NFL Network analyst David Carr released his Top 10 of 2018. Carr, you might recall had a 10-year NFL career where he was sacked 267 times and won 23 games as a starter. Having said that, Carr chose to leave Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger off the list. Knowing he would take some heat for his take, Carr already had a paragraph prepared to justify leaving a future Hall of Fame quarterback off the list. Yes, he’s a future Hall of Famer and there’s no doubt he can still help the Steelers. But, he has the most talented skill players in the league on his unit, and that pair — Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell — makes him look great 14 seasons in. I don’t think Big Ben could win a ton of games without them at this stage in his career. That’s a really convenient way to leave Roethlisberger out. You have no way of knowing if Roethlisberger could win without Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell but it seems shortsighted to assume anything like that. Nevertheless, I put it to Steeler Nation. Should Roethlisberger have made the list?<doc-sep>Ben Roethlisberger, over the second half of his career, has silenced any doubters that said that defense carried him to his early success. Conversely, Big Ben has arguably been better in his '30s, earning four of his six Pro Bowl selections over the previous four seasons. This past season, Roethlisberger threw for 4,252 yards in 28 touchdowns in 15 games while becoming the first quarterback in league history to compile three 500-yard passing performances. For his efforts, Big Ben was tabbed as the 18th best player in the league in the NFL Network's Top 100 list. Despite his recent success, Roethlisberger apparently still has his doubters. Recently, NFL Network's David Carr, a former No.1 pick and journeyman NFL quarterback, recently said that Big Ben is no longer a top 10 quarterback. "Why is Ben Roethlisberger off my list? Yes, he's a future Hall of Famer, and there's no doubt he can still help the Steelers," Carr said, via Tim Benz of TribLive.com "But, he has the most talented skill players in the league on his unit, and that pair ­— Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell — makes him look great 14 seasons in. I don't think Big Ben could win a ton of games without them at this stage in his career." While the presence of Bell and Brown have certainly aided him, it could just as easily be said that Roethlisberger has helped enhance both Bell and Brown's careers. Last season, Roethlisberger led Pittsburgh on several game-winning drives that was powered not only by his right arm, but also by Big Ben's uncanny ability to read defenses while getting the ball to the right receivers with the outcome of the game in the balance. But don't take my word for it. Here's what the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense -- the top ranked unit in the NFL last season -- said of Roethlisberger following his five touchdown performance in Pittsburgh's 45-42 playoff loss to Jacksonville. Said cornerback A.J. Bouye: "He has so many weapons and just utilizes them all. You just to play tight coverage and hope that he has an off day." Said defensive lineman Calais Campbell: "He’s shifty, too. He’s got a little wiggle to him." Following his five interception performance against the Jaguars in Week 5, Roethlisberger threw 22 touchdowns against just seven interceptions for the remainder of the regular season while leading the Steelers to a 13-3 regular season record. It was Pittsburgh's best regular season record since the Roethlisberger's rookie season back in 2004. In all, Roethlisberger threw at least two touchdown passes in ten different games during the 2017 season. He threw at least two touchdown passes in each of his final seven starts during the regular season that included consecutive four touchdown performances in Pittsburgh's victories over the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers. Throughout his career, Roethlisberger has made the most difficult plays look routine. While his backyard style of football at helped him set seemingly every franchise passing record while also helping lead to two Super Bowl titles, the down side of his playing style is that Big Ben often gets overlooked when it comes to other quarterbacks in his era that play the game the more traditional way. That fact is represented in the NFL Network's annual "Top 100" list. While Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees are routinely near the top of the list voted on by fellow NFL players, Roethlisberger's 18th place finish on this year's list marked the first time he's cracked the top 20. While he may not receive as many accolades as his peers, and while pundits like Carr continue to doubt him, Roethlisberger undoubtedly has the respect of his teammates as well as the defenders that he beats on a weekly basis. “Ben’s the greatest," Brown recently said of his quarterback. “The mental fortitude of him…He understands. He’s seen so much. Very smart. "Guy’s a warrior, man," Brown continued. "It’s an honor to play with him."<doc-sep>
The offseason is a tough time of year for everyone, including analysts. Many times, people who shouldn’t be giving out offseason lists of any kind are asked to do so to fill content requirements for said media outlet. In retrospect, this is exactly what it looks like when NFL.com assigned former top pick David Carr to rank his Top-10 quarterbacks entering the 2018 regular season. For clarification, I’m going to leave the fact he ranked his brother, Derek Carr, 4th in the league, and focus solely on where he ranked Ben Roethlisberger. Actually, he didn’t rank Roethlisberger. According to Carr, he doesn’t feel Roethlisberger is a Top-10 quarterback anymore in the NFL. Who was? Check out his list below: David Carr’s Top 10 QB List: 1. Tom Brady 2. Aaron Rodgers 3. Drew Brees 4. Derek Carr 5. Russell Wilson 6. Matthew Stafford 7. Philip Rivers 8. Matt Ryan 9. Cam Newton 10. Jimmy Garropolo So, what was his explanation for leaving Roethlisberger off his list? Why is Ben Roethlisberger off my list? Yes, he’s a future Hall of Famer and there’s no doubt he can still help the Steelers. But he has the most talented skill players in the league on his unit, and that pair -- Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell -- makes him look great 14 seasons in. I don’t think Big Ben could win a ton of games without them at this stage in his career. Roethlisberger shouldn’t feel alone. Joining him in the “just missed” category were DeShaun Watson of the Houston Texans, and Carson Wentz of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Almost all Steelers fans will find this “take” absolutely asinine, but is there also some credence to these thoughts? Has Roethlisberger played well in past years due to the talent around him? You’re entitled to your opinion, but I’ll answer this question with a resounding NO. Joe Montana didn’t have to apologize for having Jerry Rice as a weapon on a daily basis, and neither should Roethlisberger with Antonio Brown. Nonetheless, I want to know what you think of all this? Is Carr losing his mind, or is there some truth in what he said? Let us know in the comment section below!