For most of the weekend, and right up until gametime, nobody was sure if Ben Roethlisberger was going to be able to play on the ankle he injured against the Browns last week. Big Ben ended up playing in the game without the aid of a painkilling injection, but he clearly wasn't as effective as he normally is and his four turnovers made the game much easier for the 49ers. Jamison Hensley of ESPN wonders if it was the right decision for Roethlisberger to play.
And, judging by his performance against the 49ers, a hurt Roethlisberger will have trouble getting the job done against playoff teams and the best defenses in the NFL. Roethlisberger committed four turnovers (three interceptions and one fumble) and never got the Steelers within a sniff of the end zone (the closest was the 19-yard line). The 49ers scored 13 of their 20 points off Roethlisberger's turnovers.
Obviously hindsight is 20-20, but based on Big Ben's mobility and comfort in the pocket last night, it seems like he just should not have been out there. And with all the hits he took from Aldon Smith and the rest of the 49ers defense, he didn't get a chance to rehab his ankle at all. Time will tell if this was the right decision.