Mark Madden: Steelers should have played it safe with Vance McDonald

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been struck by covid — and a bit of irony, too.

Ben Roethlisberger and Vance McDonald were among the more outspoken when the ’rona hit Tennessee before the Steelers were supposed to travel there for a game Oct. 4, forcing the Steelers’ schedule and bye week to be rearranged.

McDonald griped that “one team’s blunder is another team’s misfortune.” Roethlisberger said the Steelers “got the short end of the stick” and has been passive-aggressively complaining about the bye week ever since.

Now McDonald has covid. Roethlisberger has the best part of a week off.

Roethlisberger won’t be upset about not practicing. He doesn’t practice religiously, anyway. Talent doesn’t need to practice very often. Mario Lemieux proved that.

If Roethlisberger tests positive and can’t play, it’s Mason Rudolph to the rescue. The mere possibility is electrifying, and what’s best for business.

Rudolph completed 2 of 3 passes for 3 yards at Dallas, leading the Steelers on a four-play drive that lost 2 yards and resulted in Chris Boswell’s team-record 59-yard field goal.

So, Rudolph seems ready. If the Steelers lose, he provides the excuse.

If Roethlisberger plays, he’ll sprint out of that tunnel at Heinz Field like he’s shot out of a cannon. He will have stared down covid. Did he hurt one knee at Dallas, or both?

Roethlisberger loves drama, loves to “beat the odds” and will beat the Bengals while throwing for 400-plus yards and a couple of touchdowns. Or maybe he’ll just play one good half again.

The Steelers’ collision with covid doesn’t figure to result in a body count, so there’s no point indulging outrage.

But the Steelers screwed up.

After McDonald showed up sick Friday, he never should have been put on the plane to Dallas. McDonald had cold-like symptoms.

NFL protocol was not violated. McDonald didn’t test positive till after the game.

But the Steelers didn’t play it safe, and now they’re sorry. Err on the side of caution.

Letting McDonald travel and play was even dumber than trying to convert fourth-and-1 instead of kicking a 32-yard field-goal for an eight-point lead with under a minute left. At least Roethlisberger didn’t sit next to that decision on the team plane.

It would be more fun if Rudolph played. The Steelers put their undefeated season on the line with their much-maligned second-stringer behind center. Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner would pull out all the stops. Heck, he might even commit to the run.

With or without Roethlisberger, it’s no big deal if the Steelers lose. It might even help.

Whether it’s admitted or not, the Steelers and their fans are invested in being undefeated and, deep down, are thinking about the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the NFL’s only perfect team.

But a lot of pressure accompanies, especially if the Steelers win their next two games like they should and reach 10-0. If the Steelers get to, say, 13-0, the hype would explode nationally and be unbearable. Perhaps their intensity would dry up a bit too early.

Regular-season wins don’t matter. Playoff wins do.

If that 13-0 scenario seems far-fetched, 8-0 seemed far-fetched. But here we are.

The Steelers are on course to get the AFC’s lone bye. But the NFL may eliminate the bye.

If the NFL can’t complete its regular season in 18 weeks — yes, that includes potentially adding an extra week to play games postponed by covid — the NFL would account for standings that might be skewed by adding an extra playoff team in each conference.

Eight teams in each conference would qualify, not seven. There would be no bye, which the Steelers would get as of now.

There’s no word on how many games would have to be canceled for this contingency to be enacted.

Here’s thinking the real reason for adding two extra playoff games might not be fairness. It’s getting TV revenue for those two additional postseason contests.

NFL owners thought there would be a lot more fans in the stands by now. When a billionaire usually makes, say, $200 million but suddenly makes “only” $150 million, he sees that as losing $50 million. That revenue needs to be recouped somehow.

Not to be cynical.