No. 2 – Ben Roethlisberger (11-5)
One of the most accomplished quarterbacks in this ranking has perhaps the toughest road to another title, but that doesn’t mean Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger won’t go down without a fight. Already a two-time Super Bowl champion, including one that required three wins away from home before the big game, Roethlisberger has just about seen it all.
He’s made long, tough runs to win it all, and he’s been bounced early by guys who didn’t last another two years in the league. He’s passed for 123 yards in a Super Bowl win, and 334 in a Wild Card loss. And despite his 19 interceptions to 22 touchdowns in the playoffs, Roethlisberger is one of only two quarterbacks on this list with two Super Bowl rings.
At 33 years old, Roethlisberger seems closer in age at times to the 39-year-old Peyton Manning, and at others more like the 27-year-old Russell Wilson. But no matter what, Roethlisberger will always battle when the game is on the line. That was no more evident than this past Saturday when he was knocked out of the game late in the third quarter, then returned in the fourth to lead a game-winning field goal drive in the pouring rain in Cincinnati.
An injured Roethlisberger must travel to Denver this week, the site of one of his biggest playoff disappointments, and face an angry defense looking for redemption after a Week 15 loss that saw the Steelers come back from a 17-point deficit. Denver’s defense was the best in the league, but if there’s one quarterback they shouldn’t count out it’s Big Ben, injured and all.
