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The Pittsburgh Steelers are featured in a column by Tyler Conway.
AP Photo/Terrance Williams.
Ben Roethlisberger probably won't be a motivational speaker after he retires from football.
The quarterback gave a blunt assessment of his team's chances going into the game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
We are going to the No. 1 team, and we are 20-point favorites. I know they aren't the top seed, but they are the best team in football. We don't have a chance, so let's just have fun," Roethlisberger said.
Alan Saunders is on PGH.
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Ben Roethlisberger says theSteelers are embracing the role of playoff underdogs.
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"We probably aren't supposed to be here."
Roethlisberger isn't wrong about the Everest-esque climb the Steelers have coming, despite some facetiousness to his comments. The opening round spread at DraftKings is the largest for the Chiefs.
The first time these two teams faced each other, the Chiefs were up and down the field in a 36-10 victory. Roethlisberger threw for 159 yards and one touchdown in the Week 16 contest, with the lone touchdown coming in garbage time.
In their last seven games, the Steelers have only scored a touchdown in the first half once. The team's inability to stretch the field with their quarterback's arm has hampered their passing attack, with the team moving the ball down the field via a series of underneath passes.
Roethlisberger's 6.2 yards per attempt was the lowest of his career, and he did not top the 6.0 YPA mark in any of the last four games.
The Chiefs have won nine of their last 10 games and are now the favorites in the AFC. It would take a lot of hard work from the 39-year-old Roethlisberger, who is almost certainly retiring after this season, to be able to keep up and extend his career for another week.
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