Give Ben Roethlisberger Some Credit

Yes, that just happened.  Ben Roethlisberger should be acknowledged as one the best quarterbacks in the NFL.  Period.  The list should at a minimum go something like this: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger. Please account for the order of those three at your pleasure.  Yes, Ben is and should be ranked higher than Drew Brees.  Until Brees wins another Super Bowl he's not there. That's why their called Super Bowls. Get over it. 

So what if he's played with great defenses? No ever seems to mention or care that those defenses in New England helped Brady win some rings.  McNabb, great defenses, no rings. The Qb carousel in Tampa Bay produced one ring for a decade of defensive dominance. I could go on and on in this vain, but the point is great qb's of their times find a way to get it done if the other side of the ball can keep it close and Ben does just that.  

Ben is one of only ten Qb's who have ever thrown for five hundred yards in a game. Compare the number of wins he has in the first seven years of their careers against anyone in league history, Ben is right there.  

What other measuring sticks are there for a quarterback? A Four thousand yard season, check.  Fourth quarter comebacks, check and double check.  Just plain old complete hard nose football player, remember the tackle in Indy?  How about the block he threw in Super XL that allowed Randle EL to complete an MVP securing TD catch for Hines Ward?  

For those you who would exclude Ben from the top tier of NFL Qb's because he doesn't always throw the ball when his back foot hits that third or seventh step of the drop remember his third down completion percentage is one of the highest of all time. When its time to make plays, Ben makes plays period.  

Ben's career to this point is filled with so many effort and desire plays one could devote lengthy sideshow article just with those.  Recall, if you will the third down play against Jacksonville.   Two defenders hanging all over him he hit a pass across the middle for a crucial first down. Not good enough for you?  Is the moment not quite big enough to count? How about the super bowl performance where on three separate signature Roethlisberger scramble plays he hits Heath Miller early and Holmes twice to help win his Second Super Bowl.  

This guy is just plain good.  Scratch that he's great.  If his career would end today, he would get in the room for Hall of Fame consideration.  Ben Roethlisberger is one of the best quarterbacks in the league today.  He has a chance to be the greatest of all time, only time will tell.  In the meantime, give him the credit he deserves.