Pittsburgh Steelers | Ben Roethlisberger wishes farewell to Jerome Bettis

(Pittsburgh) There was no impassioned speech or a moment when the club got pumped up. It was not necessary.

The Steelers knew that at the end of the playoffs following the 2005 season, Jerome Bettis was going to bow out.

The star running back didn’t need to point out that the Super Bowl would be held in his hometown of Detroit.

Or that a champions ring would perfectly complement a career worthy of the Pantheon.

Or that the reason he was arguing over this 13^e and last season, it was to wipe out the pain of the backhand inflicted by the Pats at Heinz Field about a year earlier in the AFC championship game. This is why “The Bus” was back.

Ben Roethlisberger was playing his second season and was only 23 years old.

The campaign ended in joy at Ford Field where Bettis, “Big Ben” and the Steelers won the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

“I wanted this win for Jerome,” said Roethlisberger. We knew what that meant to him. ”

Almost 20 years later, he became the face of the organization in search of a glorious end.

Like the 2005 Steelers, the club’s 2021 edition (9-7-1) entered the playoffs as the American’s lowest-ranked team.

It would therefore take three victories abroad to reach the big game.

The road starts Sunday night in Kansas City (12-5).

In 2005, the Steelers had four players who have since secured a berth in Canton, and the defense finished third in the NFL in points allowed per game.

In the 2021 season, the Steelers allowed 36 or more points on four occasions.

“I don’t want to take anything away from our current edition, but in 2005 it was quite a club,” said Roethlisberger. We have a lot of crusts to eat before we can compare ourselves to them. ”

On Boxing Day, KC manhandled Pittsburgh 36-10, at Arrowhead Stadium.

Over the season, Roethlisberger has dealt with an inexperienced and sometimes overwhelmed offensive line. Stephon Tuitt didn’t perform at all (knee surgery), while Tyson Alualu suffered a broken ankle in September.

“We want to win for Ben, sure,” said guard Trai Turner. This guy is giving his all on the pitch, and that’s just another motivation. But we also want to win for ourselves. ”