Ben Roethlisberger's ex-teammates were calling for his ouster. On the heels of the Steelers' embarrassing loss to the Bengals, Roethlisberger was widely chastised as an over-the-hill quarterback whose prolonged presence was sending his team straight towards irrelevancy.
It's not too late for everybody to rescind their insults.
The Steelers defeated the Ravens 20-19 Sunday in an absolute thriller, with Roethlisberger leading the way. The future Hall of Famer enjoyed a vintage fourth quarter, completing 9 of 10 passes for 129 yards, two touchdowns and a successful two-point attempt. His passer rating was 158.3, and the Steelers scored on all three of their drives.
Jim Nantz personified what was probably racing through Big Ben's mind. "A victory for Ben Roethlisberger. What a warrior he is," Nantz said. "Second guessed by even former teammates with hot takes who are off the Christmas card list."
While Roethlisberger would never say anything publicly, it would only be natural for him to harbor grudges over the way some of his former running mates prematurely shoveled dirt on his legendary career. Ryan Clark, who disowned the Steelers last week, said Roethlisberger should "take a seat" for the rest of the season.
Ryan Shazier said Roethlisberger has lost his athleticism. "Ben has been known for being those types of quarterbacks who is really tough to bring down, extend the plays, allow his team to make big plays because of how much of an athlete he was," Shazier said. "He knew how to change the game. And I feel he's losing a lot of that."
One game doesn't change an entire season's trajectory. Entering Sunday, Roethlisberger ranked 21st among quarterbacks in QB rating, 24th in total QBR and 26th in yards per attempt. The Steelers were last in the AFC North heading into Sunday's grudge match against the Ravens, who were the top team in the conference.
But one game can highlight how reactionary pundits often get ahead of themselves. On Sunday, it was Lamar Jackson who largely looked lost behind an overwhelmed offensive line, missing throws and getting sacked a career-high seven times. The Ravens never contained the Steelers' vaunted pass rush, with T.J. Watt coming through with a crucial sack in the fourth quarter. The ferocious defender was also in Jackson's face on the failed two-point attempt.
Roethlisberger outplayed the 2019 NFL MVP just one day after Adam Schefter reported the QB has privately told some teammates this will likely be his last season in Pittsburgh. Unsurprisingly, Roethlisberger didn't address the speculation following the game.
"Honestly, we just got done with this game," he said. "I'm exhausted. My focus is on Minnesota and what we have to do to get ready. I will address any of that stuff after the season. I've been a one game at a time, one season at a time type of person."
Roethlisberger was nails in the fourth: a 40-yard catch-and-run by Chase Claypool set up the 29-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson; a 25-yard pass to Johnson set up Chris Boswell's field goal; a 5-yard touchdown screen to Johnson and two-point pass to Pat Friermouth propelled Pittsburgh ahead. Those throws, coupled with a strong running attack, have given Roethlisberger the luxury of once again going one game at a time.
For at least one week, there will be no more doomsday proclamations about Roethlisberger. He's silenced his biggest critics, former teammates included.
