for Steelers fans to ponder." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteBehind the Steel Curtaina Pittsburgh Steelers communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsSteelersOddsShopAboutMastheadCommu nity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Latest NewsSteelers Film Room2018 NFL Draft AnalysisLatest NewsFiled under:Latest NewsBig Ben or Bradshaw? Who is the Steelers¡¯ ultimate franchise quarterback?New Mark Barron Jersey ,139commentsAnswering one of the most difficult questions for Steelers fans to ponder.EDTShareTweetShareShareBig Ben or Bradshaw? Who is the Steelers¡¯ ultimate franchise quarterback?Photo by Harry How/Getty ImagesTo most, the question of who is the best franchise quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger or Terry Bradshaw, is like asking a Pittsburgh Steelers fan to pick their favorite child. There are those in the Roethlisberger camp who point to his gaudy statistics, and then there are those who reside in the Bradshaw camp who point to four Super Bowl wins in four tries. Steelers fans should realize how lucky they are to root for a franchise which has had two quarterbacks with the success of Bradshaw and Roethlisberger. Nonetheless, NFL.com took a stab at not just debating this topic, but actually picking a winner. Check out what author Ali Bhanpuri had to say about who was eligible for the label as THE franchise quarterback:So, who was the winner? And what was the reasoning behind this decision? Check out why, and how, the Blonde Bomber edged out Big Ben for the title of THE franchise quarterback.Picking between these two tremendous quarterbacks isn¡¯t easy, and while I want everyone to vote in the poll below to let us know who you like in this debate, realize many of the Steelers fans who read/comment on the articles at this establishment were not old enough to remember watching Bradshaw, or are too young to know the full extent of No. 12¡¯s career in Pittsburgh.Neither quarterback was perfect Bud Dupree Jersey , and both have accomplished a ton in their time with the Steelers. While Roethlisberger still has time left on his career, taking what we know right now, who would you pick in this debate? Vote in the poll below, and be sure to let us know in the comment section why you voted the way you did! An attempt at classifying the 2018 season of Ben Roethlisberger."On a recent installment of the Steelers Preview podcast, I made a comment regarding 2019 being a bounce back season for one Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger. My ideas were opposed, albeit not in an insulting or a confrontational manner, by my co-hosts on the podcast. The exact reason that they were called into question were his stats. The 15-year vet, and all-but-certain Hall of Famer, had a statistically fine year that included 34 touchdowns and 5,127 yards through the air. Those were both bests of a brilliant career. Plus, Ben is one of a mere seven passers to eclipse 5K (done 11 times in history though). His completion percentage of 67.0 was third best for him. So, I can definitely see the counterpoint levied against me. But when you factor in a league-high of 16 interceptions, my point has validity. Sure Javon Hargrave Jersey , Patrick Mahomes and Andrew Luck had one less at 15, but the futility of being the top name on a bad stat is daunting and disconcerting.I also contend that a disappointing nine wins, and the missing of the playoffs is also a reason to sound the alarm and Ben was at the helm for that. Again, it could be said that Chris Boswell¡¯s myriad of misses and costly fumbles by Stevan Ridley (New Orleans), James Conner (Cleveland and Denver), JuJu Smith-Schuster (New Orleans) and Xavier Grimble (Denver) affected many a win, and transformed them into losses. But 2017 was a 13-3 campaign which hinged on mishaps that went the Steelers¡¯ way. So...it¡¯s hard to tell.As the general population of Steeler Nation, we may just have to rely on our own personal ¡°eye tests¡± or Ben bias. The one thing that I recognize is the end result was less than optimal for all concerned and involved. While I contend Ben could have been better, I would not say his window is closed. The gigantic contract has raised some concerns about the amount of money paid to a quarterback in his career¡¯s twilight, but would you rather see Joshua Dobbs and his rookie minimum run the show? Despite the season we¡¯d all like to forget for various reasons, I have a surge of optimism running through my black-and-good veins for various reasons. No. 7 has a history of rallying when his ability has been questioned. After the Week 5 debacle against Jacksonville in 2017, where he threw five balls (including two pick-sixes) into the greedy, waiting mitts of Jaguar players Sean Davis Jersey , ¡°the old cowboy¡± lamented that maybe he doesn¡¯t have it anymore. He then reeled off eight-straight wins for that 13-3 mark. A very telling stat surrounds Ben and the artist currently self promoting himself as ¡°Mr. Big Chest¡±, our estranged friend Antonio Brown. Ten of Ben¡¯s 16 interceptions were passes intended for No. 84. That equates to a percentage of 62.5%. While I disagree with Ben¡¯s criticism of Brown over the alleged ¡°flat route¡± against Denver (I thought it was a bad choice in the direction of a defensive lineman), Antonio seemed to have been making a strategy of freelancing on the agreed upon routes he was to run. I feel that Ben forced a majority of his throws to appease his All-Pro teammate in the name of team harmony and because of his once-certain rapport with Brown. That strategy could be deemed as poor decision making as well. Nevertheless, that option has ceased to be one for the upcoming Steelers campaign.When Brown left in a blaze of controversy, he threw Ben under the bus and accelerated over his QB leaving long lasting skid marks. Le¡¯Veon Bell did as well, but he was more in need of a scapegoat after not getting the contract he desired after he threw so much away. With those guys gone, Ben is left with a supporting cast that has been going out of their way to praise his leadership and celebrate the opportunity to play with him. So, my excitement lies in the prospect of a stable of hungry teammates excited to play with an accomplished winner. It also lies in the optimism that Ben seems poised to celebrate and guide the young receivers he is throwing to. Add in a suspected attempt to elevate a rushing attack along with a dedication to resuscitate a choking defense and employing the capable personnel to accomplish both goals, a scenario for success could become far likelier.Finally, Ben seems to thrive with his back firmly pressed up against the wall. With all of these factors in play, he would not necessarily need to eclipse the stats of last season...except for the win total. While there¡¯s still a debate on just how bad last season was, the writing is on the wall for 2019 to be really good. It just all depends on the author and his awareness and dedication to rewrite the script.