Big Ben Cries Foul on Cincinnati’s Pick-6 in the 1st Half
Ben Roethlisberger threw far too many costly interceptions for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018. But his 16th pick – returned for a go-ahead TD by Cincinnati Bengal defensive back Shawn Williams in the 2nd quarter of Week 17 – may not have been legitimate.
Big Ben thinks that the Cincinnati defense jumped offsides. On the clip of the Bengals’ first touchdown, you can see Roethlisberger arguing with the referees about the early get-off by the Cincy defense.
Unfortunately – and perhaps purposefully – the Twitter clip posted by the Bengals does not include the snap count or the first moments of the play, picking up the action just as Ben was readying the throw. You can see the veteran QB throw up his hands and question an official at about the :29 mark.
The play turned out not to matter in the end. RB James Connor galloped for nearly 5 yards per carry and kicker Matt McCrane booted a pair of field goals in the 4th quarter as the Steelers out-lasted the Bengals for a 16-13 victory to end the season on a positive note.
But the pick-6 played into the narrative that Pittsburgh gave away its playoff chances with too many costly turnovers. Not only did Big Ben finish the year with double-digit picks, his receiving corps suffered 5 lost fumbles, and Connor fumbled on a momentum-turning play in a late-November loss to the Denver Broncos.
Ironically it was an interception in another game that ultimately knocked the Steelers out of the postseason. If Cleveland had been able to upset the Baltimore Ravens in Week 17, Pittsburgh could have won the AFC North with a 9-6-1 record. But rookie QB Baker Mayfield was picked-off on a do-or-die 4th quarter drive, dooming the Browns and allowing Baltimore to escape with the division crown.
