Although it ended in disappointment, the Pittsburgh Steelers and their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger‘s 2015 season was one to remember. Thanks to an explosive offense that combined a highly efficient run game with awe inspiring downfield passing (not to mention the blessing of the football gods), the Steelers overcame a multitude of injuries to rally to a 10-6 record, snuck into the playoffs, and won a sloppy Wild Card game on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals. The injury bug caught up to the team, however, and that resulted in a close loss on the road against the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos in the AFC Divisional Round.

The 2015 Season Was Ben Roethlisberger’s Best Season Yet

The Steelers, and rest of the NFL, are in the middle of the off-season, and going into 2016, Pittsburgh should be at full health. As such, they should be a heavy preseason Super Bowl candidate. The team features arguably the top wide receiver in the league in Antonio Brown, debatably the best running back in the league in Le’Veon Bell, an excellent number two back in DeAngelo Williams, and a strong offensive line.

Now consider how much better the 2016 Steelers sound when Roethlisberger is added to the mix. The future Hall of Fame quarterback, who turned 34 in March, only played 12 games in 2015 due to a sprained MCL and bone bruise, but managed to lead Pittsburgh to the playoffs for the second straight season.

To the average fan, Big Ben’s 2015 stats look pedestrian. He completed 319 of 469 passes (68.0 completion percentage) for 3,938 yards, 21 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and a 94.5 passer rating. Some fans would wonder how special those numbers really are.

However, look closely, and you’ll see reasons why some people were so high on Roethlisberger. The 68.0 completion percentage is impressive when you consider the amount of times the Steelers signal caller threw 20+ yards downfield. For the second consecutive season, the former Miami (OH) quarterback led the NFL in yards per game (328.2); his 8.4 yards per attempt were tied for second-highest in 2015, and he ranked number two in ESPN’s quarterback rating rankings. Even Pro Football Focus named him the second-highest graded quarterback of 2015.

That should be more than enough evidence to suggest Big Ben had a career year last season.

It doesn’t take a genius to recognize Roethlisberger’s playing style right away. A pioneer of the mobile quarterback, Big Ben has been famous for being able to buy time in the pocket, extend plays (it can be argued he plays even better under pressure), and throw the deep ball. Roethlisberger is also a smart quarterback. He is able to put the ball in perfect position for his receivers and anticipate openings before his receivers are even halfway through their routes. And at 241 pounds, the talented quarterback is built like a lineman, and he is difficult to bring down.

The 2015 season was more or less vintage Big Ben in that sense, and with an elevated receiving cast, he was able to rely on his receivers more than ever before. But make no mistake, this was a team that asked its quarterback to carry them full throttle, make smart throws, and stand tall in the pocket. For the most part, Big Ben did that (when he was healthy of course).

In 2014, Roethlisberger played to a high level consistently, but 2015 seemed different. Through all the dumb turnovers and injuries (not coincidentally occurring at the same time), his highs were unprecedented. This was a guy that was seeing higher peaks in Todd Haley’s offense, with the ball placement being taken to another tier. Big Ben made throws on broken plays that very few other quarterbacks can make.

In 2015, there were only two games where Roethlisberger didn’t play well at all: Week 8 vs. Cincinnati and Week 16 in Baltimore. Other than that, Roethlisberger was phenomenal last season, especially against the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts, when he was able to anticipate openings and lead his receivers with precision, resulting in more yards after the catch and better field position.

Take for example this play on second and five with 8:15 left in the first quarter of the Colts game. Big Ben notices tight end Jesse James (photo one, red arrow) about to turn to Roethlisberger’s right on a slant route. Right as James turns the corner, Ben fires the dart far away from the defender, enough that not only can James catch it without being hit, but the pass also does not prevent James from stopping in his tracks, helping him gain yards after the catch on a 20-yard pass play. The Steelers ended up kicking a field goal on that drive.

In Week 10 vs. the Cleveland Browns, Big Ben came off the bench due to suffering a left foot sprain at the end of a Week 9 game against the Oakland Raiders. After doing so, he delivered a monster game, throwing for 379 yards and three touchdowns.

On the above play (second and eight, 5:44 left in the second quarter), Roethlisberger felt pressure coming from rushers on both sides, and in vintage Big Ben fashion, he stepped up in the pocket and fired a dart to Heath Miller for 27 yards. The Steelers would end up scoring a touchdown on that drive.

Some plays did not need much accuracy, just arm strength, because of the ability of Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant to create separation. Bryant’s ability at the catch point is not quite as polished as Brown’s, but he still did enough to establish himself as a solid number two threat in 2015. The Steelers will miss him in 2016 since Bryant was suspended for the entire season.

Despite the receiving corps making many plays, Pittsburgh still needed Big Ben’s anticipation to get to the playoffs. Backup quarterbacks Landry Jones and Michael Vick did the best they could, but neither came close to Roethlisberger’s intelligence and playmaking ability. Much of Big Ben’s turnover struggles came when he was not 100% healthy, but he was also able to make many great plays while playing hurt (like the playoffs, where he was still able to lead a game-winning drive in the Wild Card round at Cincinnati despite clearly suffering from a shoulder injury).

But perhaps above all, Roethlisberger’s deep passing was the story. In the 2015 Deep Ball Project, he graded out with an A, finished with a 60.2 accuracy percentage (third behind Carson Palmer and Sam Bradford), and threw 1,608 deep yards in 12 games (totaling out as 134 yards per game, highest in the NFL in 2015). While he was picked off 11 times downfield, many of those came when he was rusty and not close to 100% healthy. He was otherwise near flawless in this area.

Needless to say, it will be highly entertaining to see what a completely healthy Ben Roethlisberger can do with a talented supporting cast. Big Ben is in the prime of his career and he possesses stunning downfield accuracy, excellent mobility and playmaking, and great route anticipation. He is Pittsburgh’s most valuable and irreplaceable player, and will be the driving force behind the team’s hope to compete for another Super Bowl in 2016.

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(Photos via NFL Gamepass)