Dec 27, 2016 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – “To play or not to play” isn’t exactly a William Shakespeare quotation, but it is one several NFL teams are paraphrasing heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

With all six AFC playoff teams decided and only some jockeying in terms of seeding yet to be done, there is an inherent risk with little reward for at least half of the conference’s postseason field.

New England (13-2) has clinched the No. 1 seed and hosts Miami (10-5), which can move from its current spot as the second wild-card team to the first with a win Sunday along with a loss by the Kansas City Chiefs (11-4) at San Diego.

Oakland (12-3) needs a win against Denver or a Chiefs loss to clinch the No. 2 seed.

The Steelers (10-5) and Texans (9-6) are locked in as the third and fourth seeds, the result of winning their respective divisions are guaranteed a home playoff game in two weeks.

With that in mind, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, whose team hosts Cleveland (1-14) Sunday, said Tuesday that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown, running back Le’Veon Bell and center Maurkice Pouncey will likely sit out the game.

“It would be nice to take Le’Veon into a playoff stadium,” Tomlin said. “That is something we haven’t been able to do in the last two years. Antonio Brown, it would be nice to take him into a playoff stadium. We went to Denver last year without him. That’s not quite as fun as doing it with him. Maurkice Pouncey is another guy. I have been in playoff stadiums without him. I have been in a Super Bowl without him. It is more fun to do it with him. So, those are some of the guys that I will give consideration to.”

Tomlin might not stop there, though he didn’t name any other healthy players who might sit out the game.

Roethlisberger said he welcomes the opportunity to rest, though he enters the game less than 200 yards short of 4,000 yards for the season and one touchdown shy of 30 TD passes.

Those individual numbers, however, have nothing to do with team goals.

“If you can get a little bit of rest to head into playoff time, I would use the rest,” the 34-year-old Roethlisberger said told KDKA-FM. “If coach wanted me to play, I would play, too. But if I could rest my old bones, the knees and the shoulders and stuff, I would take that rest as well.”

The Steelers have won six games in a row, including a thrilling 31-27 victory Sunday over Baltimore to clinch the AFC North title, and Tomlin isn’t ready to concede a win to the Browns, even if some starters sit.

“Our goal is to win,” Tomlin said. “Football is our game. Our business is winning.”

Landry Jones would start at quarterback if Roethlisberger doesn’t play and veteran running back DeAngelo Williams would start in place of Bell. B.J. Finney would play center in place of Pouncey, and Brown sitting out would give some young wide receivers more playing time.

Resting players does not come without risk.

In 2007, Tomlin did not play Roethlisberger in the regular-season finale and the quarterback threw three interceptions in an opening-round loss at Heinz Field to Jacksonville.

The following season, Roethlisberger did start the regular-season finale against Cleveland and was injured, though the Steelers had a first-round bye in the playoffs locked up and he did not miss any playing time.

“It’s an issue, but whenever you’re in that place, you like being in that place,” Tomlin said. “That’s a good issue to have, so I embrace it. I look at each individual opportunity. I’ll do what’s appropriate for us this week in terms of getting our guys in position to win this game.”

Meanwhile, Tomlin was asked about comments made by former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw last week in which Bradshaw said Tomlin is not a “great” coach and is more of a cheerleader than a strategist.

Tomlin said the criticism of whether he is great is fair but took exception with the other part of the statement.

“Terms like ‘cheerleader guy,’ to me, maybe fall outside the bounds of critique or criticism,” Tomlin said. “They probably fall more toward the area of disrespect and unprofessional. But what do I know? I grew up a Dallas (Cowboys) fan. Particularly, a Hollywood Henderson.”

Henderson famously said before the Super Bowl in 1979 Bradshaw couldn’t spell “cat” if he was spotted the “C and the A.”

Tomlin said defensive end Stephon Tuitt (knee) and tight end Ladarius Green (concussion) continue to recover from injuries after sitting out against the Ravens. Safety Robert Golden suffered an ankle injury that could leave him questionable to play against Cleveland.