SI.com - Ben most underrated QB in NFL

[AtlantaDan]

Andy Benoit of SI.com/MMQB has major praise for Ben

The Most Evolved QB

Ben Roethlisberger is the only player of his era to dominate as both a sandlot-style playmaker and a cerebral field general


Ben Roethlisberger is the most underrated quarterback in the NFL. More precisely, he’s the most misappreciated quarterback. Almost everyone agrees that Roethlisberger is a superstar, but few seem to realize what makes him such a rare talent.


For the longest time, Roethlisberger’s greatness stemmed solely from the fact that he was the most physically gifted passer in the game. People marveled at the way he would shed would-be sackers and extend plays. Football insiders really marveled at how, after shedding those tacklers and extending the play, he would still make such accurate downfield throws (usually doing so while off-balance). Roethlisberger’s arm is as strong anyone’s. His precision accuracy is better than almost everyone’s. The fact that he can exhibit all this when things break down is breathtaking....

Despite a long history of injuries, Roethlisberger hasn’t lost his playmaking magic at 34. But his game no longer relies on it. And that’s why he’s a markedly better QB now than he was in his 20s....

Never would anyone who studied Roethlisberger in the 2000s guess that he’d one day be talking about the game through this prism of intellect and discipline. He’s the only player of his era to be independently dominant as both a raw sandlot-style playmaker and as a controlling field general.

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2016/08/23/n...ed-quarterback

Ben is finally being recognized as more than just a physically gifted QB - if he can stay healthy this season may be the equivalent of Bradshaw finally being recognized in 1978 as more than just a big guy with a big arm

[polamalubeast]

The fact that the Steelers are now a offensive team helped Roethlisberger to have the respect.

[pczach]

The fact that the Steelers are now a offensive team helped Roethlisberger to have the respect.

The fact that he has made them an offensive team is what has been getting him noticed.

For years, many thought he was overrated because he had a great defense around him. Many of those same people now realize how much he was able to accomplish behind horrific offensive line play and a lack of elite weapons around him.

Ben has carried the offense for years, often creating something when nothing was there.

[polamalubeast]

The fact that he has made them an offensive team is what has been getting him noticed.

For years, many thought he was overrated because he had a great defense around him. Many of those same people now realize how much he was able to accomplish behind horrific offensive line play and a lack of elite weapons around him.

Ben has carried the offense for years, often creating something when nothing was there.

And at one point, 8 of the 10 highest paid players of the steelers were on defense.The steelers were a defensive team in the first 9-10 years of Roethlisberger and after it took some time before Mike Tomlin realized that the talent that the Steelers have are on the offense.

[LloydWoodson]

The offensive Steelers have been offensive.

1 playoff win in the last 5 seasons and it came courtesy of Pacman and Burfict having a combined IQ of 80.

I swear I'm the only one who misses power football and defensive dominance. Maybe because I have no interest in fantasy football? Don't know.

[polamalubeast]

The offensive Steelers have been offensive.

1 playoff win in the last 5 seasons and it came courtesy of Pacman and Burfict having a combined IQ of 80.

I swear I'm the only one who misses power football and defensive dominance. Maybe because I have no interest in fantasy football? Don't know.

The Steelers wanted to return at the power football when they hired Todd Haley in 2012.It was a disaster with two 8-8 seasons, including their worst start since 1968 in 2013.I do not want to be an offense often on 3rd down and long as in 2012 and hoped that Ben saves us as it was the case before his injury.

They are a team offensive since the middle of the 2014 season and they have 10 games over 500.The Steelers just need to be healthy for the playoffs.

And..

Record of 15-6 in his 21 games....

[Born2Steel]

The offensive Steelers have been offensive.

1 playoff win in the last 5 seasons and it came courtesy of Pacman and Burfict having a combined IQ of 80.

I swear I'm the only one who misses power football and defensive dominance. Maybe because I have no interest in fantasy football? Don't know.

You do make a valid point, Pacman and Burfict are idiots, but last season's offense was pretty damn good. Does AB hold onto that catch and the Steelers win the game without the penalties? We'll never know. But all we needed was the 3 we got anyway. "IF" we have a healthy AB in Denver, do we make it to the SB? That is also very possible. As much as I do love a dominant defense, our offense was fun to watch last year. This season we can say the Oline will be improved with Pouncey back. The RB tandem should be improved year 2. WRs remain to be seen but the core is still solid with AB, Wheaton, and DHB. Add in Coates and Rogers, and maybe improved over Bryant, time will tell. We did lose big time at TE with Heath gone. But all in all lokks like another fun year for the offense.

[ALLD]

OL is no longer the weak spot on the team. CBs are another matter, but Ben doesn't throw to our CBs

[Edman]

The Steelers wanted to return at the power football when they hired Todd Haley in 2012.It was a disaster with two 8-8 seasons, including their worst start since 1968 in 2013.

It's not that simple.

The 2012 and 2013 teams were the single least-talented Steeler teams since the late 90's. Starting several mediocre players at several positions, young and new inexperienced guys everywhere, not to mention our old guard players like Woodley, Troy, and Ike were definitely not what they used to be. Outside of Ben and AB, name one impact player on those teams.

Despite all that, we still sniffed the postseason both years. The 2013 team being a Ryan Succop miss away, and we're talking three consecutive postseasons instead of two.

Our best running backs those years? Isaac Redman and Jonathon Dwyer.

But whatever, blame it on Haley and not on the fact that those teams simply weren't that good.

[zulater]

It's not that simple.

The 2012 and 2013 teams were the single least-talented Steeler teams since the late 90's. Starting several mediocre players at several positions, young and new inexperienced guys everywhere, not to mention our old guard players like Woodley, Troy, and Ike were definitely not what they used to be. Outside of Ben and AB, name one impact player on those teams.

Despite all that, we still sniffed the postseason both years. The 2013 team being a Ryan Succop miss away, and we're talking three consecutive postseasons instead of two.

Our best running backs those years? Isaac Redman and Jonathon Dwyer.

But whatever, blame it on Haley and not on the fact that those teams simply weren't that good.

Agree!

[polamalubeast]

It's not that simple.

The 2012 and 2013 teams were the single least-talented Steeler teams since the late 90's. Starting several mediocre players at several positions, young and new inexperienced guys everywhere, not to mention our old guard players like Woodley, Troy, and Ike were definitely not what they used to be. Outside of Ben and AB, name one impact player on those teams.

Despite all that, we still sniffed the postseason both years. The 2013 team being a Ryan Succop miss away, and we're talking three consecutive postseasons instead of two.

Our best running backs those years? Isaac Redman and Jonathon Dwyer.

But whatever, blame it on Haley and not on the fact that those teams simply weren't that good.

It is not just the fault of Haley.I mean, the first half of the season in 2013 was probably the worst productivity in offense since the late 1980s, but it was the fault of our o-line coach.He was so bad.

The problem I have with Haley, this is the first quarter of games where the Steelers always start slowly, which was not a problem with Arians and especially Whiz and the other problem is that at its debut as OC of the steelers, the steelers were often in 3rd down and 8-9 yards but fortunately Roethlisberger was amazing in his situation before his injury but it was almost impossible to maintain this success during the entire season.

Of course, I not blame Haley for both 8-8 season, because the defense was very old and our O-line coach in 2013 was just awful, but sometimes Haley is frustrating when he is too conservative, as in the game against the jets in 2014 when Ben was 9/11 for 24 yards, but for the 2015 season, I have very little complaint to Haley.

[Edman]

http://www.pro-football-reference.co...013_roster.htm

Real murderors row of players we got here. A bunch of rusty buckets and unproven rookies.

Mike Tomlin should be fired for not winning with this Super Bowl caliber roster.

[MrPgh]

The offensive Steelers have been offensive.

1 playoff win in the last 5 seasons and it came courtesy of Pacman and Burfict having a combined IQ of 80.

I swear I'm the only one who misses power football and defensive dominance. Maybe because I have no interest in fantasy football? Don't know.

That would require a good defense.

[polamalubeast]

[Mojouw]

The offensive Steelers have been offensive.

1 playoff win in the last 5 seasons and it came courtesy of Pacman and Burfict having a combined IQ of 80.

I swear I'm the only one who misses power football and defensive dominance. Maybe because I have no interest in fantasy football? Don't know.

I love that style of football too. But I also like watching my team win things or at least have the hope of winning things. Until there is another shift league-wide -- power football is dead.

Ask the Minnesota Vikings. They have been trying it with a good to really good defense and one of the best power backs of all time - what do they have to show for it? What about the Jets? Ground and pound = something but it isn't a parade.

[polamalubeast]

[MrPgh]

There's always "experts" who try to shoehorn Newton and Wilson in ahead of Ben, which is ridiculous.

[Kittyfish]

Also Brees and Luck.

[Craic]

The Steelers wanted to return at the power football when they hired Todd Haley in 2012.

Actually, no, they did not. It's a myth that keeps getting repeated because of wishful thinking of a lot of SteelersNation during that time. What the FO came out and said, specifically, was that they wanted to be a lot more effective at running the ball.

2013 was the conglomeration of the SB window slamming shut with old players, new players that weren't ready to step up and fill the void, and purposed gaps in player development from keeping the older players too long (purposed because they tried keeping the window open longer buy keeping the older guys, which didn't leave room for development of younger guys who they could keep on the roster and let mature).

[86WARD]

Some of the plays Ben was making tonight that don't show up on the stat sheet...oh man...

[Butch]

Ben getting respect pffft!!! To little to late imho. Where were these people when Ben was a rookie and went 14-1 and the only loss was to a team that cheated??? Where were you when Ben lead a team that was the #6 seed to a Super Bowl that we ultimately won in only his 2nd year??? Oh yeah that's right his Defense carried him in his early years...right. How bout the year we won 43 with Ben leading the team from behind late in games damn near all season long then he does it in the Super Bowl and could have just as easily been the MVP. Hell even now you have someone saying he is top 2 or 3 but can't be The Best. Bull shit Ben is the best and there has never been a shadow of doubt in my mind on that.

[Skinart82]

Ben getting respect pffft!!! To little to late imho. Where were these people when Ben was a rookie and went 14-1 and the only loss was to a team that cheated??? Where were you when Ben lead a team that was the #6 seed to a Super Bowl that we ultimately won in only his 2nd year??? Oh yeah that's right his Defense carried him in his early years...right. How bout the year we won 43 with Ben leading the team from behind late in games damn near all season long then he does it in the Super Bowl and could have just as easily been the MVP. Hell even now you have someone saying he is top 2 or 3 but can't be The Best. Bull shit Ben is the best and there has never been a shadow of doubt in my mind on that.

This

[Steel Peon]

The Steelers aren't known for having great QBs, so that list must be false.

[polamalubeast]

[polamalubeast]

[Kittyfish]

^^ Interesting clip above. Nice to hear Shannon and Ray Lewis praise Ben - they understand the difficulties and nuances of Ben's accomplishments and what he does better than Skip can. I'm just happy Ben is getting the recognition and respect he deserves.