Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers need to get on the same page again

Jacksonville Jaguars 30, Pittsburgh Steelers 9. Um what?

The Steelers, the largest favorite of Week 5, lost at home to the Jaguars. They didn’t just lose, they got embarrassed. They were physically dominated at the point of attack. Ben Roethlisberger had the worst game of his career, throwing five interceptions, two of which went back to the house. The Jaguars even won the game with Bortles only going back for two pass attempts in second half.

The Steelers have now lost to the Jaguars and the lowly Bears in Chicago. But they are still 3-2, and with a weak AFC North, still the favorites to win the division. However, there are doubts starting to swirl about the decline of this team and more importantly, the decline of their quarterback.

This season Roethlisberger is completing 61 percent of his passes, near the bottom for his career, has more interceptions (seven) than touchdowns (six), and his yards per attempt are a full yard below his career average. After the game he even hinted at his demise, saying “maybe I don’t have it anymore.”

That’s a shocking statement to hear from a player of Big Ben’s caliber. We all have self-doubts about our abilities at times. It would be one thing if he said “I didn’t play well,” which he did, but the line above, that changes things for me. Whether or not he said it sarcastically, it’s still worrisome that he would say that line out loud.

After a tough loss, the team needs reassurance that their leader will regain his confidence and play. That line doesn’t suggest it. Adding to the worries is that Big Ben hinted at retirement during the offseason. His struggles are mental, not physical, which seems to be the issue in Pittsburgh.

This game is hard enough when you’re 100 percent committed to being the best. When you’re fully committed, your life revolves around the game. Your body is your job, and you treat it as such. You’re always watching what you eat, even in the offseason. Workouts, therapy, and self evaluation are essential when you’re totally committed.

When you’re 85 percent committed, you slip a little in those areas and just aren’t as prepared as usual. I know the feeling. After my third ankle surgery in a year, the Giants cut me, and I was signed by the Lions. I knew that was my last season. I was over rehabbing for years. I was preparing like usual, but just not with the same energy. Slipping just a tad in your routine can signal a decline in your career, especially as you get older.

Roethlisberger brushed off his comments on Tuesday, reasserting that he was “one of the best.” He added that he was fully committed to this season, despite his retirement talk.

He also danced around questions about drama in the Steelers locker room.

Even after writing off his own comments two days later, it’s impossible to overlook them completely. This is where Big Ben is right now. He sounded like a guy who has a foot out the door. It might be the pinky toe, but that door is open just a bit, where it hadn’t been in the past. I also believe there is some behind the scenes turmoil in the locker room that could be fueling Big Ben’s thoughts, but also the lack of execution by the entire team.

I’m not going to use this space to get into politics, but how the Steelers handled their team protest in Week 3, after the president’s “son of a bitch” comment, shows a team starting to fracture. The Steelers were going to stay in the tunnel for the anthem, the first of three teams to stay off the field for the anthem. However, during the anthem, one Steelers player, former Army Ranger and current starting left tackle, Alejandro Villanueva, stood outside the tunnel during the anthem.

A few days after the game, Roethlisberger released a separate statement about their decision on Sunday saying “I wish we approached it differently.” He said later that he disagreed with protests during the national anthem, saying “I personally don’t believe the anthem is ever the time to make any type of protest.”

The Steelers were the only team that weekend, even if accidentally, who weren’t on the same page with how to handle that unique situation. They subsequently went on to lose on the road to the Bears.

The following weekend, the Steelers easily dispatched the Ravens in Baltimore, a good road win against a division opponent. However, during the game, Steelers standout wide receiver Antonio Brown was caught on the sidelines throwing a fit after not getting the ball.

It was reported after the game that Brown was upset at the quarterback over his role in shaping the team’s decision to stay in the tunnel during the national anthem in Week 3. Brown disagreed with Roethlisberger’s handling of the matter.

Do I think Ben was purposely not throwing at Antonio Brown because they didn’t agree on the way to handle the protest? No.

In fact, they got back on track Sunday. Brown had a huge game in the loss. However, it’s not great when two of the Steelers best players can’t get on the same page.

Are the Steelers finished? No. But we are starting to see some fracturing in the locker room around a quarterback who has contemplated retirement and has now openly questioned his abilities. The Steelers have enough talent to win the AFC North, but how far they go beyond that will depend in part on what happens in that locker room.