The State Of Ben
Big Ben has just undergone knee surgery on his plant leg, it’s been described a success and Ben is said to be feeling spry as a spring chicken. Some in Steeler Nation may be breathing a sigh of relief, while others are bemoaning a collective “sigh”. The simple fact though can’t be ignored, that in nine seasons as the Steelers starting quarterback, Big Ben has played a full sixteen game season just once. This has not, to a lesser degree, hindered the success of the team as he has taken us to three Super Bowls and won two. However the old adage ‘timing is everything’ comes to mind as his previous injuries occurred during the middle stretch of the seasons, he has also played through many as well. The past two seasons have ended by coming one game short of the playoffs, and certainly last year being eight and eight was well below our potential. To a large degree the absence of Ben or his hobbled play have contributed to this.
The media has taken to the question of whether Big Ben’s best days are behind him, which I find to be ridiculous, but such is life in the media. It does make one wonder though if Ben will ever play a full season again, certainly the organization has been trying to put their best effort into making that a reality. With the hiring of offensive coordinator Todd Haley, a concerted effort towards drafting young talented lineman and an emphasis on the running game, we still keep our collective fingers crossed that our signal caller will be healthy and upright in December and January. No one wants to see Ben change his style of play, but with his career approaching it’s advanced years, you have to wonder how much of a pounding he will be able to continually take. And so is the state of Pittsburgh Steelers as Ben Roethlisberger is the key to our success, and that success hinges largely upon the state of his health.
