PFF has high praise for Ben Roethlisberger on their list of best QB Super Bowl performances

Pro Football Focus (PFF) has taken the NFL world by storm the past few seasons. What once was a punch line for many due to their “grades” every week has turned into outlets like ESPN and NBC using their grades and rankings on a weekly basis.

PFF hasn’t been around since the NFL was started 100 years ago, but since they have been in existence they have been grading players in their own, unique way. Some debate them, hate them and ignore them, but they have proven their validity through their recent longevity.

With the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers set to square off in Super Bowl 54 Sunday, the folks at PFF went back and graded all the Super Bowl quarterback performances since they started grading players. And, you guessed it, Ben Roethlisberger was on the list more than once.

Check out where PFF had Roethlisberger’s Super Bowl performances ranked on their all-time list:

First stop? Super 43, obviously...

T6. BEN ROETHLISBERGER, PITTSBURGH STEELERS — SUPER BOWL XLIII

In his Super Bowl performance against the Packers, Roethlisberger was underperforming for just one quarter. In his first one against the Cardinals, he was underperforming throughout his first three by producing just a 69.1 passing grade. But as we know, that didn’t hold in quarter four. Roethlisberger improved his grade to 90.9 and produced two scores in the final three minutes, which included one of the best touchdowns in Super Bowl history: his big-time throw touchdown to Santonio Holmes to secure the win.

For those who are looking for the Super Bowl 40 ranking, you might want to keep looking. If you forgot how poor Roethlisberger played in that game, outside of a touchdown plunge and a deep pass to Hines Ward, you might want to find some highlights to remind you.

No, the next stop is actually a game the Steelers lost, to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl 45. Yeah, this one still stings, but Roethlisberger rebounded from an awful start to the game and almost won their 7th Super Bowl.

9. BEN ROETHLISBERGER, PITTSBURGH STEELERS — SUPER BOWL XLV

The first quarter of Super Bowl XLV for Roethlisberger did not go the way he or anyone else expected. He had a pick-six when he was hit while throwing and just a 49.2 passing grade while watching the Packers jump out to a 14-0 lead. After that, though, Roethlisberger rallied and put up an 89.1 passing grade the rest of the way. The Steelers came up short and failed to execute a game-winning drive, but Roethlisberger still got them back in the game to the point where they had a shot.

When looking over this list it became evident just how important quarterback play is when it comes to winning a Lombardi trophy. Sure, Jimmy Garaffolo threw just 8 passes in the NFC Championship game, but if they want to win the Super Bowl they’ll need more from their signal caller.

As for the Steelers, they are hoping for just a couple more seasons under the sun with Roethlisberger at the helm. But can he get the job done at a championship level? That has yet to be seen.

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