BEN ROETHLISBERGER
Quarterback
In this particular instance, it's difficult to choose what was more impressive: what he did, or the opponent he did it against. For the purposes of this narrative, we'll begin with the opponent he did it against.
The Baltimore Ravens defense came into this game at Heinz Field ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in 10 different categories, including No. 3 in points allowed, No. 7 in total yards allowed per game, No. 1 in takeaways, and No. 1 in interceptions. What Ben Roethlisberger did against this defense was complete 44-of-66 (67 percent) for 506 yards, with two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a rating of 99.7. And it's worth noting that the 66 attempts and the 44 completions were career highs.
With him operating as the triggerman of the offense, the Steelers converted 12-of-18 on third downs (67 percent) and 3-of-4 in the red zone (75 percent). With him handling the ball on every one of the Steelers' 62 offensive players, the team had no turnovers. And most important, the offense accounted for 39 points and needed every one of those in what ended up being a 39-38 victory over the Baltimore Ravens that clinched the AFC North Division championship.
Roethlisberger is the Steelers Digest Player of the Week.
Also considered were Antonio Brown, who caught 11 of Roethlisberger's passes for 213 yards; Chris Boswell, who was 4-of-4 on field goal attempts, with his makes coming from 52, 43, 24, and 46 yards; Jesse James, who caught 10 passes for 97 yards; Le'Veon Bell, who finished with 125 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns, which broke down into 48 yards rushing (3.7 average) and two touchdowns, plus nine catches for 77 yards and another touchdown; and T.J. Watt, who had four tackles and the strip-sack of Joe Flacco that allowed the clock to run out to ice the outcome.
