Vikings 36, Steelers 28
Q. Was the one of the more frustrating first halves that you've been involved in?
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: Yes (chuckling).
Q. There were a couple times there where your frustration kind of showed on the sideline.
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: Probably. I try to do my best not to, but sometimes it's hard not to, and I hate that because I don't want to seem like I'm frustrated about anything in particular, but just a general frustration sometimes.
Q. What has to happen to get off to better starts offensively?
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: I don't know. I mean, we drove the ball down the field. We had a penalty, I believe, on the first drive that got us backed up a little bit, but I don't know. Some weeks we do. Some weeks we start fast. Some weeks we don't. I'm not really sure what the key is to it. We've made some adjustments where we've practiced the first 10 a lot during the week, and I don't know.
Q. Kind of more in your comfort zone there in the second half with the passes that you were making?
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: I've got no choice when you're getting beat like that. Just kind of turned into an RPO game, pick-up-the-pace a little bit game, and guys made some really big plays down the field, too, though. I've got to give them a lot of credit.
Q. You guys have gone more no-huddle in the second half. When do you know it's the right time to move into that type of offense?
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: Usually when we have to. It feels like that at least. Just Coach Canada kind of says, hey, we've got to do this and do that, and he's in my ear communicating a lot, so just sometimes score dictates it, sometimes our play dictates it.
Q. When you put that last pass up for Pat, did you think he had it?
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: I got hit as soon -- not long after, so I didn't unfortunately get to see it. I just kind of heard the crowd's reaction, so I didn't get to see it until I saw the replay.
Q. (Indiscernible).
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: Yeah, I trusted that he was going to get down the middle. I know their safeties were kind of wide and watching it. Three guys collapsed on him pretty quick.
He's taking it pretty hard. I pulled him next to my locker and talked to him a little bit there at the end and just -- I've got a lot of faith and belief and trust in that guy. He's got a lot of heart. He is not one that is lacking for heart and desire, and he's going to -- he'll eat this for a while, and he shouldn't, because it's not on him.
Q. Do you have to talk to Chase, not only about that penalty but the 1st down pose and some of the things he's done during games?
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: It's not really my job. To me that goes up to Coach Tomlin. That's what he needs to do. That's his job as the head coach. As the quarterback, it's my job to help manage what we do on the field and getting 1st downs and trying to score. Dealing with player issues and whatever else you want to say, that's the coach's job, not mine.
Q. You guys were sliding the protections from time to time. Is that the offensive line that makes that call or how does that --
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: Sliding the protections?
Q. Yeah, thinking about Harris and --
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: Yeah, we had a max protection, and I think someone would just -- heard it wrong or went the wrong way, unfortunately.
Q. This is a couple times you guys have come up short late. How do you bounce back?
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: Well, we run out of time. I don't look at moral victories. I told the guys that as I walked around to the linemen and some of the skill guys, I'm not going to tell you all great moral victory, great fight back, because it's not that, but I'm proud of them for fighting.
Q. Seems like James Washington (indiscernible)?
BEN ROETHLISBERGER: Yeah, for sure, he was one of the guys that made plays. The second-to-last play or whatever down the right sideline I kind of told him, hey, listen, I'm throwing it up to you, make a play. There were two guys there. He still almost made the play. You need guys to step up and make plays, guys that have heart and desire and want to be out there to do what they can for the team, and I thought James did that. I thought a lot of guys really contributed in giving us a chance.
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FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports