By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers directs on the run against the Cleveland Browns on November 11, 2007.
In the humble opinion of Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel, the time has come for pro football observers to expand the list of the Big Two NFL quarterbacks and make it the Terrific Three.
"All I ever hear about is how good Tom Brady is and how good Peyton Manning is," The Diesel said yesterday. "Well, we've got a guy here in Pittsburgh who knows how to play the game. He just keeps making plays and winning games for us. He's a big-time player who deserves big-time respect."
Here, here.
I second that motion.
There were at least 190 reasons why the Steelers should have lost to the Cleveland Browns -- 190 being the total yardage on what should have been two deadly kickoff returns by the Browns' Joshua Cribbs -- but Ben Roethlisberger would have none of it. He willed this 31-28 win that left the Steelers firmly in charge of the AFC North Division.
Brady couldn't have done it better.
Manning couldn't, either.
"I talk about 'em, too," Big Ben said when asked about the league-wide chatter about Brady and Manning.
OK, let's rephrase the question:
Would you like to be mentioned in the same breath?
"Maybe some day, if I think I'm on that level," Big Ben said. "But that's OK. Let those guys be talked about. I'd rather talk about the Steelers."
Is it any wonder the man is so respected in his locker room?
"I'd like to give all the credit to my offensive linemen," Roethlisberger said. "The receivers got open and made plays for me. The running backs ran hard ..."
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) celebrates with teammate Heath Miller (83) in the end zone after scrambling 30 yards up the middle for a fourth-quarter touchdown in NFL football action at Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2007. The Steelers won 31-28.
If Roethlisberger hadn't been interrupted by the next question, he surely would have mentioned coach Mike Tomlin, offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, quarterbacks coach Ken Anderson, the training staff, the equipment staff, Dan Rooney, Art Rooney II and the entire secretarial pool.
That humility is admirable, but it doesn't change the fact Roethlisberger took control of this game in the second half and won it.
You know, sort of like he did in the win against the Baltimore Ravens last Monday night when he threw five touchdown passes and had a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
That Roethlisberger did it again with his arm came as no surprise. His two touchdown passes gave him 22 for the season, 11 fewer than the great Brady who is on a record pace but six more than Manning. Forget Brady and Manning; Terry Bradshaw couldn't throw a better pass than the 2-yard dart Roethlisberger threw to tight end Heath Miller for the winning touchdown. Miller had linebacker Leon Williams draped on him but somehow ended up with the ball.
Four times, the Steelers converted third-and-long plays thanks to Roethlisberger passes. On the winning drive, he found wide receiver Santonio Holmes for 18 yards on third-and-6 and, more impressively, Miller for 20 yards on third-and-18. He finished with a 99.9 passer rating that would have been much higher if not for a second-quarter interception that resulted from his miscommunication with Holmes. His 110.2 passer rating for the season is second only to Brady's sick 131.8.
You bet it has become the Terrific Three.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, right completes a pass to tight end Heath Miller, not shown, for a go-ahead touchdown as Cleveland Browns linebacker Willie McGinest pressures Roethlisberger in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2007.
But a passer rating doesn't fully reflect a quarterback's impact because it doesn't measure his scrambling ability. Big Ben, fully aware the Browns were playing a lot of two-deep zone that left the running lanes open, killed 'em with his runs. Would you believe a 9-yard scramble on third-and-8 on a second-quarter field-goal drive? How about a phenomenal 30-yard touchdown run on a third-and-10 play to give the Steelers a 24-21 lead in the fourth quarter? As if that weren't enough, how about a 10-yard burst on third-and-9 on the winning drive?
It's that touchdown run that will have the fellas howling when they review the tape today.
"It seemed like he was so slow like, you know, sand in an hour glass," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "I could see from the grin on his face that he was determined to get to the end zone, but it took him long enough."
The play started when Roethlisberger stepped up in the pocket and heard guard Alan Faneca scream, "Go! Go! Go!" It continued when he fooled safety Brodney Pool by not sliding down and rumbling past him. And it ended with him diving into the end zone and then into the big ol' arms of jubilant Steelers guard Kendall Simmons before the rest of their teammates piled on.
"Those plays are where he becomes special," Miller said.
"Those plays," Keisel said, "just destroy a defense."
Keisel knows from experience.
He also knows quarterbacks.
"Our guy," he said, "is right there with anybody in the league."
I'll second that, too.
Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.
First published on November 12, 2007 at 12:00 am
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