Pittsburgh Steelers: Roethlisberger, Brady taking different paths to adjusting
By Matt Shetler
When the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the New England Patriots on Sunday, a game that should have a playoff feel to it likely won’t as the Steelers will come limping into New England with a 2-5 record.
While the game itself may be a bit meaningless in terms of playoff implications, it still will feature one of the best quarterback battles in the league when Ben Roethlisberger faces off against who he feels is the best signal caller in the NFL today in the Patriots’ Tom Brady.
Oct 27, 2013; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws a pass against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
Roethlisberger told 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh that Brady winning three Super Bowl rings and consistently leading the Patriots to the playoffs makes it clear that he’s the best in the NFL.
"“I speak off championships,” Roethlisberger said. “That’s no disrespect to some of these other guys that are doing some amazing things in the NFL right now. But to me, it’s about wins and championships, and he’s got more championships than anybody. So to me, he’s the best quarterback in the league, and he’s done it for a long time. . . . The number one factor is championships.”"
No matter what you think of Big Ben and Brady, this is matchup that shows how quickly things can change in the NFL.
The Steelers struggles offensively have been well documented.
Even though Roethlisberger has played pretty well this season, this is a team that can’t run the football, can’t block anyone and doesn’t have the playmakers around their franchise quarterback to get the ball in the end zone.
Part of the reason the Steelers have a 2 -5 mark on the season is the fact that they are 28th in the NFL in terms of scoring, averaging only a lowly 17.9 points per game.
While the Patriots are in much better shape coming into Sunday at 6-2, they haven’t been lighting the world on fire as an offense either.
The once high powered Pats offense is also lacking weapons and playmakers for Brady and have been struggling to score points as well, averaging only 22.4 points per game, good for only 17th in the league.
So while Sunday’s tilt still features two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL today, things have certainly changed for both teams.
The difference between Roethlisberger and Brady this season has been simple. Brady has been able to make enough plays when he has had to in order to help the Pats win six games. The numbers aren’t pretty for Brady as they normally are, but he still wins.
The same can’t be said for Roethlisberger this season.
If you plan on tuning in for a shootout between Roethlisberger and Brady, I wouldn’t count on it.
Both quarterbacks are struggling just to move the chains and things aren’t expected to change overnight.