Ben Roethlisberger, out with an MCL injury for four to six weeks. Tony Romo, out with a broken collarbone for at least eight weeks.

Cue the media frenzy saying that the Steelers’ and Cowboys’ seasons are in peril. But can that really be? Can one player — even a quarterback — go missing and torpedo an entire team? Neil Paine ran the numbers, and he’s here to assuage the fears of Pittsburgh and Dallas fans: Roethlisberger and Romo were important, but they weren’t everything. Watch the video below to find out why.





FiveThirtyEight: Despite QB injuries, the Steelers and Cowboys still have life

If you’re into this kind of statistical banter, subscribe to FiveThirtyEight’s sports podcast, Hot Takedown.