A Cut Above
Steelers rookie Ben Roethlisberger is the gem among a group of four young quarterbacks who are providing an influx of refreshing new talent at the NFL's marquee position.
The quarterback bounces from the pocket. He moves to his right and looks downfield. Two receivers, one in back of the end zone, one a bit closer, work their defenders" neither breaks open. The quarterback senses he is time-challenged; he prepares to toss away the ball. But he hesitates. The far receiver has maneuvered near a front pylon and now is open, barely. The quarterback thinks, "I'll throw it outside and low, where only he can catch it." The pass arrives at the promised location: low outside and just catchable enough for a touchdown.
Maybe 3 seconds at most elapse from the moment be abandons his blockers to his release. Even more amazing, this information processing--and the completion--come from a rookie quarterback in his first NFL start.
Want to know why the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger is the gem among the scintillating group of young wunderkinds who have emerged this season to add much-needed quarterback spice to what alarmingly was becoming a bland position? Just take this one pass play and review it, step by step. It is the craftsmanship of an experienced, special veteran, not some 22-year-old less than a year removed from a more simple world at Miami of Ohio.
David Carr has been where Roethlisberger now is scrambling. In his third NFL season, Carr remembers the NFL-record 76 sacks of his rookie year with the Texans. Only this year has the haze lifted completely; like so many others in the NFL, he marvels about how Roethlisberger's mind already functions at the high-definition stage.
"I felt like I was a freshman in college," says Carr of his first season. "I mean I know he has great players around him and that helps, but still. I'm where I am now because of the experience I've gained the first two years. He's doing it without all that. Pretty impressive."
But it's not just Roethlisberger. Carr, the Jaguars' Byron Leftwich and the Lions' Joey Harrington, three other quarterbacks with three years or fewer on their NFL resumes, are enjoying exhilarating, breakout seasons. This quartet of achievers is the answer to that sports Jeopardy! question: Are there any reasons to believe NFL quarterbacking will improve any time soon? The league's marquee position had been wanting; a few stars but no quality depth. Now, the firm of Brady, McNabb, Culpepper, Manning, Vick and, do we dare say, Brees has new partners--and that's without knowing how good Carson Palmer, Eli Manning and Philip Rivers might become.
"This is a pretty talent-rich group of very young guys coming along," says Texans offensive coordinator Chris Palmer, who has directed Carr's development. "There was legitimate concern about the quality of quarterbacking, but I think we've got our answers now.
No one has provided a bigger answer than Roethlisberger, who expected to watch and learn this season. Instead, Tommy Maddox suffered an elbow injury in the second game and now Roethlisberger is starting on the league's best team--and he's no caretaker. The Steelers merely ask him to make plays that have turned games in their favor. He already has helped hand both the Patriots and Eagles their first losses in part because defensive whizzes Bill Belichick and Jim Johnson couldn't confuse him. That's why former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, now a FOX analyst, bristles when "rookie" is used to describe Roethlisberger. "Ben's a quarterback now, period," he says.
So this is the newest All-American hero: He stands 6-5, weighs a finely tuned 241 pounds, lives by himself in a townhouse a few miles from the Steelers' practice complex, vegges out on PlayStation, spends his day off studying tape of the next opponent, once had NBA fantasies and became a college football prospect before throwing one pass in high school. He's an upstanding product of small-town middle America, respectful of his elders, thankful for his blessings, careful in his public words and ever so humble around his more accomplished teammates. OK, so he also has a large-sized object sitting on his shoulder. What's wrong with that?
Remember, two quarterbacks were selected ahead of him in last April's draft. He slid to the 11th pick, 10 choices after Eli Manning went to the Giants via San Diego and seven after Rivers became a Charger through the Giants. "He is playing with a chip because of that," says Steelers receiver Plaxico Burress. "I mean, he's the best quarterback in the draft, but they were saying he's not."
Roethlisberger can't deny Burress' contention. Too honest for that. "When there are doubters, it always fuels the fire a little bit," he says. "When people say you can't do something, if you are a competitor, that drives you. I think there probably is a little chip on my shoulder. But that's not the whole drive. Wanting to be the best and wanting to win, they push me, too."
Until Manning and Rivers have equal opportunities, it's unfair to conclude Roethlisberger should have been picked over them. But there were teams--the Packers, for one--and scouting publications--the SPORTING NEWS' Pro Football Draft Guide, for example--that placed Roethlisberger at the head of his class. The only glaring question on his resume--after all, he showed his arm strength, accuracy and mobility in college--concerned the mid-level quality of competition. Because of that glitch, Manning and Rivers were considered safer picks.
Folks in Oxford, where Miami is located, aren't particularly surprised Roethlisberger already is excelling in the NFL. They saw him dominate opponents for three seasons; he's just doing it now for a decision-making, the accuracy on the run, the strength in the pocket, the uncommon poise, the calm confidence--that's their Ben, all right. "He's extremely grounded and focused, from a great family," says assistant athletic director Mike Harris. "He was just one of those kids everyone loved. But he worked hard at getting better. He spent a lot of extra time with his coaches breaking down film, trying to increase his knowledge." Now, at Miami of Ohio games, you see lots of No. 7 Steelers jerseys.
Roethlisberger grew up in Findlay, Ohio, a town of 40,000. It is a blue-collar hamlet, where hard work and modesty still are considered virtues. And where life sometimes is difficult. For Ben, the struggles came early. When he was 2, his parents divorced. When he was 8, his mother died in a car accident. But Ken, his father, established roots in Findlay, married Brenda, and raised Ben and younger sister Carlee. Ben was a three-sport star in high school, the all-time leading scorer in basketball, his first passion. Until his senior year at Findlay, he was a receiver; the coach's son played quarterback. Before that final season, Roethlisberger and some teammates attended a football camp at Miami. By the time the camp ended, RedHawks coach Terry Hoeppner had decided to recruit him. "Why aren't more people after him?" he asked his assistants. You could ask the same question now about last April's draft.
Brenda and Ken stay with Ben for home games, to cheer, go out to dinner, to cook a meal. "I have a great family," says Roethlisberger. "I can call them and they don't want to talk just football. They want to find out how my day went outside of football. My life is different now, living alone and with all that has happened this season. It is so key for me to have that comfort blanket back home."
In Pittsburgh, the clean-cut kid now has sandwiches named after him at local greasy spoons. His physical stature compares to that of Terry Bradshaw, the Hall of Fame quarterback and owner of four Super Bowl rings. But Bradshaw and the Steel City always had an inexplicable love/hate relationship. It's different with Big Ben; these passionate fans have embraced his humility and his heroics, and have given him a big group hug.
The easy answer to explain Roethlisberger's success is this: receivers Hines Ward and Burress, the NFL's No. 2 rushing team, Duce Stafey, Jerome Bettis, a dominant line. But that is a simplistic and unfair analysis. No question, Roethlisberger hasn't needed to throw 30 times a game, which is why Pittsburgh has attempted the second-fewest passes in the league. Still, it's not as if he is thriving on safe passes in non-pressure situations. He is making big-time plays at big-time moments. Take his fourth start, in Dallas on October 17. The Steelers have the ball at the Dallas 24, trailing 20-17, with 2:20 remaining. The easy choice is play for a tie and overtime; why put your rookie at risk? But coach Bill Cowher sticks out that chin of his and asks the kid to win it. On first and second down, Roethlisberger completes passes of 11 and 6 yards. Three running plays later, the Steelers have a 24-20 victory.
"We haven't been conservative with him," says Cowher. "His decision-making has been excellent and the better it gets, the more you feel you can call things, that he is going to take what they give him. The coaches have done a great job of putting him in situations where we haven't asked him to do too much. But you know what, when we had to lean on him, he's made the plays. The more you are around him, the more you realize he is not just any ordinary rookie--that he is far more mature than his age."
As impressive as he is in the pocket--against the Patriots, he hung in despite an all-out blitz and completed a 47-yard touchdown pass to Burress, knowing he would be slammed as he released the ball--it's his work on the edges, sometimes on planned rollouts, mostly from broken plays, that has created the biggest stir around the league. Even veteran quarterbacks make a mess of these ad-lib moments. But these situations have been his shining stars; he has an innate ability to keep his head up and look downfield, thinking pass, not run, and then throw with accuracy and not into coverage.
"Some guys can connect the dots better than others when the pressure is on," says ESPN analyst Randy Mueller, the former Saints general manager. "Ben already can see the whole field, not just segments, and that's remarkable. His instincts are just so good; they can get better, but they're already jump-started."
First-year offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt has done an exceptional job of reducing the playbook for Roethlisberger so he doesn't experience brain overload on game day. The Steelers have relied heavily on play-action passes, where protection can be maxed out and his reads can be simplified to one or two. But each week Whisenhunt has added more options; Roethlisberger now even has multiple audibles. "He doesn't always know what he is seeing during plays," says Whisenhunt. "Things come open that are designed and he misses them sometimes. But then he scrambles and makes something out of nothing. So how can you be upset?"
Roethlisberger knows this really shouldn't be happening. The game is supposed to be too fast and complex for a first-year quarterback to flourish. Yeah, sure. After last Sunday's 24-10 win over the Browns, he is 7-0 as a starter, breaking the NFL mark by a rookie to begin his career. His completion percentage ( 68.0) and quarterback rating (101.3) would be league rookie records; his 11-to-6 touchdowns-to-interceptions differential is terrific. "Things are fast, no question," he acknowledges, but only after giving credit to everyone but the Steelers' ballboys. "Things have slowed down a bit, but there still are plenty of blurry moments. I just like throwing on the run--always have. It creates a chance for big plays. The first thought always is, 'Here comes someone, so get away fast.' Fear does amazing things for you."
He leans on veterans for advice; Ward has become the biggest voice in his ear. "I'm like his mama, always nagging him," Ward says, laughing. "He's found out we'll make plays for him. But he's grown. He understands so much more now. He won us over. When Tommy went down, we didn't know what to expect. Now the guys are saying, 'Hey, this kid can be pretty good.' You can see it; everyone is doing a little extra to make his job easier."
Roethlisberger appreciates that. He keeps saying it's not as easy as it appears. But no one in Pittsburgh is listening. The Steelers are winning again, and fans have a new hero. And they're already thinking about the Super Bowl in Jacksonville.
Big Ben, by a tick
Ben Roethlisberger edged out Byron Leftwich as the best of the young gun quarterbacks, according to a poll of three NFL pro personnel directors. The scouts were asked to rate five quarterbacks (Ben, Leftwich, David Carr, Joey Harrington and Carson Palmer)in each of nine categories: Accuracy, Arm Strength, Decision Making, Footwork, Leadership, Mobility, Poise, Understanding of Offense and Ability to Win - On a basis was 1-10 points, with 10 being the highest. The total points:
Ben Roethisberger: 71.7
Byron Leftwich: 71
David Carr: 70.3
Joey Harrington: 64.3
Carson Palmer: 61.7
Profiting from growing pains
Seven games into this season, David Carr steps behind center and, for the first time in his two-plus NFL years, sees a different football world. His view of the defense is so clear, so vivid, he finds himself thinking not only of the play at hand, but what might be called on the next down. It is a moment he wondered if he ever would experience as a pro.
"I knew it would take a lot of work, but I never expected how many different defenses one team could play with 11 players," he says. "I mean, you study a team on tape all week and then they give you stuff you have never seen them use. So the hardest thing has been to learn how to adapt on the fly--not at halftime, but on the next play:
Carr's learning curve is appropriately spiraling upward. The first player chosen in the 2002 draft, he immediately became the foundation of the Texans' expansion franchise. Unlike Steelers rookie Ben Roethlisberger, who starts on a team two seasons removed from the playoffs, Carr had to grow with his squad, endure the same setbacks, the same pain and frustration. "You have some doubts," he says. "But people like Troy Aikman told me to be patient, to be ready when the team was ready to take off. That helped."
Now the Texans finally are ready to grow. And so is Carr.
"I've seen tremendous improvement in his game," says CBS analyst Solomon Wilcots, a former NFL defensive back. "He is now ready to be a star. He is so athletic and throws the ball so well and with such power, and they've gradually surrounded him with talent. To his credit, he survived those early years. And he still plays with a zest and a smile"
You're never sure when, if ever, young quarterbacks will see a slower game and elevate their effectiveness. This season, it has happened for Carr, the Jaguars' Byron Leftwich and the Lions' Joey Harrington, all on teams still seeking elite status.
Leftwich, in his second year, struggled during 13 rookie starts on a poor 5-11 team. This season, before hurting his knee against the Texans on October 31, he had rallied the Jaguars to back-to-back fourth-quarter victories by showing improved maturity while working mostly from the shotgun, where he had played at Marshall. He is not as agile as Carr--even the Texans have been surprised by Carr's out-of-the-pocket success--but he has a big arm and a unique personality. "He's wired like Magic (Johnson). Guys are drawn to him," says Wilcots. "He's a different guy in the fourth quarter. He wants the burden placed on his shoulders."
The growth of Carr and Leftwich can be measured by ball protection. Carr had 28 interceptions in his first two seasons, Leftwich had 16 in one. This season, Carr has nine touchdowns and eight interceptions, Leftwich nine and seven. "As much as you hate to play young guys early, you can see both of these guys profiting from what they went through;' says Texans general manager Charley Cassedy. With both in the same division, it will be easy to compare their progress.
In the 2002 draft, the Lions picked Harrington two choices after Carr. He too was forced to play early; he already has 37 NFL starts on a bad team that gradually is improving. "I'm starting to feel a little bit more comfortable," says Harrington, who had 38 interceptions in his first two seasons but has thrown 13 touchdown passes with just six interceptions this season. "But I'd be lying to you if starting that first year didn't do a little bit to damage my confidence." He still is plagued by erratic decision-making at inopportune times, but ESPN analyst Randy Mueller says that is changing. "He's realizing he doesn't have to do it all on his own," Mueller says, "and that is huge in his growth"
The Bengals hope Carson Palmer shows similar progress. The first player taken in last year's draft, Palmer didn't play as a rookie. This season, he has failed to provide the leadership and consistency the Bengals need. But Wilcots thinks it would be a mistake to bench him.
"Now that the genie is out of the bottle, you don't put him back in," he says. "The light goes on for these guys after 32 starts. The Bengals need to be patient. His arm is a weapon, he can stretch defenses and he's had some real good moments. He's going to be a good NFL quarterback."