Roethlisberger makes a case for league MVP By Vic Carucci
PITTSBURGH (Nov. 7, 2004) -- Calling Ben Roethlisberger the NFL's best rookie has become trivial. Best rookie? He achieved that status weeks ago.
Roethlisberger has ascended to an entirely different level. After deftly guiding the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 27-3 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, he must be viewed as a legitimate candidate for league MVP.
Go ahead. Try and make a stronger case for another player, or specifically, for another quarterback. There are other good ones putting up spectacular numbers, but when you factor in results with performance, Roethlisberger must be on anyone's short list.
Two weeks, two victories over undefeated teams with premier defensive coaches. Six starts, six wins.
The other quarterback in Heinz Field was Donovan McNabb, widely viewed as a front-runner for NFL MVP. Roethlisberger outperformed him, by a good margin. A week earlier he outperformed two-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady, by a good margin.
If those aren't strong enough arguments for Roethlisberger to receive strong MVP consideration, consider this: He is the primary reason the 7-1 Steelers are the best team in the NFL on the grounds that to be the best, you must beat the best.
No, Roethlisberger's numbers weren't staggering against Philadelphia, but he did plenty to put the Steelers in position to win -- and that is what a top-notch quarterback does. He threw for 183 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in the first half as the Steelers built a 21-0 lead. He provided a perfect complement to ageless running back Jerome Bettis, who was back to his dominant self from the opening drive and finished with 149 yards in place of the injured Duce Staley.
To say Roethlisberger is performing well for a rookie isn't giving him nearly enough credit. Those were the New England Patriots that he beat -- to end an NFL-record, 21-game winning streak -- in Week 8. These were the Eagles, who had been 7-0 and generally regarded as the best team in the league, that he beat in Week 9.
Rookie quarterbacks aren't supposed to have this sort of success. And they aren't supposed to have the savvy or leadership or poise that Roethlisberger is displaying on a routine basis.
Pressure him -- as the Eagles did with a great deal of blitzing that often involved safeties as well as linebackers -- and he steps up or sprints away to avoid trouble and make a big throw. Do whatever you want to the kid. He'll just keep completing passes, picking up first downs (both with his arm and with those amazingly quick feet attached to a 6-foot-5, 241-pound body), and throwing touchdowns.
"Ben's making the throws he needs to make," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. "He threw, what, 18 times today? But you look in the first half, he made some clutch plays -- scrambling, moving around in the pocket. He made some big third-down plays for us today."
You often hear rookie quarterbacks talk about the game they see on the field eventually "slowing down" as they gain experience. For Roethlisberger, this has been six games of continuous slow motion.
"He just has that poise to sit back there and play ball," Steelers receiver Antwaan Randle El said.
Big Ben never allowed himself to get caught up in the massive hype over the Steelers facing the second of back-to-back marquee games. The sellout crowd of 64,975 set a Heinz Field record (set the previous week), and ticket scalpers sought anywhere from $500 to $1,500 for a seat.
"After it was all said and done and you saw the final score, then it was kind of like, 'Wow! That was a big win for us,' " said Roethlisberger, who joined Mike Kruczek of the 1976 Steelers as the only rookie quarterbacks to win their first six starts. "To me, it's just football. I try not to get overwhelmed. I try not to get overexcited because I don't want it to take over what I'm feeling and the emotion. I try to keep calm and level-headed."
Even when things don't go well, such as when tackle Sam Rayburn busted through the middle untouched on one play, Roethlisberger managed to quickly release the ball for an incompletion before being knocked on his back rather than take a sack or turn the ball over -- the typical results when a rookie quarterback is subjected to such adversity.
Roethlisberger brushes adversity off his shoulder pads as if it were a piece of lint. He threw an interception and fumbled a handoff, and immediately deleted each setback from his memory. Rookies don't usually do that.
Nor are they as quick as Roethlisberger to become a primary leader on his team. In his case, part of that leadership comes from knowing enough to publicly acknowledge the contributions of those around him, such as his offensive line and Bettis.
"That's why he's Jerome Bettis; that's why he's the mayor of this city," said Roethlisberger, who was 12 when Bettis began his NFL career in 1993. "He steps up big when you need him to. A lot of people think he's getting too old to play or whatever they say. He answered all the critics today."
Still, a reporter wanted to know if Roethlisberger, who has sandwiches named after him in Pittsburgh restaurants, thought he would unseat Bettis in the next "mayoral" election. The rookie was ready with a veteran-like answer.
"No, I think he would win hands down," Roethlisberger said. "I don't think anybody wouldn't vote for him."
Cowher, who has been careful with his praise for Roethlisberger, tried to reinforce the notion that his quarterback is more of a role player than a star.
"He's one part of what we have," the coach said. "He's got some good pieces around him."
But the coach did admit this much: "He holds up his end of the bargain pretty well."
awe, the Hartman getting no replies. Whats up? No love for the steelers?
Monsieur Le Big Ben hasnt been below 100.0 in QB rating since the hurricane game 'gainst Miami. Ka-boom! Manning's still the MVP though, that left handed pass monday night, beyond impressive. Ben just wont be as singularly valuable to his team winning as Manning. The Steelers actually have a defence and a running game that is more than an afterthought.
I didn;t say anything cause I didn't want to upset anyone.. Ben is playing well hes on a good team. He has the best receiving corps in the league a REAL GOOD Oline and dare I say the best D in the league to bail him out...
Drew Brees... MVP
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Book of Cash Chapter 2: Verse 11- Do not PM or IM me until you have exhausted every other way.
First off, an opinion cannot be wrong....its an OPINION
Ok, good. In my opinion, you're an idiot. Good thing I can't be wrong!
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And Manning's numbers are 26/4, he either gets the MVP or shares it. Cash's point is valid though, Ben makes a good team great, Manning makes the Colts, full stop.
To be honest, I'd have to throw my weight behind Manning for MVP. Great numbers (awesome numbers!) plus, as stated earlier, the team is play-off calibre with him, a losing record without him. The same can be stated for Vick, but he doesn't have the numbers. As for Cowher for pres... I've been through to much in the last month as far as presidential candidates go!
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