Roethlisberger ranks highly on my list for what he's accomplished, and for how difficult a matchup he is every single week. First off, he is a two-time Super Bowl champion. Yes, the first one he escaped with. Lucky son of a... well you know. In his second Super Bowl against the Cardinals, Roethlisberger played solid, if unspectacular. He lost in his third Super Bowl appearance, but just getting to three Super Bowls in 10 years is an accomplishment. The most difficult part about matching up against Roethlisberger has to be his ability to avoid sacks and continue to extend the play and make plays down the field. Nobody does it better in the game today. It may not translate into stats, but rest assured, these "small" plays, are winning plays. They keep drives alive. They create more scoring chances. Plus, they keep opposing defense on the field, which over four quarters will eventually wear them down.
Now, a big question mark with Big Ben is always his health. He never seems to be able to play a full 16 games. Part of that is due to what I stated above; his ability to take hits, stay on his feet and make plays down the field. Part of it is due to him holding onto the football way too long, and taking way too many sacks. The other thing is that he's been on historically "run-first" teams, with great defenses backing him up. A little bit like Flacco in that regard. Not expected to do as much as the ELITE QB, thus his stats never look that spectacular.
But there's no question. This guy makes plays when it matters most. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion. He is one of the most difficult quarterbacks to game-plan against. When push comes to shove, there are few I'd rather have in a winner-take-all situation.
Projections: 3,800 yards, 26 TD, 12 INT
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