Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Explains Massive Difference Between Super Bowl XL Team And Now

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been repeatedly questioned about the way they do certain things. Sometimes, former players will take shots at the new-age team and talk about how much better everything was in the 2000s as opposed to the current day. With the streak of years without a playoff win and the defensive breakdowns in the biggest games of each year recently, they are probably right. Times have changed, and the team hasn't been able to do what it did back when they won their two latest Super Bowls, but it can still try to adapt.

While recently hosting his podcast Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger jumped on that trend. He and other members of the Super Bowl XL championship team were at the reunion at Acrisure Stadium for the Week 9 game, and they spoke about how the Steelers ended games with the lead then versus now.

"When we used to play in that Super Bowl XL year, if we were up with six minutes or less to go in the game, and we had the ball, [defensive players] were like, 'We started taking our tape off,'" Roethlisberger recalled. "Because Bussy [Jerome Bettis] was going to run the ball and 'Ben, you got to get a little two-yard this-that and the other, throw a screen here and there,' but we knew our running backs were going to just run the game out. 'We weren't even touching the ball again.' [Brett] Kiesel was on punt team; he was like, 'I was on punt team. I'd put my helmet down. I wasn't going out there.'"

That conversation came up because late in that Week 9 game, the Steelers tried a quick throw to Roman Wilson to get the first down and ice the game, but he made a costly mistake and tried to hurdle to get more yards, instead of protecting the ball, and he fumbled on that play. Luckily, Pittsburgh still won, but it's still a harsh reminder of how confident the team used to be in themselves, as well as the fans. 

It's not just that Week 9 game where the Steelers had trouble putting away their opponent at the end. In Week 3, the Steelers forced five turnovers on the New England Patriots, but they could never get a comfortable lead. It took a fourth down stop near the very end of the game for victory to be assured. These types of games are so much more stressful for fans than they probably should be.

The very next week, the Steelers finally did take a commanding lead, as they were up 24-6 on the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland. However, they gave up 15 consecutive points in the fourth quarter, and the Vikings got the ball back for one more push. Again, the defense was able to hold up before bad turned into worse, but this team has such a hard time closing out games in 2025.

Meanwhile, the 2005 Steelers were so confident in their ability to close out games that they would just start preparing for their upcoming postgame shower. They can't be called overconfident for that, because they were obviously right. Jerome Bettis' fourth quarter runs would be enough to silence any concerns that they could choke a game away.

Steelers Almost Choked Key Game Away In 2005/2006 Postseason

In the Divisional Round in 2025, Bettis took a routine handoff and coughed the ball up for the first time all season long. Roethlisberger made the heroic tackle to save the touchdown, but the defense let the Indianapolis Colts get into field goal range. They still won off of a shanked kick, but if they lost, no one would ever prematurely remove their tape again.

What do you think about the Steelers' confidence to close out games in 2005 and 2025? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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