Big Ben's not the team MVP? It's a joke!
PITTSBURGH — I’m a huge fan of James Harrison. I love his style of playing linebacker for the Steelers. I love his tenacity. He’s clearly the team’s best defensive player.
But upon hearing the news late Wednesday afternoon that Harrison was named the Steelers’ Most Valuable Player, I was stunned.
Quite frankly, it’s a joke.
How can any Steeler, in good conscience, vote for anyone other than Ben Roethlisberger for team MVP honors?
There’s no denying Harrison is having a terrific season in his first year as a starter. He leads the team with 8.5 sacks and six forced fumbles.
But Harrison’s sack total won’t come close to breaking the Steelers’ single season record of 15 (Mike Merriweather, 1987).
He’s tied for 20th in the NFL in sacks.
Meanwhile, Roethlisberger is putting together the greatest season of any quarterback in the Steelers’ 75-year history.
With 32 touchdown passes, he’s shattered the franchise’s single-season record (Terry Bradshaw threw 28 in 1978).
Roethlisberger ranks second in the league with a 104.1 passer rating. Only New England’s Tom Brady has a higher score at 117.2.
Twice this year — Nov. 5 in a win over Baltimore and last Thursday in a win over St. Louis — Roethlisberger posted perfect passer ratings of 158.3. Never before has any NFL quarterback done that in regularly-season play.
Roethlisberger’s 32 TDs rank third behind Brady (48) and Dallas’ Tony Romo (36). But Brady has 132 more attempts than Roethlisberger, and Romo has 100 more.
And don’t forget Roethlisberger has also run for two TDs, including a dramatic 30-yard scramble in the fourth quarter of a Nov. 11 win over Cleveland.
So how in the world can the team MVP vote not go to No. 7?
Two theories:
1. Defensive bias.
Maybe the majority of the Steelers’ 26 defensive players wanted someone on their side of the ball to win the award. After all, the Steelers still rank first in the league total defense.
2. Jealously or a general dislike for Roethlisberger.
Maybe there are guys on the team who resent all the success and notoriety Roethlisberger gets. Maybe there are some Steelers who look at Roethlisberger as a prima donna. Maybe there are some Steelers who just don’t get along with him for any number of reasons.
There is a perception that while Roethlisberger is undoubtedly the face of the franchise, he’s not exactly one of the most popular players in the locker room.
For whatever reason, the man who most deserved the Steelers’ MVP honor didn't get it.
Roethlisberger was snubbed.