It's not a good day to be the leader of the preseason "Ben Roethlisberger for MVP" parade.
The thought process behind the now seemingly wayward prediction was that the veteran quarterback would be more comfortable in Todd Haley's offense and carry a Pittsburgh Steelers team with question marks at a plethora of positions.
In Monday night's 20-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, it was evident that Big Ben needs to be perfect for the Steelers to succeed. He wasn't.
"The quarterback's got to play better. And he will," Roethlisberger said after the game.
Big Ben was off target multiple times in the loss, including a high pass off Jerricho Cotchery's fingertips that was intercepted in the fourth quarter, killing a promising drive and effectively ending the game.
The 0-2 start to the season can't be placed solely at Roethlisberger's feet.
The Steelers have a multitude of problems. The run game is non-existent. The receiving corps lacks playmakers. The offensive line is a mess.
It all adds up to an exasperated Big Ben.
"Very frustrating," Roethlisberger said when asked how frustrated he was with the team's start. "We've got a long way to go. We're going to ... let this sink in for a day or two, then get ready for Chicago."
Despite the offseason Kumbaya, Haley's play-calling has to be upsetting Roethlisberger. The offense ran smoothest in the two-minute drill with the quarterback calling the plays.
The lack of a deep threat -- hello, Mike Wallace -- was evident. Coach Mike Tomlin said rookie speedster Markus Wheaton will be a bigger part of the offense going forward.
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