Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has insisted that popstar Justin Bieber was not to blame for his side's weekend defeat against New York Jets.

The Black and Gold held a prayer meeting the night before the game which was attended by the 20-year-old Canadian, with the team later posting pictures on social media sites of Bieber.

This led to Pittsburgh legend Terry Bradshaw criticising his former side, suggesting that outsiders should not have been let into the meeting.

However, Roethlisberger hit back, saying: "That's not a big deal at all. For instance, Plaxico Burress stopped by. Obviously he's family, but people stop by all of the time and we've had other athletes, actors and celebrities stop by. It's not a big deal at all.

"It was all fun for him and the guys. Bieber is one of the more popular guys for good or for bad in the country, so they had a chance to say hello and they did."

The Steelers will look to bounce back from the surprise loss when they take on Tennessee Titans next week.