For much of his career, Ben Roethlisberger has been a much-maligned quarterback. Whether it was his ability to make plays from the pocket or scrutiny about his off the field incidents, criticism of Ben’s greatness has always come under question.
Rarely has he been mentioned as one of the top 5 quarterbacks in the league in any season, and now former NFL quarterback David Carr, older brother of current Raiders QB Derek Carr, doesn’t even place him in the top 10 of the league.
BEN NOT IN THE TOP TEN?
Carr, a former number 1 overall pick, who himself did not live up to lofty expectations, says that over the last couple of years that fellow teammates LeVeon Bell and Antonio Brown, have carried Ben. Interesting enough, in the 5 games between 2015 and 2017 that Antonio has played without Ben as the quarterback, his stats are underwhelming. He recorded only 17 catches for 235 yards, an average of 68.2 yards per game and 4.8 catches per game. He also during those games had an impressive consecutive 34 game streak of at least 5 catches and 50 yards broken. That’s a streak lasting over two seasons. Also, the Steelers are 2-3 in those games.
Bell’s stats have been consistent, as he without Ben in those games has fared pretty well. However, those games have resulted in a losing record as well.
The notion that Roethlisberger has been carried by the other two members of the Killer Bees is thoughtless. Ben has been voted to four of his career Six Pro Bowl's in his 30’s. He threw for 4,252 yards and 28 TD’s vs 14 interceptions last season. In the last 3 seasons alone, he has recorded 2 games with 5 touchdowns, 2 with 6 touchdowns, and 4 with four TDs. Ben has had 2-500 plus yard games since 2014. Also let’s not forget the 2016 AFC championship game, the year where he was a Fitzgerald Toussaint fumble away from taking Pittsburgh to the Super Bowl. Someone may want to jog Carr’s memory, as neither Antonio Brown nor LeVeon Bell was able to play in that game.
In all fairness to Carr, it’s his right to express his opinion. However, that’s exactly what it is an opinion. It’s not supported by facts or expert analysis. Carr himself is projecting a misguided assessment, as many of the quarterbacks he has above Ben, also play with highly talented teamates that they rely on to put up quality statistics.
It seems to me that Carr, with all the hype of a number 1 overall quarterback, and followed by a career that has resulted in him being labeled as a draft bus to escape the shadow cast over him by his brother Derek, who is a rising star in this league. His opinion is misguided, as were many of his attempts during his career, which now has him in the position of an armchair quarterback.
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