Cleveland Browns: 10 Pittsburgh Steelers we love to hate

1. Ben Roethlisberger, still dangerous, still hated by the Cleveland Browns

This writer has insulted Ben Roethlisberger repeatedly, saying that his passes make audible quacking noises and that he looks like a wounded hippopotamus when trying to evade sacks. Lest anyone question my journalistic credibility, however, these are completely true statements and I stand by them. However, one thing I have never said is that Roethlisberger is washed up because it’s not true.

Roethlisberger is clearly deserving of the Hall of Fame when his playing days are through. Roethlisberger is an Ohio kid, alumni of Miami of Ohio, where yours truly did his undergraduate studies. Were Roethlisberger not the leader of the Evil Empire, it might be possible to even like the guy.

It’s Halloween, and Big Ben, like Freddie Krueger, is still upright and still dangerous. Do not celebrate his death prematurely. Big Ben is still worthy of respect as an opponent, one of the greatest opponents that the Browns have ever faced. Hopefully, no one will be overconfident on Sunday. The Steelers have a tough defense and if the offense plays ball control they have every possibility of hanging tough with the Browns.

15 years ago, Roethlisberger had an arm like Baker Mayfield has now, capable of the 70-yard bomb. Now, however, it’s a little different. Roethlisberger has probably lost several yards from his maximum range and several mph off his fastball.

So what? He only needs that on the Hail Mary play, and even then the wide receiver can still run the ball for a few yards to help out if a miracle is needed. Maximum velocity and range are important but probably overrated. 90 percent of the time, even Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers are making the “game manager” type throws that fans seem to be offended by. Ben Roethlisberger still makes plays, and that makes him a threat to lead his team to the playoffs again.

But he is the quarterback of the Evil Empire. Flashback to 2004. How painful it is to remember that Butch Davis traded away a number one pick and a number two pick in order to move up one spot in the draft to take Kellen Winslow, a very good but troubled tight end who is currently in prison. Roethlisberger was left on the board for Pittsburgh to take.

The Browns could have had Ben Roethlisberger and a second-round draft pick, but they had to have a tight end. But the rap against Roethlisberger was that Miami of Ohio was a small school. There was some question about transitioning to the NFL.

Well, as a rookie he went 13-0, though the Steelers stalled out in the AFC title game before winning it all the next season. Maybe the leap to the NFL was not that big after all. He has been to the Pro Bowl six times, though the All-Pro team has been off-limits with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers in the same age group. However, he has two Super Bowl rings compared to only one for Rodgers.

Roethlisberger has had some terrible problems off the field. It’s not up to your humble correspondent to judge or forgive the past. However, he seems to be doing better today, with a wife and kids and a church to keep him out of trouble.

Lifetime, he is 24-2-1 against the Browns. Baker Mayfield and Brian Hoyer are the only Browns quarterbacks to beat him in this century, despite the urban legend that Mayfield cannot beat Pittsburgh, as if other Browns quarterbacks were beating Roethlisberger all the time.

No, Roethlisber lost to Hoyer in 2014, but that was the only loss until Mayfield beat him last year.  So stop with the narrative that it’s so easy to beat Roethlisberger and the Steelers because it is not true.

So is Roethlisberger slowing down? Oh, sure. But he’s 24-2-1. He needs to slow down quite a lot if the Browns are to catch up to him and actually claim to have an advantage.