Big Ben Causing Trouble

Last year I wrote a post listing every NFL game matching up quarterbacks with more than one Super Bowl ring. Counting only games where both QB's had already won at least two Super Bowls gives us the following contets:

1) November 14, 1976: Pittsburgh 14, Miami 3
(Bradshaw vs. Griese)

2) November 5, 1978: Miami 23, Dallas 16
(Griese vs. Staubach)

3) January 21, 1979/Super Bowl XIII: Pittsburgh 35, Dallas 31
(Bradshaw vs. Staubach)

4) October 28, 1979: Pittsburgh 14, Dallas 3
(Bradshaw vs. Staubach)

5) December 30, 1979/Divisional Playoffs: Pittsburgh 34, Miami 14
(Bradshaw vs. Griese)

6) September 22, 1985: San Francisco 34, LA Raiders 10
(Montana vs. Plunkett)

Just six games in the Super Bowl era. And not one such matchup in almost a quarter century. Between the time of Jim Plunkett's retirement and last season there's only been one year where there was even a chance for another game featuring two multi-championship QB's, 1994. Troy Aikman had just won his second Super Bowl and four-time winner Joe Montana was still active. Unfortunately, they didn't play each other that year and Montana called it quits at season's end. John Elway retired immediately after winning his second Super Bowl and AIkman followed a year later, leaving the NFL bereft of multi-ringed QB's until Tom Brady claimed his second title in 2003. He still needed somebody to face off against to give us game number 7 and Ben Roesthlisberger answered the call in 2008. However, the Patriots and Steelers weren't on each other's schedule last year and the Steelers' collapse prevented any playoff matchup.

But this year the NFL comes through. At last, after a quarter-century NFL fans will once again witness a game matching two QB's with multiple championships. Pats vs. Steelers. Brady vs. Roethlisberger. It's gonna happen.

Or is it? Facing possible criminal charges and a civil lawsuit for alleged sexual assault, Big Ben's gone and lawyered up with the guy who got Ray Lewis off. The Steelers organization doesn't sound too happy about the whole thing and maybe, just maybe, the 2010 season will see Roethlisberger missing some time on the field (and deservedly so if the bastard's guilty of something), especially should charges be filed. And if that hypothetical time missed includes the Pats-Steelers game there goes the QB matchup we've been waiting 25 years for. Way to go jerk!