The Best Game of THIS Weekend Debate… Defensive Showdown in the Steel City

October 1, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Babe Ruthless.

The best football game taking place this weekend is happening in the state of Pennsylvania.

No, it is NOT Donovan McNabb’s return to Philadelphia. The REAL action will be taking place in Western PA, as the Baltimore Ravens travel to Pittsburgh to take on the surprising 3-0 Steelers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, WITHOUT Santonio Holmes, Ben Roethlisberger (or even Dennis Dixon and Byron Leftwich) have somehow managed to storm through the first three weeks of the regular season, remaining one of only three unbeaten teams left in the NFL. While it may be surprising that they have remained unblemished without the majority of their offensive talent from recent seasons, it is no secret how they have done it – defense!

Behind the leadership of Troy Polamalu, the Steelers currently claim the stingiest defense in the league, allowing a league-leading 33 total points on the season. In terms of rushing yards, they have posted the third best performance in the NFL to-date, allowing only 59.7 yards per game on the ground to this point in the season. That is especially impressive when you consider that they had to stop Michael Turner and Chris Johnson in accomplishing that feat.

As exciting as this start has been in Pittsburgh the team is still a week away from seeing Roethlisberger return to the field, at which point the Steelers can finally add some offense to their repertoire.

But, facing Baltimore sans-Roethlisberger will be the toughest challenge yet for Pittsburgh, and may end up being the toughest challenge faced all season. Although the Steelers have a top-ten defense, their week four opponents, the Baltimore Ravens, boast the absolute BEST defense the NFL has to offer.

In fact, the Ravens have allowed the fewest yards per game in the league – 244.3 yards per game – through the first three weeks of the season (a total which would have been MUCH lower if not for Peyton Hillis’ surprise performance last weekend). To give you an idea of just how good the Ravens’ pass defense is, there were five different quarterbacks last week who passed for more yards in a SINGLE GAME than the Ravens have allowed in a combined three games.

The Ravens are no slouch in the points-allowed category either, ranking fourth by giving up only eight points more than the Steelers with 41 points allowed.

Now on offense, these two teams are a different story, although both seemed to come alive a little bit last weekend.

For Pittsburgh, offensive struggles were expected since Roethlisberger is still serving his suspension. So when they managed to put up 38 points last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they were likely just as surprised as you and I.

Baltimore, on the other hand, has been a bit of a let down on offense.

Thanks to the additions of Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, along with Joe Flacco and Ray Rice, everyone expected offense to be Baltimore’s strongest suit of the season (especially after they lost Ed Reed to injury). But even with those weapons on offense, the Ravens have only managed to put 44 total points on the board (the fifth worst total in the league). Fortunately, when you have Ray Lewis on your roster, 44 points is still enough to start the season off at 2-1.

Forget about Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb, this Sunday in Pittsburgh we will get to see the league’s top defenses duke it out in an AFC North showdown to determine whose really is the best in the league.

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The Best Game of THIS Weekend Debate – Playoff Atmosphere Already Present for the Bengals-Ravens Rematch!

November 6, 2009

Read the arguments from Sports Geek and Loyal Homer about which games they believe are the best of THIS weekend.



This weekend the NFL is featuring several very important divisional matchups that may go a long way in determining which teams will or w will not make the playoffs this season.

As Loyal Homer points out, one such matchup takes place between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. This should be an outstanding game in the NFC East! I, however, am much more interested in the battle at the top of the AFC North between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens are coming off an outstanding performance against Denver where they handed the Broncos the first loss of the season with an impressive final score of 30-7. Last Sunday marked the fifth time in seven games that the Ravens offense was able to put up at least 30 points, and this time it managed to do it against the Denver Broncos’ top-ranked defense.

Behind the strength of two very impressive second-year players – quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice – the Ravens have been able to score almost at will all season long. The Ravens have played outstanding football in 2009 with the only losses coming against teams at the top of their respective divisions, the New England Patriots (5-2), Minnesota Vikings (7-1), and the Cincinnati Bengals (5-2). Even in defeat, however, the Ravens have been extremely competitive and may have achieved a 6-1 record if not for a couple of unlucky breaks.

The Ravens had an opportunity to defeat the Vikings as time ran out, but missed a field goal in the closing seconds of the game and lost by only two points. During the matchup against the Bengals one week earlier the Ravens actually held a four-point lead in the final minute of the game. If not for a 20-yard Carson Palmer touchdown pass to wide receiver Andre Caldwell with only 0:22 seconds remaining the Ravens would have won that game, as well.

This Sunday the Ravens have an opportunity for revenge against the Bengals, a team that is one of the NFL’s surprise success stories this season.

The Cincinnati Bengals, a team that had to scrape out wins against the Cleveland Browns – Kansas City Chiefs, and Washington Redskins during their final three matchups of 2008 just to reach a pathetic record of 4-11-1 on the season (did YOU know that teams in the NFL could tie?!) – have started off the 2009 season by winning five of the first seven games. What makes the 5-2 record so impressive is the caliber of opponent that defeated. With wins at Green Bay and in Baltimore, as well as being able to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Cincinnati, the Bengals are proving to be just as good this season as any other Super Bowl contender in the league. And, like the Ravens, Cincinnati has also been very competitive even in defeat. If not for a miracle 87-yard TIPPED touchdown catch by Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley with only seconds left in the game, the Bengals would be 6-1.

The Bengals offense, which has shown the ability to put big numbers up on the scoreboard, seems to be rejuvenated behind the arm of Carson Palmer. With receivers Chad Ochocinco, Lavaraneus Coles, and Andre Caldwell, Palmer has found the end zone 13 times so far this season. Meanwhile, on the ground, running back Cedric Benson is one of only two players in the NFL currently averaging at least 100-yards per game (Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans is the other, and he needed a 220 yard game last week to bump his average up that high).

Playing in the same division as the reigning Super Bowl Champions normally would be considered a disadvantage. That is not the case in the AFC North this season. Granted, the Pittsburgh Steelers have played very well this season and have kept pace with Baltimore and Cincinnati, but the Ravens and Bengals have not let that get in the way. The matchup between these two teams could very well become the difference in whether or not one of these teams gets to play football in mid-January. I expect a very hard-fought, competitive rematch, and am very excited to see how this one turns out!

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The NFL Fumbling the Playoffs Debate – No More Chances to “Steel” Glory This Year

October 5, 2009

Read Sports Geek and Loyal Homer’s arguments about which preseason playoff contenders in the NFL have already blown their chance at the postseason.



Expectations are a funny thing. In school, one student’s C-plus could be perceived as a greater accomplishment than another student’s A-minus. What is the difference? Expectations.

Similarly, a 4-12 finish for the Detroit Lions could be perceived as a wild success, while a 4-12 finish for the New England Patriots would be abysmal failure.

Realistically, some teams did not have a chance to compete for the postseason, even before the season began. Sure, there will always be surprises like the Denver Broncos, a team that has begun the season at 4-0 despite the expectations they would likely not be in the running for a playoff spot this season. For every surprise, though, there is another disappointment.

One such team that has disappointed this year is the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If not for the fortunate blessing of a coin toss going their way in overtime during week one against the Tennessee Titans, it is entirely possible that the Steelers would have been sitting a 1-3 right now. Although they did win that coin toss (along with the game against the Titans), and are actually the owners of a 2-2 record, the Steelers still lost their chance to compete for the postseason. That is right, I said it!

I am not arguing that the Steelers are the worst team in football (look to the St. Louis Rams for that dubious honor right now). The Steelers are talented as a football team, and will win games (even against some “good” teams). But do not let last night’s 38-28 victory over the San Diego Chargers fool you, the Steelers are not the same team they were last season.

The biggest challenge facing the Steelers, who were the best team in the NFL LAST season, is that they are now chasing the Baltimore Ravens – a team that may be the best team in football THIS season. After losing to the Chicago Bears and the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers fell two games behind the Ravens who jumped to an impressive 3-0 start on the season before giving one game back to Pittsburgh with a loss against the New England Patriots yesterday.

The Steelers were fortunate to pick up a game on the Ravens yesterday, but do not look for this to happen often. The Ravens have been playing very impressive football behind second-year quarterback Joe Flacco, and are the new favorites to win the AFC North Division in 2009. The Steelers catching the Ravens is difficult with a schedule that includes the Broncos, the Minnesota Vikings – who are at 3-0 behind the arm of Brett Favre – and the 2-1 Green Bay Packers. Not to mention a second game against the very Bengals that already beat Pittsburgh once this year. Then there is the two games against the Ravens, still.

Speaking of the Bengals, did you notice that they are also at 3-1 right now, and one game ahead of Pittsburgh as well? Although I am not ready to buy into the hype of Cincinnati yet (especially after witnessing a CLOSE escape in Cleveland with a victory yesterday against the Browns), the fact remains that Pittsburgh will also have to catch the Bengals to hang onto hope of playing football in January.

Let’s face it, the season is already a quarter of the way finished and the Steelers are in third place in the AFC North, trailing a team that has already beaten them once and another team which is viewed by many as the best team in the league.

I am sorry to tell the fans of the Black and Gold this: It looks like the “Steel Curtain” may be closing on Pittsburgh early this year.

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The NFL Fumbling the Playoffs Debate – The Pitiful Meow of the 2009 Carolina Panthers

October 5, 2009

Read Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan’s arguments for which NFL teams they believe have already squandered a chance at postseason glory, just four weeks into the 2009 regular season.



In order for a team to fumble its chances for the postseason – especially this early in the 2009 season – it must have started the season with some shot to actually make the playoffs. In others words, the Cleveland Browns do not really qualify for participation in this debate (lucky for them). This debate is about teams that actually had a shot and have already squandered their chance at the postseason.

Since the lousy usual suspects will not be included, there are just a handful of teams that should have played good football and earned a spot in the playoffs this season. For me, no team has already blown its opportunity at postseason glory quite as spectacularly as the Carolina Panthers.

How appropriate that the Carolina Panthers spent week four of the NFL season at home on a bye week. You know, “bye” as in good “bye” to the team’s postseason chances this season, despite the fact that the calendar still reads early October.

The Panthers are showing all of the signs of a team destined to miss the NFL playoffs after a preseason of hype and high expectations. Exhibit A – the win-loss record. The Panthers completed their preseason slate with a record of 0-4. Fans speculated the team was struggling in the preseason because of the quality teams the Panthers faced, losing at the New York Giants, at Miami, then at home against Baltimore and defending Super Bowl champions Pittsburgh. Tough losses, but it was preseason and not the end of the world.

The thing about losing all of the preseason games is that it creates a culture of losing throughout a team. The Panthers saw that losing culture in full force in week one as the team hosted Philadelphia, and were destroyed 38-10. The Panthers followed up that surprising loss with a trip to Atlanta to face a Falcons team with many weapons. The Panthers lost that game, too, and then traveled to Dallas and lost on Monday night, scoring a mere seven points.

While the offense has struggled, the normally excellent defense that is the hallmark of Panther teams has struggled as well. For some perspective on the poor play of the defense, consider that the Panthers have given up more points than EVERY team in the NFC, except the St. Louis Rams.

That Panthers have only outpaced the offensive prowess of two other teams in the NFL – the Cleveland Browns and the St. Louis Rams. Not the company a team wants to keep in the stat column this season.

So, the offense is bad and the defense is bad. All of the badness will make it difficult to come back and compete in a division that is tough. The Panthers have already lost to one division opponent – the Atlanta Falcons – and will have a challenge to beat them when the two teams play again. The New Orleans Saints lead the division and promise to continue giving Carolina’s defense fits. The Panthers even trail the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in tiebreakers, placing the presumed impressive Panthers squarely in the basement of the NFC South.

The team is also suffering from the slow decline of established veteran leadership and infighting – and the two issues are related. Quarterback Jake Delhomme has slowly changed into a leader with diminishing skills. In the opening game of the season the quarterback threw a whopping four interceptions before getting the hook from the head coach. He has now thrown seven interceptions in three games. His teammates are apparently frustrated. Star wide receiver Steve Smith, showing an uncanny ability for how to use the media, called in to a local sports talk show in Charlotte to announce that he “never liked” Delhomme as a quarterback. When the quarterback and star receiver are not getting along… well, that is not exactly a foundation for a winning team.

On top of all of these obvious issues, the team is now losing faith in its head coach, John Fox. If the coach’s seat was warming up on September 13 – before the season actually started – then it must be on fire now.

The simple fact is that all signs point to a continued collapse from the Panthers. The team does not appear to have the guts and leadership to pull itself up by the bootstraps and compete in the division and fight for a spot in the playoffs. After all of the preseason and training camp belief that the Carolina Panthers were a team destined for an appearance in the postseason, they are now the team most notorious for blowing their shot early in the season.

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The Biggest Surprise From the Weekend Debate – Who the Heck is Brodie Croyle?!

September 14, 2009

Read Sports Geek and Loyal Homer’s arguments about the which event they believe was the biggest surprise in football over the weekend.



Here’s a question: How did the vaunted Baltimore Ravens defense allow Kansas City Chiefs backup quarterback Brodie Croyle to throw for two touchdowns, a 116.1 passer rating, and fail to force a single turnover?!

If you were to ask me before week one in the NFL which defense was going to have the best performance, I would have said the Baltimore Ravens. Last season, the Ravens ranked second in the NFL for total defense and had more interceptions than any other team. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs were ranked offensively among the bottom ten teams in the league for total offense (24th), points per game (26th), and turned the ball over 24 times (including 16 interceptions). Add to that the fact that the Chiefs were forced to start Croyle after it was decided that starting quarterback Matt Cassell would not play. All the signs were pointing towards a good ol’ fashioned beat down by the Ravens.

I could not have been more mistaken.

Despite winning the game, the Ravens should be very disappointed in their performance on Sunday, and VERY concerned that this might be an indication of how they will match up against an offense that is actually able to produce consistently.

Croyle, who has never won a game as a starting quarterback, should have been easy pickings for one of the most dominant defenses of the last decade in the NFL. He has a career passer rating of only 67.5, and has thrown only six touchdowns to eight interceptions since joining the Chiefs in 2006. Defending against a player with those credentials should have been like shooting fish in a barrel for defensive back Ed Reed, linebacker Ray Lewis and company. But, it was not.

The Chiefs went on to score 24 points against a Ravens defense that only allowed an average of 15.3 points per game all season in 2008, and only allowed 24 or more points four times during all of 2008 (which understandably came against high-powered offenses such as the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, and the New York Giants). By allowing the Chiefs to score 24 points behind a second-string quarterback, the appearance is that this is not the same Ravens defense we are used to seeing.

Perhaps age has finally caught up with Baltimore. This is a defense where many of their superstars are now well into their 30’s (Ray Lewis – 34, Ed Reed – 31, Trevor Pryce – 34), and the AVERAGE age for the starting 11 is slightly above 28 years old.

Another factor that may have serious implications for the Ravens on defense is the loss of Rex Ryan as the defensive coordinator. Ryan joined Baltimore in 1999 as their defensive line coach, and was promoted to the defensive coordinator position in 2005. The son of legendary coach Buddy Ryan, Rex Ryan has established himself as one of the elite defensive-minded coaches in the league. That reputation helped save his job in 2008 after the firing of then head coach Brian Billick and all of Billick’s staff (except for Ryan, of course), and eventually led to his current assignment as the head coach of the New York Jets. Perhaps he was the secret ingredient that helped make the Ravens’ defense one of the best in the league.

In fairness, it is also possible that the game against Kansas City on Sunday was just a blip on the radar. It is entirely possible that the Ravens will come out of the gates next week in San Diego with guns blazing, and will shut down the potentially dangerous Chargers’ offense.

It can be difficult to gauge a team’s likelihood of success or failure off of only one game, especially when it is a game that the Ravens won (regardless of how pretty that win looked). Nevertheless, I expected a much better performance out of the Baltimore defense last Sunday. If this game serves as any indication that the Ravens (who have never been mistaken as an offensive powerhouse) are going to have to rely on quarterback Joe Flacco, a committee of three different running backs, and Derrick Mason as the top receiver to carry the load in the 2009 season, then Ravens fans had better buckle-up and prepare for a VERY bumpy ride!

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The Most Devastating NFL Injury Debate – I Feel the Need… The Need for Reed!

August 24, 2009

Read Sports Geek and Loyal Homer’s arguments regarding which players are so vital to their teams that they cannot afford to be lost to injury.



The Baltimore Ravens are not simply students of the “Defense First” philosophy. They do not take the test, they give it! Sure, they have had their share of offensive highlights (running back Jamal Lewis was a 2,000 yard rusher for the Ravens during the 2003 season), but defense has always been the priority.

Since the team’s inception in 1996, the Baltimore Ravens have earned a total of 57 Pro Bowl invitations. Of those 57 invites, only 20 went to offensive players (and 11 of those belong to retired offensive tackle and future Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden). That means the remaining 37 invitations all went to Ravens defensive players.

When you look at the list of names which account for those 37 defensive invitations, you see players like Hall of Fame safety Rod Woodson (2 Pro Bowls while playing for Baltimore) and future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis (10 Pro Bowls). Other names on that list are linebacker Peter Boulware, who earned four Pro Bowl selections, and linebacker/defensive end Terrell Suggs and cornerback Chris McAllister, who both account for three invitations.

It is a literal “Who’s-Who” of defensive dominance over the last 13 years of professional football.

Although Ray Lewis is undeniably the leader of this elite group of defensive superstars, there is another man whose play is much more valuable to the organization today than any other player: safety Ed Reed. With Ray Lewis entering his 14th season as a pro, it is safe to assume that his play on the field will begin to decline. He should still be a difference-maker on the field, but at 34 years old he will not be able to maintain the same level of performance that he has shown for the past 13 years. Instead, the Ravens need Reed to step in and take over as the leader of the Baltimore defense. The 2008 season was proof of that fact.

During the first ten weeks of the season, many felt that the Ravens were little more than pretenders. They felt that once the season played out, Baltimore would find itself on the outside looking in. For his part, Reed’s performance was very disappointing (compared to his ridiculous standards), thanks in part to a nagging neck injury suffered during the 2007 season. As a result, the Ravens – whose defense was still led by Ray Lewis – were not expected to achieve much success in the 2008 season.

Heading into their Week 12 matchup at home against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Ravens had a record of 6-4, with the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Pittsburgh Steelers still on the horizon. It was during that game that Reed picked off two passes (leading to the benching of quarterback Donovan McNabb), returning one of them for a touchdown. After that, things suddenly fell into place for Reed and the Ravens.

During the final six games of the Ravens season, Reed made EIGHT interceptions (two each against Philly, Dallas, Washington, and the Jacksonville Jaguars), leading the Ravens on to win five of those remaining games and a Wild Card spot in the AFC playoffs. During the playoffs, Reed picked off two more passes against Miami (scoring another touchdown), bringing his 2008 interception total to 11 on the year (including the postseason). His efforts helped lead the Ravens to the AFC Championship game.

Since being drafted out of Miami by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of 2002, Reed has earned five different Pro Bowl selections, and was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2004. He holds records for interception return yards in a season (358), and in 2008 he broke the record for the longest interception return in NFL history (108 yards), surpassing the previous record (also owned by Reed) by two yards.

In addition to defensive dominance, Reed is also a force on both sides of special teams play, and he is the only person in NFL history to return an interception, punt, blocked punt, AND a fumble for touchdowns! In total, he has scored 11 career touchdowns, with three coming from blocked punts, one on a punt return, two as fumble returns, and five scored off of interceptions.

He was the only player to receive a unanimous vote for the 2008 AP NFL All-Pro team, and with a league-leading nine regular season interceptions last year, he was considered a favorite by many to be named the Defensive Player of the Year for a second time.

He has an amazing ability to disrupt plays, both on defense and on special teams. Entire offensive game-plans must be designed around his presence on the field, and his 43 career interceptions, in only seven seasons, are proof that most team’s efforts to avoid Reed still are not enough to keep him from making an impact on the field. He is a very disciplined defender, and seems to always find himself in the right place at the right time.

If the Ravens are going to continue to be the dominant force on defense that they have grown accustomed to over the past 13 years, they will ONLY be able to do it thanks to the continued dominance of Ed Reed. Losing Ed Reed is losing the season!

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The Most Devastating NFL Injury Debate – The Steelers Cannot Afford to lose Ben Roethlisberger

August 24, 2009

Read Bleacher Fan and Loyal Homer’s argument for who they believe is potentially the most devastating injury an NFL team can suffer.



Many NFL teams have important players. However, only a few teams in the NFL would be devastated if they lost their most important player. The writers at The Sports Debates believe there are three teams – and three players – who, more than any other team, would be significantly less effective if the player went down to injury. Bleacher Fan will argue the player a team that least afford to lose is safety Ed Reed (Baltimore Ravens) while Loyal Homer will argue the player is quarterback Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts).

If there was ever an NFL quarterback who knew how to win without winning pretty, it is Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben debuted in the NFL in 2004, and won two offensive rookie of the year awards. Since then the awards have dried up, sans the one selection to the Pro Bowl in 2007. He just is not a big time stat producer like some of his fellow quarterbacks in the NFL – Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Instead, Big Ben is a winner. Now entering his sixth season of professional football, Roethlisberger has two Super Bowl rings. Roethlisberger is the league’s most important player.

Ben Roethlisberger has some skills at quarterback, for sure. But, what he has that most lack is guts and instinct. He has a knack for staying in the pocket and taking the big hits to deliver a pass. He will also stick his neck out in order to gain an extra yard or two on a play (or stop a car). He has an uncanny ability to use his feet to create extra time in the pocket while his receivers get open.

Then there is the ability to lead, measured in the NFL by wins and losses. Roethlisberger has an outstanding all-time regular season record as a starter of 51-20. Against the elite teams in the NFL (we’ll define them as follows: Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers) he has a respectable regular season record of 15-9. Against his division, the AFC North, he has an all-time record of a whopping 22-4. The supposed biggest rivalry on the Steelers yearly calendar, the Cleveland Browns, have never defeated the Steelers in a game Roethlisberger has played in. He has been so dominant in the battle of the steel cities that the Browns are not even considered a rival anymore (at least they are not considered a rival to the Steelers).

Since Roethlisberger entered the league in 2004 the Steelers compiled a record of 56-24. That means that when Roethlisberger starts at quarterback the Steelers have a winning percentage of 72 percent. Basically, they win three of every four games they play when Big Ben starts under center. Without him the Steelers winning percentage is 56 percent. It is the same defense, the same receivers, the same offensive line, the same running backs – but about a quarter fewer wins. Those stats say something about Roethlisberger’s value.

I cannot make a good argument for Roethlisberger being the most important player to a team in the NFL without talking about his playoff performance. He is lifetime 8-2 in the playoffs – having defeated both NFC teams he has ever faced in the playoffs. He has led three playoff comebacks for victories as well.

We must also talk clutch. Of the 59 career win Roethlisberger has piled up as a starter in the NFL, he has led his team from behind in 19 of them. Eight of those wins happened when he led a scoring drive that ended with less than 43 seconds on the clock (that does not include his two overtime wins). That includes the 2008 Super Bowl when he led a scoring drive that notched the go ahead touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals with just 35 ticks left on the clock.

Roethlisberger wins in the regular season, he wins in the playoffs, and he wins by leading when it matters most, as the seconds tick down. In those clutch, last second drives of the game here are the statistics that Roethlisberger has compiled: completes 74 percent of his passes for 737 yards and six touchdowns. That completion percentage is something to behold.

More, when injury speculation surrounds Roethlisberger, everyone takes it very seriously. The mere specter of an injury to the Steelers’ leader causes a frenzy amongst the Super Bowl media and changes preparation for the opponent. In other words, a single injury rumor about Big Ben impacts how a team prepares for the Steelers.

Roethlisberger’s ability to physically do things in the pocket (and out of the pocket), plus trust his unmatched instincts, separates him from the other quarterbacks in the league. He does not have the Brady’s style or Manning’s extreme smarts. He has his guts, his intuition – and his Super Bowl rings. The Pittsburgh Steelers would not be as dominant year in year out without Roethlisberger. If the Steelers lose him, they lose their identity – and their place in the standings.

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