And then a funny thing happened. The Steelers' defense shut down the Lions for the entire second half. Pittsburgh's slowly improving offense put together two consecutive touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, including a 97-yard march, the longest of Ben Roethlisberger's career.
"Maybe I made myself more tradeable," Roethlisberger joked after the game, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Big Ben's comments, of course, were in reference to the reporting by NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport. Mr. Rapsheet has steadfastly reported that Roethlisberger is frustrated in Pittsburgh and could seek a trade this offseason. The frustration primarily comes from money issues. (Doesn't it always?)
"Someone asked me during the week if I felt the need to say something to my teammates," Roethlisberger said. "I really didn't. I didn't think it was worth talking about. They know how I feel about them and this team. They know I don't want to go anywhere. A lot of guys came up to me and said, 'Ben, don't worry about it. It's ridiculous. Just play your game.' "
Big Ben was joking with his "tradeable" comments, but his performance down the stretch will help determine his offseason value. This story comes back to money. And there is no better way to earn some money than to pile up four-touchdown games on the way to a surprising playoff berth.
We recapped every Week 11 game on the latest "Around The League Podcast."
