Ben Roethlsiberger returns, leads the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 28-10 victory

He's back! Big Ben Roethlisberger made his much anticipated return yesterday after serving a 4 game suspension for violating the NFL code of conduct policy. Roethlisberger received about 98% cheers at Heinz Field which doesn't surprise me because the people at Heinz Field are usually the real fans. Anyone that thinks that Ben isn't good or shouldn't start for this team is an absolute moron. Yes, these people exist. Roethlisberger said that he felt very emotional about the day and was very happy that the fans cheered him. (Side note- there were apparently protesters outside of the stadium yesterday)

As for Ben's performance, it was almost as good as I thought it would be. Ben threw an interception in the redzone that was picked off by rookie Joe Haden. Ben was looking for Mewelde Moore on a slant route but overthrew him. I thought that would definitely bring on some boos  but the people of Heinz Field held back, mostly due to some anticipated rust for Ben. After the pick Ben seemed to get in rhythm and started to throw the ball very well. One thing that Ben brings to the table is his willingness and ability to throw the ball down-field.  I watched a lot of football yesterday and I see a lot of other quarterbacks deek-and-dunk their teams down the field. That's fine, whatever works, but I like Ben's big play ability. I think that's what separates him from other quarterbacks. On the day he completed 5 passes over 20 yards.

On the day, Ben was 16-27, for 257 yards and 3 touchdown passes, with a quarterback rating of 112.7. The first touchdown was a beautiful 29 yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace. Roethlisberger also hooked up with Wallace for a 50 yard completion thrown from the endzone, and he hit Wallace in full-stride. Ben also hooked up with his trusty tight-end Heath Miller on a 30 yard pass, and a 14 yard touchdown. His other touchdown pass was to Hines Ward, in which Ward did most of the work. That's another great thing Ben does, he seems to try and get everyone involved. Even rookie Emmanuel Sanders caught two passes.

No disrespect to Dennis Dixon or Charlie Batch, but Ben just brings so much more to the table. He certainly sparked a revival in the Steeler's passing attack. In the first 4 games of the season the Steelers threw for 160 yards per game and three touchdowns. Compare that with Ben's last four games (Sunday against the Browns and the last four games of last season) Ben is averaging 310 passing yards a game, and has 10 touchdown passes and just 3 interceptions. The Steelers are also 4-0 in those games. Roethlisberger also didn't take any bad sacks yesterday. As a matter of fact Ben wasn't sacked at all, thanks to his getting rid of the ball quickly, pocket-presence and scrambling ability, and a good performance from the offensive line. 

Ben did leave a few plays out there, mostly on some overthrows. Probably due to some anxiousness mixed with rust. However, he played very well giving all of the circumstances. Now, Ben and everyone can truly move on and focus fully on football, which is the best distraction for all. The only real test(s) left is road games which will certainly include some boo's and other crude reactions from opposing fans. Luckily, the next game is in Miami, so it shouldn't be too bad. The Steelers have three-straight road games coming up.

Bottom line: The Steelers are certainly a much better team with Roethlisberger as their quarterback. The Steelers are also a very serious Super Bowl contender and are arguably the most complete team in the NFL right now. I also think the Steelers should spread their offense out now that Roethlisberger is back. Ben is the best player on offense and should be throwing the ball around 25-30 times a game. However, the balance of the Steelers should prove to very tough to defend against. Either way, the rest of the year should be fun for Steeler's fans.

I will be doing a full-game breakdown after I watch the tape of the game again and should have it up on Wednesday. You can also read some of my work on Bleacherreport.com and follow me on Twitter. Madchad1187