The rivalry between Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger has mostly been a one-sided affair in favor of the New England Patriots legend.
Brady is 5-0 at home (8-3 all time) against Roethlisberger's Pittsburgh Steelers, and he'll try to improve on that unbeaten mark Sunday night when the Patriots host Pittsburgh for a Week 1 matchup at Gillette Stadium.
Both players likely are in the final stage of their careers. Brady is 42 years old and Roethlisberger is age 37. This fact is not lost on the Steelers quarterback.
"I want our defense to get after that guy," Roethlisberger told reporters Wednesday. "But it's an honor to share the field with arguably the best of all time. It's humbling and fun to watch. I just always want him to have his worst game against us because our defense is getting after him.
"It's not too often you get two old guys playing quarterback against each other in a game. It's an honor to share the field with (Brady)."
Roethlisberger and Brady, who've combined to win eight Super Bowl titles, still are elite quarterbacks despite their age.
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Brady, of course, turned in another strong season in 2018 and led the Patriots to their sixth Super Bowl championship. Roethlisberger led the league with 5,129 passing yards last season and carried the Steelers offense after star running back Le'Veon Bell decided to hold out the entire campaign after not receiving a new contract.
Both of these quarterbacks are legit NFL MVP candidates entering the 2019 season, and in the Steelers' case, it's hard to envision them returning to the AFC Championship Game unless Roethlisberger plays at an MVP level throughout the year. Brady has a little more room for error based on the impressive talent around him, but as we saw in the playoffs last season, there will be times late in games when the clutch Brady who Patriots fans have seen throughout the last two decades will have to show up.
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