Ben Roethlisberger And Tom Brady Have Shown What A Difference A Quarterback Can Make In The NFL
Start writing a post
Sports

Ben Roethlisberger And Tom Brady Have Shown What A Difference A Quarterback Can Make In The NFL

A year after missing the postseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Super Bowl contenders with new signal callers at the helm.

25
Ben Roethlisberger And Tom Brady Have Shown What A Difference A Quarterback Can Make In The NFL
Personal Edit

The Bucs' and Steelers are quite similar. Last season, the Buccaneers' defense finished 5th in defensive value above average while the Steelers finished 5th in total defense. Despite great defenses, both teams missed the playoffs.

The reasons? The Steelers offense ranked 13th (out of 32) in total offense while Tampa paced the NFL with 41 turnovers. The quarterbacks for Pittsburgh and Tampa? Mason Rudolph and Jameis Winston respectively.

Pittsburgh Steelers with Mason Rudolph, 2019

Obviously, Ben Roethlisberger has spent the entirety of his, now, 17 year career in Pittsburgh. However, the two-time Super Bowl champion went down with a season-ending elbow in Week 2, forcing Rudolph into the lineup.

The team would go on to start 0-3 and finish the season 8-8, a credit to the coaching brilliance of Mike Tomlin due not just to the mediocre quarterbacking from Rudolph (1,765 passing yards, 13 TD, 9 INT) but also the disastrous play of Devlin "Duck" Hodges (1,063 yards, 5 TD, 8 INT).

While the addition of Pro Bowl defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick and ascension of second-year linebacker T.J. Watt provided excitement, the offense just couldn't score enough points as the Steelers lost five games by one possession.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Jameis Winston, 2019

Meanwhile in Florida, the Buccaneers finished 2019 with a young, exciting defense, two Pro Bowlers at wide receiver, and the league's leading passer. However, while Jameis Winston was leading the league in passing yards (5,109 yards), and was second in touchdown passes (32), he was etching himself in the record books for his poor decisions.

Winston's 30 interceptions thrown were the 6th most in a season all-time, seven additional potential picks were dropped, and he lost another fumble. His poor decisions more than negated a defensive performance in which the unit was the best against the run and 8th in getting after the quarterback (2.9 sacks per game). Despite forcing 28 turnovers, Tampa finished the season with a -13 turnover margin and finished 7-9.

Fast-forward to 2020, and the scripts for both teams have flipped.

Pittsburgh Steelers with Ben Roethlisberger, 2020

Ben Roethlisberger has returned and has thrown for 1,446 yards and 13 scores through Week 6, leading the league's 6th-highest scoring offense.

At 6-0, the Steelers not only sit atop the AFC North but are the lone unbeaten team remaining in the NFL as they head into a divisional showdown with the Baltimore Ravens.

Roethlisberger's return has allowed the offense to compliment a defense led by Watt, Fitzpatrick, and veteran corner Joe Haden that paces the league in total defense, is second-best against the run, and 7th in points allowed. Watt's 5.5 sacks are the second-most in the AFC (fourth overall). Moreover, Pittsburgh has emerged as the biggest threat to the Kansas City Chiefs' AFC reign.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Tom Brady, 2020

Down south, the Buccaneers have stormed to the top of the NFC South after an opening day loss to the New Orleans Saints, having gone 5-1 since.

Tom Brady has been nearly impeccable, amassing 1910 passing yards (6th in the NFL), and posting a league-best 15:1 TD-INT ratio since Week 3. His 18 touchdown passes trails only Russell Wilson and his 102.7 rating is 10th.

As for the Buccaneers as a whole, the team is 3rd in the league in scoring, 3rd in total defense, 1st in rushing defense, and 6th in scoring defense. Perhaps the biggest difference between the Brady and Winston-led forms of Tampa Bay is the turnover differential.

A season after losing that battle, the Bucs are +5 in that department, registering nine interceptions (three by corner Carlton Davis) and three additional fumble recoveries. Even better, the Buccaneers now sit only a half-game out of first place in the NFC.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

55726
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

35923
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

957921
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

186721
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments