“Roethlisberger doesn’t consistently turn in enough big performances for me to start my team with him.”

-ESPN.com’s Rob “Stats” Gurrera, explaining why the best NFL quarterback under age 30 is Phil Rivers, May 6, 2009

 

Ben Roethlisberger is 27 years old.  His record as a starter is 59 wins, 22 losses.  This includes his playoff record, which is 8-2.  He has two Super Bowl rings and one Pro Bowl appearance.

 

He has 19 4th-quarter comebacks after 5 seasons.  Elway had 47 in 16 seasons.  Carson Palmer has…wait for it…less than 19.

 

He holds an unbreakable rookie record – 13 consecutive wins in 13 starts.  Eli Manning was in his 3rd season when he won his 13th game.

 

“Will Ben Roethlisberger ever get better?  Will the Steelers ever be able to win because of him rather than in spite of him?”

            -The Associated Content, December 9, 2008

 

When Big Ben stepped under center in September 2004, he took over a team that had finished 6-10 the year before and wasn’t expected to contend for anything other than maybe a wild-card spot.  They lost a grand total of six games in his first two seasons and have only missed the playoffs once since he was drafted.

 

He has two playoff losses.  He lost as a 22-year-old rookie, in the AFC Championship game, facing the Patriots at the peak of their mini-dynasty, in a game that was closer than most people remember.  He lost against Jacksonville in a game that almost certainly would have been a Steelers victory if one of two holding calls would have correctly been made on the 2nd-to-last play of the game. 

 

Against the top 3 seeds in the AFC in 2005, he 1) threw for 7 scores and 680 yards, 2) outplayed the best QB in the league (Peyton Manning), 3) rang up 31 points on the league's 3rd-best defense (Denver), and 4) made the biggest tackle of anyone’s life when he brought down Nick Harper.

 

“Forget about the Super Bowl rings because the issue with Roethlisberger is that the Steelers still have to manage him. He plays within the Pittsburgh offensive attack instead of the team building their offense around him.”

           

-Matt Bowen of The National Football Post, May 19, 2009

 

The Steelers have to “manage him.”  As if he were a stock portfolio.

 

How does 32 touchdown passes in a run-oriented offense sound?  What about every time the Steelers go no-huddle and the opposing defense is dumbfounded?  What about his Houdini-like ability to escape an otherwise lethal pass rush?

 

Quarterbacks should ultimately do three things: 

 

  1. Be a leader.
  2. Take care of the football.
  3. Win games.

 

Yes, Big Ben throws a lot of interceptions.  You know who else threw a lot of interceptions?  Brett Favre.  Peyton Manning.  Fran Tarkenton.  Terry Bradshaw.  Roethlisberger takes some chances; more often than not he makes up for it.

 

Does he not lead?  Does he not win?  Are you not entertained?

 

After every game, win or lose, Ben says the same thing:  “I’d like to thank my offensive line, those guys were great today.”  And just for the record, those guys usually weren’t great that day.

 

Big Ben is the most popular guy in a locker room full of popular guys.  He hates to lose and is the first one to take the blame after a tough day. 

 

Pittsburgh will never be known as an easy place to play quarterback.  Steeler fans still hold Neil O’Donnell solely responsible for losing the 1995 Super Bowl. 

 

During Kordell Stewart’s tumultuous career, he was doused with beer at home games, cried on the sidelines after being benched, and was hounded by constant rumors that he was gay. 

 

Jim Miller had such a short leash that he was benched in the first half of the first game after being named the starter for the 1996 season. 

 

After Tommy Maddox blew a game against Jacksonville four years ago, his kids were teased badly in school and some people reportedly threw garbage on his lawn.

 

You get the idea.

 

You’re starting a team from scratch and could have any quarterback in the league. Who do you take? 

 

Peyton Manning is 33 and still excellent, but he’s slowly starting to decline.  He has 3-4 good years left if he’s lucky.

 

Brady is 32 and coming off major knee surgery.  Like Peyton, he’s not yet past his prime, but he has 4-5 good years left if he’s fortunate.

 

If you said Rivers, Brees, Cutler, Palmer, Romo, etc. – well, football just might not be your thing.

 

The only guy in the room with an argument against Ben is Eli Manning.  He’s had three very good seasons out of five and one spectacular playoff run.

 

Ben has had one terrible season, four pretty good ones, and two spectacular playoff runs.

 

Oh wait…

 

E. Manning, Wild card round, 2005:  35.0 rating, 3 INTs, O TDs, 23-0 loss to Carolina

E. Manning, Wild card round, 2006:  85.6 rating, 2 INTs, 1 TD, 23-20 loss to Philly

E. Manning, Divisional round, 2008:  40.7 rating, 2 INTs, 0 TDs, 23-11 loss to Philly

 

Well I guess that settles that.

 

Maybe Roethlisberger will never put up huge fantasy numbers.  Maybe he’ll never be more than a “game manager” to some.  Maybe he’ll never throw enough for people to respect him.  Other things he would never do:  force a trade following a coaching change, or refuse to play for the team who drafted him.

 

Oh, and in all this hoopla, I almost forgot – 2:24 left, Super Bowl XLIII, the stunned Steelers are down 23-20, 1st-and-20, 88 yards to go, 2 timeouts. 

 

5-7, 1 TD on yet another game-winning Drive.  One-way ticket to Canton, OH, not far from where he was born. 

 

“The game-winning drive will be put in the Roethlisberger time capsule as the epitome of what has made him one of this generation’s greats.”

 

            -NBC Sports, February 3, 2009

 

Now that’s more like it.