Big Ben on losing side for first time
ARLINGTON, Texas - A season that began with discipline ended with disappointment for Ben Roethlisberger.
Two years ago, Roethlisberger led a game-winning drive to capture a Super Bowl title. This year, the Steelers quarterback was unable to match that.
Roethlisberger, who appeared to injure his left knee early in the game, completed 25 of 40 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns.
But he also threw two interceptions, and when the Steelers - trailing 31-25 - got the ball at their 13-yard line with 1:59 remaining, he was unable to get them past their 33.
The final drive started out promisingly enough, with completions to Heath Miller and Hines Ward for 20 total yards. But on second-and-5, Roethlisberger threw a long incompletion down the right sideline under pressure, followed by another that set up fourth-and-5 from the 33.
Roethlisberger tried to hit Mike Wallace on the left side, but his pass sailed a little high and a leap by Wallace came up just short. Jarrett Bush was there to defend the play for the Packers, who needed only to take a knee twice to begin their celebration.
"Obviously, it's disappointing to lose, but for me it's even more disappointing, because you feel like you let a lot of people down," Roethlisberger said. "I turned the ball over, and you can't do that."
Roethlisberger's left knee appeared to buckle late in the first quarter, slipping out from under him as he tried to throw a pass to Miller. He seemed to be limping, but on the next snap, he scrambled for 18 yards and a first down. He had 31 rushing yards on four carries.
As a second-year player in Super Bowl XL, he completed only 9 of 21 passes for 123 yards and two interceptions. He did not throw a touchdown pass in the win over the Seahawks.
Two years ago, he completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the comeback win over the Cardinals.
In Super Bowl XLIII, Roethlisberger led a drive capped by a 6-yard touchdown pass to Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds to play for a 27-23 victory.
This season began with Roethlisberger suspended for the first four games for violating the league's personal-conduct policy after his involvement during the summer in a second claim of sexual assault against him (the original discipline called for a six-game suspension). The Steelers went 3-1 without him.
It ended with a Super Bowl appearance, but this time there was no comeback drive, even though Roethlisberger thought and history said there would be.
"It was going to be tough," he said, "but you never stop believing."