Big Ben's performance clocks in as one the best

Before discussing Anquan Boldin, A-Rod and Carrie Underwood...

Now that the 2008 NFL season is officially over (for me it was the moment Kurt Warner fumbled the ball for the final time. Seriously, who over the age of 25 actually watches the Pro Bowl anymore?), but before the clock on the Super Bowl chatter strikes 12, I want to add one final take on the performance of Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger.

Now, every Super Bowl winning quarterback not named Trent Dilfer (or perhaps even Roethlisberger when the Steelers beat the Seahawks) ultimately gets props for winning the big game (in Eli Manning's case, it apparently will come in the form of a massive new contract) and certainly Big Ben is no exception. Yet, as I see it, the praise has not been loud enough.

Seriously, does everyone really understand what Big Ben did during the regular season, the playoffs, the Super Bowl and yes, on that final breathtaking drive? He directed a typically run-based offense that was without its first-round pick (Rashard Mendenhall) for most of the season, spent several weeks with their third-string runner (Mewelde Moore) as the starter and for nearly the entire campaign was simply unable to punch it in on short yardage plays.

He played behind a leaky offensive line that had the QB running for his life, in part because the Steelers lost their best lineman (Alan Faneca) to free agency before the season even started.

He played the Super Bowl with his security blanket (Hines Ward) not close to 100 percent. In addition, today we learn that Roethlisberger himself was dealing with pain in the big game, playing with two small rib fractures that were not revealed until a post-game x-ray.

With all that said, he pulled it out. Not just the season _ and of course with a major assist from the Steelers number one ranked defense _ and not just the playoffs, but the Super Bowl itself.

Seriously, if John Elway had directed that final drive, there would already be odes and hymns about his nimble footwork to avoid the pass rush. There would already be songs sung about that final pass, one as precise as anything Martha Stewart ever cobbled together, if Joe Montana had thrown it. Moreover, if Brett Favre had won a Super Bowl with fractured ribs, I suspect he would be awarded the Congressional Medal of Freedom (presented to him by John Madden, of course).

I mean, at least there should already be a name for that play (the toe tapper? The Big Ben strike? I'll work on that). Yet for some reason, his 2008 regular season and playoff resume has not been elevated to that uber-rarified air level. Maybe that is because the haters are still focusing on penalties that were called and those that were not. Maybe it just takes time for the pigskin scholars to have a chance to reflect upon what they saw.

I do not need more time. In my opinion, it already clocks in as one of the best Super Bowl performances ever...

- Big Ben was not the only Super Bowl stalwart playing injured. Seriously, how on earth was Larry Fitzgerald able to dominant the playoffs with a broken left thumb and torn cartilage in his left hand???

- How about a Kurt Warner-Mike Martz reunion in the desert this season? Considering Warner has yet to make official his plans for the 2009 season and Ken Whisenhunt is an old play caller himself, this report may be nothing more than water cooler talk, as Kent Sommers of the Arizona Republic suggests. Martz in my opinion is more hype then substance at this point in terms of winning football, but it would make for some dynamic fantasy football scoring if it happens.

- Julius Peppers reiterates he wants out of Carolina. Unless the situation becomes hostile, the Panthers would be wise to ignore the request and franchise him, barring a massive offer.

- My made up trade ideas that do not involve Peppers: IF Anquan Boldin and new Chiefs head coach Todd Haley can let bygones be bygones, would it not make sense to ponder a Boldin-Tony Gonzalez swap with a draft pick exchange or swap mixed in? Tony is rumored to want out of KC and the Cards are lacking at the tight end spot. Also, NFL deals are rarely made, let alone one with division rivals, but upon the report that the Rams are open to dealing Torry Holt and Orlando Pace, could the Cards figure out a reunite those former Pro Bowlers with Warner? They both may be on the wrong side of their careers, but if healthy, both would help the Cards strike while the iron is hot. Pace would be an immediate upgrade at left tackle and Holt would step in opposite Fitzgerald. The Rams would get younger with a hungry Boldin while freeing up much needed cap space. Hmmm

- Not sure what was sadder this weekend; hearing the news that A-Rod apparently tested positive for steroids in 2003 or not being the least bit shocked when I heard the news

- As I was flipping around the channels last night, I came upon the Grammys. Now, I'm glad that I did since my all-time favorite band U2 opened the show and shortly thereafter, Carrie Underwood and her ridiculous stems strutted across the stage. But, in terms of the awards themselves, does anyone who is not named Lil Wayne or not married to Gwyneth Paltrow really care? I think an ESPY's nod has more cache at this point.