Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

[Iron Shiek]

For the "we need more praise" folks out there, you should enjoy this one:

[url]http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/01/28/bill-polian-roethlisberger-is-up-there-with-manning-and-brady/[/url]

Bill Polian: Roethlisberger is up there with Manning and Brady
Posted by Michael David Smith on January 28, 2011, 12:16 PM EST
roethlisberger

For the last decade, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have been the generally accepted top two quarterbacks in football, with the only argument being which one of them was first and which one of them was second.

But the man who drafted Manning, Colts President Bill Polian, says there’s another quarterback who deserves to be in that mix.

“Bottom line, if you ask football people, they’re going to put Ben Roethlisberger up there with [Manning and Brady] almost unanimously,” Polian told Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. “No one would leave him out. And others who have made the Pro Bowl, for example, wouldn’t even get consideration if you took a poll of all 32 general managers.”

Roethlisberger hasn’t had the statistics or the accolades of Manning or Brady, but it’s hard to dispute that he’s one of the league’s elite players. Polian, who doesn’t hand out praise lightly, sure thinks so.

[Oviedo]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

That's a real football guy talking reality. Good to hear him say it but don't need anyone to convince me.

Media types don't usually talk reality. I just shows how many boobs work for the television networks just because they use to be players

[papillon]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

Not at all, I wish teams, broadcasters, players and front office types would continue to underestimate Ben and the way he plays the game. The NFL hasn't realized that he's doing things his way rather than the way they believe it should be done. He'll keep winning and they'll keep telling him how bad he is at reading a defense, or under throws his deep ball, or can't pass in rhythm and I personally like the winning part.

Polian gets this for exposing Ben as an elite quarterback. I like it when everyone complains about the way he plays and then has to say, "but he won the game".

Pappy

[Crash]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

I want equal treatment. When Peyton Manning throws 3 TDs and 7 picks and wins the only ring he has? Where's the criticism?

We win ugly and people rip us.

The Packers have won three of their last 4 games by a TD or less and they act like we don't belong on the field with them.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

As much as I like Ben, I think Polian has it all wrong on this, to be honest, I don't think Ben deserves to be in the same conversation with and compared with Marcia* and Fetal Position Peyton.
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He is clearly head and shoulders above those two guys ... HE is #1, they are battling it out for #2 and #3!!!

[The Sodfather]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

[hawaiiansteel]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger makes the plays when it really matters



Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger may not be a fan favorite, but he knows how to win the big games.


The Steelers quarterback doesn't have the gaudy statistics of Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but he's a win away from a third Super Bowl title.

By Sam Farmer
January 27, 2011


You could never root for him? That's understandable.

But if you think Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger is anything less than an elite NFL quarterback, you're wrong.

Roethlisberger might not have the gaudy statistics of New England's Tom Brady or Indianapolis' Peyton Manning — and, in fact, some of his numbers are cover-your-eyes bad — but there's no debating his most important statistic:

Save on daily L.A. Times deals powered by Groupon.

He wins.

Look at last Sunday's victory over the New York Jets in the AFC championship game. Roethlisberger completed 10 of 19 passes for 133 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. In terms of the box score, he was thoroughly outplayed by the Jets' Mark Sanchez, who completed 20 of 33 for 233 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

But what happened on the critical plays? On third-and-12, Roethlisberger kept a touchdown drive alive with a 12-yard run. Later, on third-and-four, he ran for five. And with two minutes to go, and the Steelers protecting a five-point lead, Roethlisberger completed a 14-yard pass to Antonio Brown to convert a third-and-six. Game over. Let the kneel downs begin.

It was a typical Roethlisberger game — he didn't make all the plays, but he made the ones that counted.

"There ought to be a stat for 'What did you do when you needed a pass completion to win the game,' " Hall of Fame coach John Madden said in a phone interview. "That's where Ben's stats would show up, when you make the play when you need to. A lot of guys get stats when they don't need them. Ben doesn't."

Think about Super Bowl XLIII, when Roethlisberger directed a do-or-die drive in the final minute, and, with 35 seconds to play, threw a pass where only Santonio Holmes could reach it. Touchdown. Game over.

If that drive were directed by Brady or Manning, it would go down as one of the greatest in Super Bowl history. It would have a nickname the way other historic moments do. As it was, more people talked about the feet of Holmes than the touch of Roethlisberger, and it was the receiver who was named the game's most valuable player.

That's not to say Roethlisberger doesn't catch more than his share of breaks. The Steelers kept him despite the accusations of sexual assault that resulted in his suspension. Many fans are ambivalent about him, cheering the player but wanting nothing to do with the person.

Strictly as a player, however, Roethlisberger hasn't gotten the respect he deserves. There are many theories for that. He's a lumbering (but effective) runner. He frequently holds on to the ball too long. He plays for a franchise traditionally known for its defense and power-running game.

"Bottom line, if you ask football people, they're going to put Ben Roethlisberger up there with [Manning and Brady] almost unanimously," said Bill Polian, Colts president. "No one would leave him out. And others who have made the Pro Bowl, for example, wouldn't even get consideration if you took a poll of all 32 general managers."

Roethlisberger has two Super Bowl rings, and there will always be people who say he didn't deserve the first one. He had a lousy game in Super Bowl XL against Seattle, finishing with a 22.6 rating, the worst for a winning Super Bowl quarterback.

What a lot of people forget, though, are the key plays Roethlisberger made along the way to put the Steelers in that position.

Can the Steelers win without him? Well, they were 3-1 when he was suspended at the start of the season. Then again, the Patriots won 11 games in 2008 without an injured Brady.

That's not to suggest Roethlisberger outplayed Brady this season. No quarterback did. But there's one statistic both Brady and Manning would happily swap with the Pittsburgh quarterback.

Roethlisberger is 10-2 in postseason games, a .833 win percentage. Brady is 14-5 (.737), and Manning is 9-10 (.474).

So, as you watch the Steelers make a run at Super Bowl victory No. 7, know that they wouldn't be in this position without the player who wears the same number.

[url="http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-farmer-nfl-20110128-9,0,3454798.column"]http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-far ... 798.column[/url]

[Irongut]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

I want equal treatment. When Peyton Manning throws 3 TDs and 7 picks and wins the only ring he has? Where's the criticism?

We win ugly and people rip us.

The Packers have won three of their last 4 games by a TD or less and they act like we don't belong on the field with them.

Well, what you want and how you view things is quite different from the mass.

Your criteria changes daily on how to do things, depending on which agenda you are serving, Ben propping or Steeler hating.

That said, Peyton is a media darling, widely respected and regarded as a top 2 QB in the league. Without him, his team is a 4 win team.

He also just took over the top marketing athlete position from Tiger.

You should be happy that Ben is getting recognition, not hating everything else in the world. Ben will never be the media darling Peyton is now. Those are just the facts. You may not like them but you should acknowledge them. Ben placed himself in the positions and like it or not, he will have to reap the issues and character questions that come with the two accusations and the multiple attitude stories.

You yourself ripped Cutler for perceived items, proving you have a floating criteria.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

Big Ben rules. F the doubters.

I will take a one point victory next Sunday, as I am sure will all of Steelers Nation, but I truly hope deep down that this is a game where Ben throws for 500 yards on the biggest stage and the Steelers so thoroughly trounce Green Bay that any doubter out there could be laughed out of any dispute. Ben deserves it. I think with 3 superbowls, even if his career was cut short due to his playing style, he would have a dang good shot at the HOF. Same with Hines.

[ScoreKeeper]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

I want equal treatment. When Peyton Manning throws 3 TDs and 7 picks and wins the only ring he has? Where's the criticism?

We win ugly and people rip us.

The Packers have won three of their last 4 games by a TD or less and they act like we don't belong on the field with them.

Well, what you want and how you view things is quite different from the mass.

Your criteria changes daily on how to do things, depending on which agenda you are serving, Ben propping or Steeler hating.

That said, Peyton is a media darling, widely respected and regarded as a top 2 QB in the league. Without him, his team is a 4 win team.

He also just took over the top marketing athlete position from Tiger.

You should be happy that Ben is getting recognition, not hating everything else in the world. Ben will never be the media darling Peyton is now. Those are just the facts. You may not like them but you should acknowledge them. Ben placed himself in the positions and like it or not, he will have to reap the issues and character questions that come with the two accusations and the multiple attitude stories.

You yourself ripped Cutler for perceived items, proving you have a floating criteria.

Didn't your boy Manning pay off a student manager because he sexually assulted her?

[Irongut]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

Didn't your boy Manning pay off a student manager because he sexually assulted her?

1. He's not my boy.
2. I have no idea if he paid her or not.
3. It doesn't matter as he's a media darling today. Nobody outside of some insecure Steelers fans care what Manning or Sanchez did in college.
4. If either one of them had 2 sexual allegations in the next year, their reputation would be altered forever, like Ben's has been.

[ScoreKeeper]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

Didn't your boy Manning pay off a student manager because he sexually assulted her?

1. He's not my boy.
2. I have no idea if he paid her or not.
3. It doesn't matter as he's a media darling today. Nobody outside of some insecure Steelers fans care what Manning or Sanchez did in college.
4. If either one of them had 2 sexual allegations in the next year, their reputation would be altered forever, like Ben's has been.

In other words, you will ignore anything that puts your boy Manning in a bad light and just continue to rag on Ben.

Got it.

The others on here are right. You are a troll.

[feltdizz]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

Didn't your boy Manning pay off a student manager because he sexually assulted her?

1. He's not my boy.
2. I have no idea if he paid her or not.
3. It doesn't matter as he's a media darling today. Nobody outside of some insecure Steelers fans care what Manning or Sanchez did in college.
4. If either one of them had 2 sexual allegations in the next year, their reputation would be altered forever, like Ben's has been.

He tea bagged a female trainer in the locker room at UT.

People need to realize time heals all wounds. Ben is already turning the corner and the defenders are just as much to blame as the accusers.

It's over... and bringing up other players past problems or pointing out recent conduct of other players and comparing it to Ben doesn't help his situation.

[ScoreKeeper]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

Didn't your boy Manning pay off a student manager because he sexually assulted her?

1. He's not my boy.
2. I have no idea if he paid her or not.
3. It doesn't matter as he's a media darling today. Nobody outside of some insecure Steelers fans care what Manning or Sanchez did in college.
4. If either one of them had 2 sexual allegations in the next year, their reputation would be altered forever, like Ben's has been.

He tea bagged a female trainer in the locker room at UT.

People need to realize time heals all wounds. Ben is already turning the corner and the defenders are just as much to blame as the accusers.

It's over... and bringing up other players past problems or pointing out recent conduct of other players and comparing it to Ben doesn't help his situation.

It does when it shows the hypocrisy of some.

My take is, if you down one, then down those with the same resume.

[feltdizz]

Re: Polian thinks Ben is elite, are some of you happy now?

Didn't your boy Manning pay off a student manager because he sexually assulted her?

1. He's not my boy.
2. I have no idea if he paid her or not.
3. It doesn't matter as he's a media darling today. Nobody outside of some insecure Steelers fans care what Manning or Sanchez did in college.
4. If either one of them had 2 sexual allegations in the next year, their reputation would be altered forever, like Ben's has been.

In other words, you will ignore anything that puts your boy Manning in a bad light and just continue to rag on Ben.

Got it.

The others on here are right. You are a troll.

wrong... digging up college dirt is pathetic. It received all the attention it deserved at the time. Ben's situation received a ton of attention and is on the downside.

It's moronic to expect people to hold Manning or Sanchez or even Ben over the fire for college incidents.