From Chris Wesseling at NFL.com this weekend:

Ben Roethlisberger faced a crossroads in his career two years ago, as the Steelers asked him to transition from physical marvel to cerebral quarterback.

To Roethlisberger’s credit, he embraced the change, flourishing in Todd Haley’s offense which allows him to make better pre-snap reads and get the ball out of his hands faster.

The result has been a historically prolific aerial attack for stretches of the past two seasons.

“I feel like I’m playing my best football,” Roethlisberger said this week, via ESPN.com. “That’s a big credit to the guys around me.”

The Steelers boast the NFL’s most dynamic wide receiver corps, with Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton stresses defenses at every level. The improvement in pass protection has gone overlooked, however, as offensive line coach Mike Munchak masterminded the lowest sack rate (1.66 per game) of Roethlisberger’s career.

Roethlisberger has led the NFL in passing yards per game in each of the past two seasons. Judging by his passer rating (94.5) and TD-to-INT ratio (21:16), one might reach the conclusion that Roethlisberger was merely a mediocre quarterback in 2015.

The reality is Roethlisberger passed better than ever, relentlessly attacking downfield while leading the NFL in plays of 40-plus yards and finishing second in yards per attempt (8.4).

By December, he became a football litmus test. Anyone doubting his prowess as a top-tier quarterback wasn’t watching the games.

With playmaking tailbacks Le’Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams returning to join the league’s most dangerous wide receiver trio, Roethlisberger should be a trendy preseason pick for MVP honors next summer.


You can read more from Mr. Wesseling here.

On December 22nd Ben was selected to play in the 2016 Pro Bowl, but because of the need to rest & rehab his shoulder, NY Giants quarterback Eli Manning will be taking his place –

More from the Sporting News:

Eli Manning will soon say “Aloha” to Hawaii.

The Giants quarterback will replace Steelers veteran Ben Roethlisberger and join teammate Odell Beckham Jr. as New York’s representatives in the 2016 Pro Bowl, the NFL announced Friday.

Manning will play in his third Pro Bowl after being selected in 2008, 2011 and 2012.

Roethlisberger, meanwhile, will begin his offseason recovery after his playoff hopes were shattered in Pittsburgh’s loss to Denver in Sunday’s AFC divisional game. He led the injury-riddled Steelers to a remarkable postseason run as he battled a number of health issues. His offseason rehabilitation will be limited to vigorous physical therapy and won’t include surgery.

The Pro Bowl is set to kickoff in Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 31st.


You can read the rest here.

Ben’s last radio show of the season earlier this week?


Recap from 93.7 The Fan –

Ben opened things up addressing the remarks made by a Denver Broncos cornerback that he was faking his shoulder injury.

“Unbelievable, right? It makes no sense, but it is what it is,” he said.

Ben went on to talk more about his shoulder injury, what it took for him to get out on the field and how it feels today.

“Doc did a good job, almost annoyingly so being in my ear every time I came off the field to check on me. You know, it’s just unfortunate. You know me, I’ll never use an injury as an excuse. You just got to play better all around football. Doc was right, it definitely was sore yesterday and today,” he said.

There have been many questions about what Ben will have to do this offseason to repair his injured shoulder and he shared what the doctor’s are telling him.

“It won’t need surgery,” Ben said. “I guess the ligaments will, you know, scar up and heal on their own. Obviously, we’ll be dealing with a little bit of pain and some limited movement here for a little bit, but supposedly it will heal on its own…The only thing he told me that possibly could need surgery is down the road sometime going in and just kind of cleaning out the arthritis and where that scarring is and things like that, so I don’t foresee any surgeries or anything on the shoulder any time soon.”


You can listen here.



Did you know…

Ben made the Top 23 of Golf Digest’s “The NFL’s Best Golfers” slideshow?

In fact, Ben came in at #4 (behind Tom Brady, Tony Romo & Peyton Manning):

Ben Roethlisberger – Another quarterback with success at Golf Digest’s U.S. Open Challenge, Big Ben impressed with an 81 at a soggy Bethpage Black in 2009.

With a handicap index that has been as low as a 0.4, the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers is as tough to beat on the golf course as he is to be taken down by one defender.


You can check out the full slideshow here.

Once again, the best fanbase in all of sports came out strong with emails, Facebook comments, tweets and even photos for #7 that started just moments after the game ended:

“Dear Mr. Ben Roethlisberger, I cannot imagine the pain you have in your shoulder right now. Whether you win in Denver or not, Steeler Nation will still love you. You are not in this fight alone, you obviously have your teammates, coaches and your family, and you will always have Steeler Nation. When Burfict sacked you at the end of the third quarter last Saturday, we all felt the pain. The way you came back in and fought til the end was awesome. You do not get enough credit for the pain you play through and most importantly the heart you have. I play football myself and I look up to you so much. I wouldn’t choose anyone else as my favorite team’s QB. Don’t forget about all the fans that you love you more than ever!” — Sincerely, Jonah Spencer, age 16. Youngstown, OH

Matt Pajak @notpatsajak
Unexpected awesomeness from @steelers depth on both sides of the ball, with the gutsiest qb @_BigBen7 in the league. 2016-17 is ring-worthy.

LL Mikey P ‏@MamaMiaMike
Such a great leader and player. I salute you for all that you do for your team on and off the field @_BigBen7

gloria prye ‏@steelergranny
@_BigBen7 Wish I could give you and all my Steelers a hug ,to tell you what you mean to me!

zzy Gobea ‏@alexgobea
@_BigBen7 we couldn’t have a better leader to guide us!! #SteelerNation I’m ready for the new season to start!!


Rich Fallat Class act. Best QB in the nfl.

Karen Reeher Thanks guys for a fantastic season! You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of! So hold your heads up high & try again next year. Such is the toils & riggers of life!!

Chris Moody We had a great year amidst the injuries. I couldn’t be prouder of the mighty Steelers!! They pulled together and had a great season.

Nick Mandalakas I was so sure this would be a rebuilding year for the defense, and didn’t expect a winning season. It turned out to be a tremendous and memorable year.

Kimberly Cloud […]

Jeremy Fowler at ESPN.com does a nice job of summing up the game (and looking to the future) while we wait for Ben’s post-game interview to become available:

The sight of Von Miller spinning off Marcus Gilbert and placing his hands on Ben Roethlisberger’s torso signified a Pittsburgh Steelers team out of gas.

The Steelers reached back for a game-winning drive for which they didn’t have the energy. Miller’s sack on fourth down with less than two minutes left all but sealed Denver’s 23-16 AFC divisional playoff win.

No Antonio Brown. No Le’Veon Bell or DeAngelo Williams, neither of whom would have fumbled midway in the fourth quarter to give Denver all the momentum. Two starting offensive linemen had been absent all year. Just too much to overcome.

Yes, Fitz Toussaint did the fumbling, but he’s not to blame for this loss. Too many Steelers were put in tough spots offensively for the franchise to sustain what became a thrilling ride into the playoffs the past two months

The Steelers poured everything they had onto the Paul Brown Stadium turf last week. There was nothing left. This was a fun year, but it was destined to end based on circumstance.

One reason to get excited: Despite Denver’s late score, the defense has come alive in the past month, giving up just three touchdowns in the past three games. High draft picks are validating their status. Last week, it was Ryan Shazier. This week, Jarvis Jones and Stephon Tuitt were excellent. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler called timely blitzes from corner William Gay and safety Will Allen on separate third downs to stall two Broncos drives.

Game ball: Bryant was phenomenal. He accepted the challenge of becoming the No. 1 receiver with Brown absent. He finished with 154 receiving yards on nine catches.

Chasing history: Roethlisberger surpassed Terry Bradshaw’s 3,833 passing yards for the most in franchise playoff history. James Harrison has 8.5 career postseason sacks with Pittsburgh. He’s chasing LaMarr Woodley for the franchise record (11).


You can read more from Mr. Fowler here.

“Ten years later, Ben Roethlisberger’s tackle affects Colts and Steelers”

A shared memory can mean something different to those who shared it.

For Peyton Manning, the snapshot of Ben Roethlisberger’s touchdown-saving tackle against the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC divisional-playoff game on Jan. 15, 2006 — 10 years ago Friday — is a bit fuzzy, eliciting an indifference to the moment.

“Some of [my teammates] probably weren’t even born when that game was played, much less they probably don’t have much of an interest in it,” Manning said this week when asked about the Colts’ 21-18 loss to Pittsburgh. “It was a long time ago.”

For Jerome Bettis, though, a diving Roethlisberger clutching cornerback Nick Harper’s right foot and guiding him to the RCA Dome turf signified something much more — the Hall of Fame. Bettis, who fumbled at the goal line with 1:18 left in what could have been his last playoff game, famously said to Roethlisberger at his Hall of Fame speech in August: “Without you, I might still be at the doorstep. I owe you for life.”

Harper recovered the fumble. Thirty-six yards later, he went down. Eventually, so did the Colts. And Bettis went out a Super Bowl winner.

For many others, the tackle sparked an avalanche of emotions that have stayed with fans and former players a decade later for convenient tailgating conversation.

“Before the Cincinnati game, we were at a Steelers function and the play came up,” said Chris Hoke, the Steelers’ nose tackle from 2001-11. “It was a classic year, and that was a classic play.”

To recapture the moment, ESPN spoke with principals from that game — including then-Colts coach Tony Dungy, Colts linebacker Gary Brackett, Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller and Hoke.

Roethlisberger, who declined comment while focusing on his shoulder rehab, made the play, but the moment was about much more. Dungy still wonders how those Colts didn’t win it all.

“That was probably our best team,” he said.

For the tight end, panic …

Miller, a rookie tight end out of Virginia, was a blocker to the right side, tasked with helping create a hole for Bettis to barrel through. Bettis never fumbled, the whole team thought.

Then the ball floated into the air, courtesy of Brackett’s helmet.

“I was on the ground, looking back,” Miller said. “Then I got up and […]