May 18, 2012
Blog by John Steigerwald
Of course, James Harrison is now saying he didn’t say what he obviously said about Ben Roethlisberger being overpaid and not being Peyton Manning, but that was to be expected.
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Date: July 19, 2011
Categories: Sports
Manning is like a robot,pretty passer,more consistent than BR.Ben can be careless with the ball and look terrible for a half,a game,or several games.He plays like a kid drawing up plays in the dirt.But Manning also benefits with division foes in warm weather 3 times a year plus his 8 dome games.In a playoff game I take Ben.
Is Harrison ever right about anything? He’s a big, stupid lout for ragging on his teammates. But of course, what else would you expect from a cheap shot artist like him who masquerades as a “tough guy”?
When Ben initially signed his contract, I was not happy. I thought he should have given a discount considering Steelers did not try to do to him after his accident what the Browns did to Winslow. But after watching QB contracts rise so much recently, I guess they got a decent deal with him.
Not only that, Peyton is actually seeking a raise for his next contract. And if James wants to talk about overpaid, he should look at Eli Manning’s contract. The only QBs who have been bargains are people like TOm Brady and Kurt Warner when he reupped with AZ at 12M per year when he had every right to demand 15M per year on such a short term contract. Cards were cheap morons who nearly lost Kurt to an extra year of retirement.
This continuing debate (with no end in sight) as to whether Roethlisberger is or Roethlisberger isn’t is a cold-hard football fact that not everyone is on board with Roethlisberger’s so-called elite status.
I’m guessing that Harrison, who has proven himself to be far superior at his position than Roethlisberger is at his, isn’t the only one on the team who feels the way he does. I wouldn’t be surprised if Harrison wasn’t speaking on behalf of the Steelers’ silent majority.
There has never been a more polarizing figure in Pittsburgh sports history than Roethlisberger.
Kordell Stewart
Hde wasn’t polarizing. 99% of the people hated him.
“He wasn’t polarizing” – agreed. “99% of the people hated him” – Respectfully disagree. It depends what year(s) you are talking about. He was very well liked between 1995 -1997. His 97-98 championship game foul up against Denver and self implosion in 98 (crying on the sidelines and just flat out poor play) didn’t do wonders for him. Not entirely his fault but I don’t recall them hanging dummy Kordell’s from Three Rivers rafters with a noose around their neck. The guy that deserved that led them to 4 SB’s with 2 MVPs.
You’re right on the mark on this one, John. Harrison is expendable…more then Ben and more than Polamalu.
Remember how we couldn’t do without Joey Porter?
Harrison is one of a long line of Steelers defensive players who could only be good with the Steelers.
The Steelers “did” without Porter because they had Harrison waiting in the wings as Porter’s replacement. If Harrison could only be good with the Steelers then I’m glad the Steelers have him.
His little, 100-yard interception return for a TD in Super Bowl 43 came in pretty handy. Before that, Harrison’s performance against the Ravens on a Monday night prompted P-G staffer Gerry Dulac to write: “With many of the team’s Hall of Fame players in attendance, including Joe Greene, linebacker James Harrison put on one of the greatest defensive performances in Steelers history…”
Then there was his 2008 Defensive Player of the Year honors, which Harrison puncutated with the greatest defensive play in Super Bowl history.
Only good with the Steelers?
So be it.
I’m glad the Steelers have him too. I think too much gets made out of what players say in articles. Ben probably doesn’t give a poop what Harrison thinks about him.
I don’t question Harrison’s production. He’s a good player.
But he’s dead wrong about Roethlisberger. Just like 90% of Yinzer Nation is dead wrong about Roethlisberger, along with most of the NFL drive-by media.
He is an elite quarterback. The man singlehandedly carried them to their 1st (recent) SB, in spite of Bill Cowher. His numbers compare favorably with any of the “top” QBs you can name. And in particular, in the SB RING department he is more than favorable.
But there are many people who wish to grind axes against the man. And there are many Yinzers who are ignoramuses when it comes to actual football knowledge, and couple it with their equally ignorant belief that 3-yards-n-a-cloud-of-dust football is the only football that wins.
James Harrison was wrong to imply that Ben isn’t “as good” as Peyton Manning for two reasons: 1) Manning is overrated and 2) Ben’s talent as a QB is underrated.
But it is true that Ben ISN’T like Peyton Manning. Manning is a pocket passer, great at launching the long-ball but pretty harmless on the move. Ben’s at his most effective in play action, his mobility and his size are a deceptively good combination; he can throw long passes but that’s not his bread-and-butter like it is for Manning and Brady, the kind of QB that ESPN worships.
This “Yards Per Attempt” stat is the dumbest measuring stick ever drawn up. If you dont count total dropbacks into the equation than it’s not a complete stat.
Example, if Manning throws the ball away to avoid a sack it goes against his YPA. If Roethlisberger takes a sack, which he’s known to do, then it doesn’t hurt his YPA.
In the end which is better 2nd and 10 or 2nd and 18?
Math geeks need to stay out of football.
Except that the math geeks have shown a direct correlation between that stat and winning championships.
Tony Romo is 4th all-time in YPA. What has he won?
Go to coldhardfootballfacts.com. It’s their stat. Not mine.
The one thing about this mythical, nonsensical yards-per-attempt stat that the Roethlisberger apologists like to stress is that in order for it to mean anything, in terms of wins, the quarterback with the higher YPA needs to be on a team that has a defense capable of holding the opposing QB to fewer YPA. Roethlisberger has been a part of such a defensive team.
All of Roethlisberger’s individual success has been predicated by the Steelers’ defense. Plain and simple.
In 2004, when the Steelers were 13-0 with him as the starter, the offense ranked 16th, while the defense ranked No. 1. In 2005, the offense ranked 15th, while the defense ranked fourth. In 2008, the offense ranked 22nd, while the defense ranked No. 1.
From 2004-2010, the Steelers’ defense has never been ranked out of the top 10. Roethlisberger’s offense has ranked in the top 10 just once over that same time period, No. 7 in 2006, a non-playoff season in which the defense fell to No. 9.
If anyone actually believes an offense that ranks among the middle of the pack yearly is more effective than a defense that ranks routinely among the league’s best, better stick with ping-pong.
Elite quarterbacks are judged by how efficiently their offenses perform. Last season, Tom Brady quarterbacked the league’s No. 1 offense. His defense ranked 21st.
Do you seriously believe Roethlisberger is capable of carrying a team into the playoffs that has a defense that’s ranked 21st.? I think not.
Can’t say that I disagree with much of that.
Your math logic is a little off. In order for the Steelers defense to get credit for the YPA stat, they would have to play every team every week.
The reason the YPA stat is so important is because NFL games are frequently won or lost on less than a handful of plays. YPA not only produces big scoring plays, they also get big chunks of yards which turns around field position. A pick six is another type of big play that teams rely on to win games.
The Wall Street Journal does weekly stories on sports stats every Friday. A few years ago, they did a story on the YPA stat and ran a rergression against the other stats and the YPA stat came up the most statistically relevant football predictor of wins.
Without Ben, the Steelers offense is worse than described in your post and they don’t win anything. Just like there aren’t many Steelers defenders who do well on other teams, there aren’t many QBs who could do as well as Ben in the Steelers offense. Brady and Manning would get killed behind that line. We should all be thankful the Steelers have Ben.
Mike V. believe it or not the Earth is round! If you dont understand that than maybe u should argue figure skating scores.
You’re probably the guy who thinks Charlie Batch is the best back-up qb because he’s won two Super Bowl rings.(record-setting YPA?)
You shouldn’t need made up/ phantom stats to help you decide who’s “good”.
Tom Brady would kill for a line that once consisted of Starks/faneca/Hartings etc.
Just like he would kill for recievers or rb’s.
Defense still wins. You stop people you win.
Last thought. Do you watch Peyton Manning? he doesnt take sacks because he reads a defense!
Charlie batch stinks.
I don’t make up stats. Numbers are numbers.
If only that was the Steelers line I would be happy.
You are insane. I really don’t know how to respond to an insane person.
Please pay attention. I said meaningful “in terms of wins.” By the way: Without Roethlisberger, the team was 3-1, with an offense that ranked No. 10 in scoring.
Brady and Manning are professional football quarterbacks. Sorry to break the news to ya, but they would not get “killed” behind the Steelers’ line.
You Roethlisberger people (kinda like the Pod People) are confusing athletism with quarterbacking skills. Roethlisberger is the superior athlete, while Brady and Manning are superior QBs. Elite quarterbacks, which total about four, are students of the game. The eat, think and drink the position. Roethlisberger has other things on his mind.
Maybe someday you’ll realize that stats amount to jack sh*t. The only statistic that matters is the points scored/scored against column. The rankings are based on total yardage which means if your great against the run it brings the total yardage down making your D look much better than they actually are. Here’s a statistic for you Bobzilla. In 2001, the Steelers D ranked 1st in yards, 3rd in points allowed. The Offense ranked 3rd and 7th likewise. Cowhers reign routinely followed a top 10 D (9 out of 12 seasons from 1992-2003) and average Offense. where are all the championships hotshot? My point is – don’t misrepresent statistical “rankings” to try and prove a point
Shottencowher blew a lot of big games. He learned it from the master.
Jeff S.: I agree that the only stats that should matter are points scored and points allowed. We are in complete agreement.
Last season, the Steelers’ defense ranked No. 1 in “scoring defense,” while Roethlisberger’s offense finished 12th, up from 17th, but down from 10th when HE WASN’T THE QUARTERBACK OF RECORD.
Winning championships, hotshot, is a crap shot. The object is to get to the playoffs, then take your chances at trying to win. Roethlisberger has two rings because he quarterbacked against the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals, two of the worst teams in Super Bowl history…
I have NO DOUBT that had Kordell Stewart, Neil O’Donnel or Bubby effin Brister been the Steelers QB against those two teams, the Steelers would have still won, especially Super Bowl 40, in which Roethlisberger absolutely STUNK.
I watched the Steelers win four Super Bowls with Terry Bradshaw at QB, and I refuse to lower my standards for Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks in order to simply appease all you Roethlisberger cheerleaders.
Roethlisberger is a fine, average quarterback who has benefited greatly by a superior defense.
Bill Cowher: 161-99-1. If you think that’s awful, you should’ve been around during the 1980s.
Of course in the 80s, the Steelers didn’t have an expansion team and a team worse than an expansion team to beat out for division titles. The Bengals and Browns were actually, you know, real NFL teams. The Bengals were 81-71 in the 80s with a few years with 10 or more wins. In the 90s the Bengals were 52-108. The Browns were 58-52 from 1985 to 1991, From 92-to 2005 they were 62-100.
In the 1980s, the AFC was atrocious, and the AFC Central was especially awful.
Didn’t the Oilers and Jaguars also play in that division in the 1990s? Your selective memory is astounding. I don’t think Bill Cowher should be held accountable for those awful Browns and Bengals teams. Naturally, your judgment is clouded by resentment.
Who’s holding him accountable? I’m just pointing out that whoever was coaching the Steelers from 92-2000 had the luxury of having the two worst teams in football in his division. So, that needs to be taken into account when evaluating his record.
Roethlisberger was terrible in XL, but he was lights out during the playoffs. Without him, they don’t make XL and Shottencowher loses before making the Super Bowl….again.
ESPN has yet to see a quarterback that’s not deserving of some worshiping. The other day, Skip Bayless proclaimed Vince Young the most coveted free agent presently unemployed. Bayless ignored all of Young’s mediocre stats and his lack of leadership skills. He instead pointed to Young’s 30-17 record as a starter to prove his point.
It was quite humorous.
Was it jamarcus russell who got a $39 million signing bonus from the Raiders?
The funny thing is there are so few quality QBs on the market right now that he might actually be the most coveted. It is both funny and sad.
Nobody covets vince young. DEFENSE Mike. DEFENSE. watch the Lions. Stafford who’s been irrelevent wont be their difference maker. Building a digusting front-7 is why they will compete and contend.
I was trying to point out that in a sea of horrible QBs on the market, Vince Young is probably the best.
Stafford won’t be the difference maker because he is arm is now rubber. The Lions can have the best defense in the NFL and they won’t win with a back-up QB.
You’re insane.
Mike V.: Skip Bayless was arguing that Vince Young is the BEST OVERALL PLAYER available (not the best quarterback available). Bayless insisted that Young is better than the cornerback from Oakland.
I am not making that up.
Bayless actually argued that.
Bayless is an idiot. ESPN has to fill 24 hours with someone though and I guess he is the best they can do.
Donald: Inspite of Bill Cowher? In 2005, the Steelers posted an 11-5 record with an offense that ranked 15th, and with a defense that ranked fourth. It was Cowher who decided to change up things in the playoffs by unleashing a passing attack that obviously caught opponents unprepared.
Roethlisberger was spectacular. He played as well in that postseason (sans the Super Bowl) as any quarterback I’ve ever seen.
Your assertion that in the “SB ring department,” Roethlisberger is “more favorable” than other QBs is what makes Roethlsberger so polarizing. In 2008, he quarterbacked an offense that ranked 22nd, while the Steelers’ defense ranked No. 1.
Roethlisberger has been a nice fit since his arrival in 2004. He has complimented one of the league’s most consistently good/great defenses well over the years. And, to his credit, he’s been able to do that while being mostly average.