. Lee Andrew Henderson can be found on Twitter at @LeeAHenderson

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The Pittsburgh Steelers had no problems getting by without Ben
Roethlisberger in their latest game, and there’s a chance they could give their
ailing quarterback another week to rest during their regular-season finale.

The potential for an even more significant week off may sway that decision.

A first-round bye is in sight for the Steelers with a victory over the host
Cleveland Browns on Sunday and some help, but otherwise they’d likely need to
win three times on the road to make a return trip to the Super Bowl.

After suffering a high ankle sprain in a 14-3 win over Cleveland in Week 14,
Roethlisberger played through pain in a 20-3 loss at San Francisco 11 days
later, throwing three interceptions as Pittsburgh blew a chance to stay in the
driver’s seat for the AFC’s top seed.

Needing two wins and a Baltimore loss to win the AFC North and guarantee at
least a first-round bye, the Steelers (11-4) rested Roethlisberger in favor of
Charlie Batch last weekend against St. Louis. Batch threw for 208 yards while
Pittsburgh rode a 116-yard rushing performance from Rashard Mendenhall and a
dominant defensive effort to a 27-0 win.

Baltimore held off a late rally by the Browns to win 20-14 that same day,
but the division’s current leader – by virtue of a head-to-head sweep of the
Steelers – hardly has it easy in Week 17. The Ravens travel to Cincinnati, where
a win would put the Bengals in the playoffs as the AFC’s No. 6 seed and third
qualifier from the North.

A Baltimore loss and Pittsburgh win would give the Steelers the No. 2 seed,
and potentially No. 1 should New England falter. But anything else leaves
Pittsburgh as the AFC’s fifth seed with no week off, almost certainly requiring
the defending conference champions to win three road games to reach a fourth
Super Bowl in seven years.

“There are some scenarios that can unfold, where we can improve our playoff
position,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “We are aware of that. We are also aware that
all of those scenarios include us winning this football game. We are going to do
what we deem necessary for us to put ourselves in position to do that.”

Tomlin said Tuesday that both Roethlisberger and center Maurkice Pouncey -
who’s also nursing a high ankle sprain – have “a shot” to play against Cleveland
(4-11).

The fifth-year coach isn’t sure if Roethlisberger – named Tuesday to his
second Pro Bowl – will be able to practice, but even if he can’t, Tomlin figures
to wait until close to game time to make a decision.

While the Steelers need help from the Bengals – offensive lineman Trai Essex
said he “might peek a couple of times” at the scoreboard – they’re focused on
the Browns, especially considering they didn’t put the Dec. 8 meeting away until
a 79-yard Roethlisberger-to-Antonio Brown touchdown with 2:52 left.

“Cleveland’s going to do whatever they can to put a damper on our season as
much as possible,” Essex told the Steelers’ official website. “They’re not
having the year I’m sure they wanted to, but whenever we play against each other
it doesn’t matter what our record is, we’re going to get their best and they’re
going to get ours.”

Roethlisberger isn’t the only quarterback to have sustained a potentially
significant injury in the first meeting. Browns quarterback Colt McCoy took a
helmet-to-helmet shot from Steelers linebacker James Harrison late in the fourth
quarter, a hit that drew Harrison a one-game suspension and opened the door to
Cleveland’s coaching staff receiving plenty of criticism.

McCoy returned to the game, but was later diagnosed with a concussion. The
decision to send him back in led to the NFL instituting a policy that requires
teams to have a certified athletic trainer in the press box help medical staffs
evaluate injured players.

One of the harshest critics of the Browns’ handling of the situation was
none other than Harrison, who said last week that Cleveland should be
disciplined since he was docked one game.

As for his play, Harrison claims he’s lowered his target area. Browns
linebacker D’Qwell Jackson isn’t so sure.

“Harrison is who he is and whether you fine him, you suspend him, he’s not
going to change,” Jackson said.

McCoy, who missed the past two games, has not been medically cleared and is
unlikely to return for the finale. Seneca Wallace figures to get the call again
after throwing for 373 yards, two TDs and an interception in losses to the
Cardinals and Ravens.

“We have to try to take advantage of every opportunity and make sure we do
it at 100 percent,” Wallace said. “Do it at a high level and minimize mistakes.
Against teams in this division, we can’t give them easy ones.”

As long as Roethlisberger’s been in Pittsburgh, matchups with Cleveland have
typically been just that. The Steelers are 13-1 against the Browns with
Roethlisberger starting, and he’s thrown seven touchdown passes without a pick
in his last four visits to Cleveland.

“You never want to lose to Cleveland,” Steelers safety Ryan Clark said.
“When you are in this city, when you play for this organization, that’s a game
you don’t want to lose.”