Ben Roethlisberger: The Greatest Warrior QB Ever To Play in the NFL

I am still all fired up after watching that thrilling Steelers win against the Ravens. Troy, Woodley, Harrison, Farrior, etc. all came up big. But was there a gutsier, more warrior like player tonight than Ben Roethlisberger? His performance tonight should go down as one for the ages.

I know Jack Lambert said that QBs should wear dresses. For the most part you have to agree with him. Yeah, you get a Michael Vick who has the wheels to run, you get a Brett Favre who will stand in there and take a hit to deliver the throw, but who puts his team on his back and does what Ben did tonight?

Playing with a possible broken foot, wearing a cleat one-and-a-half sizes to big, fitted with steel plates, suffering a broken nose on the first series (forget the blood, imagine the pain) and wearing Terrel Suggs on his back like a mink stole all night, Ben led his team to the win.

His stats may not be pretty. The Steelers only scored two field goals and one late TD off of a huge turnover courtesy of the "Head 'n Shoulders" kid, but Ben had them in that game all night.  

With Flozell Adams out with injury (only the third tackle to go down for the Steelers this year), Jonathon Scott getting beat like a drum on every play, Heath Miller out with a concussion, Ben kept them going. The running game hardly moved the ball, but Ben kept them going, fighting through what must have been crazy pain between the foot and the head, Ben got them the win. 

His play on first down on the winning TD drive where he literally carried Suggs out of the pocket and threw the ball out of bounds, backhanded was the stuff of legend.

QBs are not supposed to be that tough. Ben does not get the credit as one of the top players at his position. Yeah Brady and Peyton and Brees, I know all about them. Could you see any of those guys doing what Ben did tonight? No way, no how!

Even on the second field goal, his scramble opening up the throw to Sanders was vintage Ben. BTW, do the Steelers have two great rookie wide outs or not! I salivate thinking that Mike Wallace, Sanders and Brown will be running routes for years to come.

Even going beyond today's don't hit the QB rules, historically has their been a tougher QB? I remember when I was a little boy watching Roman Gabriel (that is a blast from the past) staying back there and fighting off hits, but I don't think he could move like Ben can. Johnny Unitas I remember as being a tough SOB, but he was no where the physical specimen that Ben is.

On a team characterized by toughness, it is unbelievable to think that the toughest guy on the team is the QB. But that is the case. Ben Roethlisberger: Warrior!