Four Downs: Ben Roethlisberger set to join 200 club

1. BEN'S TWO HUNDREDTH

Monday's game is a notable one for Ben Roethlisberger and not just because it's on Christmas Day.

It will be the 200th regular-season game for the quarterback, making him just the fifth player in Steelers history to reach the milestone. Roethlisberger will tie Mel Blount in games played behind only Mike Webster (220), Hines Ward (217) and Donnie Shell (201). If Roethlisberger returns in 2018, he would tie Webster for most seasons played (15) for the Steelers and could tie Ward for the second-most games played.

Roethlisberger long ago eclipsed Terry Bradshaw as the best statistical quarterback in Steelers history, holding every significant team career passing record. There is, however, one statistic Roethlisberger remains No. 2 behind Bradshaw on the franchise list in: Interceptions. Bradshaw has a 210-174 “lead.”

2. PFF PRO BOWL

The Steelers were honored with an NFL-high eight Pro Bowlers. And while the nature of such a designation is subjective, seemingly any manner by which league all-stars are chosen would be. So, let's take a look at how the Steelers' Pro Bowlers ranked at their positions in the Pro Football Focus ratings.

At quarterback, wide receiver and guard, the voters and PFF agree. Roethlisberger is the No. 2-rated quarterback in the NFL, Antonio Brown is No. 1 by a wide margin in the receiver ratings and DeCastro is the lone “elite” guard. At running back and linebacker, it could have gone either way. Le'Veon Bell (No. 13 running back) and the injured Ryan Shazier (No. 9 among non-edge-rushing linebackers) were considered “above average” — a designation below “elite” and “high quality” in PFF parlance. PFF is not as kind to Maurkice Pouncey and Alejandro Villanueva, who were ranked 19th in the NFL and “below average” at center and 29th and “average” at tackle (covering right and left sides), respectively. (Chris Boswell is safe; PFF doesn't rate kickers.)

Then again, some say PFF ratings are just as subjective as Pro Bowl voters.

3. WHAT CAN BROWN DO?

Brown's value to the Steelers is well known and difficult to overstate. The raw, simple traditional statistics say as much. But the NFL's Next Gen Stats help show it, too. In addition to accounting for 37.77 percent of the Steelers receiving yards this season, Brown accounts for 43.99 percent of the Steelers' air yards. That means if you add up the distance of every Roethlisberger pass this season, about 44 percent of that distance would be on passes to Brown. It's the second-highest ratio in the NFL to Houston's DeAndre Hopkins.

4. THROWBACK GAMES

If watching Jacksonville Jaguars games has a retro feel, maybe it's because they seem to be taking the NFL back a quarter-century. Jacksonville ranks at the top of the NFL in passing defense but is 19th in passing offense. The result? The average Jacksonville game — for both teams — features 388.2 passing yards. That's fewer passing yards than the Saints and Patriots average on their own.