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.”

On Friday, Dec. 23, ESPN’s Adam Shefter reported that Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is a game-time decision for Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Rams. If Roethlisberger is unable to go, then backup Charlie Batch would likely get the start.

Some of my fellow Rams fans might think I’m crazy, but I hope Big Ben plays. The Rams pass rush has been one of the few bright spots on the team this season, and I can’t wait to see the unit go after the Steelers’ wounded offensive line.

The only chance the Rams have of winning this game is if they can force Roethlisberger into turning the ball over. The Rams will have defensive ends Chris Long and Robert Quinn going after Roethlisberger early and often, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team blitz even more than it has already this season.

I think the Steelers will be tempted to throw more if Roethlisberger plays. With Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown lining up opposite of the Rams’ makeshift secondary, I can see Roethlisberger standing in the pocket trying to get the ball downfield. That’s where the Rams have a chance to cause Pittsburgh some problems. It’s a risky strategy, but it’s the only hope the Rams have against the mighty Steelers.

In reality, I fully expect the Steelers to come out and run the ball at the Rams regardless of who starts at quarterback. It’s no secret that the Rams have the worst rush defense in the NFL. Even though Rashard Mendenhall has struggled at times this season, the Steelers should be able to open up some holes for him. In fact, if the Steelers are determined enough, I think Mendenhall could easily run for 150 yards on the Rams.

However, if Roethlisberger plays, I think the Steelers might be aggressive enough for the Rams to take advantage of the situation. I know it’s strange for me to say that, but if Roethlisberger is as immobile as he looked against the 49ers, then the Rams have enough talent on the defensive line to cause some problems. I know this is wishful thinking, but at this point in a 2-12 season, that’s all I have.

The smart thing for the Steelers to do would be to have Roethlisberger rest his sprained ankle, but who knows if that will happen. I guess I’ll find out on Saturday.

Derek Ciapala has been a Rams fan since he was a child and the team was in Los Angeles. His favorite Rams moments include Flipper Anderson’s 336-yard receiving night against the Saints in 1989, and their miracle 1999 run to their first Super Bowl victory. You can follow him on Twitter @dciapala.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The choice isn’t really much of a choice for Ben Roethlisberger.

Given the option to play or rest his badly sprained left ankle on Saturday against struggling St. Louis, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback would rather take the field regardless of the pain or the risk.

“I’m in the here and now,” Roethlisberger said. “That’s where we are coaches and players and a team.”

Maybe, but the Steelers (10-4) are also at a crossroads.

Monday night’s 20-3 loss to San Francisco likely cost the defending AFC champions any shot of securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and Pittsburgh needs two wins and plenty of help just to win the AFC North and earn a first-round bye.

Roethlisberger gamely threw for 330 yards on basically one leg against the 49ers, but his limited mobility restricted the playbook and made every snap an adventure. He tossed three interceptions and fumbled once while failing to get the Steelers into the end zone for the first time in over two years.

He would love to atone against the woeful Rams (2-12).

The Steelers just aren’t sure they need him to try.

St. Louis has lost five straight and is the league’s lowest scoring team. Quarterback Sam Bradford remains hampered by a sprained ankle of his own, meaning journeyman Kellen Clemens could get his second straight start after joining the Rams less than three weeks ago.

Longtime Pittsburgh backup Charlie Batch is 4-2 in spot starts for Roethlisberger over the last six seasons, and though the 38-year-old isn’t quite as nimble as he used to be, he and fellow reserve Dennis Dixon have a better chance of getting away from St. Louis defensive end Chris Long than a hobbled Roethlisberger.

“They’re certainly more mobile,” St. Louis defensive coordinator Ken Flajole said. “They have a little bit more scrambling ability. Ben does a great job of getting away from pressure, but that ankle I’m sure has been a problem for him.”

Roethlisberger doesn’t necessarily agree. Despite throwing the ball 44 times in San Francisco and taking a handful of shots in the process, the two-time Super Bowl winner thinks he’s feeling better than he was after injuring the ankle against Cleveland on Dec. 8, jokingly giving credit to the copious amounts of milk he drinks.

Is he risking further injury and possible adversely affecting his team’s postseason chances if he plays in a game the Steelers could likely win without him? Sure. He also doesn’t care.

“I don’t go out there worrying about playing with an injury,” he said. “I don’t go out there worrying about getting hurt worse.”

Neither did Bradford, who originally injured the ankle in October then aggravated it in a loss to Arizona on Nov. 27. He didn’t practice this week and appears likely to miss his fifth game of the season.

Still, like Roethlisberger, Bradford would prefer to be on the field. It’s why he refused to be placed on season-ending injured reserve even if the Rams are putting the finishing touches on an eighth consecutive non-winning season.

“It’s my job, that’s why I’m here,” Bradford said. “I’m here to play football, I’m not here to ride the bike, I’m not here to sit on the sideline.”

Yet the Rams will be heading to the sideline regardless when the season ends on New Year’s Day. Not the Steelers, who have already clinched a playoff spot.

To get to a ninth Super Bowl the team needs Roethlisberger as healthy as possible. Rest is the only surefire way for his bum ankle to improve. It makes perfect sense to leave the final two games up to Batch and the league’s top-ranked defense.

It’s also not what Roethlisberger does. He’s already played through a sprained left foot and a fractured right thumb this season. What’s another two games on one foot if it gives his team a shot at improving its playoff position?

“I told coach (Mike Tomlin) even if I’m five percent, I’m ready to play,” Roethlisberger said.

And the Rams are hopeful to give embattled coach Steve Spagnuolo a much-needed lift. St. Louis is 10-36 in Spagnuolo’s three seasons and taken a significant step back this year after going a respectable 7-9 in 2010.

A steady stream of impact players to the injured reserve list hasn’t helped. The Rams are the league’s most anemic offense, though running back Steven Jackson is 34 yards away from posting his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard season.

The streak is a testament to Jackson’s toughness, durability and patience. St. Louis hasn’t made the playoffs since his rookie year in 2004.

He believed then a trip to the postseason would become an annual event. It has not, and there’s a chance the Rams will blow it up and start all over again next year.

It’s one of the reasons Jackson has so much respect for the Steelers.

“This team historically is one of the elite, year in and year out,” Jackson said. “They seem to always put a team together that’s playoff worthy.”

This year’s group is no exception, even if the Steelers have only been dominant in small spurts. That’s fine by them. There’s still a chance to get it going, preferably with their franchise quarterback healthy.

“We’re not concerned with that people are saying or what other people are doing outside of the building,” safety Troy Polamalu said. “I will say this, the team that may win the Super Bowl lost their last game, so we’ll see.”

(CBS/AP) 

SAN FRANCISCO – Ben Roethlisberger threw a few extra passes in near darkness after the lights went out at Candlestick Park.

The additional throws were all for naught. Big Ben never found his groove playing on a bum ankle — and the San Francisco 49ers’ top-ranked defense wasn’t about to let the most unique of home-field advantages get away in a 20-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.

“Just wondering how this happens at a professional stadium,” Roethlisberger said of not one but two blackouts.

Power outages plague Monday Night Football

Monday Night Football nearly became a Monday Night Fiasco.

San Francisco’s lights-out return to prime time helped salvage what could have been an embarrassing evening for everyone involved on the NFL’s biggest stage after a pair of power outages delayed the game for close to 35 minutes in all.

“I just feel like San Francisco took a big step to show the NFL and to show the state of California that they need a new stadium,” Steelers safety Ryan Clark said. “I think it was a very strategic move, and Candlestick may be no more.”

CBSSports.com’s Clark Judge says after this performance, he believes the Niners are a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

“They can run. They can pass. They can play defense … brother, can they play defense. In fact, they haven’t allowed a rushing touchdown all season, setting an NFL record Monday by pushing that streak to 14 games,” Clark writes.

Good thing there’s a state-of-the-art $1 billion stadium in the works.

The 49ers rode stellar run defense once again to keep the ailing Roethlisberger off balance and maintain a hold on the NFC’s No. 2 playoff seed and a first-round bye.

“Electric atmosphere tonight,” tweeted team president Jed York — unclear if his pun was intended.

Vernon Davis caught a 1-yard touchdown pass for the 49ers (11-3) one play after setting himself up with a 21-yard reception from Alex Smith, Frank Gore had a 5-yard scoring run and David Akers kicked field goals of 22 and 38 yards to overtake Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for San Francisco’s single-season scoring record.

“I think we showed the world we can play the game of football on a national stage,” Davis said. “At the end of the day that’s what it’s all about: respect.”

The Steelers (10-4) missed a key chance to take sole possession of first place in the AFC North and hold of the AFC’s top playoff spot.

Roethlisberger, playing on a sprained left ankle that had him in a walking boot during the week, threw two early interceptions and another in the waning minutes — and a couple of light structures flickered as the final ticks elapsed.

Even all those Terrible Towel-waving Steelers supporters in the sellout crowd of 69,732 couldn’t will their team when San Francisco had two blackout delays on its side.

“It’s very frustrating to feel like you let down your team and your fans and your coaches. It’s tough,” Roethlisberger said. “I’m not going to make excuses. I played a bad football game, I turned the ball over and that one’s on me.”

San Francisco became the first team in NFL history to hold an opponent without a rushing touchdown through each of the first 14 games.

“I also want to recognize our defense,” 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “NFL record for not allowing a rushing touchdown in 14 games. I think that is huge.”

Carlos Rogers, Dashon Goldson and Tarell Brown made interceptions, while Rookie of the Year candidate Aldon Smith had 2 1/2 sacks for San Francisco’s stingy defense.

The 49ers also have gone 36 games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. Rashard Mendenhall had 15 carries for 64 yards.

“This team has really become a team,” Harbaugh said. I’m really proud of them for that.”

Roethlisberger still finished 25 for 44 for 330 yards, but was sacked three times. After his second pick, he fumed as he limped off the field and could be seen yelling into his chin strap.

The 49ers made a big statement in their most meaningful home game since their last trip to the playoffs in January 2003, when San Francisco came from behind to stun the New York Giants 39-38 in one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history.

“It was probably the biggest home game since I’ve been here,” Alex Smith said.

They had to wait 20 minutes to get started after the power went out the first time. It didn’t seem to faze San Francisco.

“It wasn’t too bad. It was unusual,” said Alex Smith, who went 18 for 31 for 187 yards. “You don’t expect to have to deal with it, and it happened twice. But it was the same for both teams.”

Smith wasn’t sacked after being taken down 18 times in the previous three games, including nine in the Niners’ prime time flop at Baltimore on Thanksgiving night against Jim Harbaugh’s big brother, John.

Jim Harbaugh prepared for the Steelers by comparing notes with his brother after the Ravens won both meetings this season with Pittsburgh in one of the AFC’s fiercest rivalries.

The Steelers are 0-for-Harbaugh this season.

“I think we need to acknowledge that was 49er football tonight,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “We played the game on their terms.”

The 37-year-old Akers, who long admired Rice from afar growing up in Kentucky, topped Rice’s 1987 mark of 138 points.

Yet Akers has said he doesn’t feel deserving of the points mark over a great such as Rice — who clowned around on the field before the game catching passes from fellow Hall of Famer and former QB Steve Young, including one in the end zone.

It was after Akers’ second field goal when everything went dark for a second time. Thousands of flashbulbs went off in the midst of the black, with thousands of fans sitting in darkness — including all those Steelers fans who travel the country with their team.

NFL security chief Jeff Miller said he witnessed a transformer blow up while he was monitoring a gate outside the stadium, where a shooting during the preseason already put a negative light on this venue.

The second delay came early in the second quarter and halted the game again between the playoff-bound teams for about 15 minutes. Miller and other NFL officials gathered in the press box to assess the situation, remaining in constant contact with the commissioner’s office.

This was the 49ers’ only Monday night game this season and their final regular-season home game at Candlestick Park. The NFL certainly will want to make sure there are no problems when San Francisco hosts a home playoff game next month as NFC West champions — and Miller said he remains confident Candlestick can capably host a playoff game.

“Never in my life have I been a part of a blackout in a stadium,” Davis said.

The Steelers missed linebacker James Harrison, who served his one-game suspension for a helmet to facemask hit on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy on Dec. 8.

“We better lick our wounds pretty quickly because we have a quick turnaround here,” Tomlin said.