The Making Of a Legend: Ben Roethlisberger—Super Bowl Champ

After losing the AFC Championship game as a rookie, Ben Roethlisberger should have been ecstatic about his performance that season.  He had done what no rookie had ever done.  He had won more games and more playoff games, but still, there was sadness.

Roethlisberger's best friend on the team, Jerome Bettis, was nearing the end of his illustrious career.  He was the best big back in the last 30 years, and he did not know how much gas was left in the tank.

To console him, Ben Roethlisberger made a promise that no rookie should ever make.  Come back and I promise we will get to the Super Bowl.

That was a bold statement from a kid that had only played 15 total games.  Ben had never been through an entire offseason and obviously had no real knowledge on how hard it was to even get there.

After mulling it over for a month, Jerome Bettis realized that if the Steelers were to make it to the Super Bowl—it was in his home town of Detroit—then he would be absolutely sick.

Bettis decided to come back and take Roethlisberger up on his promise.

In the preseason, Bettis was injured against the Washington Redskins.  He started to believe that coming back was a mistake.

The Steelers started off the season on fire, beating the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans by a combined 61-14 score.  In Week Three against the New England Patriots, the Pats edged the Steelers, 23-20.

After a bye in Week Four, the Steelers traveled to San Diego to play the Chargers.  In the fourth quarter, on the game winning drive, Ben Roethlisberger was hit in the knee, injuring him for five of their next six games.

Roethlisberger made his return against the Indianapolis Colts. With the Steelers owning a 7-3 upon his return, it looked to be a good match up against the team most people thought was destined to play in the Super Bowl.

Ben had the worst game of his career, losing to the Colts, 26-7.

The following week was no better, falling to the Cincinnati Bengals, in a game that cost the Steelers the AFC North crown, and forcing the Steelers to have to win their remaining four games if they wanted to qualify for the playoffs.

The Chicago Bears were the next opponent for the Steelers, bringing in the NFL's top-rated defense to Pittsburgh in a game the Steelers had to win for Ben to keep his promise.

At halftime, as the snow started to pick up, Bill Cowher turned to his closer, the Bus, to carry the Steelers to victory.

Bettis rushed for his final 100-yard game, leading the Steelers to the win.  The most memorable play in this game, for me, was when Jerome Bettis ran over Bears LB Brian Urlacher en route to a score. 

If you watch the replay, Bettis actually knees Urlacher in the face. 

Pittsburgh's next game was against the Minnesota Vikings.  At that time, the Vikings survived by their defense.  However, it was not enough as the Steelers scored on a run by Ben Roethlisberger to win the game, 18-3.

On a side note, on the play that Ben rushed for the score, Antwaan Randle El threw a block on behemoth Pat Williams that took him off his feet. 

In the next game—against the Cleveland Browns—Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a 41-0 shut out. 

Pittsburgh needed one more win to qualify for the playoffs.  Against the Lions in Pittsburgh.

Jerome Bettis tortured him home town team for three scores, leading the Steelers to a 35-21 victory, securing the sixth seed in the playoffs.

First up, the Cincinnati Bengals.  Cincinnati returned to the playoffs after a 15-year absence.  They had won their first divisional title in as long, and hosted their divisional rivals.

On their first drive, Carson Palmer was lost for the game with a knee injury, and the Steelers ran over the Bengals, 31-17.  Roethlisberger threw for 208 yards, as the Steelers advanced to play the Super Bowl favorite, Indianapolis Colts.

In the divisional round, the Steelers looked more like the Colts, throwing to set up the run.  The Steelers took control of the game early, with two first down scores.

In the fourth quarter, after a Jerome Bettis fumble on the goal line, Roethlisberger made a game-saving tackle on Nick Harper, that also saved the season. 

Ben saved Bettis from ending his career on a fumble that would have knocked the Steelers out of the playoffs.

In the AFC Championship game, there were more heroics for Big Ben—throwing for 275 yards and leading the Steelers to a 34-17 victory.

In the Super Bowl, Roethlisberger did not have his finest game.  The butterflies got the best of him, posting the lowest quarterback rating ever for a starting quarterback.

It was not his throwing that made the Steelers successful, it was a key block that freed up Randle El for his reverse pass to Hines Ward.

Did the Steelers win in spite of Big Ben?  Regardless, had it not been for Big Ben, the Steelers would have never even made the playoffs.

Instead, it was finally one for the thumb, and a promise kept to the Bus.