By David Moore
The Dallas Morning News
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/football/
11:52 PM CST on Sunday, December 7, 2008
PITTSBURGH - DECEMBER 07: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a first quarter pass while playing the Dallas Cowboys with Greg Ellis chasing on December 7, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh won the game 20-13. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH – The Cowboys like to think they have a special player in Tony Romo.
The Steelers know they have one in Ben Roethlisberger.
Most of the credit for Pittsburgh's victory belongs to a defense as harsh as the eight-degree wind chill factor. The Steelers did force five turnovers and score the winning points on an interception return by cornerback Deshea Townsend in the final two minutes.
But remove Roethlisberger's contribution late in Sunday's game and the defense would have done nothing more than accumulate some impressive, yet hollow, statistics.
Big Ben led his team on a come-from-behind victory in the fourth quarter for the 16th time in his career. The quarterback who was more likely to bounce a pass off his offensive lineman's shoulder pads or have the ball knocked down at the line of scrimmage by the Cowboys aggressive defense for most of the afternoon eventually stood tall.
Roethlisberger completed nine of 12 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown in the final 18 minutes. He ran for key first down. He produced 10 points on the team's final two possessions – we're not counting Pittsburgh running out the clock at the end – after scraping together just three points the first 11 times he had the ball.
"I'm really proud of the way the guys stepped up when we needed it the most," Roethlisberger said. "We answered the bell when we had to."
The play that awoke Pittsburgh from its offensive slumber came on third-and-16 late in the third quarter. Santonio Holmes took off down the sideline, got behind cornerback Terence Newman and caught a beautiful throw from Roethlisberger for 47 yards.
"I talked to Newman afterward," Roethlisberger said. "He was sitting on everything all night. I kind of gave him a quick little pump fake, then just chunked it up for 'Tone. He ran under it and made a heck of a play."
The Steelers failed to score on that series because the Cowboys shut them down on third-and-goal and fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. But the deep pass to Holmes tilted field position in Pittsburgh's favor and helped get the team into an offensive rhythm for the first time.
"That was the big play that really hurt us," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "That was inexcusable."
Roethlisberger came back two possessions later and completed passes of 14, 21 and 16 yards to Nate Washington. Roethlisberger's 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Heath Miller with 2:04 left when the Cowboys blitzed tied the score and set the table for Pittsburgh's defense.
"Guys knowing that we had to do it, that it was now or never," Roethlisberger said of that touchdown drive. "It was a little later than we wanted to, but it was time to score, and score quick."
You want quick? Sunday marked the 49th win in Roethlisberger's first five seasons. That's more than any quarterback in NFL history.
"He made some big plays," Phillips said. "He's still the same quarterback that knows how to win."
He's the quarterback Tony Romo wasn't on this day.
BIG BEN
The Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger passed some impressive players on his way to the most wins by any NFL quarterback in his first five seasons.
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh (2004-08)- 49
Otto Graham, Cleveland (1950-54)- 48
Dan Marino, Miami (1983-87)- 48
Tom Brady, New England (2000-04)- 48
John Elway, Denver (1983-87)- 46
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