Ben Roethlisberger named AFC Player of the Week
By Matt Shetler
At least for one week, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was able to put all of the trade rumors and off-the-field drama to rest, and he did it in a big way.
Following his outstanding Week 11 performance against the Detroit Lions, Roethlisberger was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week by NFL PR.
Nov 17, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) gestures at the line of scrimmage against the Detroit Lions during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 37-27. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Big Ben received the honor after completing 29 of 45 pass attempts for 367 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions for a season-high passer rating of 119.4.
He led his team on a 16-play, 97-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to take a 30-27 lead, the 29th time in his career during the regular season that he led his team to victory after trailing or being tied in the fourth quarter or overtime.
This marks the 10th time Roethlisberger has been named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, but the first time since in 2011 (Weeks 5 and 8).
Despite the Steelers’ struggles, Roethlisberger is putting together a very good season. On the year he has thrown for 2,901 yards, which are the second-most in team history in a player’s first 10 games of a season since 1960.
Another performance similar to last week would be welcome this Sunday as the Steelers look to make it three wins in a row and jump firmly back into the playoff race when they take on the Cleveland Browns.