BEN ROETHLISBERGER
Quarterback
For most of his Steelers career, he has been the difference, and during a 2019 regular season in which he missed all but six quarters because of an elbow injury it became clear exactly how much if a difference Ben Roethlisberger is.
In the days leading up to the game, Roethlisberger admitted he expected to feel jitters in advance of Monday night's game against the Giants, and since it had been 364 days since he took a competitive snap in a real NFL game it also was understandable that he would be rusty as well. But it all came together for him and for the Steelers on the final possession of the first half, which was an eight-play, 78-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown pass to James Washington that gave the team its first lead of the night, and it ended up being the lead they never would relinquish in a 26-16 victory.
After completing 21-of-32 (65.6 percent) for 229 yards, with three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a rating of 117.8, Roethlisberger is the Steelers Digest Player of the Week.
Also considered were Benny Snell, who rushed for 113 yards on 19 carries (5.9 average) in relief of the injured James Conner; JuJu Smith-Schuster, who caught six passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to diving into a pile and coming out of it with Snell's fumble that kept alive a drive that ended with a Chris Boswell field goal early in the fourth quarter that extended the lead to 19-10; Vince Williams, who had five tackles, including three for loss, plus a sack; and Bud Dupree, who had four tackles, including two for loss, and hit the hand of Daniel Jones on an attempted pass to cause a flutterball that Cam Heyward intercepted at the goal line to save a touchdown.
