Nahhhhh... he's not overrated at allllllll... right, guys?

I think it's too early to compare him to Elway, and using the Lions as an example of his Elway-ness is the ultimate reach. Give him 5 more years, then we'll come back to this discussion.

I don't think he's overrated, but by no means would I EVER compare him to Elway.  Ron Cook hasn't always been the sharpest tool in the shed.  He writes some excellent articles, but some of his columns just make you shake your head, this is one of those cases.  Yes, Ben is a very good QB, but Elway-like, really Ron?

Well... they both wear number 7, so I guess they got that much in common.

The comparison breaks down pretty quickly, since they're such different players. Being provocative just to stir the pot is his job, and it will definitely work in this case.

the biggest difference is elway lost the superbowl a few times , big ben has not . put that in your pipe and smoke it.

It drives me insane when sports columnists compare rookies and relatively new players in any sport to hall of fame players. I believe the whole point of Ron's column was to compare how Ben stays calm under pressure and has the will to go out there with the game on the line and get the job done. I'll give him that, any other comparison is rediculous. You can also make that comparison between several current NFL QB's and Elway. It's simply a trait found in a lot of good players in sport. The will to win, to never give up, to never be satisfied with second place, but keeping your head on straight. I'll take a guy like that on my team any day.

Big Ben the John Elway of this generation? Sorry, I'm not buying it. Waaaaaaay too early for that. BTW, I'll have the same Kool-Aid Ron's drinking.

The better comparison in terms of talent, stature and style is Roman Gabriel, however he is blessed to be on a flagship NFL team and he has a knack for big plays, but his not truly elite in mechanics or statistics.

Ben roethisberger is wickidly awesome

22-5 against AFC North opponents? Seriously?  AFC North= Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincinnat, and Cleveland. I'm a huge Bengals fan (and have taken lots of harrassment for it) but c'mon man.  Cleveland couldn't beat Pittsburgh if Pitt didn't show up for the game, and the Bengals may or may not be coming out of the sorry-ness that has been their rep. for the past 19 years or so.  He's a good, above average, qb but let's not get crazy with Elway comparisons. 

Um, no.. Maybe the next Elway in due time, but again only time can answer that...

Dang, Ben gets in a little trouble & now everytime you turn around there's an article about him.. I know he's having a good season, but aren't their a few QB's having a good season??? Why do we have to keep talking about him??..

Well, JaMarcus Russell was supposed to be the next John Elway, at least in Al Davis' wrinkly & teared-up eyes.  So using that scale, Big Ben must be this generation's Joe Montana & Johnny Unitas mixed together (Joey Montitis?).

But seriously, Big Ben is pretty darn good, get over it people.

MAYBE ONE DAY MAYBE NOT BUT ITS NOT THIS DAY. GIVE THE GUY SOME TIME IN THE LEAGUE, LOOK AT WHAT HE HAS DONE HIS SHORT TIME IN THE NFL. HOW ABOUT WE BRING THIS TOPIC BACK UP AGAIN IN ABOUT 5 YEARS AND LETS SEE WHERE HE STANDS THEN. 

winning a championship is the most importent stat and Roethlisberger and Elway are tied with SB rings and Roethlisberger got his rings alot faster then Elway

 Being a die-hard Steelers fan I have to root for Ben.  Having said that, Ben is very Elway-esque to say the least.  Elway had the leadership and longevity, made outstanding plays throughout his career and (finally) won 2 Super bowls..  Ben is on the right track but let's check back in 3-5 years.

NO WAY IN THE WORLD CAN YOU COMPARE HIM TO JOHN ELWAY!!!!!! NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!!

Well, Ben has managed to win 2 Superbowls already. And I don't remember him whining and crying because he didn't like the team that picked him. Let's face it, being compared to Elway isn't necessarily a compliment. It wasn't until much later in his career that he became something to really talk about.

At least, "Big Ben" figured out how to win a Superbowl fifteen years before Elway.  No, I'm not saying Ben is better, I'm simply stating the facts.

If Elway had figured out how to get someone like Terrell Davis on his team earlier in his career, he would have won a Super Bowl earlier. Or, if he had the incredible defenses that the Steelers have had lately.

Ron Cook said nothing more that Big Ben is more like John Elway than anyone else of this generation. 
Ron Cook said he shows flashes of John Elway.
Big Ben wanting the ball and to go and atone for his mistake was "Elway like".
He didn't say he was better or as good. He didn't even say he was on his way to being Elway. But one could argue that he's off to a good start.

 Ron Cook has always been a little off...trust me, he has called for many a QB to be run out of town in the middle of the night with baseball bats swinging..ok, maybe not that bad, but I bet if someone dug enough, they'd find at least a few highly critical articles of Ben, especially in the year following SB XL. 

I agree totally, it is way too early to compare Ben to anyone...let alone Elway...but as chrismac points out, that is not what Cook is doing...

However, that said, Elway is a hero to Ben, and like it or not, that vaunted defense, with a 20-7 lead, gave up 16 unanswered points...until Ben led them on that final drive and forced the answer down the Cards throats. And please, be a man and put your bias aside, that was a hell of a drive. 1st and 20 from the 12 yard line...and he scrambled and pump faked his way to a legendary drive and should have been MVP. 

And while (and again, I agree with everyone here saying it is way too early to compare him to Elway) you cannot make an argument that he is too early in his career and then say, oh he threw a pick six against the Lions so it proves he is not any good. Maybe the very next drive, where he came out and got the six right back. There are MANY games where Ben proved his "winning attitude and confidence" Hell, the kid, after his rookie season PROMISED the Bus a Super Bowl after their playoff loss...and DELIVERED it...

And please, do not tell me about his rating of 1.32 in that game (22.7 maybe?) because if you watched the playoffs, he went on the road and led the team with his arm,throwing early and often to get the team a lead.  The Steelers 2005 defense was a good, solid defense, but not what I would call one of the greats (70's Steelers, 85 Bears, 86 Giants, 2001 Ravens, etc). 

That is the mark of a competitor, and I am glad we have him and not Eli or Rivers. He fits what Pittsburgh does, and he is (and I know the stats are out there somewhere to prove it) the best QB after contact, and I do not think Rivers or Eli has the success in Pittsburgh that Ben does simply because they do not escape pressure and make something out of nothing the way he does, using his size and surprising mobility/agility to make defenders miss, or unable to bring him down.   

We can all get together in 5 years and revisit this topic. 

How really is he overated? He's not on ESPN or the NFL Network being talked about all the time. The QB's they talk about are Romo, P. Manning, Brady, E. Manning, Brees and they should. Aside from the first guy. Ben is definately a top QB in the league right now.

Actually, he is talked about quite often. And you're right... this year. For these 5 games, Ben has been pretty good. But that's not at all in line with what we've seen from him the rest of his career.

I am not debating where he stands among QB's in the NFL, but Ben Roethlisberger is a top ten QB, based on what he has done thus far. The only drawback that I have with him is that his tendency to hold onto the ball for way too long. I will not compare him to Elway in any way, shape or form because his body of work is still in progress, so I will leave it at that and make that comparison when the time is deemed right. But if I had to make a comparison right now, Big Ben still has work to do.

Well, it is why he chose the number 7 in the first place, because he had an admiration for John's quarterbacking.......................Ben is a very good player and is making a name in the quarterback ranks for himself. I really think the Steelers work well as a team.............................Keep on keeping on and enjoy playing the game................

he lacks the discipline that John Elway has and leadership on and off the field...

I certainly hope you're not referring to that laughable lawsuit.

Really, and Elway was a choir boy and had all the tools the first 5 years he was in the league.  Didn't he refuse to join the Colts and then play baseball. Great maturity as a young man, a kin to Eli Manning pulling that sh*t with San Diego in the draft.  What young adult is an angel and has all of their stuff together?  Elway went to 3 SB's in his 1st five yrs. Cool, good for him.  He played well in 1 of the 3 if you check the stats.

Ok, so Ben has been fortunate to have a top 5 defense backing him up and getting him some wins, but go and look at all the other QBs that have had great success.  NE's D shutdown the greatest show on turf. Manning didn't win a SB until it's D got it's head out. Go further back and see how many Bradshaw wins without the "Curtain."

We can go ahead and argue maturity or leadership on and off the field if you want.  Sure he's had his issues with the motorcycle accident and whatever happened in Vegas, but when he's between the lines it appears that he has his stuff together.  You don't get rings for being a role model.

Of course his numbers aren't gonna be on Elway's level if you compare their 1st 75 games or whatever. Pittsburgh is pretty much the definition of a running franchise. From what I recall Elway and the Broncos didn't get their run game going until the mid to late 90s... when they won their titles.  Regular season minus this season Ben is 1189-1905 for 14,974 with 101 TDs and 69 ints.   Elway was 1168-2158 for 14,835 with 85 TDs and 77 ints in his 1st 5 seasons.  Looks pretty compairable and looks as if Ben has a slight edge.  In Ben's 4 playoff appearances he is 172-278 for 2239 with 15 TDs and 12 ints in 10 games.  Elway was 128 of 248 for 1909 yards with 11 TDs and 12 ints. I'm not sure how many playoff games Elway had in those 4 seasons, but both the Steelers and Broncos made 2 SBs in that time so the number of games is prob pretty close. Ben's TEAM won their appearances in the SB and Elway's didn't. Ben the worst SB performance ever and his offense still scored 3 TDs and then he led his own "Drive" to win XLIII.  I had no idea what the numbers would show, but it appears if he continues his own magic, Ben could be this generation's Elway.  Another stat they share in common is they both get sacked more than taters. Holding on to the ball, making things happen... kinda just flying by the seat of their pants.

All in all compare them or don't as long as they keep winning, whether it be with defense or Ben leading a comeback... I don't care. Elway's career is over with 2 titles in 5 SB appearances and Ben is 2-2. Lets just see where he finishes in 10-12 yrs.

Ben INjuredberger??

we need Polamalu

You talk alot. wow!! by the way it was in lake tahoe! not Vegas.. huh and Elway was the best thing the broncos had for many years. ben can't say that. Yes he makes bad moves on and off the field you bring up the first superbowl the worst performance of all time.but he is 2 for 2. The official made bad calls in the second one as well NFL acknowledge but it was weeks later. be happy your QB is a winner on the field and a criminal off the field..Your one happy fan, Right? Would you let your daughters anywhere near him?

 Wow....So, she was a TV repair lady? Went up to his room alone. And then bragged about it to her friends the next day. A year later, she decides to file a CIVIL suit. I guess Ben Roethlisberger is the first athlete to ever sleep with a fan. Simply amazing. 

Did anyone watch the 3 playoff games Ben played prior to SBXL? Even with that 22.6 (or whatever) QB rating in the Super Bowl, his rating for the playoffs was 101.7...His Yards per Attempt? 8.63. Threw 7 TD passes and ran for 2 more. Everyone brings up the Super Bowl XL and somehow completely ignores the fact that, in his 2nd season, he went on the road and played a huge role in beating the Bengals, Colts (a very tough indoor stadium) and Denver (notoriously difficult place to play as well). The Steelers completely flipped the script in those games, by coming out throwing. Oh, and as for Team defense, Ben accomplished it against the number 2 & 3 team defenses in the league that year. 

Of course, the other thing always thrown around in an attempt to discredit him, Ben plays with a great defense...Ah, contradictions..."Defense wins championships" -- we've heard that so many times. If we believe it, then that would take away from every Super Bowl winning QB...

I am writing up what I found out so look for it soon. 

 

Where's your proof that Roethlisberger is guilty?  Andrea McNulty has repeatedly made herself look like an idiot in that matter.  Did you miss the part where she flat out told a friend of hers that she wanted to have his babies?  In case you don't know what that means, it means if anything did happen between those 2 in Tahoe, she WANTED it to happen.  People need to get their facts straight before posting crap like this.

Ok, so I blew my whole post when I said Vegas and not Tahoe. Forgive me. He makes bad moves on the field.... like throwing ints? Happens. Holds the ball too long and pays with a ton of sacks? Pretty sure Elway did the same thing... 516 sacks later.  Okay with the officiating geez.  Jackson did push off, I'll give you the Ben TD, that was holding on the Seattle completion, and I have no idea what the officials were thinking with the low block or whatever on Hasselbeck on his int.  And the no call on the celebration in 43, ok by definition they prob shoud've thrown the flag, but then you have refs and their officiating really leaving their mark on the game with a flag...For what is pretty much a lame rule instituted because of Chad Johnson.

Elway was the best thing the Broncos had for many years... and that's a knock against Ben cause Pittsburgh put together it's team better than Denver? Or Elway did it ALL, all by himself.  Was he wearing the Bugs Bunny ears while he was throwing himself all those TDs? Come on.

Criminal off the field. Yep, prob got a ticket or 2 for the motorcycle accident. And no criminal charges in TAHOE... got it right there for you. You're welcome. As for my nonexistant daughters at the moment, when I do have them and they are in their 20s I expect they will have a good head on their shoulders and hope they don't put themselves in bad spots. That and I hope they don't try for a huge money grab with no witnesses or evidence, which makes them look like a complete fraud.

So does Brady = Montana and Peyton = Marino, then?  Wait, Dan never won one.  Guess he can be Mark Rypien.

This is my last reply to this, She was doing her job, Ben call the desk down stairs because he was having problems with his flat screen. She came as instructed fix the screen and attepted to leave and was stopped by rapist ben. According to you she put herself in that spot, hannahs and walt disney played a role in her not pressing charges sooner. the legal teams is not saying ben didn't do these things they are using there power to get them gaged by the court. You should do research and not just your own thoughts on this matter. Oh John did not do it by him self, Terrell Davis, Shannon Sharpe, The Defense was agent Orange! they did it as a team.

Fine, I'll take the last word then.  I'm glad you were in the hotel room when this all happened cause I will look forward to reading your testimony.  Ok, so she didn't call the cops because Harrah's and Mickey Mouse told her not to?  Maybe believable. Has she produced anything viable as evidence. Hell, Monica Lewinsky produced a dress for GD sake. I'm sorry that I can only read 2 Pittsburgh papers online, and a variety of other sites as research not be hotel valet, or limo driver in Sin City that is in the know.

I didn't say Elway did it all. I was making the point that he DIDN'T. You said Elway was the best thing the Broncos had for years. And Ben is not. I was just wondering why that is a knock against Ben? Thanks for making my point by saying they did it as a team... Just like what the Steelers have and are doing. What does it matter if each teams #7 was or wasn't their best player?

Try 60 minutes and E:60 you don't really want the truth you just want to be heard, right Rapist fan!!!

Come up with viable evidence that Ben is guilty or just drop it.

Is this guy for real how does he have any room to talk about Ben, besides there viable evidence proving this woman's case. We now have a Cowboys, Lakers, and Yankees fan trying to disgrace someone,  like his teams have never had any violators on them, if I started with a list of violations from any of those teams I would have to get a new keyboard from burning this one up. Take Kramer's advise do yourself a favor drop it.