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Fred Vuich/Associated Press

In the wake of Ben Roethlisberger's five-interception cataclysm in the Steelers' 30-9 loss to the Jaguars—a game that looked worse on the field than it does on the stat sheet—everyone was thinking it. But no one expected Roethlisberger himself to say it.

"Maybe I don't have it anymore," Roethlisberger said after the game.

Roethlisberger isn't the soul-searching type. And he delivered his remark in the clipped tone of a frustrated quarterback telling the media horde to kiss off in so many words.

But on a day when Roethlisberger stood in a clean pocket and tossed softballs directly to Jaguars defenders, no one was about to come rushing to his defense.

Sure, any "Roethlisberger is finished" talk is both dramatic and premature. The Steelers are 3-2 and in first place, just one week removed from an impressive win against the archrival Ravens. But the Steelers offense has been flat at best all season, despite the presence of Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell, a loaded supporting cast and a veteran-laden offensive line.

Offensive doldrums allowed the Bears to manufacture an overtime win two weeks ago, despite their complete lack of a passing game. The Jaguars built such a commanding lead on turnovers Sunday that they did not throw the ball at all in the fourth quarter. Think about it: The Steelers, with their Hall of Fame quarterback, have lost to two teams trying to avoid their own QBs.

Sure, we can talk about Bell's missed offseason, Brown's sideline snit-fits and coordinator Todd Haley's often-inscrutable game plans. But Bell and Brown have played well lately, and Haley isn't exactly calling triple reverses. The Steelers' problem right now is that their quarterback has been ordinary on his best days and a disaster on his worst.

Maybe Roethlisberger's right. Maybe he doesn't have it anymore. Why does that sound crazy? He is 35 years old. He has taken a 465-sack beating over his career. He muses openly about retirement every offseason. In terms of conditioning, well, he won't be joining Tom Brady on the wellness-regimen bestseller list. Contemporaries like Eli Manning and Philip Rivers are facing similar crises on weaker teams.

Old quarterbacks fade. That fade often starts with multi-interception performances in games that look like easy wins on the schedule.

So yeah, Sunday's game could have been the beginning of the end. Roethlisberger said so himself. He sounded like he was being ornery or sarcastic.

But the truest things are said in jest.