Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Wants to Play vs. Rams: Admirable or Dense?

The Pittsburgh Steelers face an inferior opponent in Week 16. Ben Roethlisberger doesn't care that his team could beat the St. Louis Rams without him, and he wants to play through the pain. 

Is this admirable, or is Big Ben just being dense? 

Nobody will ever accuse Roethlisberger of being a wuss. He is the toughest player in the NFL. Not the toughest at his position. The toughest. Period.

Anyone that watched the game on Monday Night Football, though, will tell you that Roethlisberger was far from helpful to his team's chances against the San Francisco 49ers.

In fact, Big Ben himself made the comment: "I was probably the best 49er tonight."

Granted, the Rams pose less of a threat to his safety than the savage, swarming defense of the 49ers, but Chris Long brings the heat on a regular basis (13 sacks, tied for fifth in NFL), and the Rams rank 12th in the NFL in total sacks (36).

I understand Roethlisberger's competitive nature, and I hold a deep appreciation for his leadership and toughness. I also understand that the Steelers are hell-bent on stealing the No. 2 seed from their divisional rivals, the Baltimore Ravens.

The thing is, the Steelers' two remaining games are winnable without Roethlisberger. The Ravens, on the other hand, might lose to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17, and that could happen whether Roethlisberger plays or not.

Big Ben, though, can't seem to see beyond the immediate future, saying,

"

I'm in the here-and-now. That's where we are as coaches and players and a team. I don't go out there worrying about playing with an injury. I don't go out there worrying about getting hurt worse.

"

Maybe it's time for Roethlisberger to start thinking about those things. What will happen to the team's chances if he actually does get hurt worse? 

While veteran backup and consummate professional Charlie Batch is serviceable for the short term against the Rams and Cleveland Browns, the Steelers will surely be lost in the playoffs without their leader.

Maybe it's time for head coach Mike Tomlin to finally make an executive decision about his star quarterback. Jason La Canfora of NFL.com reported earlier in the week that Tomlin was considering putting Roethlisberger on the bench for the remainder of the season. 

Lord knows Big Ben won't make this decision on his own. It's time to shut him down because he's too stubborn to make the smart choice on his own.