Roethlisberger sizzles with meaty performance

Ben Roethlisberger's first NFL pass fell incomplete, and his next one was intercepted. Now look at him. He's playing more like a veteran of five years than a rookie who has played five games.

His 100.1 passer rating ranks fourth in the league. He has completed 78 of 113 passes for 937 yards and seven touchdowns, with four interceptions. He has helped lead the Steelers to four consecutive victories and first place in the AFC North. He has become such a hit in Pittsburgh, a restaurant now features a 1/3-pound hamburger called the "Roethlis-burger."

Roethlisberger--the player, not the sandwich--is 6-4, 241 pounds. He stands tall in the pocket and exhibits poise. His down field vision is unusually keen for a rookie quarterback. He is mobile--he can slide away from pass rushers, scramble outside to give his receivers time to get open or take off running if the play breaks down.

Because Roethlisberger didn't face top-tier competition at Miami (Ohio), his NFL readiness was questioned by many scouts last spring. The skepticism manifested itself in the draft when Mississippi's Eli Manning was selected first overall, N.C. State's Philip Rivers went fourth and Roethlisberger fell to No. 11. But while Manning (Giants) has played in only one game and Rivers (Chargers) has not played at all, Roethlisberger has changed some opinions since replacing injured Tommy Maddox in the second half of the Steelers' Week 2 game against Baltimore.

"He has the look of a quarterback who is really built for the long haul," says an NFC pro personnel director.

Roethlisberger's first "wow" moment came during a Miami monsoon in the fourth quarter of his first start. The called play was a pass over the middle to Plaxico Burress, but Dolphins middle linebacker Zach Thomas read it and got underneath Burress. So Roethlisberger moved outside of the pocket and hit Hines Ward in the corner of the end zone for a 7-yard scoring pass that secured a 13-3 win.

He has improved each week and had his best game in Dallas in Week 6, when he completed 21 of 25 passes for 193 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 24-20 victory. Roethlisberger opened the game by completing his first seven passes and closed it by hitting his last 11. "I honestly did not see any flaws against us," says a member of the Cowboys' staff. "He really was perfect."

CBS analyst Phil Simms says Roethlisberger made a couple of excellent reads, including one when Dallas brought both of its safeties up near the line and doubled the slot receivers. That left Burress with one-on-one coverage and plenty of open field. Roethlisberger saw it and hit Burress for 32 yards.

"When I watched him in college, I wasn't sure he was going to be a top-flight thrower," says Simms. "But I've noticed he's throwing the ball better every week."

One reason Roethlisberger is flourishing in the Steelers' offense is that he doesn't have to be the linch-pin. He can be a cog. Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis power the running game; Ward, Burress and Antwaan Randle El comprise one of the best receiving trios in the league; and the line is physical.

Steelers coordinator Ken Whisenhunt estimates the offense has been scaled back 20 to 25 percent to accommodate Roethlisberger. Some play-action and dropback passes, as well as some run checks, have been cut out. But don't think Roethlisberger can't think on his feet. He has been a master of improv on several plays. When a flea-flicker went awry during the Dallas game and two defenders dosed in on him, Roethlisberger scrambled to his right and made a shovel pass to tight end Jay Riemersma for a 14-yard gain.

"The thing that surprises me as a rookie in general is, No. 1, his composure under pressure," says Whisenhunt. "He also has good field vision, especially when he's on the move. And the third thing is he's smart with the ball. He doesn't make bad decisions."

Roethlisberger also has shown proficiency in the red zone. Going into their open week last Sunday, the Steelers led the NFL in red zone efficiency, with 14 touchdowns and one field goal in 17 series. Roethlisberger quarterbacked 13 of those series, 11 of which resulted in touchdowns. He has thrown for six touchdowns in the red zone and rushed for one--a play in which he ran to his left, juked a Cleveland linebacker and dived into the end zone.

But let's not cast Big Ben's bronze bust for Canton just yet. There's much work to be done. He's still learning to read coverages, and he needs to improve his timing passes. His ballhandling and mechanics need polishing. One AFC pro scout noted Roethlisberger's "elongated" release: "He kind of winds up to throw the ball."

And now Roethlisberger has a reputation. Teams know what he can and can't do.

"I think teams are going to start blitzing him a little more and mixing up their coverages a little more," says the AFC scout.

We'll find out more in the next two weeks. Looming dead ahead are back-to-back games against New England and Philadelphia. That means a maze of confusing looks from Patriots coach Bill Belichick and a heavy dose of blitzes from Eagles coordinator Jim Johnson.