Ben Roethlisberger Jokes Steelers’ Game Against Browns Will Be Their 'Second Bye Week'
Ben Roethlisberger Jokes That Steelers’ Game Against Browns Is Their ‘Second Bye Week’
As the Pittsburgh Steelers head into their Week 5 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, the mood surrounding the team couldn’t be more confident. With a 3-1 record, the Steelers are sitting comfortably at the top of the AFC North, while the Browns, with a struggling 1-3 start, are reeling from inconsistent play.
In a lighthearted comment, former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger joked that this upcoming game could be Pittsburgh’s “second bye week” after their 26-21 win against the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland. Roethlisberger, who spent his entire career dominating the Browns, expressed confidence that the Steelers would easily handle Cleveland, despite the Browns’ strong defense.
“I said it’s our second bye in a row,” Roethlisberger quipped on his podcast, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger. “I don’t foresee a big issue with the Browns. They’ve had their struggles, and we know how to exploit those weaknesses.”
While Roethlisberger’s comments were filled with humor, there’s no denying the respect he has for the Browns’ defense, particularly pass rusher Myles Garrett, who has been a menace to opposing quarterbacks. With Garrett leading the way, the Browns have one of the most formidable defensive units in the league. However, Roethlisberger believes the Steelers’ offense is well-equipped to handle the challenge.
“We have a game plan for everything,” Roethlisberger said. “We’re prepared, and we know exactly what we need to do to get a win. We’ve faced tough defenses before, and we know how to break them down.”
Although Roethlisberger expressed confidence in his former team’s chances, he also warned against complacency. The Steelers cannot afford to underestimate a Browns team that, despite its record, still boasts a talented roster, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase Frustrated After Team’s Latest Loss
The Cincinnati Bengals are in scramble mode. Starting the 2025 season off 2-0, the Bengals have since come up short in their last two games, losing to the Minnesota Vikings in week three before losing to the Denver Broncos on the road 28-3 in week four, falling to 2-2 on the season. The absence of star quarterback, Joe Burrow, has been the team’s biggest issue this season, but the team’s most recent loss on Monday Night Football still caused frustration within the locker room.
Wide receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, who had a disagreement with head coach Zac Taylor mid-game that was caught on video, spoke to the media after the Bengals‘ loss and expressed his frustration with the game’s result.
Chase’s Frustration
Since backup quarterback Jake Browning took over following Burrow’s injury, the Bengals offense has had major issues. Against the Broncos especially, nothing seemed to work for the Bengals, from penalties piling up, the offense not finding a rhythm and the defense giving up big plays. But according to Chase, the team’s biggest issue was something entirely different.
“Urgency is there, man, it’s just you gotta want it,” Chase said. “At the end of the day, we gotta want it. Today, it didn’t look like we wanted it.”
Chase’s comments are very eye opening, considering his superstar status with the team. Last season, despite the Bengals struggling on defense and missing the playoffs, the offense was one of the league’s best, with Burrow putting up MVP-caliber numbers and Chase ending the year as the leader in every major receiving category. But the Bengals have struggled since Burrow went down and if they want to stay in the playoff race when he comes back, they will need to figure something out quickly.
The Game
The Bengals committed a total of 11 penalties for 65 yards– not counting a couple of penalties that the Broncos declined. What made matters worse for Chase was how many offensive drives ended quickly for the Bengals and how the Bengals were unable to capitalize after going up 3-0– punting on their final eight possessions. Overall, the Bengals finished with only 159 offensive yards for the game– the first time since the 2009 Raiders that a team finished with 200 or fewer offensive yards in the first three out of four games.
But the moment that described the Bengals‘ frustrations was Chase’s interaction with Taylor in the second half– signifying just how lost the Bengals look on the field.
“We were just talking about the possession,” Chase said on the interaction. “We were just talking about what plays we can run and how can we attack certain coverages and get our playmakers the ball.”
Since his arrival in 2021, Chase has been pivotal to the Bengals and even though he got in his coach’s face, Taylor did not take it personally and instead saw it as someone with extreme competitiveness.
“It comes across as emotional, but that’s just a captain that works his tail off,” Taylor said. “All he wants to do is win the game. All he wants to do is affect the game. Often times, he feels like, ‘If I have the ball in my hand, I can do that.’ And I don’t disagree with him.”
