Will Roethlisberger Make Good And Win More Rings Than Bradshaw?

QB Ben Roethlisberger is over in London doing his part for the NFL to promote the game the Steelers are going to play there in October vs the Vikings as part of the “NFL in London” campaign.

The QB has been doing media interviews, and one quote that caught national attention on Tuesday was when he said the following when asked about what motivates him: “I want to pass Terry Bradshaw by getting more Super Bowl wins. That’s our expectations in Pittsburgh.”

Ben has a long way to go, meaning he would have to win three more by the time it’s all said and done, something that clearly is not an easy thing to do. Today we examine if it’s even close to being an option for the Steelers driven QB and his band of black and gold.

Age Not on Bens’s Side (No) – Roethlisberger is 31 years old, and while some QB’s can play till they are near 40, seeing Ben try and do that is going to be tough. Over the course of the last four seasons he’s played in 50 games, and while missing some here and there, he’s taken his share of shots. Winning three titles in the course of the next 5-6 years is easier said than done, and Father Time is clearly not in Ben’s favor.

Plenty of Chances in a Weak AFC (Yes) – While the Steelers may not be the favorite in the AFC this season, let’s face it, the conference as a whole isn’t that strong. The Pats are in disarray with a former TE up on murder, Peyton Manning chokes in the postseason in Denver, the Ravens have lost a ton this offseason, and the Texans seem to have issues ever getting out of the divisional round of the playoffs. The Steelers have run the table in the post season three times already under Ben to get the bowl, and in a weak conference, can do it again.

Defense Old and Beat Up (No) – The Steelers D in the Super Bowl seasons with Ben under center has been good, at times dominant. It’s hard to think that the D is going to be able to get back to that form anytime soon with old players sprinkled in with some new players that have yet to prove themselves, along with high draft picks that have fallen short on becoming stars. Unless some of these young players get good fast, and the ones coming in are excellent, the D is going to continue to be a liability for this team.

Motivated As Underdogs (Yes) – Like it or not, this team seems to thrive with its back against the wall, and over the course of the next few years, they will be backed in a corner a number of times. Just when it seems the national media counts the black and gold out, they rise from the dead and wind up on the biggest stage in the biggest game. Roethlisberger seems to love to have people telling him that he and team can’t get it done and prove them wrong. He’ll have a lot of those times with the changing of the guard on both sides of the ball in the next few years.

Lack of Playmakers on Offense (No) – Be honest, the offense right now doesn’t seem to be chock full of stars. Antonio Brown could be the next Hines Ward, but he’s got a long way to go to prove that. With losing Mike Wallace to free agency, the team doesn’t have that star in the making, and the run game looks like it will have issues of its own in 2013. Ben will have to make plenty of plays over the next couple of seasons to keep the team in games, but that’s not a formula to winning titles.

A Winning Tradition (Yes) – This team never stays down for very long, and since Bill Cowher came aboard in 1992, the club has missed the postseason just 7 times over 20 seasons, as impressive as just about anyone in the AFC. Mike Tomlin has been the coach for six seasons and missed the playoffs twice, which means the team is due to get to the playoffs a few times over the next couple of seasons, and if history proves true, the team could get to the Super Bowl any of those times, as Tomlin has had them there twice already. While three is a lot, Ben and Tomlin seem determined to get this team more rings before their legacy together is past.