Early in the third quarter, the game was still in the balance. The Steelers were mounting a fairly nice drive. Willie Parker broke a long run, around the right tackle, into Seattle territory. Alas, the play was called back, because Cedrick Wilson was flagged for holding. Whether or not Wilson actually held the Seattle defender is not the issue; what should indeed be noticed is how Ben reacted to the call. (Note: Cedrick did not hold anyone; he blocked the snot out of the defender). Cedrick Wilson was sulking his way back to the huddle, feeling embarrassed and ashamed (that he might have killed the drive). So, Ben walked over to Wilson, patted him on the back, and gave him a few quick words of encouragement. Then, three plays later, on third-and-long, Ben hit Cedrick Wilson for a first down...and then Ben sprinted downfield, and chest-bumped his wide receiver. The cameras caught a glimpse of Cedrick's ear-to-ear smile. Simply, any and all traces of the aforementioned sulking had disappeared.
In other words, Cedrick Wilson could have very easily "checked out" (which he has done in the past, after making a mental gaff). But, Ben was not about to let that happen. Instead, Ben not only encouraged his wide-out, he threw the ball to Wilson on a key play. In other words, Ben did not merely "say" that he believed in Cedrick, Ben actually displayed his confidence in Cedrick. And, Wilson responded by making two more key receptions on that touchdown drive.
In summation, the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts are getting all the headlines. And, it is a foregone conclusion that one of those aforementioned teams will win the Super Bowl. While Ben will never be the statistical juggernaut that Brady and Manning are, Ben is as good a leader as any (ANY) quarterback in the league. Mark my words: Ben will win a few Super Bowl MVPs before his career is over...and, despite what the media thinks, he might even earn his first one this season...with or without any assistance from the referees (wink, wink).