Big Ben or Bust

Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman and Tom Brady.

You could carve a Mount Rushmore with those four faces in terms of quarterbacks.
Some people, though, may not know what they have in common, which is owning three Super Bowl rings or more.

Ben Roethlisberger?

Are we talking about the same Roethlisberger who was suspended for the first four games of this season stemming from sexual misconduct in a Georgia bar’s bathroom last year?

The same Roethlisberger who was pictured with a ‘Drink Like A Champion’ t-shirt on while obviously under the influence of alcohol and in the company of young co-eds?

Yes, we are talking about him.

And once again, Roethlisberger has his Pittsburgh Steelers in prime position to win the franchise’s seventh Super Bowl, which would distance it even further from counterparts Dallas and San Francisco, who both chime in with five, but haven’t won any since 1995.

More importantly, it would be Roethlisberger’s third Super Bowl ring in six seasons, and he’s only been in the league for seven.

No one saw this coming before the season, when many people questioned whether Pittsburgh would even be able to compete without him under center.

To add insult to injury, Pittsburgh’s other two quarterbacks backing him up were injured, so the Steelers were left with a fourth-string signal caller (Charlie Batch fans, stand up!) for much of those first four games.

However, Pittsburgh persevered, and went 3-1 in Roethlisberger’s absence, and when Big Ben returned, they went 9-3, tying the Ravens for best record in the AFC North and winning the division thanks to a better divisional record.

The reason it feels so weird to mention Roethlisberger in the same breath as the quarterbacks mentioned above is because he doesn’t have anything that blows you away.

With Bradshaw, it was his ability to respond to adversity and then shatter whatever doubts you may have had about him.

Montana was revered for being clutch, and leading game-winning after game-winning drive.

Aikman was renowned for his accuracy, along with never getting rattled.

Brady, well, is Brady.

Big Ben doesn’t jump off at you in the scouting report, and won’t captivate and leave you on the edge of your seat when you watch him on Sundays.

What he will do, though, is make the plays when it counts, and do what he’s asked to do in the offense, and get the ball into the hands of his playmakers.

I guess the word to describe him would be steady.

If he can play steady enough on Sunday, he will join that elite group of quarterbacks.

*Image courtesy of SportsPants Blog