Ben Roethlisberger met with the media on Christmas Eve as the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for their regular season finale against the Cleveland Browns. Here's what he had to say:
What do you think of James Harison winning the team MVP?
I don’t think it was an issue. It might have been unanimous. I think everybody saw that coming because he does what he does. He’s pretty spectacular.
How important is it to go into the playoffs with some momentum?
I think it’s very important. Once you get to the playoffs, it’s all about how well you’re playing. Are you playing well or are you on the decline. We want to have the momentum on our side and really be playing good football as we enter the playoffs.
Do you expect to play a lot in this game?
I don’t know what to expect. You’d have to ask the coach that one. All I know is that I took all of the snaps today so I’m preparing to play.
Is it a difficult game to be in when a team can’t move up or down in the playoff standings?
It can be. It depends on the other team. Are they really going to play hard and knock you around, or are they going to lay down. It’s the Cleveland Browns, so we don’t expect them to lay down. We expect to get their best shot.
Some guys rested last year in that last game going into the playoffs. How did it affect the team last year?
It was great because I was one of those guys. It felt good. We were a tired football team. We’re an entirely different football team, so I don’t think you can put too much into it.
With the bye week, do you feel like you’ve already got that extra week to rest?
That’s the best part about it and that’s the mentality coach is taking.
If Bill Cowher were to coach in Cleveland next year, how weird would that be for you guys?
We’d have to beat him.
But what would it be like having him on that sideline?
It’d be different at first seeing him over there, but we’d get over it quickly and go about trying to beat the Browns.
Have you seen him on his TV gig at all?
Yeah, a little bit.
What’d you think?
He’s doing well. Nothing against his TV personality, but he’s probably a better coach. That’s a compliment to his coaching because he’s such a phenomenal football coach.
How important is it to get Hines (Ward) those final 27 yards?
That’s up to him. If that’s what he wants to do, then that’s what he wants to do. It’s only 27 yards and you would think that he could get it pretty quick. You hope.
Have you ever played on a team with a record like this and how tough do you think it will be for those guys to play right now?
I hope I never have to. In high school and college we always won more than four. It’s got to be tough. I can’t imagine because they’re a great football team, especially coming into this year with all of the expectations that they had. I’m sure it’s tough.
How important is it to get the run game going?
We’ve got to get the whole offense clicking, running, passing, a little bit of everything. It’s going to be a big game for us to really get the offense going.
Can one week change the way things have gone the last several weeks?
I think we can. I think we’ve got the mentality, the veteran leadership, that we can really get it going and see where it takes us.