While Ben Roethlisberger has owned the overall series against both the Browns and Bengals over the course of his career, going a combined 49-12-1 against those two AFC North rivals, his record against the Ravens, while good, isn't nearly as sparkling.
With last Sunday's 20-19 victory over the Ravens, Roethlisberger now owns a 16-10 record against the Ravens in the regular season, a good record considering Baltimore has been the Steelers' main nemesis over the course of his career.
But it's been the way Roethlisberger has beaten Baltimore so many times, leading 10 game-winning drives -- ones in which the Steelers trailed in the second half, only to take the lead for good -- against the Ravens that has been so impressive.
Those 10 game-winning drives -- 11 counting the postseason -- are the most by a quarterback against any one team. Nobody in Baltimore will be unhappy to see the 39-year-old quarterback retire.
And given the magnitude those games usually carry, including this year's game, is why Mike Tomlin gave Roethlisberger a game ball following the win by the Steelers. The win improved the Steelers' record to 6-5-1 and dropped the Ravens to 8-4, keeping the AFC North race wide open going into the final five games.
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Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger chat prior to one of their many meetings in their respective careers.
"Maybe because it’s the Ravens and it’s at home. That was a special win," Roethlisberger said of why he felt Tomlin gave him the game ball after a game in which several others could also have been deserving. "Playing a team, any AFC North team, but especially those guys, there’s just something special about winning and winning at home and doing it that way. You think about the many fourth quarter or last-play games that have come against those guys, it’s special."
Or maybe it was a lifetime achievement award for a player who has made a career of being one of the best to ever handle comebacks.
Sunday's fourth-quarter comeback against the Ravens was the 39th of Roethlisberger's career, a number that ranks third on the all-time list behind Peyton Manning (43) and Tom Brady (41). It also marked the 51st time in his career he's had what's considered a game-winning drive, which ties him with Brady for third-most on the all-time list behind Manning (54) and Drew Brees (53).
The difference is that Brady, who has 313 career starts and counting, Manning (266) and Brees (287) are all players ahead of Roethlisberger in terms of games played. Roethlisberger will make his 245th career start on Thursday against the Vikings (5-7).
When looked at in those terms, 31.5 percent of Roethlisberger's 162 career wins have included him leading a game-winning drive. Nearly a quarter (24.1 percent) have included a fourth-quarter comeback.
When looked at in that light, he could be considered the NFL's comeback king.
"I think it’s the ‘it factor’ for those guys that continue to be the guys everyone talks about as history goes on," said Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada. "I don’t know how many he’s got now, but he’s up there with the records for fourth quarter comebacks, so certainly it’s a big deal."
That "it factor" to which Canada referred is the ability to turn things on in a game's waning moments, even if things hadn't been good to that point in the game. Case and point was Sunday's game against the Ravens. The Steelers had three points going into the fourth quarter, then scored 17 points on three fourth-quarter possessions to take the lead.
It's been a common thread for the Steelers over the years, but especially this season. The Steelers have scored nearly 46 percent of their 244 points this season in the fourth quarter. Their 112 fourth quarter points are third-most in the NFL.
Roethlisberger is in the top 10 in many of the NFL's all-time passing records, but his ranking in game-winning drives and fourth-quarter comebacks is especially important to him because they led to wins -- and include truly elite company.
"That’s really cool," Roethlisberger said of being ranked among the likes of Brady and Manning in those two statistics. "For me personally, it probably means that I stunk the first three quarters and found a way to win the fourth. Any time you get mentioned with those guys, it’s pretty cool."
It's also something the Steelers have leaned heavily upon this season. After Sunday's win, the Steelers are now 6-1-1 in one-score games this season. Roethlisberger's five game-winning drives this season are tied with the Chargers' Justin Herbert for the most in the NFL, while his four fourth-quarter comebacks are one behind Herbert for the most in the league.
That could be especially important this week against the Vikings, who been in a one-score contest in 10 out of 12 games this season. The Vikings have held at least a 6-point lead in every one of their games this season and are 4-6 in one-score games.
The Steelers feel they have the deciding factor in Roethlisberger if they're in a close game. They just have to keep things close and give Roethlisberger a chance.
"You feel pretty good when you have Ben on that field in that situation. He’s done it so many times, it gives you confidence," said Canada. "Personally I feel good about it, but I think he brings confidence to our players, as well. It’s a credit to them, but it’s a credit to him that he leads them. You don’t want to have to come back to win those games, but I think we’ve shown we keep fighting to the end."
THE INJURY REPORT
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Cornerback Joe Haden, linebacker Robert Spillane and defensive end Isaiah Buggs all were non-participants in practice with their respective injuries after missing the game against the Ravens on this past Sunday. Offensively, it was B.J. Finney missing practice after injuring his back against Baltimore.
With the short week, it's fair to assume many if not all of the aforementioned players will be held out against the Vikings.