An interesting piece by Yahoo Sports’ Jason Cole today talking about the comparison between Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger and Colts QB Peyton Manning:
At the risk of being a heretic (or worse, completely agreeing with good friend Dutch Wydo), there is a case to be made that Ben Roethlisberger is a better quarterback than Peyton Manning.
Certainly in the playoffs.
Before you send that email calling me crazy or mocking me only days after I wrote that Manning is the fourth-best quarterback of all time, let’s put this in perspective. It is impossible to truly measure Roethlisberger against Manning or Tom Brady just yet.
Roethlisberger has played six years. His regular-season stats (only two seasons with more than 18 touchdown passes) pale in comparison to those of Manning, Brady and many other quarterbacks. In short, so much of his career is yet to be played that it’s silly to rank him even among the top 25 quarterbacks of all time.
Bottom line, it would take serious guts to draft Roethlisberger ahead of Manning at this point of their respective careers.
Click HERE to read the rest of the piece.
It’s interesting that this is coming up, as I was just doing a radio interview last night on a New York station on the game, and they asked me about Manning’s legacy, and if the loss Sunday pushed it back. I simply said that if QB’s are rated on wins, than the three you have to look at are Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw and Otto Graham.
Now I didn’t put Ben in that group, but that’s only because that I think that his legacy is still in the process of being written. Look at Tom Brady and Manning, both QB’s have lost Super Bowls, and yet the media still insists they are the best QB’s ever.
Would I take Big Ben over Manning? Hmmm…that’s a tough call, probably not, but ask me that in a few years if Ben is 3-0 or hopefully 4-0 in Super Bowls, while Manning, who is now 9-9 in the playoffs, may be walking away .500 or less in the Super Bowl games the Colts play in.
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George H
February 9, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Defintely hard to say… they both have a different style of game. If Ben wins 4 and Manning stays with 1 then theres defintely a swing to Big Ben. Although, I would make the case that Ben has had a better team around him compared to Manning.
Defense is huge in the playoffs and year after year the Steelers have a better D. Id say oline goes to the Colts, but how good are they really? I think that Manning just makes incredibly quick decisions and it masks any faults in his oline.
Wayne, Harrison, and Clark is a toss up with Ward, Holmes and Miller. Ben with that core group would most likely be the same as he is now and Manning vice versa
Stats obviously go to Manning, but stats arent everything. The stats Im concerned with are 4th quarter, 2-minute warning and playoffs. Manning and Ben have the win quality that puts them above everyother qb in the league in the last couple minutes. (I would put Brady in that category too, maybe Brees as well. Although Ben has the Playoff track record that Manning doesnt.
So how much does the team help shape the legacy of a QB?
Well Bradshaw won 4 SBs with the Super Steelers. Is Bradshaw considered the best qb ever?…. probably not.
Manning has 4 MVPs, without him the Colts would be completely lost.
As it stands right now, Manning gets the nod over Ben. Manning is the prototypical QB and Ben is starting to become more prototypical drop back QB, but his game isnt what Mannings is.
The writers, reporters, and all the fans will always take the typical drop back QB compared to the improv type QB Ben is.
Time will tell on who will end up with the better career, but if Ben keeps his pace up I wouldnt be surprised one day to say Ben has the better career than Manning.
joefromnyc
February 10, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Stats?? Manning plays 9 games in a dome! So his stats SHOULD be higher! I would take BB into any big game with him as my QB and feel confident!
Ben Dover
February 9, 2010 at 10:41 pm
As a live-long Steelers fan I can say that that self-serving, egotistical, douche-bag Ben Roethlisberger can’t hold a candle to Peyton Manning.
Ben has benifited from playing for the Steelers, that’s the only reason he has had such a good winning pct. Manning had to no such luck with the Colts, they are winners because of him, the same can’t be said about Ben.
Ben has a great defence, but the moron wants to play in a vertical passing game, instead of a ball control style that would keep the “D” fresh. Manning has no defence to speak of, inspite of that they still win.
Ben holds on to the ball too long, 50% of the sacks he takes are his fault. Manning makes his offensive line look good by either getting the ball out of his hand on three step drops, or throws the ball away.
Just keep watching over the coming years, Ben will be exposed as an average QB at best if he doesn’t set his ego aside and start protecting his defence the way Manning does his.
Ben would be thought of as Kneel O’Dumbell today if the Steelers had lost Super Bowl XL with his 2 interception 9 of 23 performance. Manning has had no such problems in the Super Bowl.
George H
February 10, 2010 at 12:46 am
Ease up there Ben Dover… Im pretty sure the Steelers had a great defenSe for many years and werent able to win the Super Bowl until Ben came along.
Did you watch Manning this year, he was terrific but how many times did his offense run the ball… enough said.
Ben your sounding like a typical Steelers fan who acts on what have you done for me lately… well Ben was the only reason why we won this year. Get the facts right before you start ripping on our franchise qb.
joefromnyc
February 10, 2010 at 2:23 pm
You are kidding, right? Leave his personality out of this nonsense!! BTW, the Colts have the most wins in this decade!! So, how can you say BB had the better team? BTW, BB beat peyton in the dome in 2005, and the refs did all they could to help peyton!! Weapons? Colts had Wayne, Harrison, james..we had Hines, Wilson and randel el..we had the bus! They had the better offense! BB Clearly out dueled him that day!
Matt Loede
February 9, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Ben,
Didn’t Peyton just lose a Super Bowl three days ago, and didn’t he make a backbreaking mistake that cost his team a chance to tie the game?
I would be interested to see what Ben could/would do with guys like Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Edgerrin James and Joseph Addai. Plus the Colts O-line from a stats standpoint is better than the Steelers, so I think that point is invalid.
Right now, Roethlisberger is 8-2 in 10 playoff games, 2-0 in the Super Bowl. Manning is 9-9, and 1-1 in the Super Bowl.
Again, I am not saying one game I wouldn’t take Manning over Ben, but your points are way off base.
Thomas Crowley
February 9, 2010 at 11:48 pm
In the playoffs ben roethilisberger
joefromnyc
February 10, 2010 at 2:25 pm
BB anytime! Peyton can’t handle a pass rush!
Thomas Crowley
February 9, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Matt loede your point is abd he has hines ward, santoinio holmes
George H
February 10, 2010 at 12:53 am
I posted earlier that the only advantage Manning has is potentially his o-line… but wasnt it just last year Ben drove down field on the biggest stage in professional sports and scored the game winning touchdown in an extreme pressure situation. What did Manning do? Thats right he threw a int that cost the game. It seems like Peyton has done that time and time again throughout his career.
Matt Random Question for you… did you recieve my email answering the Super Bowl questions? I had to send it through a different account rather than Microsoft.
tim
February 10, 2010 at 8:46 am
Big Ben is a savior for the steelers…Many yrs. we’ve had a good Def. and no QB= NO superbowl….
Many yrs… we’ve had a all around good team but no QB=NO super bowl…
Big Ben with a all around good team= super bowl..In my eyes I would rather have Ben over any other QB because he is a winner I don’t care about stats I care about wins and thats what ben and the steelers do together…Yes they have bad yrs..But the good out ways the bad and thats the way it should be….GO STEELERS……………………
mark
February 10, 2010 at 11:24 am
As far as the “Better QB”, stats will not tell the whole picture. Manning is a great QB, he has the stats to prove that. Ben is also a great QB because he has the “winners”touch as well as being the missing piece for a team that had been so close before he came along. Jim Plunkett won 2 Super Bowls too but hardly anyone would consider him a great QB or a Hall of Famer,but he was in a perfect fit and had a winning attitude.Now I do NOT consider Ben a Jim PLunkett, but stats alone do not show who is great. Does anyone think Dan Marino,Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly or Warren Moon arent considered great? But, Vinnie Testeverde and Dave Kreig also have BIG numbers that compare to a few of the names above. They arent great, right? Should Ben win another Super Bowl or at least keep up his statistical pace and keep the Steelers competitive, he will join Manning in the Hall of Fame one day. Manning is a first ballot entry but his will be based on HUGE numbers, like Favre. Favre and Manning will have stats, but 1 title. Anyway, Ben is a GREAT quarterback and I would want no one else running my team in a clutch situation.
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