"The decision to play a noticeably hobbled Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback against the San Francisco 49ers Monday night sparked a lot of debate, but the Steelers had the No. 1 seed hanging in the balance.

The decision to keep Roethlisberger in the game in the fourth quarter when there was little hope for victory provided more questions for coach Mike Tomlin regarding the use of his star quarterback and his long-term planning for the playoffs."