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January 23, 2006
Steelers’ Big Ben leads way to Detroit
By J. BRADY McCOLLOUGH
The Kansas City Star
DENVER — Sunday morning, Ben Roethlisberger went for a walk. He left the
team hotel and settled by a lake nearby. Needed to clear his head.
Roethlisberger stared out at the water in front of him and the breathtaking Colorado
horizon. At only 23 years old, he was hours from playing next door to the old
Mile High Stadium, where his idol growing up, John Elway, became a playoff legend.
Roethlisberger has worn No. 7 his entire life because of Elway, who never lost
an AFC championship game at Mile High. Roethlisberger had already lost once in
the big game, at home last season to the New England Patriots.
Yes, it stung. Everything had come so easy for him last year, as he showed that
he — not Eli Manning or Philip Rivers — was the most NFL-ready quarterback
taken in the 2004 draft. Still, there was more to prove.
On Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High, Roethlisberger became the envy of the
quarterbacking world. Peyton Manning and Michael Vick, eat your hearts out. Two
years out of school at Miami of Ohio, Roethlisberger led the Steelers, once a
7-5 team that looked directionless, to a 34-17 romp of the favored Broncos.
The Steelers became the first No. 6 seed to make the Super Bowl, winning their
last seven games and three straight road playoff games. They had something to
say to the awaiting media outside their locker room.
“Come on in non-believers!” Steelers linebacker Larry Foote said.
“One more road game!” another quipped from inside.
It won’t be a road game for Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who in
his 13th year will try winning his first Super Bowl in his hometown of Detroit.
It was fitting that Bettis dumped water on Steelers coach Bill Cowher, who stuck
by him when most people thought the Bus had become a broken down semi.
But more than the Bus possibly finishing his career at home
or Cowher getting another chance to win the big one, this game
was about Big Ben.
When Super Bowl XL commences in two weeks against the Seattle
Seahawks, Roethlisberger will be the second-youngest quarterback
to play in a Super Bowl behind Dan Marino.
“Two years in a row, he’s been in the championship
game, and this year he’s going to the Super Bowl,” Steelers
linebacker Larry Foote said. “The kid is just a warrior.
He’s a champion. I’m not trying to compare him to
Magic Johnson, but some people just win. He’s just got
it.”
Roethlisberger turned the idea that there was a “Battle
of the Beards” between him and Broncos quarterback Jake
Plummer into an absolute mockery, even though Plummer did actually
have a better beard in the end.
But that’s all the nine-year veteran had on Big Ben.
With each team’s running game stifled for most of the
game, the game was in the hands of Roethlisberger and Plummer.
Roethlisberger completed 21 of 29 passes for 275 yards and
two touchdowns. Most importantly, where Plummer threw two interceptions
and fumbled twice, Roethlisberger did not turn the ball over.
“A lot of people said that if we have to throw the ball,
we can’t win the game,” Roethlisberger said. “Myself,
the line, the receivers, we kind of took offense to that.”
The Steelers scored on their four drives of the first half
and took a 24-3 halftime lead. Their first touchdown came on
the first play of the second quarter.
Roethlisberger pumped to wide receiver Hines Ward, running
a slant on the inside. Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey bit
on the fake, leaving Cedric Wilson wide open in the corner
of the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. The Steelers led 10-0.
The Steelers took a 17-3 lead with a 3-yard Bettis run that
capped a drive in which Roethlisberger converted three third-and-long
plays through the air. The Broncos had 2 minutes to drive the
field and cut the lead, but Plummer threw an interception to
Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor on the drive’s first play.
Roethlisberger, as he did all day, made Plummer look even
worse on the ensuing drive. On second-and-13 from the 17, Roethlisberger
danced around in the pocket and moved to his left. He threw
across his body to the back of the end zone in the direction
of two Broncos jerseys. But the ball landed instead in Ward’s
hands with 15 seconds left in the half, giving the Steelers
an insurmountable three-touchdown lead.
An hour after the game, Roethlisberger stood in front of reporters
wearing an AFC champions T-shirt. He said that he had been
driven by many things this season, including the death of his
grandfather and the return of Bettis, the team’s grandpa.
Roethlisberger said he felt older.
Then, he was asked about his celebration after the miracle
touchdown pass to Ward. At that moment, Roethlisberger ran
down the Steelers sideline, stopped, crouched and started shooting
guns in the air.
“I was fired up,” Roethlisberger said. “I couldn’t
breathe afterwards. I forgot I was at Mile High; I lost all
my oxygen.”
The reporters laughed at football’s new Golden Boy. What
was that celebration dance, someone asked.
“I have no idea,” Roethlisberger said with a grin.
He suddenly looked young again. So much is ahead of him, but
for the moment, it’s good to be 23.
To reach J. Brady McCollough, sports reporter for The Star, call (816) 234-7747
or send e-mail to jmccollough@kcstar.com
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