Sporting News: Roethlisberger gives “the Steelers the fourth-best all-around QB in the division.”


Is the Bengals' Joe Burrow really better than Ben Roethlisberger?


… "Or maybe not"


Are Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow actually better than Ben Roethlisberger in 2021?


That was what Sporting News was intimating with their analysis of the Steelers’ chances for 2021. TSN ranked them 14th primarily because of their defense, but is this really accurate?


Truth be told: Preseason rankings mean nothing, and this power ranking will flesh out as the season starts next month. Right now, Roethlisberger is being remembered for his woeful performance in the Steelers playoff encounter in 2020. 


In the game, the Steelers fell behind the Cleveland Browns 28-0 by the end of the first quarter. Roethlisberger threw four interceptions in that loss, and the Steeler exited the playoffs again in abject horror. 


They lost to the Browns who had won something like only one playoff game in about two decades?


That is what led the magazine to question whether or not Roethlisberger is not as good today as Mayfield, Jackson, and Burrow. They are all young, not in their late 30s, and they represent a bright future for all of those teams. 


Here is the entirety of what the magazine wrote,


14. Pittsburgh Steelers (16)


The Steelers don't need to worry about their defense being a reliable strength. They go into camp with new offensive coordinator Matt Canada trying to restore their power running with rookie first-rounder Najee Harris. Ben Roethlisberger is trying to hold back Father Time with better health, but after a bad playoff end with a weaker arm, the 39-year-old needs a standout camp leaning on play-action to inspire again. Whispering Big Ben still will give the Steelers the fourth-best all-around QB in the division.


The Sporting News


Ben has been QB for the past ten years when the Steelers have not been close to a Super Bowl. This year will be no different — and may be much worse. 


Remember that Roethlisberger surprised everyone last year as the Steelers ran out to an 11-0 start. Maybe the same will happen this year.


Or maybe not. 


The Steelers may have the worst offensive line in their recent history. 


Or maybe not. 


They may have a rookie hall of fame running back according to many optimists. 


Or maybe not. 


Mike Tomlin may continue to win 65 percent of his regular season games. 


Or maybe not. 


Time will tell. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dr. Chet Beres, M.D., the quarterback who gave of himself to so many people: Some Lilly Raiders who will not be with us on Saturday

Image
Chet Beres was a special human being … The 1968 championship QB is calling audibles from heaven On a few nights in late October 2010, I slept overnight at the Conemaugh Hospital palliative care unit. My brother, Father Jim, was clinging to life at the end of a long battle with cancer, and this unit was designed to make life easier for those in the final stages of disease — and for the families who wanted to spend their last days with their loved ones. It was at that time that while wandering through the hall, I noticed a plaque on the wall that warmed my heart, albeit in a sad way.  The palliative care unit was dedicated to Dr. Chet Beres, M.D., an advocate for those in hospice care. My mind flashed back to the Lilly Raider quarterback on the 1968 championship team, a young man who was bright, exuberant, and so popular with his teammates.  Chet went on to college at Pitt and to medical school after graduating from Penn Cambria. We knew that he was bright, but we also knew that he had c
Read more

Why did Tennessee-Chattanooga hire trainer Tim Bream despite his role in the alcohol-induced death of Tim Piazza at a Penn State frat?

Image
… was a live-in advisor at the fraternity On paper, Tim Bream has an impressive resume. Actually, very impressive — up to a point. That seems to be when Bream’s life appears to careen out of control. Bream, who resigned as Penn State trainer in Feb.,  was a graduate of Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, specializing in athletic training. He then attended West Virginia as a grad assistant trainer, where he received a master’s degree in Physical Education with an emphasis on Sports Science. All of this information is from his bio on the Penn State athletic site. He then worked his way up the ladder impressively, working at Syracuse, Vanderbilt, and finally at the University of Richmond, where he was the Director of Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer. Then he received his big break, being name as Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Chicago Bears in 1993, and four years later, Head Athletic Trainer. He was with the Bears for 19 years when inexplicably, he
Read more

Remembering the toughest loss I ever experienced in approximately a quarter-century of coaching football. George Pasierb was a great coaching adversary.

Image
R.I.P. George Pasierb, 1946-2020 Shade-Central City High School football coach Photo: Tribune-Democrat No high school football fan could ask for anything better than this. On a beautiful sunny, warm afternoon on Saturday, October 30, 1982, in Nanty Glory, Pa., the battle featured a clash of two undefeated titans of the Appalachian Conference.  One was the preseason unanimous favorite to win the title, the other a veritable surprise that season, one that had built an 8-0 record entering that game.  This battle lived up to the pre-game hype, ending in a one-point decision that was not certain until the final play of the game.  I thought of this because the coach of the powerful Shade-Central City High School Panthers, George Pasierb, passed away earlier this week. He coached the Panthers for 20 years, but his best team was arguably that 1982 team that battled the Blacklick Valley Vikings on that Saturday afternoon before more than 3,000 ebullient fans.  And, the one-point loss was the to
Read more