Dec 9, 2011 3 min read

PITTSBURGH – NFL football is a game of attrition. Only the strongest survive.

So, too, is the remainder of the season facing the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It’s common knowledge that the team will go only as far as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger takes them. For a while during last night’s game against the Cleveland Browns, that looked like not too far. Roethlisberger suffered a high ankle sprain that kept him out the last six minutes of the first half.

To that point, Roethlisberger looked sharp in completing eight of nine passes for 102 yards and a touchdown.

When he returned to start the second half, it brought the Heinz Field crowd back to life, even though Roethlisberger’s limp became more noticeable as the third quarter turned into the fourth quarter.

The offense got a boost from running back Rashard Mendenhall, who ran nine times in the third quarter for 57 yards after getting only four carries for 18 yards in the first half.

Roethlisberger made plays when he had to, such as the 22-yard pass to Mike Wallace that was originally ruled a touchdown, but overturned on review.

Even after Mendenhall was stopped short of the end zone four consecutive times and the defense came up with a three-and-out from the Browns, there wasn’t a worry as long as No. 7 was lined up behind center.

Speaking of center and speaking of attrition, Maurkice Pouncey missed the second half with an ankle injury, but Doug Legursky was up to the task again. Trouble was, with Legursky moving from guard to center, Chris Kemoeatu returned to guard and drew holding penalties that negated two first downs.

After the second one, Roethlisberger was intercepted by Cleveland’s Mike Adams.

There may have been a bit of worry when James Harrison leveled quarterback Colt McCoy for a personal foul penalty and the Browns marched to a first-and-goal at the Steelers’ 5-yard line.

But McCoy returned just in time to be sacked and throw an interception to Willie Gay in the end zone to preserve Pittsburgh’s 7-3 lead.

Then, No. 7 returned with his magic.

On second-and-9, Roethlisberger threw a bomb to Antonio Brown for a 79-yard touchdown and the Steelers lived to play another day.

They survived on many levels in a game they were expected to win handily. But, as coach Mike Tomlin loves to remind us, there are no style points in the NFL.

Just survival.

The Steelers survived the Browns. They survived an injury to their franchise quarterback, who has 11 days to recover from the injury that couldn’t even keep him out of this game before he has to do it all over again next Monday night in San Francisco.

Yep, the Steelers likely will go only as far as Roethlisberger will take them. Luckily, the sky still seems to be the limit.

Sports editor Mike Ciarochi may be reached at mciarochi@heraldstandard.com.