Ben Roethlisberger has done a lot for the Pittsburgh Steelers since being selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft.
He’s been a major part of two Super Bowl titles and almost pulled off a third championship with a last minute drive in Super Bowl XLV. He is, without a doubt, the best quarterback the Steelers have had since Terry Bradshaw.
But he is not an elite quarterback in the NFL.
The elite quarterbacks are Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers with Matthew Stafford starting to enter the conversation. Ben Roethlisberger is in the second tier just below the aforementioned quarterbacks. He’s with Eli Manning and maybe Andrew Luck.
Yes, Roethlisberger has won more Super Bowls than Peyton, Brees, Stafford and Rodgers, but how many of those quarterbacks had the luxury of playing on the same team as the most dominant defense of the decade? Only Ben. Tom Brady has reached the Super Bowl despite having a defense that was mediocre. But, like all the other elite quarterbacks, he still wins because the team relies on him to carry everyone else.
John Fox doesn’t look at Peyton Manning as a guy who can manage the game. He sees Manning as the single figure behind winning and losing. If the Broncos are going to win a Super Bowl, it will be on the arm of Peyton Manning, not the defense.
Roethlisberger has never had that responsibility with the Steelers. Pittsburgh has always relied on a dominant defense and, in doing so, they’ve asked Ben to score just enough points to win. To be fair, Roethlisberger has always viewed himself as an elite quarterback and Steeler ownership has been asking the team to run the ball more. They brought in Todd Haley, against Ben’s wishes, who has only shrunk the playcalling for high scoring plays. Combining Haley’s offense with poor draft picks, the Steelers have a mediocre passing game, at best.
It’s interesting that, throughout his career, Ben has only had a good offensive line through his first three or four years in the league. Since Marvel Smith’s back problems forced him out of Pittsburgh in 2008, the Steelers have had trouble protecting Ben’s blind side. As a result, Roethlisberger has had to run for his life on many occasions, something Manning, Brees, and Brady have never had to worry about.
But a lot of the sacks, hits, and sprained ankles Ben has had to endure have come from self-inflicted wounds. Roethlisberger holds onto the ball way too long which might stem from not being able to read defenses the way elite quarterbacks can. Manning has all day to throw the ball, but he rarely takes all day to make a decision, unlike Ben. Even after being in the league for nine years, Ben still has issues reading a defense and getting rid of the ball.
Lastly, elite quarterbacks should be judged based on their individual accomplishments. How many MVP awards has Ben Roethlisberger won? Zero. In the three Super Bowl appearances he’s made, how many times was he crowned Super Bowl MVP? Zilch. How many times has Ben been named All-Pro? Nada. He’s had one season where he was in the top five in touchdowns and he’s never ranked in the top five in yards.
Ben Roethlisberger fits the Pittsburgh Steelers because of his toughness and willingness to win. He’s a great quarterback when a team has an elite-level defense and needs just enough plays on offense to win games. But he is not elite. Roethlisberger is not someone you can put the entire franchise on his shoulders and expect success. The Steelers are learning this lesson now, with a defense that is good but no longer great and an offense that can no longer score enough points to win.
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