It has always been undeniable fact, no question in my mind, that the Steelers won the Super Bowl last year despite the play of Ben Roethlisberger.  His horrendous play through 5 weeks of the season this year only cements this notion in my mind.
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Considering the fact that Big Ben has gone where Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb, Carson Palmer, Michael Vick, and many other of his contemporaries have not gone (namely, the Super Bowl champions podium), these words would ordinarily seem blasphemous.  However, stop for a second and throw out Roethlisberger's unprecedented rookie success and magazine covers, and you have a lackluster game-manager who has been more the product of coincidence than cunning.
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Don't get me wrong- there aren't many quarterbacks in the history of the game who could've been as mistake free as Big Ben was in his rookie year.  But the reason he received more accolades than any other QB from his class at that early stage is because his team won.  Was this the product of his play-making abilities?  Nay, he was in an excellent situation- on a veteran team with an excellent running game and a defense that allowed the fewest points in the league.
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Last year, the defense was stellar once again, Carson Palmer was hurt in a freak injury, and the Steelers (all respect due) won the Super Bowl.  Remember the actual Super Bowl game?  The Steelers won because of a 74yd TD run by Willie Parker and a flea-flicker thrown for a TD by Antwaan Randle-El.  Roethlisberger was 9 of 21 for a putrid 123 yards and 2 interceptions.
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We have seen more of the same from Big Ben in '06.  Roethlisberger insists that his off-season problems (the motorcycle crash and the emergency appendectomy) have nothing to do with his on-field performance.  The fact that he's played since week 2 for Pittsburgh- and poorly at that- makes him subject to my criticism.  Don't come with any of that garbage that he's coming off horrendous injuries.  If he weren't ready to play, than he shouldn't have come back.  Didn't the team win their lone game with Charlie Batch at the helm anyway?  Perhaps they would have more success for the time-being with Batch than Ben.
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Roethlisberger has thrown 7 interceptions in 3 games without throwing a touchdown.  Seems like an extension of the Super Bowl last year.  Now the Steelers have to rely on his play-making abilities more than ever, and Roethlisberger has not responded to their calls.  The Steelers need Big Ben to step up this weekend in order to avoid a serious tale spin.  My question to dissenters, when was the last time you really saw Ben Roethlisberger make a big-time play?