NFL QB Rankings: Top 10 signal-callers of 2014
By Will Osgood
4. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
It seems the NFL is the primary reason we have the regression to the mean theory. It is quite maddening for a fantasy football player to see a benched player tear it up one week, only to have that owner start him the next, and the player does nothing.
Roethlisberger nudged off the normal trend in Weeks 8 and 9 when he threw for six touchdowns in each game with zero interceptions. In fact, if you back it up to Week 7 in a Monday Night win against Houston, “Big Ben” completed 88 of 119 passes (74.0 percent) for 1,127 yards (375.7 yards per game) and 14 touchdowns while making zero mistakes over that impressive three-game span.
For the season, Roethlisberger tied Brees for most passing yards (think about the unlikeliness they’d both end with the same exact number of yards) while completing a career high 67.1 percent of his passes and matching a career mark with 32 touchdown passes.
His standard QB Rating and his QBR were about even with his incredible 2007 season when he led the Steelers to his second Super Bowl title.
He also decreased his sack numbers significantly from 2013, which allowed him to set career highs in net yards per attempt and adjusted net yards per attempt. Roethlisberger was obviously aided by Antonio Brown taking the next step in his development, and probably the second best performance in the league by a three-down back in Le’Veon Bell.
No matter, as Roethlisberger had by far his best individual season as a professional in 2014.
Next: These final 3 were all legitimate MVP candidates