Steelers vs. 49ers: 5 Key Halftime Stats for Pittsburgh

35.6: Big Ben’s QB Rating:

The ankle doesn’t look like the problem tonight.  It seems like Big Ben is just having trouble reading the Niners' defense. Roethlisberger has gotten better as the game's progressed, but he is going to need to take better care of the football if the Steelers are going to have a chance in the second half. 

3.3: YPA for Rashard Mendenhall

Mendenhall has been a pretty big disappointment for Steelers fans this season averaging only 3.8 yards a carry and racking up only one 100-yard game.  He will have to do better than that tonight as the Steelers need the running game to keep the pressure off Big Ben and his gimpy ankle.

2: Picks Thrown by Big Ben

While the Niners have not done a great job putting pressure on Big Ben, he has helped them out with poor decision-making in the pocket.

0/1: Red Zone Conversion Rate 

In what figures to be a defensive slugfest, neither team can afford to throw away any points.  Big Ben took points off the board when he tried to force one into the end zone.  Luckily for Roethlisberger and the offense, the Steelers’ D has held the Niners to field goals and kept them in the game. 

2: Number of Power Outages at Candlestick 

Standing around in the cold can’t be much help for Ben’s ankle the longer he stands around in the dark the more uncomfortable his plant foot is going to feel.  The only good part of darkness descending upon Candlestick is that the break halted San Francisco’s momentum and gave the Steelers a chance to regroup.