In an interview with Tony Dungy for NBC’s Football Night in America, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he was “going to embrace the elephant in the room” that is the team’s upcoming matchup with the Patriots and the chance that the two teams will meet again in the playoffs.
His quarterback isn’t thinking about anything that far down the road. While Tomlin might have an eye on the “fireworks” that will accompany the matchup between the top two teams in the AFC, Ben Roethlisberger channelled Patriots coach Bill Belichick saying “on to Cincinnati” when asked about his current focus.
“He’s the head coach, he’s allowed to think about whatever game or whatever elephant in the room or whatever matchups, things like that,” Roethlisberger said on “The Cook and Poni Show” on 93.7 The Fan. “For me, I am 100% on Cincinnati and nothing else. That is my biggest focus because these guys are going to come out to get us. I mean they want to ruin our playoff chances.”
Roethlisberger said there’s “zero film work, talk, anything like that from me for any team other than the Bengals right now” and there’s a date against another divisional rival when they host the Ravens in Week 14. He’ll then get to turn his attention to the Patriots along with most of the football world as it promises to be the marquee matchup in the AFC once it finally gets here.