Roethlisbergers first bad year was in 2006 because of numerous injuries. 2007 was the best year he has had. And he threw 26 times per game.

This year, statistically he is having a below average year but I think facing the best offenses, and defenses and best teams overall have a lot to do with that too. Not too mention the non running game, huge penalties that took back many touchdowns, key drops etc.

Overall this year I’d say was pretty good except for the 3 game stretch in the middle.

Ben is a great Qb who has played injured all year. From day one he has made big plays, big throws, in clutch situations. He makes the plays that win games, many times becauce he “holds the ball too long”, right before he breaks the opponents will. He is a winner , period. I’ve been critical of his play at times and a few times its really been his fault ( Colts game, this year and af ew games in 06 after the faceplant) but for 5 straight years we can count on one hand the number of times we had to say our qb blew a game. cmon guys you really think you could say that if Leftwich were Qb. Granted ,it is nice to see his plant foot hit and the ball come out quick, and what a rope he threw to Lameass Sweed, but hes not the qb that Ben is. Ben looked great yesterday, as healthy as hes been since the pre- season, he makes plays the Byron never will. Bottom line, injured and behind a sub-par o-line (how many false starts, holding, and illegal formations in 08?) , against the toughest schedule in 40 years and theyre in the AFC championship game. Or maybe you want Neil or Kordell or Tomczack, Jim Miller, Bubby, Tommy Gun, David Woodley or you’re really interested to see how good Dixon might be and are afraid we’ll lose him. Cmon. Really other than Brady and Peyton Manning who else do you want???? Palmer, Warner, Brees maybe, Eli, Rivers.

he plays very much like TB and I find myself alternating between Huzzah! and WTF?! just like I did in the 70’s. If he starts stringing games like he played Sunday then you can truly start visiting Canton to see where his bust will go. As to winning the Super Bowl, BB was certainly the final piece in a puzzle, but that was a great team—most Super Bowl champions are great teams with stars and solid performers on the roster. You will be hard pressed to find a SB roster with only one great player rostered.

I don’t know that he can single-handedly beat any team—if so how could we be 12-4 and not 16-0? A player can single-handedly lose to any team [reference Jake Delhomme], but it takes more than one to win.