Steelers vs. Cowboys: Ben Roethlisberger calls Steelers 'The World's Team'

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger knows his team's next opponent, the Dallas Cowboys, is nicknamed "America's Team," but he's not having any of it.

Ben Roethlisberger says if #Cowboys are "America's Team" then #Steelers are "The World's Team.''

That's a pretty brave card for Roethlisberger to play, given that his own popularity isn't as high as it might be if not for his sexual assault scandal. But hey.

Roethlisberger's reputation aside, both teams are awfully popular. A recent poll found the Cowboys to be the NFL's most popular team, with 8.8 percent of fans rooting for them. The Steelers are fourth at 7.1 percent, behind the Packers (7.2) and Giants (7.1). (And yes, that's 30 percent of NFL fans rooting for just four teams, leaving little room at the bottom for teams like the Jaguars, with 0.4 percent, and Rams, with 0.7 percent.)

Forbes' survey of the league's most and least popular players tells a slightly different story, though. The Steelers' Troy Polamalu rates as the NFL's most popular player, while two Cowboys quarterbacks, Tony Romo and Kyle Orton, ranked among the least-liked players in the league.

So who's "The World's Team"? Ultimately, it doesn't matter. What matters for the Steelers is a win -- they're 7-6 and are clinging to the AFC's last Wild Card spot. The Cowboys are also currently 7-6 and are on the outside looking in.