Ben Roethlisberger calls the Steelers ‘the world’s team,’ Josh Allen’s career performance after grandmother’s death, and more NFL news

The Pittsburgh Steelers are tied with the New England Patriots for the most Super Bowls, and they have a fan base that can rival many of the league’s best.

The Dallas Cowboys are referred to as “America’s team,” but it was the Steelers who won, 24-19, on Sunday. It was a home game for the Cowboys, but Roethlisberger noted the large number of “terrible towels” waving through the limited crowd.

Then, he made a bold claim.

Cowboys fans won’t take that too well, but the Steelers are one of the league’s largest fan bases. Pittsburgh is one of five teams with more than three million followers on Twitter. Only the Eagles, Cowboys, and Patriots have more.

The new nickname probably won’t stick, but Roethlisberger’s squad will probably gain more fans around the world if they keep winning.

Brett Favre playing on Monday Night Football after his father’s death is one of the most memorable examples of a player honoring a family member shortly after death.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen played Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks shortly after his grandmother’s death and had one of the best performances of his career. Allen threw for 415 yards, three passing touchdowns and added a rushing score in the 44-34 win.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Allen was emotional, but said he wanted to play.

The “Bills Mafia” fan base is supporting Allen’s family. They have donated more than $19,000 to Oishei Children’s Hospital.

The NFL is a passing league now, but few teams have ever abandoned the run the way the Buccaneers did on Sunday night against the Saints.

Tampa Bay finished with five rushing attempts, and one of those was a kneel. It’s an NFL record for fewest rushing attempts in a game.

This isn’t college football. You need some type of balance to keep a team honest, even if it’s unsuccessful. A lack of balance can lead to exactly what happened: a 38-3 loss to a division rival.

It’s not like the Buccaneers lack talent at tuning back. Ronald Jones is still ninth in the league in rushing yards after carrying the ball just three times. Leonard Fournette ran for 1,000 yards in two of his first three seasons but had just one carry.

The Saints’ fast start could have played a role in the play-calling, but it was clear early that throwing the ball every play wasn’t working. The Bucs started the game with four straight three-and-outs.

Instead of running the ball more, Brady finished with one of the worst games of his career.