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(AP) Ben Roethlisberger played few poor games during his unrivaled 13-0 rookie-season run.
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(AP) - The Pittsburgh Steelers' 17-6 victory over the New York Jets on Dec. 12 was one of them.
Roethlisberger looked uncomfortable and played ineffectively, throwing two interceptions and getting sacked twice as Pittsburgh was held to only three points until the fourth quarter.
The rookie quarterback picked up his play in the final period by leading two touchdown drives, but his statistics, 9-of-19 for 144 yards, were his worst of the season. He didn't even lead the Steelers in touchdown passes. Jerome Bettis had one to his none.
But if Steelers coach Bill Cowher is concerned that Roethlisberger will make his first NFL playoff start Saturday against the team that frustrated him most during the season, he wasn't showing it Monday.
Roethlisberger has played more NFL games than he did during his final college season at Miami of Ohio, so to Cowher he isn't a rookie any longer.
"We have an identity now. We have players who have roles on this team and we need everybody to play at the levels that have put us in this position," Cowher said. "There's no one excluded. I don't differentiate rookies from guys who have been here eight or nine years."
Still, Roethlisberger looked like a rookie against the Jets, throwing for only 24 yards in the first half. Nearly all of his yardage came as he completed four of his final five passes for 99 yards, including a 46-yarder to Lee Mays that led to Bettis' 12-yard touchdown run.
"They were bringing a lot of people, and penalties hurt us a lot," Roethlisberger said. "We did not play a good first half of football offensively. We made some mistakes, but the good thing is we got out with the win."
Afterward, it was suggested that Roethlisberger was regressing and had hit the so-called rookie wall. But he bounced back a week later to throw for 316 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers beat the New York Giants 33-30.
"The thing I liked about Ben in the fourth quarter was, he never flinched," Cowher said.
The Steelers' 15-1 record matches the NFL's best regular-season mark since the 16-game schedule was adopted in 1976. Two of the previous three teams to go 15-1 _ the 1984 49ers and 1985 Bears _ won the Super Bowl. Only the 1998 Vikings failed, losing to Atlanta in overtime in the NFC championship game.
"The expectations we have are no different from the ones we had to start this season," Cowher said. "This is just the next step we're taking. I think the only thing that changes is the quality of teams you play, all the attention that takes place, all the scrutiny that exists."
Still, no rookie quarterback has led his team to the Super Bowl, much less won it. Of course, no rookie quarterback had won his first 13 starts until Roethlisberger did.
"We just have to keep preparing like we've been preparing all year long and go out and seize this opportunity," Cowher said.