StillCurtains
01-04-2018, 06:49 PM
Hello Guys,
After the 1979 season, the Steelers would go on a 26 year drought for a Super Bowl. Bradshaw would retire in 1983 and we had to sift through a putrid list of QB's like: Malone, Brister, Graham and Tomzcak. Maddox was able to inject some life and respectability in the Steelers' hopes, but nothing more. Kordell, although talented, didn't have the strong mental toughness nor the ability to read defenses that the Steelers needed. O'Donnell came the closest, but never had that IT factor and led many to believe that he threw Super Bowl 30 to the Cowboys.
After many years of futility, enter 2004 when the Steelers drafted Ben Roethlisberger. We all felt that we might have our guy! A big, tough, strong armed QB with a will to win. After Maddox's injury in game 2 of 2004, Ben led the team in his rookie campaign to a 15-1 season and AFCCG vs the Patriots. They lost the game and he tells Bettis to return and promised him a Championship. An injury riddled Steelers team had to claw their way to 4 straight wins to qualify for the playoffs in 2005 as the 6th seed. He led them to a win in Cincy, secured the win against top seed Indy with "The Tackle", played a spectacular AFCCG in Denver and made true to his promise to Bettis in Detroit in Super Bowl 40 sending him home.
He was still young though and his youth showed immaturity. His motorcycle accident and his rape allegation come to mind about his wild lifestyle. We later come to find out over the years that he has a penchant for drama. He at times extended plays that has been his trademark, but also at times find that he should throw it away. Throughout his career we found that he is extremely tough, plays through pain, takes huge shots, is extremely hard to bring down, is highly competitive, has a strong will to win, shows up in the clutch, and has a chip on his shoulder.
He delivered a clutch 92 yard game winning drive connecting with Santonio Holmes in the corner of the endzone to help secure a 6th Lombardi trophy for the Steelers in Super Bowl 43 in 2008. He led the team to Super Bowl 45 in 2010 in a loss to the Packers that still bothers him. From that time he has led the Steelers to playoff appearances in 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016 with all coming up short of a Championship mostly due to injuries and suspensions.
With it all said and done, Ben has never had a losing season. His resume in 14 seasons is 10 playoff appearances, 3 Super Bowl appearances, and 2 Super Bowl wins with a chance at another. He's the only QB in NFL history that has thrown for 500 yards or more 3 times. He's the youngest QB to ever win a Super Bowl.
It's hard to win in this league and Ben has taken us on one heck of a ride. We all know his time is coming to an end. Will it be at the end of this playoff run? Will it be next year? 2 years from now? Who knows? What we do know is that when it happens, legacies will be spoken of. Brady, Peyton, Eli and Ben will all have legacies spoken of and intertwined together.
We're not sure if this is Ben's last playoff run even if he were to return for a couple more seasons. For this current playoff run though, the competitor in Ben is starting to show, as he knows he can stamp his legacy. He wants another shot at Jacksonville to prove that he is not what those 5 picks he threw indicate. What does this tell you?
Well I know that there are quite a few here that would love to avoid the Patriots in this years playoff run. However, if Ben's remarks about Jacksonville are any indicator, he wants New England as well. Many can say that they would take a Super Bowl any way they can take it. Who wouldn't? So would Ben! But the competitor that Ben is, you can bet your bottom dollar who wants to go through New England! He knows it's his legacy. He knows that he may never get another shot again. It took 12 years before last year to meet the Patriots again in the playoffs.
Ben also knows that he and Brady are not getting any younger. It's been injuries and suspensions that have derailed the Steelers chances vs the Patriots in the last 4 meetings. When people speak of the legacies of Brady, Peyton, Eli, and Ben, people will speak of Ben of winning Super Bowls but never going through Brady. Peyton and Eli don't have that problem. Heck even Flacco can retire and say he went through Brady.
Ben doesn't want that asterisk next to his legacy and neither should we. Best believe that Ben wants to go through the Patriots, and if they get that far and go against them healthy, I like their chances. So before anyone wants to talk about avoiding the Patriots because of their own fears, think about the legacy that Ben wants. The QB that has brought 2 more titles to the city after a 26 year drought and is working on another.
After the 1979 season, the Steelers would go on a 26 year drought for a Super Bowl. Bradshaw would retire in 1983 and we had to sift through a putrid list of QB's like: Malone, Brister, Graham and Tomzcak. Maddox was able to inject some life and respectability in the Steelers' hopes, but nothing more. Kordell, although talented, didn't have the strong mental toughness nor the ability to read defenses that the Steelers needed. O'Donnell came the closest, but never had that IT factor and led many to believe that he threw Super Bowl 30 to the Cowboys.
After many years of futility, enter 2004 when the Steelers drafted Ben Roethlisberger. We all felt that we might have our guy! A big, tough, strong armed QB with a will to win. After Maddox's injury in game 2 of 2004, Ben led the team in his rookie campaign to a 15-1 season and AFCCG vs the Patriots. They lost the game and he tells Bettis to return and promised him a Championship. An injury riddled Steelers team had to claw their way to 4 straight wins to qualify for the playoffs in 2005 as the 6th seed. He led them to a win in Cincy, secured the win against top seed Indy with "The Tackle", played a spectacular AFCCG in Denver and made true to his promise to Bettis in Detroit in Super Bowl 40 sending him home.
He was still young though and his youth showed immaturity. His motorcycle accident and his rape allegation come to mind about his wild lifestyle. We later come to find out over the years that he has a penchant for drama. He at times extended plays that has been his trademark, but also at times find that he should throw it away. Throughout his career we found that he is extremely tough, plays through pain, takes huge shots, is extremely hard to bring down, is highly competitive, has a strong will to win, shows up in the clutch, and has a chip on his shoulder.
He delivered a clutch 92 yard game winning drive connecting with Santonio Holmes in the corner of the endzone to help secure a 6th Lombardi trophy for the Steelers in Super Bowl 43 in 2008. He led the team to Super Bowl 45 in 2010 in a loss to the Packers that still bothers him. From that time he has led the Steelers to playoff appearances in 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016 with all coming up short of a Championship mostly due to injuries and suspensions.
With it all said and done, Ben has never had a losing season. His resume in 14 seasons is 10 playoff appearances, 3 Super Bowl appearances, and 2 Super Bowl wins with a chance at another. He's the only QB in NFL history that has thrown for 500 yards or more 3 times. He's the youngest QB to ever win a Super Bowl.
It's hard to win in this league and Ben has taken us on one heck of a ride. We all know his time is coming to an end. Will it be at the end of this playoff run? Will it be next year? 2 years from now? Who knows? What we do know is that when it happens, legacies will be spoken of. Brady, Peyton, Eli and Ben will all have legacies spoken of and intertwined together.
We're not sure if this is Ben's last playoff run even if he were to return for a couple more seasons. For this current playoff run though, the competitor in Ben is starting to show, as he knows he can stamp his legacy. He wants another shot at Jacksonville to prove that he is not what those 5 picks he threw indicate. What does this tell you?
Well I know that there are quite a few here that would love to avoid the Patriots in this years playoff run. However, if Ben's remarks about Jacksonville are any indicator, he wants New England as well. Many can say that they would take a Super Bowl any way they can take it. Who wouldn't? So would Ben! But the competitor that Ben is, you can bet your bottom dollar who wants to go through New England! He knows it's his legacy. He knows that he may never get another shot again. It took 12 years before last year to meet the Patriots again in the playoffs.
Ben also knows that he and Brady are not getting any younger. It's been injuries and suspensions that have derailed the Steelers chances vs the Patriots in the last 4 meetings. When people speak of the legacies of Brady, Peyton, Eli, and Ben, people will speak of Ben of winning Super Bowls but never going through Brady. Peyton and Eli don't have that problem. Heck even Flacco can retire and say he went through Brady.
Ben doesn't want that asterisk next to his legacy and neither should we. Best believe that Ben wants to go through the Patriots, and if they get that far and go against them healthy, I like their chances. So before anyone wants to talk about avoiding the Patriots because of their own fears, think about the legacy that Ben wants. The QB that has brought 2 more titles to the city after a 26 year drought and is working on another.