The Steelers - Pin-pointing where the DRAMA came from.

[st33lersguy]

In 2005, the Steelers had the reputation of "Cowher Power" and smashmouth football. Teams geared up to stop the Bettis/Parker combo. It was because of this reputation and balanced offense that Ben was able to thrive. Ben caught teams by surprise that postseason by throwing the football. There was even a common stat trend during those days that Ben only threw the ball 15-20 times a game. This wasn't some kind of air circus the Steelers put on to get to the Super Bowl. Ben wasn't the engine that drove the team, but he was still a major part of it.



After the Defense pretty much held Baltimore and Dallas in check for 50 minutes. Super Bowl 43 was Santonio Holmes. All Ben had to do was find him. As unfair as it is to Ben, but it was Santonio's catch that people remember, not Ben's throw. And as I mentioned, Ben was mostly mediocre in XLIII outside of that one drive and was thoroughly outplayed by Warner.

05: You still need the QB to execute which Ben did on the road in 3 playoff games. Without Ben's heroics they don't make it to Super Bowl 40 (not to mention the tackle in Indy)

08: What the hell does that even mean? Yeah he "only had to find him", not deliver the ball to him accurately in a pressure situation, especially in a very tight window in the corner of the endzone on the TD throw. Also early in the drive he made a ridiculous play to avoid a sack from inside his own 5 to complete a pass. I can even go to the AFC Championship game against the Ratbirds, overall not a great day, but on the long TD to Holmes Ben makes a great play to avoid multiple Baltimore defenders and deliver the ball to Holmes while under heavy pressure.

- - - Updated - - -

Seriously, we got two extremes here when it comes to Ben. A. You got people trying to minimize Ben's impact on the Super Bowl teams and B. People who apparently can't take any criticism related to Ben and any criticism (even if it is legit), apparently you want QB play on par with QB play between Bradshaw and Ben

[Edman]

Seriously, we got two extremes here when it comes to Ben. A. You got people trying to minimize Ben's impact on the Super Bowl teams and B. People who apparently can't take any criticism related to Ben and any criticism (even if it is legit), apparently you want QB play on par with QB play between Bradshaw and Ben.

Like it or not, Ben likely won't get the credit he deserves because of the top talent he was surrounded by his entire career. The recent underachievement this decade makes the issue far glaring and doesn't help matters at all. The best receiver in the game to throw to, a great RB, an elite offensive line that is the best in the league, and can only muster a 3-5 postseason record since 2011, and haven't won a playoff game in two years. Among them a horrendous loss to Blake Bortles at home a January ago.

The Steelers were always considered a solid team with a missing piece. Ben was that piece. 25 years between championships aside, the Steelers were always in the mix, and aside from one stretch in the 80's, were rarely hopelessly bad. Ben was a major part of the reason the 00's Steelers won, but unlike a Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady, quarterbacks who took previously mediocre franchises to outstanding heights, Ben is considered just a cog in the Steelers machine by the media.

The pathetic loss to Brady and the Patriots in the 2016 Championship game is a big scathing mark on Ben's career. Bell went down the first drive, and the offense faltered and never recovered. Ben was wholly unspectacular in the game where his talent was needed the most. Naturally, the Ben brigade came out and blamed the receivers for letting the team down, but at the end of the day, it was a big failure by the Steelers on the big stage. It was the stage where great leaders emerge, and nobody got it done that day.

I think Ben knows that he is considered just second-tier of the peers of his era, and it frustrates him to hell and back, so he feels great pressure to be "the guy". I don't blame him honestly.

[fansince'76]

The Steelers were always considered a solid team with a missing piece. Ben was that piece. 25 years between championships aside, the Steelers were always in the mix, and aside from one stretch in the 80's, were rarely hopelessly bad. Ben was a major part of the reason the 00's Steelers won, but unlike a Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady, quarterbacks who took previously mediocre franchises to outstanding heights, Ben is considered just a cog in the Steelers machine by the media.

Brady I'll give you, but Manning was perpetually "Mr. October" and Brees hasn't won anything in almost a decade now.

[teegre]

Brady I'll give you, but Manning was perpetually "Mr. October" and Brees hasn't won anything in almost a decade now.

Brady had cheating as an advantage. Then, he was assisted by the two worst “brain farts” in Super Bowl history.

Oh, and once “Pete Carroll’s players” retired...

[Hawkman]

Brady had cheating as an advantage. Then, he was assisted by the two worst “brain farts” in Super Bowl history.

Oh, and once “Pete Carroll’s players” retired...

.....one of the worst play calls in the Super Bowl era. I don’t even think Haley/Arians/Fichtner/Tomlin/Whiz.....would have called that play.......shuffle pass to Nix!

[EzraTank]

I'm with Fancise76 (literally that's when I started watching). Those that aren't old enough to remember the Bradshaw to Ben era (1982 to 2004) ...



Yes, Ben isn't perfect and has lots of issues but there's no way in hell I'd trade him for anyone during that period except Brady. We are spoiled here and I dread finding his replacement once he does stop playing.

[Michael]

I'm with Fancise76 (literally that's when I started watching). Those that aren't old enough to remember the Bradshaw to Ben era (1982 to 2004) ...



Yes, Ben isn't perfect and has lots of issues but there's no way in hell I'd trade him for anyone during that period except Brady. We are spoiled here and I dread finding his replacement once he does stop playing.

Don't worry Art Rooney has it all figured out, Keep Tomlin till his contract expires and let him work his magic. We will end up with the worst record the year Trevor Lawrance is draft eligible and we have our franchise QB and a new head coach. I can live with the pain and craziness for a few ears before we get at least 4 more super bowls within a 12 year period.

Keep the faith Art knows what he is doing.

[The Bark]

This wasn't some kind of air circus the Steelers put on to get to the Super Bowl. Ben wasn't the engine that drove the team, but he was still a major part of it.

In my opinion, Ben's rookie season forever changed the expectations of rookie QBs starting in the NFL. It just wasn't the norm. Maddox gets hurt, in comes Ben and before you know it, the Steelers are 15-1. Since then, there's been more and more rookies starting at QB - as if the expectation and bar had been raised. It's not that Ben had a great season, either; he was given the ball, threw a limited amount of passes, relied on a great running game and defense and essentially told "don't screw up."

[Edman]

Brady I'll give you, but Manning was perpetually "Mr. October" and Brees hasn't won anything in almost a decade now.

That is true, but Let’s look at the cases before Brees and Manning showed up in New Orleans and Indy respectively.

New Orleans was nothing short of a joke, and Indy was dealing with being a bastard franchise from Baltimore. Neither franchise had very little to show for. Brees and Manning put those franchises on the map. So their legacy/greatness is magnified tenfold. Manning has a statue built in front of Lucas Oil. They changed those franchises around.

When Ben arrived in Pittsburgh, he went to a stable and talented organization with a coach who had their share of success, had been to a Super Bowl previously but couldn’t get over the top. The Steelers were not a mediocre franchise. Ben won two Super Bowls and been to another, but because of the success and stability around him that was already in place, he gets downplayed because of it. The Steelers were successful before Ben, so his legacy is downplayed a bit in the media. Ben is loved and respected, but he’s not “the guy”. Like I said before, the immense underachieving this decade only aggravates the problem. The old guard from the Cowher years (Ward, Bettis, Farrior, Troy, etc...) are long gone, and the only remnant left is Ben. The fact that he has seen very little success since they left despite the elite talent around him is a tough thing to deal with. Hence, the “drama”. It bothers Ben a lot, and feels a lot of pressure to win and prove he can get it done.

[Fire Goodell]

team's mentality went in the gutter around the same time that young money crew bullshit started.

Wallace / Sanders / Brown - Bunch of preening divas

then evolved to Killer B's

Ben - AB - Bell - Yeah, much the same.

[Lady Steel]

team's mentality went in the gutter around the same time that young money crew bullshit started.

Wallace / Sanders / Brown - Bunch of preening divas

then evolved to Killer B's

Ben - AB - Bell - Yeah, much the same.

Yep, I totally agree. They got a bit too full of themselves.

[teegre]

When I read “DRAMA” I could only think of one thing...

btw: I chose this clip (of the many, many great Johnny Drama scenes), because it has Tom Brady (who has also been mentioned in this thread).