This past offseason, I wrote a post that listed the quarterbacks in the league who could be tagged as franchise guys—players you could build a team around.
And I left Ben Roethlisberger off of the list. My email inbox here at the NFP filled up with messages from Steelers and non-Steelers fans telling me, well, that I was an idiot. They said Big Ben needed to be on the list with Peyton, Brady, Palmer, etc.
APBen Roethlisberger's consistency often lends itself to being overlooked.
But, I, like most, don’t think about Roethlisberger in those terms because we take him for granted. We expect him to play well, we expect him to make plays in the pocket and, overall, we expect him to win.
And right now, that is exactly what the Steelers are doing behind Roethlisberger and a defense that is once again looking like the best unit in the league. The Steelers have rattled off five wins in a row, and I swear they are the quietest defending Super Bowl champions of all time. Yes, the 1-2 start made us question if they could make it back to the postseason, as has the hot start by the first-place Cincinnati Bengals.
But, after watching this team play again on Monday night and physically whip a very good Denver Broncos football team, I have no doubts that this team is primed again for a bigger run. They can compete with the Colts, the Patriots, the Bengals and the Ravens—who they still have to face twice down the stretch of the regular season.
And I really like their chances because they can go all the way to Miami with Roethlisberger—and the weapons around him on offense.
Rashard Mendenhall has completely taken over for Willie Parker, and Hines Ward is having a Pro Bowl season, in my opinion. We know Santonio Holmes can play, and the rookie, Mike Wallace, is averaging over 17 yards a catch. Furthermore, as an offense, they are averaging 382 yards per game—good for fifth in the league.
APRashard Mendenhall has stepped in nicely as Pittsburgh's feature back.
But, it starts and ends with Roethlisberger. He is a gamer, and the more I watch him play, the more impressed I am with not only his command of this team, but the respect that opposing defenses show towards him. I am starting to wonder how you prepare for this guy as a defensive player, because the play is never over when he has the ball. He creates so much time for his receivers that as a defensive back, you can’t take a second to look into the backfield—or you are beat. And I am starting to love his game.
An MVP candidate? Probably on the outside looking in because of the seasons of other quarterbacks such as Brees, Manning and Favre, but he should at least be in the discussion, right? He has thrown 14 TDs for a 6-2 team. Regardless, this is a guy with two Super Bowl rings already and someone I am not going to take for granted—nor should the rest of the league. Because this team with Big Ben is good enough to go to Miami and win it all—again.
And it’s led by a guy most likely to move up on my list this coming offseason.
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Brady and the Pats own the Steelers. And this year will be no different. The only Steelers post-season wins come when Brady isn't around.
It still kills me that Big Ben is always left out of the conversation when it comes to Brady and Manning. The guy has 2 rings people. One more than Peyton and one less than "Terrific Tom." We will see come playoff time for all of you Tommy lovers out there who the best QB is.
Are you kidding or what? Big Ben doesn't get any love? Dude is wildly overrated because Pitts D covers up for the games he stinks up the field. Yes he is resillient and makes big plays, and he's hard to tackle, but he's sloppy with the ball, he's prone to head injuries, and he's prone to come back from head injuries too early.
He's also prone to stupid off field incidents that shred his marketability.
No, he's a good QB, lots of talent, but he's not someone I'd ever want to see my franchise build around.
Ben makes big plays in the clutch, wins Super Bowls and puts up good numbers now that they've opened up the offense for him (look at the 2007-2009 stats. Those are major QB numbers two of the three years). He is what makes the Steelers purr along.
Jack-
Seriously? Off the field issues? That is half the players in this league.
Big Ben did take his team down the field to win a Super Bowl after his defense let him down last year against the Cards. That has to count for something.
About time you joined the club Matt.
The disrespect the Steelers and Roethlisberger get is crazy from the media side of things (as opposed to all the love the Pats, Colts and now Saints get), but as a fan I love it because I know my team will be there in the end.
This attitude the Steelers win because of defense and running the ball and Roethlisberger "manages" wins is ludicrous. Brady hasn't won anything since Belichick's defense started showing some chinks in the armor. Brady hasn't won anything since the run game has disppears. Coincidence? And Peyton and Indianapolis define September/October excellence only to look average at best come January. New Orleans is just another flavor of the month/greatest show on turf wannabe.
The Steelers are built for the grind of 16 games+. Roethlisberger is built for it. Tomlin is built for it.
This team is actually the most solid, top-to-bottom, both sides of the ball, special teams than any team in the league. Keep doubting us. Keep doubting Roethlisberger. Keep calling him good, not great. Keep calling him a "game manager". Keep telling him he rides the coattails of a good organization.
This team is going to win in Miami. And we will have a good argument to say we are the team of the 00's, not the glorious Patriots when it happens.
There will be other quarterbacks with more yards, more TD's, more fantasy numbers. The one record Roethlisberger will compete in his whole career will be wins. I'm fine with that.
Bob B, Defense is what Makes the Steelers purr along. Of the 8 quarters of Superbowl competition he's been involved in, Roethlisberger has performed well in only one of them. I'm not saying he's a bum, but I am saying he's inconsistent.
Da Coach, half the league rides a motorcycle without a helmet until they have a near fatal crash, or engages in conduct sketchy enough to end in rape allegations? And if you're going to throw the Steelers defense under the bus in SB 43, I don't know what to tell you. They kept the team in that Game for the middle 40 minutes in which the offense was getting nothing done.
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Nov 11, 2009
04:33 PM
Steelers over the Pats, Colts come January? Will be because of that defense more than Big Ben.