Big Ben accepts blame, moves on

PITTSBURGH (AP) — He didn’t blame the wide receivers for running incorrect pass routes, even if one of them seemed to be singling him out. He didn’t blame the special teams for allowing a third costly kickoff return touchdown in four games.

He didn’t argue with offensive coordinator Bruce Arians’ decision to take over the play-calling during a hurry-up situation late in the game, when Ben Roethlisberger often is most effective while calling his own plays.

No, Roethlisberger says the Steelers’ biggest loss of the season was his fault, and his alone. The Steelers (6-3) are down a game to the Cincinnati Bengals (7-2) in the AFC North after losing to Cincinnati 18-12, and the quarterback said the reason was No. 7.

“You know what? I had a bad day. Everyone in here’s had a bad day. ... I flat out had a bad day and it’s going to happen sometimes,” Roethlisberger said Thursday, the first time he’s talked to reporters since Sunday. “It’s just unfortunate that when the quarterback has a bad game it affects the whole offense. That’s why you can’t afford to have too many bad games.”

Instead of breaking down what he did wrong, or figuring out why he couldn’t connect consistently with his receivers inside the 20, Roethlisberger said he has long since shifted his focus to Sunday’s game in Kansas City.

“It’s being able to look at it and move on and not dwell on it,” Roethlisberger said. “If you dwell on it, I think it can carry over. Just being able to put it behind you, learn from the mistakes and say, ‘Listen, don’t let this happen again’ and hopefully it doesn’t.”

Roethlisberger didn’t feel right warming up, but initially believed he could play his way out of it during Pittsburgh’s first series. He scrambled for 15 yards and a first down as the Bengals 15, but the drive stalled and the Steelers settled for a field goal. The pattern for the day was set.

“I didn’t feel great, my arm didn’t feel good and that first drive, we connected a few times, went down the field, had to scramble,” Roethlisberger said. “And then it never quite came around.”

Roethlisberger owns the NFL’s second-best winning percentage among quarterbacks — only Tom Brady is better — but he deferred when Arians decided to call the plays during the Steelers’ final series. Late in games, Roethlisberger is usually at his best when calling his own plays out of no-huddle sets.

This time, Roethlisberger went 0 for 4 and the Steelers never gained a yard after taking over at their 33 with 1:56 remaining.