Ben's gutsy performance stuff of legend

By Mike Bires
Beaver County Times
http://www.timesonline.com/
Monday December 6, 2010 11:41 PM


Ben Roethlisberger may not be the best quarterback in the NFL. But without question, there’s no one quite like him.

To be sure, he’s molding his legend with statistics, wins and Super Bowl rings. But what sets him apart from other greats is a competitive nature and toughness that puts him in a class of his own.

He’s proven that in the past and he proved it again in the latest Steelers-Ravens thriller.

BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 05: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger throws a pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the second quarter of the game at M&T Bank Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images)

No other quarterback in the league could have done what Roethlisberger did in Sunday night’s 13-10 brawl in Baltimore.

Playing with an injured right foot and a broken nose, Roethlisberger put on a performance that ranks up there with some of best games he’s ever played. He may have only led the offense to one touchdown drive, and that was a 9-yard possession set up by Troy Polamalu’s late fourth-quarter heroics. But all things considered, Roethlisberger was amazing.

He is one tough son of a gun.

“That’s Ben,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “We expect that from him, not that it’s unappreciated. But it’s what we expect from him and what he expects from himself.”

The exact nature of Roethlisberger’s foot injury still is not known. There is one publication that insists there’s a broken bone in his foot. The team stands by its diagnosis that Roethlisberger suffered a sprain last week in Buffalo. Roethlisberger won’t say, citing orders from Tomlin not to discuss injuries.

Regardless, he started out against a tenacious Baltimore defense with a lot of pain in his foot.

Then on the Steelers’ first possession, Roethlisberger had his nose broken by Ravens defensive lineman Haloti Ngata. As he teamed with blitzing linebacker Terrell Suggs on a sack, Ngata smacked Roethlisberger right on the schnoz.

“A hand came through my facemask and the next thing I knew, blood was running down my face,” Roethlisberger said.

After that third-down sack, Roethlisberger retreated to the sideline where the Steelers’ medical staff did the best they could to straighten out his nose. And on the Steelers’ next possession, Roethlisberger was back on the field, bloodied jersey and all.

There was no way he was going to miss one snap in that slugfest.

For the game, Roethlisberger’s numbers weren’t all that impressive. That was especially true in the first half when the Steelers didn’t score. He threw for just 92 yards and had a lowly 39.9 passer rating. But imagine the agony he was fighting through with that injured foot and broken nose.

Then in the second half as he shrugged off the pain, he played much better with 161 passing yards and a 112.0 rating.

Then there was the game-winning 9-yard TD drive set up by Polamalu’s sack of Joe Flacco.

On first-and-goal from the Baltimore 9, Roethlisberger threw what might go down as one of the most famous incompletions in Steelers’ history. Just as he took the snap from center, Roethlisberger was swarmed over by Suggs. Roethlisberger, 6-foot-5-and 241 pounds, refused to go down.

He kept fighting off Suggs, who goes 6-3 and 260. With Suggs draped all over him, Roethlisberger managed to stay on his feet until he got beyond the hash mark. Then just when it seemed Suggs would finish off the sack, Roethlisberger was able to throw the ball away with a motion that resembled a shot putter’s technique, and avoid a big loss.

It’s hard to imagine any other quarterback making that play. But Roethlisberger did, and two plays later, he threw a short pass to Isaac Redman who broke two tackles and scored the game-winning TD.

“He made a play for his team,” Suggs said of Roethlisberger’s great escape. ”That’s all you can say. He made a play.”

No, Roethlisberger did more than make a big play at crunch time.

Playing through pain, his presence on the field for every snap of the game, him being the ultimate leader — that’s what made his performance in Baltimore even more special.

He’s just an amazing quarterback whose legend continues to grow.