NBC Sports: Roethlisberger Emerging as an Elite Quarterback

[alittlejazzbird]

Roethlisberger emerging as an elite quarterback
Updated: Sep19, 2007, 02:12 PM EDT By Jeff Mroz
Special to NBCSports.com

Ben Roethlisberger should be smiling widely. His Pittsburgh Steelers are 2-0 and have blown away the Browns and Bills. Big Ben has thrown 5 TDs, and that total could be higher had he not been replaced by Charlie Batch once each outcome was secure.

Roethlisberger is coming off a 2006 season where everything that could have gone wrong seemed to do just that. Off the field, he had a scary motorcycle accident and an appendectomy. On the field, he suffered a severe concussion and threw more INTs than TDs. The 8-8 season was a major disappointment following a Super Bowl. Then, Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, one of the NFL's best, stepped down.

Despite all this, Roethlisberger made it no secret in the off-season that he wanted to be more involved in the offense. So far, this involvement is not only evident -- it's also successful. Like all QBs, Big Ben meets with his offensive coordinator, Bruce Arians, during the week to discuss the game plan. This year, however, for the first time in his career, Roethlisberger has more input as to which plays are included and thrown out. Now, Big Ben is running plays that he wants to run, plays with which he is comfortable.

Mike Tomlin's new coaching staff has allowed Roethlisberger to have his way on Sundays as well. Arians lets Big Ben call protections as well as audibles, based upon where he thinks a blitz may be coming, or where he sees a weakness in coverage; much the same way Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer and Tom Brady do on their respective teams.

Some people say that Ben is managing the game well. Managing a game is not a compliment to a QB. All managing a game means to a QB is that they did not screw up, make any big mistakes or make a nice play here and there. A QB does not want to manage a game. A QB wants to control a game.

So far, Roethlisberger has been controlling games. He has set the protections effectively, allowing more time to throw the ball deep, stretching the field and defense. With the safeties feeling threatened by getting beat deep at all times, this opens up more room for RB Willie Parker to run.

Big Ben has also been equally effective audibling. The Steelers, who play host to the undefeated 49ers on Sunday, have had few negative plays and Roethlisberger has only been sacked twice. He has thrown the ball away instead of making ill-advised throws -- something that plagued him last year -- and has continued to convert big third downs, allowing his defense to rest.

Big Ben looks extremely comfortable. Last year, it seemed at times as if he saw the rush instead of the receivers. This year, his pocket presence is superb, and he is feeling the rush and seeing the receivers.

Roethlisberger is finding the open receiver the majority of the time. With great defensive schemes and so little time to throw, this is a lot harder to do than people think.

Roethlisberger has been able to find the one-on-one matchups, which an NFL receiver is going to win almost every time. He throws the ball outside the numbers with great precision and timing (outs, corner routes and fitting the bench route in between the corner and safety in Cover 2). Another trait that makes Roethlisberger difficult to defend is that he spreads the ball around. He has completed passes to nine receivers -- four wide receivers, two tight ends, two running backs and one fullback. The top-notch QBs make the game look easy because they are able to find the open man or the void in the defense quickly and consistently, and deliver the ball accurately. This is what Big Ben has been able to do.

Roethlisberger wanted this responsibility. He wanted to be the reason the Steelers sink or swim. You have to love that confidence in your leader. The Steelers have followed his way, and Roethlisberger is not only controlling the games, he is dominating them. Big Ben is the face of the Pittsburgh Steelers. With only one year left on his contract after this season, the Steelers have no choice but to sign him to an extension. The organization will reportedly make signing him to a long-term deal this off-season a top priority. Given the going rate for top-tier NFL quarterbacks, Roethlisberger's contract would almost certainly guarantee more than $30 million and be worth close to $10 million annually.

As the Steelers determine how much to pay their star QB, we will learn a lot about how much Roethlisberger wants to win. How much money will Big Ben want? He is certainly entitled to try and sign for as much as possible. He deserves the maximum he can get. But will he take significantly less so the Steelers have more to spend on the surrounding talent?

Fellow Pittsburgh superstar, Sidney Crosby of the Penguins, could have taken the maximum contract allowed in the NHL, but decided to take substantially less so he could be on a competitive team every year. Tom Brady did the same with the Patriots a few years ago. Roethlisberger should follow the same mold as Crosby and Brady. If Roethlisberger is worried about the "lost" money in the contract from signing for less, he can more than make it up with endorsements -- endorsements that may not be there if he takes the max and the Steelers have no money to spend on top-notch surrounding players.

The more he wins, the more playoff games and Super Bowls he's in...and the more his face is on TV, the endorsements will follow. This is another situation that Roethlisberger can control. He will have to choose between money and the chance to be the QB of a perpetually winning team. Here's hoping Big Ben's decision works as well as those he has made so far this year.

Jeff Mroz is a quarterback from Greensburg, PA who was the football captain at Yale in 2005. Following graduation, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys, where he stayed until August, 2006. He was on the Philadelphia Eagles roster from January-May, 2007.

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[ShutDown24]

Sure, he is emerging as elite as far as stats go. He as already in an elite group were few who are playing right now are with him though and that's Super Bowl wins.

[Atlanta Dan]

Ben has rebounded from his mid-2006 slump and played proficiently against the Browns & Bills.

But (to paraphrase the statement I will not repeat verbatim by Winston Wolf to Jules Winnfield & Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction) "let's not start sucking each other's [popsicles] quite yet, gentlemen."

In other words, it is still early and there is serious work that remains to be done

[tony hipchest]

seriously, does this paragraph have to be inserted into every single ben article to this day?

Roethlisberger is coming off a 2006 season where everything that could have gone wrong seemed to do just that. Off the field, he had a scary motorcycle accident and an appendectomy. On the field, he suffered a severe concussion and threw more INTs than TDs. The 8-8 season was a major disappointment following a Super Bowl. Then, Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, one of the NFL's best, stepped down.

we know, we get it.

[Edman]

We'll need more evidence. And I'm sure Ben is not sold on his performances just yet, either. He even said so himself. Let's see how he fares against the Ratbirds and Belichump's diabolical schemes in New England. It would be awesome to see him have success against those teams.

[Hines0wnz]

Originally Posted by Edman

We'll need more evidence. And I'm sure Ben is not sold on his performances just yet, either. He even said so himself. Let's see how he fares against the Ratbirds and Belichump's diabolical schemes in New England. It would be awesome to see him have success against those teams.

I agree. Once he has had quality games against the better teams (win or lose) then we can truly believe and enjoy.

[tony hipchest]

Originally Posted by Hines0wnz

I agree. Once he has had quality games against the better teams (win or lose) then we can truly believe and enjoy.

i saw a ton of quality games in 2004-2005 and even a few last season.

i think ive seen enough. last year was the anomoly, not this year.

we have never seen how "elite" qb's such as favre, manning, and brady rebound from injury because they have never missed a start due to injury. however they are the exception and not the rule. if they were hurt and struggled upon return, i think they would be given the benefit of the doubt.

[Hines0wnz]

Originally Posted by tony hipchest

i saw a ton of quality games in 2004-2005 and even a few last season.

i think ive seen enough. last year was the anomoly, not this year.

we have never seen how "elite" qb's such as favre, manning, and brady rebound from injury because they have never missed a start due to injury. however they are the exception and not the rule. if they were hurt and struggled upon return, i think they would be given the benefit of the doubt.

McNabb would be a better comparison to Ben methinks.

[steelpride12]

Let's not call him elite till he beats premier teams like the raven, Broncos and Pats who all have great defenses not the bills and clowns.

[TackleMeBen]

Originally Posted by Hines0wnz

McNabb would be a better comparison to Ben methinks.

yeah they both seem to stick their foot in their mouths when the media puts a microphone in their face...lol