Ben Roethlisberger Says Steelers' Days of Glory Are Over

The Pittsburgh Steelers are losing their identity as a revered NFL franchise, admitted longtime Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Big Ben had scathing words for his ex-team: criticizing the team's losses to Arizona and New England, putting an insufficient offense on the field, and "bad coaching" in Week 14.

Roethlisberger didn't hold back.

Speaking on his "Footbahlin'" podcast, Roethlisberger reflected on Pittsburgh's narrow 21-18 loss to the Patriots last Thursday.

"You can't afford the second half of games to burn silly timeouts and not to have them late in the game," Roethlisberger said. "To me, that's bad coaching."

Roethlisberger added, "When it's fourth and one, you have to take a timeout to figure out if you're gonna go for it or not go for it like some of that stuff. Preserving timeouts at the end of a game are so valuable."

Ben Roethlisberger Has Nothing Nice To Say About New-Look Pittsburgh Steelers

The primetime Thursday night disaster for Pittsburgh let Ben Roethlisberger know that the days of hard-nosed, disciplined Steelers football led by legends of the organization like Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Troy Polamalu and Chuck Noll are over.

PITTSBURGH - Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks to throw a pass in the first quarter against the Houston Texans during their game at Heinz Field on October 20, 2014. (Photo by Justin K Aller/Getty Images)

"Maybe the tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers is done," the 18-year Steeler admitted.

"This isn't what has been handed down from those teams of the '70s," Roethlisberger added. "The Steel Curtain, the four Super Bowls, the Nolls, the Bradshaws, the Blounts. All those people, it's unbelievable. I've felt that certain guys on the team aren't in it for the team, they're in it for themselves."

Roethlisberger and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin survived plenty of turbulence while winning games. The two watched Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell nearly sabotage the team. Turns out bad play can sink a team quicker than dysfunctional characters.

The Steelers fell to third in the AFC North after their consecutive losses; falling to a 7-6 record on the season.

Big Ben has kept a keen eye on his former team. Roethlisberger admitted early in the season that he expects to root against Pittsburgh, hoping that his 'successors' never reach the same heights he did.

Is Roethlisberger right about Pittsburgh's waning legacy? Or is the former player bitter over leaving his longtime organization? Let us know: alejandro.avila@outkick.com.