DIONTAE JOHNSON

The fun and games surrounding the Pro Bowl haven’t stopped some of the NFL’s top players from thinking about the racial inequities spotlighted by former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores’ discrimination lawsuit against the league.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are facing an eventful offseason following a second straight first-round playoff exit.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is likely headed into retirement after a 42-21 loss to the Chiefs in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Sunday night.

Ben Roethlisberger delayed his retirement a little longer, guiding Pittsburgh to a 16-13 overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens that left the Steelers on the verge of an improbable playoff berth.

Browns Steelers Football Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) scores a touchdown in front of Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward (21) after catching a pass in the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) (Gene J. Puskar)Browns Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward has been placed on the COVID-19 reserve list and will miss Sunday’s season finale against Cincinnati. Ward was already questionable with a groin injury suffered in Monday’s loss at Pittsburgh. The Browns will finish a disappointing season without Ward and linebacker Malcolm Smith, also placed on the COVID-19 list. The Browns did activate running back D’Ernest Johnson off the COVID-19 list, and the timing is good since Nick Chubb (ribs/chest) and Kareem Hunt (ankle) are dealing with injuries and may sit out.

Browns Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward has been placed on the COVID-19 reserve list and will miss Sunday’s season finale against Cincinnati.

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 123 yards and a touchdown in likely his final start at Heinz Field as the Pittsburgh Steelers beat Cleveland 26-14.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns, Byron Pringle caught two of the TD passes, and the Chiefs beat the Steelers 36-10 on Sunday to clinch their sixth consecutive AFC West title.

Ben Roethlisberger ran for his first touchdown in three years, Chris Boswell kicked four field goals and the Pittsburgh Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 19-13 win over Tennessee.

The Minnesota Vikings held on to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-28 by forcing an incomplete pass in the end zone on the final play.

The Pittsburgh Steelers edged the Baltimore Ravens 20-19 after turning aside a 2-point try by Baltimore in the final seconds.

Justin Herbert threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams with 2:17 remaining and the Los Angeles Chargers held off the Pittsburgh Steelers 41-37 on Sunday night.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions slogged their way to a 16-16 tie in an ugly nearly four-hour marathon that produced more comedy than highlights.

Joe Burrow threw for 178 yards and three touchdowns and the Cincinnati Bengals handled the listless Pittsburgh Steelers 24-10.

Saints Patriots Football New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones warms up prior to an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and Patriots, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm) (Mary Schwalm)The Latest on Week 3 in the NFL (all times EDT):___1:04 p.m. The New Orleans Saints defense has two top defensive backs returning to the lineup against New England and rookie Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. The Patriots' Jones completed 22 of 30 passes for 186 yards in New England's Week 2 triumph over the New York Jets. And Wentz will be without right tackle Braden Smith missing a second straight game with an injured foot and thumb.

Bears Browns Football Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. warms up before an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, in Cleveland. The Colts' quarterback couldn’t finish last week’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams after spraining his right ankle. And Wentz will be without right tackle Braden Smith missing a second straight game with an injured foot and thumb. The Bengals will be without wide receiver Tee Higgins. Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. warmed up for his first game since undergoing knee surgery with a tribute to injured teammate Jarvis Landry.

Bears Browns Football Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. warms up before an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer) (David Dermer)The Latest on Week 3 in the NFL (all times EDT):___12:20 p.m. All-Pro T.J. Watt and second-year man Alex Highsmith are both battling groin injuries suffered in a loss last week to Las Vegas. The Bengals will be without wide receiver Tee Higgins. Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. warmed up for his first game since undergoing knee surgery with a tribute to injured teammate Jarvis Landry.

The Pittsburgh Steelers followed a stumbling first half with a strong final 30 minutes to beat Dallas 16-3 in the first NFL preseason game in two years.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) makes a catch past Indianapolis Colts cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (26) for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020, in Pittsburgh. And even as the Steelers spent the first half against Indianapolis seemingly in a full-out sprint to get to the offseason as quickly as possible. It revived Pittsburgh's floundering season and delivered the Steelers the AFC North title. The defense kept Philip Rivers, rookie running back Jonathan Taylor and Indianapolis out of the end zone in the second half. “When we had everything to play for, we just didn’t have all the answers in the second half of a game we had to have.

His 28 TDs passing rank second most on the team list, and five behind the single-season record set by Kelly in ’91. Acquired in a trade with Minnesota in March, Diggs now has 100 catches to match the Bills’ single-season record set by Eric Moulds in 2002. The Steelers continue to resemble nothing of the team that set a franchise record by winning its first 11 games. The game was decided midway through the fourth quarter after Buffalo’s Tyler Bass hit a 23-yard field goal to put the Bills up 26-15. SACK STREAKThe Steelers extended their sack streak to a 70th consecutive game to break the NFL record set by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1999 to 2003.

Baltimore Ravens defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (91) applies pressure on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Baltimore Ravens defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (91) applies pressure on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)BALTIMORE – The Pittsburgh Steelers rallied behind Ben Roethlisberger to remain the lone unbeaten team in the NFL, beating error-prone Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 28-24 Sunday in a duel for first place in the AFC North. The Steelers led 28-24 when the Ravens (5-2) faced a fourth-and-3 at the Pittsburgh 8 with 2 minutes left. After Pittsburgh went up 7-0 on Spillane's 33-yard touchdown, the Ravens pulled even on a 6-yard touchdown catch by Miles Boykin. That left Pittsburgh thin up front after DE Chris Wormley went on IR Saturday.

Benny Snell Jr. added a 1-yard TD run, and Ray-Ray McCloud set up a touchdown with a 57-yard punt return. Pittsburgh scored at least 26 points for a sixth straight game to tie a stretch in 2015 for the longest in franchise history. Pittsburgh dominated early with a 161-1 edge in total offense before the Titans' second offensive possession. Roethlisberger and the Steelers scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time in 23 games, going 75 yards over 16 plays. UP NEXTSteelers: Visit Baltimore in a game rescheduled because of the Titans' outbreak with the Ravens coming off their bye.

___GREEN BAY AT TAMPA BAYPackers: RB Tyler Ervin, CB Kevin King, QB Jordan Love. ___NEW YORK JETS AT MIAMIJets: QB James Morgan, QB Sam Darnold, CB Quincy Wilson, LB Jordan Willis, T Mekhi Becton, DL Nathan Shepherd. Dolphins: B/WR Malcolm Perry, RB Salvon Ahmed, RB Jordan Howard, LB Kyle Van Noy, DE Jason Strowbridge. ___HOUSTON AT TENNESSEETexans: WR Keke Coutee, CB Cornell Armstrong, RB Buddy Howell, ILB Peter Kalambayi, OT Charlie Heck, TE Jordan Akins. ___ATLANTA AT MINNESOTAFalcons: CB Jordan Miller, RB Qadree Ollison, S Jaylinn Hawkins, RT John Wetzel, DE Takk McKinley.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (19) comes down with a touchdown pass against New York Giants cornerback James Bradberry (24) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Roethlisberger, who missed the final 14 games last season after elbow surgery, threw for three scores in a 26-16 win over the New York Giants at an empty and eerie MetLife Stadium on Monday night. The defense, while not quite on the level of the famed Steel Curtain, was plenty stingy and physical. It not only held Saquon Barkley to 6 yards on 15 carries, it also swarmed him in the backfield nearly all night. Even though the Pittsburgh defense broke down as the Giants marched 87 yards on 19 plays in just under nine minutes in the third quarter, it still came up with a major stop. Roethlisberger then took Pittsburgh 62 yards for the field goal and a 19-10 lead.

Instead, the rookie safety injured his shoulder in the season opener and didnt play again last season. Now Abram is one of several second-year players poised for a breakout season in 2020. While Abrams season was cut short because of an injury, Tennessee first-round defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons started late because of one. Simmons recovered in time to play nine games of the regular season and three playoff games. He showed flashes as a rookie with 59 catches for 680 yards and five TDs despite substandard quarterback play from Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges.

Associated PressPITTSBURGH - PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Pittsburgh Steelers stopped beating themselves long enough to keep the Miami Dolphins winless. Rudolph completed 20 of 36 passes, including a 45-yard touchdown to rookie Diontae Johnson late in the second quarter and a 26-yard strike to JuJu Smith-Schuster in the third quarter that put the Steelers in control. The Steelers pulled within 14-10 at the break thanks to the first of Minkah Fitzpatrick's two interceptions and some curious defensive play-calling by the Dolphins. Fitzpatrick's second pick - basically an arm punt by Ryan Fitzpatrick - gave the Steelers the ball at Pittsburgh 3. Steelers: Conner left in the fourth quarter with an upper-body injury.