If Steelers coach Mike Tomlin listens to Ben Roethlisberger this week, then don't expect too many Steelers' starters to be on the field when Pittsburgh hosts the Browns on Sunday.
After the Steelers beat the Ravens 31-27 on Christmas Day, Big Ben was asked what Pittsburgh's game plan should be for Week 17.
"If we've got a spot and the 3 [seed] clinched up, I think a lot of guys should get healthy," Roethlisberger said, via ESPN.com.
Thanks to their win over Baltimore, the Steelers do have the AFC's No. 3 seed "clinched up" and that won't change no matter what happens against the Browns, meaning it would be the perfect time for the Steelers players to "get healthy."
Although some teams are against resting their starters, Roethlisberger is definitely on board with the strategy.
Roethlisberger himself probably wouldn't mind an extra week off. The Steelers quarterback underwent surgery earlier this season to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. That injury caused him to miss one game. The Steelers quarterback also came up hobbling several times against Baltimore after taking some brutal hits.
The good news for the Steelers is that fortune seems to be in their favor right now. If the Raiders win the AFC West, the Steelers could be in a position where they just have to beat the Dolphins (with Matt Moore) and the Raiders (with Matt McGloin) to get to the AFC title game.
Anyway, if the Steelers do decide to rest their starters this week, the biggest winner would probably be the Browns. Four days ago, it looked like they were going to go 0-16. Now, there's a chance they could win two games in a row for the first time since Weeks 9 and 10 of the 2014 season.
