Ben Roethlisberger named #18 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018
The next-to-last reveal show for the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018 aired on NFL Network last night. Numbers 11-20 were announced, and as I had predicted, another Steeler was one of those revealed: quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger made this year’s list at number 18, placing him in the top 20 for the first time since the Top 100 started several years ago. He previously ranked 22nd in 2017 and 21st in 2016. As I’ll likely point out once the top ten players are revealed, there aren’t very many quarterbacks, let alone players in the league who are better than Ben.
Yet, I’m okay with Ben’s placement on this year’s list. With Monday’s reveal show, twelve passers have been named as part of the Top 100. Of those, only Seattle’s Russell Wilson (11) is ranked ahead of Ben. Compare that with last year’s Top 100, which had the Raiders Derek Carr and Falcons Matt Ryan among those named ahead of Big Ben.
Both of those quarterbacks were already named, leaving the usual suspects, such as Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady, still unrevealed and likely part of the top ten. Each of those quarterbacks is deserving of their place and having Roethlisberger as part of the top five passers on this list is finally giving the Steelers franchise QB his overdue recognition.
During the 2017 season, Roethlisberger finished fifth in each category of passing yards, attempts, and touchdowns. However, he also finished placed fourth in interceptions with 14, far less than Brady and Brees’ 8. Therefore, even being listed at 18 is a bit generous, but I’ll also add that I’d struggle to find others who should be ranked ahead of him.
Eli Manning, who wasn’t listed at all in this year’s Top 100, only threw for 3,468 yards last season. He had 19 touchdown passes to 13 picks. Compared with Ben’s 28:14 TD-to-INT ratio, there’s no comparison. (And no, I don’t see Manning being named in the top ten next week either!)
On the contrary, Alex Smith hasn’t been named following a year where he had a 26:5 TD:INT ratio with 4,042 passing yards. If he were named in the top ten on this year’s list, it would be an incredible jump for the now Washington Redskin: he came in 81st in each of the last two rankings.
Others ranked behind Roethlisberger include the Panthers Cam Newton (25), Lions Matthew Stafford (31), and Chargers Philip Rivers (56). Of those three, Rivers has the strongest claim to be listed much higher, throwing for an equal number of touchdowns (28) while only turning the ball over ten times. The only quarterback to throw for more yards than Rivers last season is Tom Brady, who edged the Chargers signal caller by a slim 62 yards.
Yet, stats don’t appear to indicate proper placement on these rankings. Aaron Rodgers will get named despite missing nine games last year.
Texans DE (and former three-time Defensive Player of the Year) J.J. Watt has only played in eight of a possible 32 regular season games over the last two seasons yet came in near the tail end of the list ranked at number 84.
Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, who announced he won’t play at all in 2018, is also ranked as part of the Top 100 players.
Those anomalies indicate that part of the list is determined by a player’s legacy, rather than their previous year’s stats. Yet, NFL Network has also stated during the program that the list is based on what a player will do this upcoming season.
Shazier won’t do anything, because he’s on injured reserve. But he’s on the list!
In addition, rookies aren’t included as part of the conversation. You have to think that one of the five quarterbacks selected in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft will play… and have an impact. Whoever determines the final placement of a player on the rankings has an affection for quarterbacks too. There’s a dozen of them revealed already, with potentially as many as four to be named as part of the top ten.
Conservatively, that’s 15 total passers out of 100: and you mean to tell me a rookie quarterback won’t be better than roughly half of all of the ones named in this year’s list?
That’s what makes these types of debates subjective and oftentimes silly. Yet, we still enjoy the discussion because it gives us something to look forward too as the slow football months wind down toward the start of the season. In that regard I’m more than pleased with Ben Roethlisberger finally getting the respect I feel he deserves. He’s without a doubt an elite passer who should always be part of any “top player” conversation, be it at his position, talking about the Steelers, or the NFL.
