They also got to the doorstep a bunch of times with Neil O'Donnell, Kordell Stewart and Tommy Maddux at QB. Big Ben was a nice fit, but the Steelers proved you can win regardless of your QB.
I could be wrong but I don't think the Steelers won one playoff game with Tommy Maddux or Kordell Stewart at the helm
Because you can win without a franchise QB doesn't mean it's not a huge benefit to have one. How are we even debating this?
They reached the AFC Championship a few times, so they had to win with somebody before Ben got there. And when they won the Super Bowl they did it in spite of Rothlisberger the first time. He's a good QB and all, but his biggest contribution in that post-season was his tackle vs Indianapolis on Jerome Bettis' fumble.
Nobody is saying it's a huge benefit not to have one. The question is how much do you give up for one and how do you know who is one until after the fact? You don't.
that game proved that the better QB performance was going to win that day. Brady took two hail mary shots to Moss at the end of that game and nearly connected on both.. if he did, the discussion about what transpired and this discussion here would be greatly different.
but they never won it... getting to the doorstep is fun. Winning it twice in 4 years is exponentially better. And they did it with a Franchise QB.
how about his performance in the last one?? That throw was certainly perfect. And the Steelers defense nearly lost the game before hand..... or did Warner win it all with the game on line line?? hmmm....
The Pittsburgh Steelers have never won a Super Bowl without a guy named Terry Bradshaw or a guy named Ben Roethlisberger at QB. They have however won multiple Super Bowls with both of those guys. It's not the team. It the team lead by a franchise QB that has won big for them.
If I apparently don't know what I am talking about.....maybe some people will think Brian Billick does: From today's online chat at NFL.com Jeremy, Detriot 03:04 PM ET In your opinion, can Matt Stafford be a Pro Bowl quarterback in the NFL? Brian Billick, NFL Network There's no reason why Stafford, Sanchez and Freeman can't all be Pro Bowl-caliber QBs. having said that, there's no reason that Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith, Heath Shuler, David Carr .. and those guys ... couldn't also have had that type of success. Link: http://chat.nfl.com/front/archived_chat/191 His answers to a number of questions shed light on this whole franchise QB hysteria.
No QB in the draft I honestly don't think it's worth taking a QB in this draft. Much deeper pool next year. We should focus on the D and the run this year. I know this board would go nuts, but I would love to see us grab a big DE like Tyson Jackson if he fell to us.
that's why its not about the ability to fire the ball down the field as it is about the mental makeup of the quarterback... a team has to measure his poise, leadership, intelligence, leadership, ability to adjust quickly, toughness, maturity, and the most important of all - leadership. Its so hard to measure those qualities by watching film or looking at numbers. Its the person, not the player. If there is a man who can lead men on the field, take him.
It was O'Donnell at the helm of the winning teams. They also had an awsome power running game and top flight defense that could get after the QB. Big Ben was not good as a rookie and only decent in his second year in which they won the SB. What he did show is the ability to move in the pocket and still make plays, somehting pittsburgh has needed because despite having a good run blocking line thier pass blocking has left much to be desired. Last year when Willy Parker and Rashard Mendenhall went down Ben helped lead the Steelers for the majority of the season without thier top two running backs. They had to rely on his arm and the running of Mewelde Moore. In the past 3 season he has suffered through 46 (4th in nfl),47 (2nd), and 46(2nd) sacks and yet still lead pittsburgh to winning records. I find it hard to not call him a franchise QB. I'd love to see what he could do with a decent pass blocking line.
Brees and Rivers just can't seem to win the crucial games so I didnt include them for that reason. Ryan, Flacco, and Rodgers may be on there way to becoming franchise QB's. Though I have my doubts about Rodgers.
Brees and Rivers are not the reasons their teams fell short of the Super Bowl the past few seasons. They are definitely franchise quarterbacks.
No kidding, what have there been 2 non-franchise qbs, maybe ever, who won a sb...people here are just insane. Those two had arguably the two best defenses of the last 30 years..we don't have shit on either side of the ball.
You are making SB winning QBs into franchise QBs rather than pointing out franchise QBs who won the SB. If you are going to define a franchise QB as HOF or All-Pro quality, there have been numerous QBs that won a SB that were not franchise QBs. And you have to look at the level some QBs were on when they won. Here is a list of SB winning QBs that were not franchise QBs 1970 - Unitas/Morrall - both were at the end of their careers and were average to below average that year. 1980- Plunkett - not a franchise level QB - just an old-timer who hit it right with a very good team 1983 - Plunkett - see 19880 1985 - McMahon - not even close 1987 - Williams - a journeyman QB who had a great game, but not a great career. NOT a franchise QB. 1990 - Hoestetler - ummm No 1991 - Rypien - No way. Again, one good season and a good SB does not make a franchise QB 2000 -Dilfer - just don't lose the game, Trent. 2001 Brady - his first season he was nothing more than a game manager. 2002 - Johnson - see Dilfer 2005 - Rothlesberger - had the worst SB of any winning QB ever and did nothing to get them there either. 2007 Eli Manning - 6 good games at the end of one season do not make one a franchise QB. Unless he does it again, he will fall in the Rypien, Williams category. Others who were good, but not great QBs 1972-73 - Griese. All he had to do was hand the ball off to one of the best running games in NFL history and rely on one of the great NFL defenses. In the two years the Fins won the SB, he was injured for most of one year and threw for 1400 yards the second year. In two SB wins he threw for a TOTAL of 160 yards. Franchise my ass. 1982 - Theisman - a good but not great QB who won a title in a shortened season. 1986 - Simms - another good QB, but the Giants win in 1990 without him proved it was the team as much if not more than him. One more thing - and the key to this whole argument - is that you would be hard pressed to find many, or even any, SB winning teams that did not have a great defense. That is what wins, year after year. Maybe the 1999 Rams and the 2006 Colts did not have great defenses and that is about it.
