Big Ben said he's sorry for creating such a big stink.
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger said he apologized to coach Mike Tomlin, OC Todd Haley and team president Art Rooney II for his comments after Pittsburgh's 27-24 overtime loss in Dallas on Sunday.
Roethlisberger made claims such as, "I just don't think we called the right plays to get him the ball," in regards to TE Heath Miller and, "That's disappointing" about the lack of the utilization of the no-huddle offense. Roethlisberger also noted that the team's first touchdown was the result of an audible.
A Pittsburgh Tribune-Review columnist wrote about Roethlisberger's comments, leading to several national outlets picking up the story on a possible rift between Roethlisberger and Haley.
"I let my frustrations jump out after a game and I usually don't do that," Roethlisberger said Wednesday. "I usually keep them under control, so it's just frustrations on myself and I'll be better at that.
"It comes from just wanting to win, truthfully. It comes from just wanting to do anything just to win football games. And yeah, from knowing the potential we have and the players we have, it's just a lot of frustration. But I shouldn't have come out... That's my fault."
The relationship between Haley and Roethlisberger has been a point of discussion for media and fans since Haley replaced Bruce Arians. Arians and Roethlisberger were very close, and Arians was let go by the Steelers. Haley also has a public reputation for being somewhat abrasive and has had high-profile sideline blowups in past stops in Arizona and Kansas City.
There have been no known heated exchanges between Haley and Roethlisberger. But Roethlisberger hasn't been highly complimentary of Haley, either.
Tuesday, Tomlin noted it is common for NFL quarterbacks to change plays at the line of scrimmage.He also chalked up Roethlisberger's comments to frustration. Tomlin said he has moved on.
"I just was apologizing for the storm that it created and caused," Roethlisberger said. "We do have a lot of talks behind closed doors about things and about plays, play-calling, if I'm doing something that's not right on the field -- we have talks about everything. Coach Tomlin and I meet every Monday to talk about the game and what's going on. The frustration of a loss, and especially feeling it was my fault, that's just... things boiled up."
Roethlisberger chuckled when asked if he was not going to apologize for wanting to run the no-huddle offense more often.
"I just want to win the game -- however we can win football games and win championships, that's what I want to do," he said. "That's my priority list."
Follow Steelers reporter Chris Adamski on Twitter @CBSSteelers and @BuzzsawPGH.
