Ben Roethlisberger is a two-time Super Bowl champion and one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but even he sometimes can overstep his bounds.
Roethlisberger acknowledged that on Thursday and apologized to offensive coordinator Todd Haley, coach Mike Tomlin and owner Art Rooney II for making critical comments on the offense following Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
"I let my frustrations jump out after a game, I don't usually do that," Roethlisberger said to the Associated Press. "Usually, I keep it under control. I was just frustrated with myself and I'll be better at that. "That was just frustration, which normally doesn't get to me when speaking publicly. It was more frustration with myself than anything. We spoke on Monday. I wanted to make sure I was going to come in and apologize for causing an issue to Mike Tomlin, to Todd and Mr. Rooney."
Roethlisberger threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns while completing 24 of 40 passes, but threw an interception in overtime that helped seal the game for Dallas. Following the game on Sunday, the quarterback seemed disappointed in Haley for not using the "no-huddle" offense.
Roethlisberger was also asked by reporters about some of the calls and why he didn't target tight end Heath Miller in the second half.
"I just don't think we called the right plays to get him the ball," Roethlisberger said, according to ESPN.com. Following the game, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Dejan Kovacevic said the situation was "a 100-percent legitimate, non-manufactured quarterback vs. coordinator controversy."
With time to take things in perspective, Roethlisberger said Thursday he knows he should keep those thoughts to himself, or at least in the locker room.
"We do have a lot of talks behind closed doors about things, about plays, play calling," he said. "If I'm doing something that's not right on the field, we have talks about everything."
Head coach Mike Tomlin spoke about the situation as well and said that all three parties, himself, his quarterback and his offensive coordinator ate on the same page.
"There are going to be times when you just don't see eye-to-eye," Tomlin said. "There are times when I don't see eye-to-eye with Coach Tomlin. But that doesn't mean anything, I don't think."
Haley is known for his offensive play-calling skills since working as coordinator with the Arizona Cardinals and then later as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. He has an aggressive style of coaching and often uses short and intermediate passes to get the offense moving.
When asked about the situation and how it will affect the team going forward, Roethlisberger shot down any notion that it would progress further.
"There won't be any rift," Roethlisberger said, via USA Today. "Everything is fine. I don't even think Todd was upset with it. He said, 'I appreciate you coming. But I don't think you needed to.' We're good to go."
Roethlisberger has had issues in the past with coordinators and there was a situation earlier this year when Haley was originally hired that was a precursor to what is going on now. Two weeks after the announcement of Haley's hiring, Roethlisberger said that he had not yet spoken to the coordinator.
"He still hasn't called yet," Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review at the time. According to the paper, Roethlisberger "had the tone that he has no intention of making the first move."
While that wasn't a big issue at the time, it has a bit more relevance now that Roethlisberger has criticized the offense. Either way, the Steelers need to get themselves going. At one point the team was 6-3 and looking like they might win the AFC North, but after losing four of the past five games, the team needs to win its final two matchups against Cincinnati and Cleveland just to make it. According to ESPN.com, "Roethlisberger is 27-5 against the Ohio teams for his career."
The team started the season just 2-3, but then won four straight games before Roethlisberger got hurt, including a 24-20 victory over the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.
The Steelers have dealt with numerous injuries this year, including to Roethlisberger. The quarterback was hurt in the 16-13 win over Kansas City in November, dislocating a rib and spraining his shoulder, forcing him to miss three games. The team went 1-2 in those games and has since lost two in a row after he returned.
Prior to the injury, Roethlisberger was completing almost 70 percent of his passes, but has since fallen down to 55 percent over the past two. This season he has thrown for 2,911 yards and 22 touchdowns with six interceptions and is competing 64 percent of his passes.
Roethlisberger hasn't been helped much by a running game that has been riddled with injuries, allowing defenses to play aggressive against Pittsburgh's speedy wide receivers Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown.
"I think maybe it started in Kansas City where they had a little bit of success, where they got in our face a little bit and disrupted the timing of our routes," Miller said. "We've seen that in some form or variation since then."
The team is ranked 10th in passing in the league, but is averaging only 96 rushing yards per game, ranked 26th in the NFL. Last year's starter Rashard Mendenhall has been dealing with knee injuries all year, while Jonathan Dwyer has taken the primary role, rushing for 532 yards and two touchdowns.
Roethlisberger has been known throughout his career as a quarterback who can extend plays and escape from pressure. This season he has been slowed by some injuries and the offense, keeping him from improvising as much.
The Steelers have a tough matchup against the Bengals on Sunday, as the team is ranked 12th in pass defense and ninth in rush defense, allowing just 101 yards per game. The defense has a solid secondary with cornerbacks Terence Newman, Leon Hall and Nate Clements, who have combined for four interceptions this season.
The Bengals are currently in the sixth playoff spot, while the Steelers are seventh. Since the two teams play each other this week, if Pittsburgh wins out, they will make the playoffs. Earlier this season the Steelers defeated the Bengals 24-17 on the road. Roethlisberger had 278 yards and one touchdown with one interception in that game and will need a similar performance to get the victory on Sunday.
