Ben Roethlisberger's legend just keeps growing. Peter King of SI.com recently reported that Big Ben played the Super Bowl with a broken rib. Just another chapter in the legend of the 26-year-old quarterback who now has more Super Bowl rings than three-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning and Brett Favre and two-time MVP Kurt Warner.
When the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this season, I threw my hands up and cursed the day the Steelers made Roethlisberger their franchise quarterback.
That was in October.
Fast forward to December when the Steelers traveled to Baltimore with the AFC North Division and a first-round bye on the line. All Roethlisberger did was drive the Steelers 90 yards and culminated the game-winning drive by being...well...Ben Roethlisberger when he scrambled left and right, found Santonio Holmes for a touchdown. Game over! I'm sold. That was the night Big Ben showed me HE IS the franchise quarterback and HE IS capable of leading the Steelers to the Super Bowl.
With 2:37 left to play in Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, I told myself that if Roethlisberger can lead the Steelers to a game-winning touchdown I will NEVER...EVER....criticize Big Ben ever again. Well, the rest was history. Big Ben channeled his inner John Elway and engineered the best ad-libbed two-minute drill in Super Bowl history. Steve Young described the 80-yard drive as "nothing on time and on budget." Every play was seemingly drawn up on the sandlot and Roethlisberger used his improvisational skills to get the ball to his receivers - mainly Santonio Holmes. Most people will remember the game-winner to Holmes, but Big Ben made two unbelievable plays before that. On first-and-20 after a holding penalty, Roethlisberger avoided a sack near the goal line and connected with Holmes for a 14-yard play. Then, on third-and-6, he found Holmes over the middle for a crucial first down that set up Holmes' 40-yard catch-and-run that got the Steelers inside the 10.
On the last play of the drive, Roethlisberger channeled his inner Joe Montana, going through his progressions before letting the ball go. He checked the first option, which was Mewelde Moore on the flat but he was covered. He checked his second option, which was Hines Ward over the middle but he was covered. That's when he went to his third option, a corner route to Holmes in the end zone. One perfect pass and a toe-tap in the end zone later, the Steelers were Super Bowl champs for the second time in Big Ben's five-year career.
(By the way, for those haters who were wondering why there was no booth review on Kurt Warner's second fumble - yes, he fumbled twice and Kurt knows it - the play WAS reviewed and Mike Pereira, NFL VP of officiating, confirmed it was a fumble. The ball was already out before Warner's arm moved forward.)
When you factor in everything that came along with it, Holmes' catch was the greatest game-winning catch, not just in Super Bowl history, but in NFL history. All made possible by the guy wearing No. 7 in black and gold.
Big Ben is the HD version of Elway. I have come to the realization that he is not your typical NFL quarterback. Sure, he gives me ulcers by holding onto the ball and taking too many sacks. But that's who he is. It is his greatest weakness as well as his greatest strength. Even if he does not win another game for the rest of his career, he has given me two SUPER reasons why I have become his biggest fan.
I love me some Roethlisberger!
Keywords: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
