Steelers vs. Broncos: Why Injured Ben Roethlisberger Still Trumps Tim Tebow

When the 12-4 Pittsburgh Steelers bring their top-ranked defense (which allowed just 278.1 yards per game this season) to Denver tomorrow to face the 8-8 Denver Broncos in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, we may find out a lot about Tim Tebow's future as an NFL quarterback.

Regardless of how the second-year signal-caller plays, there is no doubt I'd rather have Ben Roethlisberger under center for my team, even if he is nursing a bad ankle injury.

While Tebow led the Broncos to a six-game win streak this season, Denver is currently struggling with a three-game losing streak. During their current run the Broncos and their quarterback have looked positively awful offensively. 

Over the past three games, Tebow has completed just 30-of-71 passes (41.1 percent) for 439 yards, with one touchdown, four interceptions and five fumbles (three lost). For the season, the Florida product has completed 126-of-271 passes (46.5 percent) for 1,729 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. His passer rating of 72.9 ranked 28th out of the 34 quarterbacks who qualified.

While Roethlisberger has struggled since suffering a high-ankle sprain in Week 14, he still has a track record of stepping up in the playoffs. After all, the 29-year-old has led Pittsburgh to three AFC titles and two Super Bowl championships.

Big Ben reportedly tweaked his ankle injury in Week 17, which could mean his mobility will again be affected against the Broncos on Sunday. Still, even confined to the pocket, Roethlisberger is a better option under center than Tebow. While his ability to scramble moves him into the upper-echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL, the Steelers' signal-caller can still get it done from the pocket.

With Denver struggling as badly as it has over the past three weeks, I expect Roethlisberger and the Steelers to come away with a big win on Sunday.