Ben Roethlisberger has some firm in his rookie membership. With the Washington Commanders upsetting the Detroit Lions in Saturday evening’s divisional recreation, QB Jayden Daniels has tied Roethlisberger for most wins by a rookie quarterback. Daniels matched Roethlisberger’s 14 with a 45-31 shootout victory towards the top-seeded Lions.
Together with the playoffs, Roethlisberger went 14-1 in 2004. Initially drafted to sit down on the bench and study, he was thrust into the lineup in Week 2 after Tommy Maddox suffered an in-game harm towards the Baltimore Ravens. Roethlisberger and the Steelers misplaced that one, formally credited to Maddox, however wouldn’t fall once more the remainder of the common season.
Below Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh received their subsequent 13 video games in one of the historic seasons led by a rookie below middle. Roethlisberger benefitted from a powerful operating recreation and protection however nonetheless made performs, dazzling along with his model of Yard Ben Ball unable to be wrestled down by would-be go rushers.
At 14-1, the Steelers rested Roethlisberger and several other key starters for the common season finale towards the Buffalo Payments. Pittsburgh nonetheless discovered a technique to win the sport due to the breakout efficiency of RB Willie Parker. Clinching the No. 1 seed, Roethlisberger and the Steelers edged out the New York Jets within the Divisional Spherical for Roethlisberger’s 14th win of his rookie season. The fairy story run would finish within the ’04 AFC Championship Sport, falling to the New England Patriots 41-27.
Regardless of the robust loss, Roethlisberger and the Steelers would bounce again and go on an unimaginable 2005 playoff run to turn into the primary No. 6 seed to ever win a Tremendous Bowl.
Daniels has reworked the Commanders within the span of a season and arguably was requested to do greater than Roethlisberger was in his first season. A 12 months in the past, Washington went 4-13 and held one of many prime picks of the draft. They took Daniels second-overall and began him out of the gate. He’s loved an electrical rookie 12 months, throwing for 25 touchdowns, speeding for six extra, and making a protracted record of clutch performs.
The Steelers beat them in Week 10 however the Commanders bounced again from a three-game dropping streak to win their last 5 video games of the common season. That gave Daniels 12 common season wins.
He’s earned the subsequent two within the playoffs. First, with a 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers within the Wild Card recreation. A back-and-forth contest received by Washington on the ultimate snap of regulation as Okay Zane Gonzalez doinked within the game-winning kick. Heavy underdogs for the Divisional Spherical, Daniels made repeated large performs. He completed the sport with 299 passing yards, two touchdowns, and 51 speeding yards as Washington scored 28 second quarter factors to construct a halftime lead and draw back from Detroit within the fourth quarter.
Washington will play the winner of Sunday’s Philadelphia Eagles-Los Angeles Rams contest for the NFC Championship and alternative to play on this 12 months’s Tremendous Bowl. One other win will put Daniels solely in first place although his focus might be on a Lombardi greater than it’ll breaking Roethlisberger’s mark. No rookie quarterback has ever began a lot much less received a Tremendous Bowl. Daniels is one win away from being the primary.
