Ben Roethlisberger has been the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers for eighteen seasons. He made his debut in 2004 and has been the face of the Steelers franchise for the past eighteen years. On Monday night, he played what is most likely his last game in the city of Pittsburgh, so it is fitting that he beat the team that he has dominated his whole career, the Browns.

There was a lot on the line for the Steelers on Monday night. It was most likely Roethlisberger’s last home game, and they had to win to keep their playoff chances alive. The crowd had a lot to do with the Browns’ offensive struggles. TJ Watt said in his press conference after the game,”…it was truly an atmosphere I have never felt here [Pittsburgh] before… feeding off of each other, feeding off of the crowd, there is no atmosphere like Heinz Field.” Watt helped his Defensive Player of the Year campaign, ending the night with 4 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 5 QB hits, and 2 passes defended. But Watt wasn’t the only star shining on the field Monday night.

On the other side of the ball, rookie running back Najee Harris looked like the star he is projected to be. Harris ran for 188 yards on 28 carries, adding 37 yard touchdown run to seal the game. Harris broke the Steelers’ record for rushing yards by a rookie in a single season, with 1172 yards on the season with one game left. The record was previously held by Hall of Famer Franco Harris. So Harris joins good company in the record books.

Even though the Steelers’ 2021 season is widely considered to be a disappointment, their playoff hopes are still alive if everything goes their way. To make the playoffs, the Steelers need to beat the Ravens next Sunday, paired with a Jacksonville win over Indianapolis, and the Raiders and Chargers cannot end the game in a tie. It is a very specific scenario, but it is very possible that it can go the Steelers’ way. Indianapolis has not won a game in Jacksonville since 2014, but the Jaguars will have to play their best game of the season to knock off Jonathan Taylor and the Colts. It will be interesting to see how the end of the season plays out, and let’s see if the Steelers can go to the playoffs one last time for their future hall-of-famer, Big Ben Roethlisberger.