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