It's not what Pittsburgh sports fans want to hear, but Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is pretty good at playing football. And their coach, Bill Belichick? He's pretty good at his job, too.
Speaking Wednesday at the Rooney Complex, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger discussed that dynamic duo at length.
The Steelers face the Patriots on Sunday at Heinz Field, where they look to break a five-game losing streak against the franchise.
To Roethlisberger, the competitive element is certainly present, but he can't help but acknowledge the greatness that will occupy the other sideline Sunday afternoon.
“Man, any time you can share the field with maybe the greatest of all time, you should cherish it and value it — and try to outplay him," Roethlisberger said. "That’s not an easy task, and, like you said, I don’t go against him, but it’s still ... it’s a neat thing to play against one of the best of all time."
Brady, at 41, is in his 19th NFL season, but he still looks sharp and polished on Sundays. He has racked up 3,700 passing yards — sixth in the NFL — while leading the Patriots to a division-best 9-4 record.
"He works hard," Roethlisberger said. "He understands football. He understands offense, defense. He’s incredibly smart. I know people laugh at, like, his running or his catching abilities, but he’s an incredibly talented athlete when it comes to his arm and some of the things that he can do, throwing while he’s falling and arm angles and things like that. Especially for an older guy, he does pretty good.”
Behind Brady is Belichick, a five-time Super-Bowl-winning coach who is widely regarded as one of the best ever. Typically reserved with the media, Belichick recently praised Roethlisberger and the Steelers' offense, saying, "There's only one Ben Roethlisberger."
The Steelers quarterback heard the comments, and he takes them to heart.
"He’s — once again talking about one of the greatest of all time, that’s gotta be him too," Roethlisberger said of Belichick. "So that’s a heck of a compliment from him, and it means a lot.”