The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the best and most successful franchises in the NFL throughout the first two decades of the 21st century. The team won two Super Bowls during that time, and appeared in three. Most of their success is due to their legendary quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, along with some of the best defenses in NFL history. Few teams could say they had a better run than the Steelers during that time, one of which being the New England Patriots who were led by Head Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
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Ben Roethlisberger (left) and Tom Brady (right) speak after a game in New England.
Steelers Legend Was A Nightmare To Game Plan For Because Of His Physicality
The Steelers and Patriots were consistently two of the best teams in the AFC during the 2000s and 2010s. Due to the dominance of both organizations, they were often scheduled to play each other every season and had their fair share of matchups in the playoffs. Aside from both teams having future Hall of Famers at the quarterback position, they were both also coached by two of the best head coaches in the league, Mike Tomlin and Belichick. On a recent episode of his podcast, Games With Names, Julian Edelman discussed how Belichick would game plan for Roethlisberger.
"We’d have like a 45-play cut up. Bill would show the whole team a cut up anytime we were playing the Steelers about how Big Ben was so hard to bring down. It’d be like NFL Films, he’d play it through and it’d be Ben shrugging off a huge defensive lineman. He’d pause it and go, ‘Just when you think you got him, you don’t.’ Guy was pretty good, love, love Big Ben."
Roethlisberger got the nickname "Big Ben" for a reason. He stood at 6'5" and weighed 240 pounds during his playing days. He would often use his size to shake off defenders. He used his patented pump fake to extend plays behind the line of scrimmage, which would often end in him hitting a receiver or tight end for a first down or better.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger exhibited dominance against most of the NFL, but the Patriots were one of those teams that had his number. He finished his career with a record of 4-7 against New England in the regular season. Roethlisberger threw for 3,073 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Despite the unfavorable record against New England, Roethlisberger still performed at a high level every time he faced off against Brady.
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Former Steelers CB Joe Haden picks off Tom Brady in the team's win over the Patriots in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Steelers' last win over the Patriots came during the 2018 season when Pittsburgh won by a score of 17-10. Brady through a critical late-game interception to Joe Haden. New England would go on to win the Super Bowl that same season, and Edelman has gone on record to say that the loss to the Steelers helped the Patriots win the Super Bowl by making them hit the panic button early on.
Roethlisberger has also squared off against Brady and the Patriots on two occasions in the postseason. Both times Roethlisberger met the Patriots in the playoffs, it happened to be the AFC Championship Game. The first time was in Roethlisberger's rookie year and the Steelers lost 41-27, but Roethlisberger would win his first Super Bowl the next year. Roethlisberger again lost the AFC Championship to Brady and New England during the 2016 season when the Steelers got destroyed by a score of 36-17.
Roethlisberger struggled with turnovers in his playoff battles with Brady. He threw three interceptions in the 2004 AFCCG and one in 2016, while Brady through zero in both games. In both instances where Brady beat Roethlisberger in the AFCCG, the Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl that year. Had Roethlisberger been able to perform better in the postseason against Brady, he may have more than just two Super Bowl rings.
What do you think about Edelman's story about Belichick game planning for Roethlisberger? Let us know in the comments below!
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