This team is bigger than Ben, he needs to sit

by ismail on Nov 10, 2008 3:21 PM EST Comment 7 comments

Guys,...I appreciate Ben as much as anybody. But the great thing about football is that its the ultimate team sport, no individual is greater than the common cause. Ben is clearly not Ben,..whether thats due to injury or some kind of shell shock from the beatings he's been taking it still adds up to him needing rest.

Remember that feeling going into ANY game knowing Ben could pull us out regardless of what he had to work with? Well thats entirely gone,...replaced with the Tommy Maddox feeling of silently praying he doesn't screw it up for the defense.

Ben will NEVER admit that he's not right. We should understand that after 2006.

But most importantly. Think about James Harrison, Aaron Smith, Lamarr Woodley, Casey Hampton, Troy. Don't you think they deserve to have the best chance at winning after their incredible performances week after week after week? Don't they deserve a playoff spot? Do they deserve to watch their season go down the toilet as their QB unfailingly puts them in impossible situations game after game? No. They deserve better.

Byron Leftwich should have started the Indy game,...he should definately start the Chargers game. Depending on his performance (if he does ok) he should start for maybe 4 weeks. Ben was not given a $100 million to be our starter for this year,...but to be our guy for the foreseeable future.

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Dude

we are 6-3! Hardly any reason to be changing our Quarterback! Are you serious? You want to go with a guy who couldnt even start over Joey Harrington in Atlanta? Up until last yesterday, we were the number 2 seed in the AFC. Yeah our quarterback threw 2 picks that led to two scores, but should we have been throwing in the first place in those situations? Blame our offensive coordinator for calling that bullshit! Inspite of Ben’s poor play of late, I would take him any day over any quarterback in the league and definitely am not in favor of benching him while he’s playing with a bum shoulder and thumb and we still manage to sit atop the division. Everyone should take step back and honestly realize that if anyone had told us @ the beginning of the season, we’d be sitting at 6-3 at this point (with the toughest schedule in the NFL, ) and we’d have done it with all the injuries, we’d have all been really happy with 6-3 at this point! How can u seriously be mad about being 6-3 considering all the adversity we’ve faced with the injuries, and our hellatious schedule? Give these guys a rest and stop being unrealistic with your expectations! Last but not least, stop bashing our fucking quarterback! You dont sit a franchise quarterback with a 6-3 record! Ben’s not the only qb who has gone through a slump and wont be the last! We ride that shit out and he will correct the problems. Most of the other quarterbacks in the league would have dialed in a long time ago with all the injuries and our inconsistencies on offense, including inadequate line play and an questionable playcalling!

by Steeler Ric on Nov 10, 2008 5:40 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

We’re 1-2 over the last 2 weeks.

Giants game we chalk it up to Ben having a bad game, its ok he’ll bounce back.

Redskins game,…another atrocious half before he gets replaced,..Byron looks like Joe Montana in comparison. We probably would’ve lost had Ben stayed in.

Indy,..again blows the game for us.

This is a trend. If Ben played the entire Redskins game we would be 0-3 over the last 3 games. What has to happen for you to realize something is wrong with him?

We’re 6-3 now,…if we keep playing Ben we’ll be 6-4, then 6-5, then we’ll finally be .500 and gasping for a playoff spot. Is that what it takes for you guys to realize he’s not feeling right?

by ismail on Nov 10, 2008 6:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

6-3

Had our starting QB sat out, that 6-3 may have been 7-2, maybe 8-1. That 6-3 is the same 6-3 Baltimore enjoys. As for Troy, his uncaught Pick 6 may have sealed the deal Sunday. Sitting him until he is healthy enough to get enough reps to be effective is called for here. You could tell in the warm ups that Byron’s passes were nicely tight spirals while Ben’s were a shade wobbly. Love Ben, defend him as the team’s legitimate starter, but for gosh sakes—he’s been hurt and needs to recover. If he can’t or won’t sit on his own, then there are people paid to make him sit.

by tenthmtnman on Nov 10, 2008 5:49 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Rest wont heal that injury!

I understand that everybody is upset about losing a game we should have won and I respect your position butb you act like Leftwich is so much better than Ben! Based on what? One half of football? Are u serious? You take the good with the bad in QB’s and judge them on their body of work. If every team ran their quarterbacks after a rough patch, then we’d have never had some the greats of all-time! NO Bradshaw, NO Elway, NO Favre, NO Kelly’s, NO Aikmans, and NO Peyton! You werent clamoring for BL when stood in and delivered in the Jags and Ravens game! Thank God this isnt Cleveland where the patients run the Asylum! U really cant be serious about benching Ben! Just 3 weeks ago everybody , including you, was talking about who was better, Ben or Eli and now you want him to sit down for a journey man? That is laughable!

by Steeler Ric on Nov 10, 2008 6:10 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Byron Leftwich is MUCH better than a shell shocked Ben with his arm about to snap off. Thats what you don’t understand. We can’t live in a pretend world where Ben is the same old Ben who’ll bounce back. This is not the 2007 Ben, this is the 2006 version. We need to adjust to that reality.

Can you honestly give me ONE good reason to believe that he’ll bounce back this Sunday?

Ben isn’t the only player on this team. If Willie Parker had 3 fumbles per game Steeler nation would be calling for him to be waived. All we’re saying is sit him out until he’s right.

by ismail on Nov 10, 2008 6:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i think what's important here is to not take this out of context

I agree with the point of this post: that Ben needs to sit one out. I think that (and by looking over some of the other posts from yesterday and today) most people agree: Ben is not right. This is not only a different player from 2007, but also a different player from 2004-05. his body is banged up, and its affecting his mental game as well.

see, i think the important point here is that Ben’s performance is greatly affecting the outcome of the game, and over the last 3 weeks, its been in a very negative manner. if he were playing poorly, but not turning the ball over, it would be a different story. but the bottom line is, he’s thrown 8 ints in the last 2 1/2 football games…paired with 1 pass td and 1 rush td. that is not Ben Roethlisberger.

now, this may be getting into semantics a little too much, but no one is saying “bench” Ben, just “sit” him for a game or two. Vince Young got benched. Ben needs to sit. he needs to regroup. his shoulder injury likely won’t heal until the offseason, but his mental approach is what i’m most worried about, and is what’s losing us games.

Our defense is the best in the league…but you can’t expect ANY defense to keep Peyton and Eli Manning out of the end zone when you turn the ball over repeatedly, like Ben did (7 int’s against the Giants/Colts…5 if you don’t count ints on the last play of each game).

Byron Leftwich is NOT a better qb than Ben. But, a healthy qb (physically AND mentally) is always a better option than an unhealthy qb. Look at Donovan McNabb. When he’s healthy, he puts up Hall of Fame numbers, and has lead the eagles to within seconds of a super bowl victory. when’s he not awful, he gets booed and blasted by his home fans because of his performance. right now, ben is in the same boat.

Let him sit a game, and regroup mentally. It’s the mental aspect of the game that makes a guy like Peyton Manning great, and a guy like Ryan Leaf a bust.

by NoCal-SteelCity on Nov 10, 2008 7:34 PM EST reply actions 0 recs