Jan 8, 2017 5 min read

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Stop the presses. Ben Roethlisberger is in a walking boot.

It’s a precautionary thing, so precautionary, in fact, that head coach Mike Tomlin didn’t feel the need to mention that his star quarterback was even hurt in his postgame press conference.

In fact, if you watch this video, I shot following Sunday’s game, you’ll see Roethlisberger walking off the field: https://www.periscope.tv/w/1vAxRdNEkqaGl, you’ll notice the Steelers’ quarterback about 20 or so seconds in walking without a limp into the locker room.

He’s fine folks.

In fact, Roethlisberger himself said after the Steelers’ 30-12 win over Miami Sunday, that he’ll be ready to go next weekend at Kansas City.

@ All of that said, Mike Tomlin shouldn’t have had Roethlisberger in the game with five minutes remaining when his ankle was fallen on while throwing a third-down interception.

He had already taken Le’Veon Bell out of the game for that series. Why risk getting your starting quarterback hurt at that point with a 30-12 lead?

@ The Dolphins seemed intent on establishing their running game in this game. But they kept running at James Harrison’s side of the field.

After Harrison stopped Jay Ajayi for no gain and a three-yard loss on his first two carries, you’d think the Dolphins would try something different.

Then again, the left side of their line is supposed to be the strength and L.T. Walton was lining up over there against Branden Albert and Laremy Tunsil. But so was Harrison.

@ Mike Mitchell said following this game the Steelers didn’t want to just tackle the Dolphins, they wanted to “tee off on them.”

We saw quite a bit of that in this game.

Pittsburgh’s defense was still angry that Ajayi had run for 204 yards against it in Miami earlier this season.

The goal this time around?

“My number was 0, so I failed,” said defensive end Stephon Tuitt.

Ajayi had 16 carries for 33 yards in this game. And he wasn’t really even that effective. He had nine carries for 20 yards in the first half when this game was still somewhat in question.

@ Kudos to Jesse James and Cobi Hamilton for their blocks on Antonio Brown’s first touchdown, a 50-yard catch-and-run on a WR screen.

But Brown algso should get kudos for allowing that screen to set up instead of immediately turning it up the field.

Maybe he learned that patience from Le’Veon Bell.

@ Speaking of Bell and patience, it had to be tough for him to run with his typical style in his first playoff game. But there he was, stopping as everyone moved around him time and again before suddenly bursting forward for yet another big gain.

The Dolphins caught him in the backfield a couple of times, but not enough to keep him from rushing for a team-playoff record 167 yards on 29 carries.

Bell is a special, special back. And, even if fans don’t believe it, his teammates and the front office trust him, despite his multiple suspensions for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.

“I’m really happy for him,” said left tackle Alejandro Villanueva of Bell setting the team’s rushing record for the postseason. “He’s a good worker. He works extremely hard. He’s an exceptional football player and deserves the accolades.”

@ Note to special teams coach Danny Smith. There’s this thing called a touchback. It happens when the ball is kicked into the end zone.

You don’t have to return it. On a kickoff, you even get the ball at the 25. On punts, it’s the 20.

I mention this because if Fitzgerald Toussaint returns yet another kickoff 15 and 12 yards, as he did again Sunday, well, the world might end.

Also, Kansas City has this guy named Tyreek Hill, who’s really fast and returned two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns this season.

Given that the Steelers apparently are intent on being bad at kick returning and covering kicks, I thought that might be worth mentioning.

@ Roethlisberger had five incompletions on Sunday. Four were to Antonio Brown.

Those two really need to work on getting on the same page – he says with sarcasm.

@ Sean Davis left this game with a shoulder injury. It was Pittsburgh’s only big one in this game.

But Davis appeared to be OK walking around the locker room following the game, so the Steelers might have caught a break there, as well.

@ If you’re the Chiefs this week, do you load up to stop Bell and Pittsburgh’s running game or do you prepare to slow the passing game?

Given what I’ve seen the past two months, I’m loading up to shut down Bell.

He had 18 carries for 144 yards in the first meeting between these two teams – a 43-14 shellacking of the Chiefs by the Steelers in Week 4.

Roethlisberger was 22 of 27 for 300 yards and five touchdowns in that game, but given his road troubles this season, I’d want to make him prove he can beat me.

That sounds weird saying that about a quarterback who has led his team to three Super Bowls – winning two – and who is 12-6 in the postseason, but it’s what I’d do against the Steelers.