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When looking at a career that spanned 18 seasons, 123 home games, and 11 more postseason , is a definitive list of Ben Roethlisberger’s key moments at Heinz Field such as the selection of finalists in a Miss America competition.
There are many worthy contenders out there and it is hard to go wrong with any of the decisions, but snub is inevitable.
Our task of slashing Roethlisberger’s best games was accelerated when the 39-year-old quarterback announced on Thursday that « all the signs are » that his start on Monday night against the Cleveland Browns will be the last of his career at Heinz Field is.
In honor of the most famous number 7 in Pittsburgh sports history, here’s a look at seven memorable games that marked Roethlisberger’s tenure at Heinz Field.
October 1, 2004: On his first home start since replacing the injured Tommy Maddox, Roethlisberger orchestrated the first of his 40 comebacks in the fourth quarter, which are number three on the all-time list.
Roethlisberger completed 17 of 25 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown in the 28-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers followed three behind in the fourth quarter before Jerome Bettis hit with a 1-yard run and Troy Polamalu secured with a 26-yard interception for a touchdown.
What Ben said: “I didn’t master this offensive by any means, but the thing is, we got the win. You lead the team when it is needed most. You go down the field and score. »
What others said: “You can just see him coming to. He’s not bothered by anything, and that’s what I like about him. ”- Wide Receiver Plaxico Burress.
November 2, 2007: This was the rare Steelers game against the Baltimore Ravens that neither team scored at the last minute. The Steelers jumped on the Ravens early and rolled to a 38-7 win.
What made this game so important to Roethlisberger was that he got a perfect 158.3 pass rating by completing 13 of 16 attempts for 209 yards. Five of these 13 deals went for touchdowns.
It was the second of four perfect register scores that Roethlisberger put together in his career. Peyton Manning is the only other quarterback to have four times perfection.
The Steelers took a 35-0 lead in the first half. Roethlisberger began the defeat by throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to Heath Miller. Then he tossed Santonio Holmes and Nate Washington two each.
What Ben said: « I was probably more confused trying to figure out what (the ravens) are doing than I’ve ever felt. »
What others said, « If you give someone so many opportunities, everyone can play. » – Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.
December 20, 2009: Roethlisberger sent Mike Wallace a 19-yard touchdown pass with no time left to lead the Steelers to a 37-36 win over the Green Bay Packers.
It was the third touchdown pass for Roethlisberger, who completed 29 of 46 attempts for 503 yards and overcame five sacks.
The lead changed hands four times in the fourth quarter, and Roethlisberger began his game win with 2:09 remaining after the Packers took a 36-30 lead on Aaron Rodgers’ third TD throw. Roethlisberger led the Steelers in 11 games over 86 yards to the winning goal.
What Ben said: « If this last piece is incomplete, no one is talking (in the locker room) and everyone is having the worst Christmas ever. »
What others said, « It was a perfect ball. You can’t place the ball anywhere better. » – Wide receiver Mike Wallace.
January 4th, 2011: Roethlisberger had his best playoff home game in this showdown in the divisional round with the Ravens, when he rallied the Steelers to a 31:24 victory after a 14-point deficit at halftime.
With the Steelers trailing 21-7, Roethlisberger threw touchdown passes to Heath Miller and Hines Ward in the third quarter to level the score. The teams exchanged field goals and Roethlisberger took over the game again with 3:54.
The big game came to be known as « helmet catching » when Antonio Brown weighed Roethlisberger’s 58-yard pass and pushed it against his helmet before going out on the 4. The pass came in third and 19, setting the stage for Rashard Mendenhall’s 2-yard TD run with 1:33 to play. Roethlisberger also overcame six sacks in the game, completing 19 of 32 passes for 226 yards.
What Ben said: « Our offensive went in there (at halftime) and said, ‘We played terribly, we gave them the ball in first position too many times.’ We had to do something about it. »
What others said, “He might not be Brady or all these other guys, but when I see him in the crowd I know we have a chance to win. He’s a proven winner. And history shows he is a proven winner against Baltimore. ”- Wide receiver Hines Ward
October 5, 2014: Roethlisberger faced the Indianapolis Colts and didn’t stop until he threw six touchdown passes in a 51-34 win. It was the 100th victory of his career and his 150th start.
Roethlisberger somehow did not get a perfect pass rating despite complete 40 of 49 attempts for 522 yards and without interceptions. He was content with 150.6 marks. He had four touchdown passes in the first half when the Steelers built a 35-20 lead. He also had a career high of 320 yards in the half.
Roethlisberger was the first quarterback to hand over 500 yards twice in his career and was 33 yards away from breaking the NFL record when the Steelers decided to run out of time.
What Ben said: “They were attack, defense and special teams, coaches. That was all and why does it have to stop here? Why can’t we go on doing this? »
What others said: “He contradicted everything we did. I think we were there most of the time. We had good coverage, but he threw the ball in some nice places. ”- Colt’s safety Mike Adams
November 6, 2014: A week earlier, after throwing six touchdown passes against the Colts, Roethlisberger asked: “Why does it have to stop here? Why can’t we go on doing this. »
Roethlisberger threw six more touchdown passes as he led the Steelers to a 43:23 win over the Ravens. After Roethlisberger had thrown 522 yards the previous week, he was « limited » to 340. The 12 TD passes over a two week period set an NFL record.
His touchdown passes went to five receivers, with Martavis Bryant catching two. The others went to Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and Matt Spaeth.
What Ben said: “I have no idea what’s going on on the field. I can’t even tell you who got the touchdowns tonight. You know me, I’m not a statistician. I’ve never been a statistician. All I’m interested in are victories and super bowls. »
What others said: “For him it’s like a video game out there. Boys score left and right touchdowns. It’s amazing to see. ”- Linebacker Lawrence Timmons
December 7th, 2020: For the third time in his career, Roethlisberger brought the Steelers 17 points behind to victory. The 28-24 win over the Colts ended a three-game losing streak and gave the Steelers the AFC North Championship after a two-year absence from the playoffs.
The Steelers were down 24-7 when Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes in about 10 minutes in the third and fourth quarters. He finished with 34 completions in 49 tries (and without interceptions) for 341 yards. His touchdown passes went to Diontae Johnson, Eric Ebron and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
What Ben Said: “It’s just about believing in each other and believing that we could make games. Boys did plays. We needed guys who step up and make catches. »
What others said: “I’ve been watching Ben like you for 17 years. Half a game won’t define it. He’s a competitor. As long as the clock still has time, he’ll keep attacking you. ”- Trainer Mike Tomlin
• Roethlisberger completed 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns to take the Steelers past the New England Patriots (25-17) on October 30, 2011. It is Roethlisberger’s first win against Tom Brady since his rookie season.
• Roethlisberger passed the 31:13 win against the New York Jets on October 9, 2016 for 380 yards and four touchdowns without interceptions.
• The Steelers took the AFC North title thanks to Roethlisberger’s touchdown pass that led to Antonio Brown’s “Immaculate Extension,” which resulted in a 31:27 win on Christmas Day 2016.
• The Steelers are 6:44 minutes behind by nine points, but Roethlisberger brings them to a 39:38 win over the Baltimore Ravens on December 10, 2017 for 506 yards and two touchdowns without interception.
• Roethlisberger achieved a perfect pass rating for the fourth time when he completed 22 of 25 passes for 328 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in the 52:21 win against the Carolina Panthers.
Joe Rutter is a contributor to Tribune Review. You can contact Joe by email at [email protected] or on Twitter.
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