Ben Roethlisberger: Why the Pittsburgh Steelers QB Is a Top 5 QB
There's been a lot of debate about Ben Roethlisberger's status as an elite quarterback in the NFL. He's routinely ranked in the top 10 active quarterbacks in the league, but there are a lot of questions about whether or not he's a top five player.
Ben Roethlisberger exhibits all of the talents of a top five quarterback and should be considered a solid player who's likely destined for the Hall of Fame, especially if he can add another ring to his already illustrious resume.
Here are five reasons why Big Ben should be ranked within the league's top five.
1. Big Ben, Big Plays
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Ever since his rookie season, Roethlisberger has been known for his clutch offensive play. He's adept at staying upright and waiting for a play to develop.
It's hard to get a read on what play the Steelers are running, because the same play may never produce the same result in a game. That's because Roethlisberger will routinely do whatever it takes to make the play happen and produce positive yardage.
I did an article recently about the top five plays of Roethlisberger's still-young career, and I really found out how hard a list that is to compile. He doesn't have five good plays. He has thousands.
A Pittsburgh offensive play is never over until Roethlisberger is no longer holding the ball and standing on at least one of his two feet. That is the definition of a great quarterback—a player who never quits.
2. Forget the Numbers
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He'll never lead the league in passing. He operates an offense that is based heavily in the run. That said, statistics shouldn't matter when it comes to deciding whether a quarterback is great.
What should matter is wins. Many people put Tom Brady at the top of any quarterback list. He has excellent statistics, yes, but he isn't always the best statistical quarterback. He ranks up at the top because all he does is win. He's done it since 2001.
Ben Roethlisberger is in that same style. He's a winner, from his 13-0 record in his rookie regular season to his 10-3 postseason record. Any quarterback who can win the way he does has to be among the top players in the game. And we haven't even talked about how he piles up the victories.
3. Mr. Comeback
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He wins, yes, but he also knows how to bring the team from behind. Through the first seven seasons of his professional career, Roethlisberger has 19 comeback victories and also has put together 25 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime.
That, folks, is an NFL record for a player in their first seven years.
Most people would agree that bring a team from behind is one of the more difficult tasks in the NFL, yet Roethlisberger often makes it look easy. As proof, the reaction from many a Steelers fan when he failed to bring his team back in Super Bowl XLV was one of astonishment. It seemed almost ordained that Big Ben would do it again, that he would bring Pittsburgh back from a deficit and give them another ring.
One thing is for sure, teams sweat when he gets the ball with time left on the clock. There certainly aren't five quarterbacks who have better statistics on bringing their teams back from the brink of defeat.
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4. Doing It All
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We've talked about his play-making ability and his penchant for bringing his team back in close games. But we haven't talked about how he does it.
He's versatile. He can run with the ball, fire a deep pass or lob a short one over rushers. There isn't a way that Roethlisberger hasn't found to make a play.
The other "great" quarterbacks (and I'm not arguing that these guys aren't also elite) don't always have that ability. You won't see too many Tom Brady runs. The same goes for Peyton Manning. You also won't see Drew Brees escape the pocket very often when three or four guys are on him.
Any player who can keep plays alive in multiple ways is a valuable one. Wouldn't you want someone like that on your team, especially when it's crunch time?
5. Who Actually Is Better?
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Let's take a look at this from another angle. Who would you rank ahead of Roethlisberger and why?
Some common names:
Brady leads all active passers with three Super Bowl wins, but he's not a multi-talented quarterback and some have argued that he wouldn't succeed in another system. While I disagree with that last part, there's no doubt that most coaches wouldn't ask Brady to run in a touchdown or escape from a destroyed pocket.
He's probably either going to eclipse all of the current passing records or come very, very close to it. He's the top active quarterback when it comes to statistics, but he can't usually get it done in the playoffs. The Colts have made the playoffs almost every season Manning has been with the team, but have only one Super Bowl ring and two appearances in that span.
Another statistic lover's dream. Brees is among the top grossing passers in the NFL right now, but he's also only got one ring and he didn't become consistent until after he signed with New Orleans. Does that make him a system guy? Maybe. Or maybe he's a late bloomer. Either way, he's behind Roethlisberger there.
Rodgers is the guy who just beat Big Ben in the Super Bowl. Does that make him the better overall quarterback? He and Roethlisberger have split their meetings, with one win apiece. Rodgers certainly might end up climbing the list, but he's still relatively new to the starting quarterback gig. Let's see him after seven full years.
Other than that, who else would you put here? There aren't many "great" quarterbacks in the NFL. Even if you want to rank these guys ahead of Roethlisberger, shouldn't he still be No. 5? I guess Philip Rivers could be in the mix, but he's never been good in the playoffs and hasn't won a ring.
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