Ben Roethlisberger Hits New Milestone

This past Sunday evening, the Pittsburgh Steelers took down the Indianapolis Colts in a 51-34 shootout. Pittsburgh’s 51 points was 13 more than they had scored in any game this year or last year. As would be expected in such a high-scoring game, Ben Roethlisberger was instrumental in marching the offense into the end zone so often.

But really, how well did he play? The answer: well enough to make history.

Although Big Ben fell 35 yards short of the record for passing yards in the game, he still managed to find his way into NFL record books. As of Sunday, Ben Roethlisberger is the first and only quarterback in NFL history to throw for 500-plus yards in a single game more than once in a career. Roethlisberger had also thrown for over 500 yards in a late 2009 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

When a quarterback throws for over 500 yards, their physical performance is  an anomaly. In that game, their ability is heightened and they play as if they are untouchable. In the case of this game, Ben Roethlisberger was almost literally untouchable.

Accuracy rate = 42/47 (89.36%)

Above is a visual representation of Ben Roethlisberger’s 522 yard, 6 touchdown performance.

Quite simply, Big Ben was accurate. He was consistently making throws that he failed to hit throughout the majority of last season, as well as certain patches of this season. More specifically, Roethlisberger was a machine near the hashes, which was an area of the field that he struggled to throw to last season.

Likewise, Roethlisberger put a few throws through cautiously tight windows, as well as placing a few throws in spots only his receivers had a shot at (most notably his short touchdown throw to Martavis Bryant).

Of course, in order to make those throws, Roethlisberger needed to make the correct reads, and he did. The eleventh year veteran was finding his second and third options quickly, thus exposing an Indianapolis defense that had shut out the Cincinnati Bengals just last week. Although, to be fair, Roethlisberger was more taking advantage of Indianapolis’ linebacker and safety groups rather than the cornerbacks. Even then, there is a statement to be made about Ben understanding his opponent’s weaknesses.

Seeing that their offense was being outmatched, the Colts tried to slow down Ben Roethlisberger. When Indianaplois’ defensive coordinator Greg Manusky tried to fluster Roethlisberger with added pressure, Ben summoned the Ben Roethlisberger of old. He danced and evaded defenders around and outside the pocket, all while keeping his eyes down field and directing traffic. Below is a prime example of such ability.

Ben Roethlisberger has certainly rebounded from mediocrity in 2014, but a game such as this could have only been predicted by Nostradamus. He seemed to have found the last remnants of his old 2007-2010 self. That is the Ben Roethlisberger that many football fans remember as being one of the most exciting quarterbacks of this era.

It was a treat to be able to see Roethlisberger take over a game with such prowess once again, and would be equally as enjoyable to continue to see him have a prosperous season.

Ben Roethlisberger is now on a level of his own, in regards to single-game accomplishments. Now, there are five other active starting quarterbacks that have one 500-plus yard game, so Roethlisberger’s pedestal is not safe, but for now, he can enjoy having an NFL passing milestone all to himself.