I can recall the exact moment when I realized that those two worlds had collided. As I watched Ben Roethlisberger scramble away from the Bengals' pass rush and complete a 57-yard pass to Plaxico Burress, I thought: this young quarterback has got "the force".
Although the 57-yard pass was called back (because Ben's knee was down), the idea of Ben Roethlisberger as Luke Skywalker had already taken root in my mind. Both Luke and Ben were thrust into battle before they were completely ready to do so: Luke faced Darth Vader, and Ben's first game was against the Ravens (the Steelers' version of the Dark-Side).
Ben, like Luke, faired poorly in his initial battle with the Dark-Side. But, eventually Luke went on to defeat the Empire and free the universe. I feel the same way about Ben. His powers as a quarterback are merely beginning to develop. In other words, the quarterback "force" is strong with this one.
Let me continue. Luke's mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, was struck down by the Darth Vader. Similarly, Tommy Maddox had his arm turned into taffy by the Ravens. Also, Obi-Wan told Darth, "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine." Likewise, after Tommy was side-lined, the Steelers have become a much better team.
The word team is important, because in the NFL (and in space) no one man can win alone. Luke relied on his friends, and Ben relies on the best wide receiver corps in the NFL. Ben's security blanket, Antwaan Randle El, is obviously R2-D2. Like R2, Antwaan is short in stature, yet is always around when Ben needs him.
Plaxico Burress reminds me of C-3PO: just watch him run after the catch.
Without question, Hines Ward is Han Solo. Both are fan favorites. Besides being skilled, charming, and always smiling, they both are a little bit rough around the edges. As I watched the blocking battle occurring between Ward and the Cincinnati defensive backs, images of Han's confrontation with Greedo flashed through my mind.
Speaking of flashy: the name Hope just does not fit in a secondary filled with monikers such as Deshea, Polamalu, and Colclough. So, from henceforth, I shall refer to Chris Hope as Chewbacca. Chewbacca is a nasty brute, known for "dislocating arms when he loses," which is fitting for the hardest hitter on the Steelers. A week after separating Lamar Gordon's shoulder, Chewie drove through a Bengals running back and lost his helmet while doing so.
