He still has to play against the Cardinals ...
Ben is a great QB, in the mode of Terry Bradshaw. But in the SB he will be going up against his former offensive coordinator who not only knows Ben’s tendencies but knows defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau’s tendencies as well. Believe me it would have been perceived as more pressure to play a team from the same state but if given truth serum the Steelers would have preferred that to a team whose head coach knows your team inside-out and feels aggreived that he was passed over when Cowher quit.