Pittsburgh Steelers: Time to stop disrescpeting Ben Roethlisberger

People tend to forget the talent of Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.

Offseasons are filled with chatter. Lots of it! So many players and analysts giving opinions. From Ben Roethlisberger’s thoughts on the drafting of Mason Rudolph to David Carr’s latest top 10 QBs list.

After reading Carr’s article, it occurred to me that Big Ben wasn’t on it. How can Ben not be included in any top 10 list of QBs currently playing in the NFL? Was it an oversight? No! The NFL Network’s David Carr purposely omitted Ben Roethlisberger.

Yet, his little brother Derek is placed at No. 4? No bias there! Or, ranking Jimmy Garoppolo No. 10? After starting only a handful of games? Nonsense!

Sadly, David Carr isn’t the only analyst questioning Ben Roethlisberger’s talent. Others also believe Ben is unworthy of being considered elite among active QBs. Am I missing something? Are these analysts peering through rose colored glasses? Questions, questions, questions!

So, I decided to settle this issue once and for all. Determining Ben’s legacy wasn’t easy. It required an extensive (and thorough) review of numerous databases. Including, NFL.com, footballdatabase.com, and statista.com. But, I made the sacrifice to ensure the objectivity of the results.

After examining the empirical data, it became crystal clear: Ben Roethlisberger is currently the third best QB playing in the NFL. Behind only Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

As painful as this is to admit, Tom Brady is ranked No. 1 in virtually every statistical category. Aaron Rodgers is currently behind Big Ben. But, if he stays on pace, he should pass Roethlisberger in some categories.

Which brings me to Ben. His numbers just popped! Among active QBs, Ben Roethlisberger is no worse than third in six categories.

• Second in Super Bowl appearances with 3.
• Tied for second with 2 championship rings.
• Second in career playoff wins with 13 (three more than the next QB).
• Second in winning percentage at 68%.
• Third is total wins with 148 (one behind Drew Brees).
• Third in passing yards with 51,065 (617 yards behind Eli Manning).

And, drumroll please: Ben has the 9th best QB rating (94.0) of all time.

According to NFL.com, over a 14-year span, the average Ben Roethlisberger season is: 297 completions in 464 attempts for 3,648 yards, 24 TDs and 12 INTs. Pretty impressive!

David Carr’s reason for excluding Ben from his list was that Ben “has the most talented skilled players in the league…” and, if he didn’t have Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell he wouldn’t win as many games. Hogwash! Carr completely discounts Roethlisberger’s ability to read, recognize, then dissect a defense with the appropriate throw.

Granted, Brown and Bell are great. But, it’s Ben’s passing skills that gets them the ball on time and in the right spot. Apparently , Carr needs to re-watch last year’s playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Where Ben hung 42 points on a very good defense. Including, two amazing TD passes against Pro Bowl CBs.

It seems that David Carr doesn’t use the same criteria for each QB. It’s not like Tom Brady is playing with chopped liver. Not to mention, being coached by the one and only Bill Belichick.

For example, when discussing Brady, David Carr failed to mention All World TE Rob Gronkowski. Based on Carr’s analysis of Ben, Gronk should have factored into his decision of Brady. Gronk is a beast! Great hands. Ability to run down balls. Ability to gain massive yardage after the catch. No doubt! Gronk’s abilities pad Tom Brady”s stats.

Putting David Carr’s list aside. If you rely on the aforementioned data. Weigh Ben’s stats against the stats of the other QBs in the league. Ben Roethlisberger is a top three QB.

Plus, Ben plans to play three to five more years. Which gives him plenty of time to improve his career rankings and enhance his legacy.

Next: Why the Steelers shouldn't take the blame for Bell

So, as we eagerly await a new football season, Steelers’ fans should consider themselves incredibly fortunate to have such an elite QB.