When examining a career that has spanned 18 seasons, 123 home games and 11 more in the postseason, coming up with a definitive list of Ben Roethlisberger’s top moments at Heinz Field is like picking the finalists in a Miss America pageant.

There are plenty of worthy contenders, and it’s hard to go wrong with any of the choices, yet a snub is bound to happen.

Our task of paring down Roethlisberger’s best games was expedited when the 39-year-old quarterback announced Thursday that “all signs are pointing” to his start Monday night against the Cleveland Browns being the final one of his career at Heinz Field.

In honor of the most famous No. 7 in Pittsburgh sports history, here is a look at seven memorable games that have defined Roethlisberger’s tenure at Heinz Field.

Games are listed in chronological order:

1. Oct. 3, 2004: In his first home start since replacing the injured Tommy Maddox, Roethlisberger orchestrated the first of his 40 fourth-quarter comebacks, which rank third on the all-time list.

Roethlisberger completed 17 of 25 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown in the 28-17 win against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers trailed by three entering the fourth quarter before Jerome Bettis scored on a 1-yard run, and Troy Polamalu provided insurance with a 26-yard interception for a touchdown.

What Ben said: “I have not mastered this offense by any means, but the thing is we got the victory. You lead the team when they need it the most. You go down the field and score.”

What others said: “You can just see him coming into his own. He doesn’t let anything bother him, and that’s what I like about him.” — wide receiver Plaxico Burress.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger eludes Cincinnati’s Duane Clemons during the fourth quarter Oct. 3, 2004, at Heinz Field. The Steelers won, 28-17.  

2. Nov. 5, 2007: This was the rare Steelers game against the Baltimore Ravens that didn’t come down to a last-minute score by either team. The Steelers jumped on the Ravens early and rolled to a 38-7 victory.

What made this game important for Roethlisberger was that he recorded a perfect 158.3 passer rating by completing 13 of 16 attempts for 209 yards. Five of those 13 completions went for touchdowns.

It was the second of four perfect passer ratings that Roethlisberger compiled in his career. Peyton Manning is the only other quarterback to reach perfection four times.

The Steelers rolled to a 35-0 lead in the first half. Roethlisberger got the rout started by throwing a 17-yard touchdown pass to Heath Miller. He then threw two apiece to Santonio Holmes and Nate Washington.

What Ben said: “I was probably more confused in trying to figure out the things (the Ravens) do than I ever felt.”

What others said: “When you give somebody that many opportunities, anybody can make a play.” — Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

Tribune-Review The Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger celebrates his fifth touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens with teammate Nate Washington during second quarter action at Heinz Field Nov. 5, 2007.  

3. Dec. 20, 2009: Roethlisberger zipped a 19-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace with no time remaining to lift the Steelers to a 37-36 victory against the Green Bay Packers.

It was the third touchdown pass for Roethlisberger, who completed 29 of 46 attempts for 503 yards and overcame five sacks.

The lead changed hands four times in the fourth quarter, and Roethlisberger began his winning drive with 2 minutes, 9 seconds remaining after the Packers had taken a 36-30 lead on Aaron Rodgers’ third TD toss.

Roethlisberger led the Steelers 86 yards in 11 plays for the winning score.

What Ben said: “If that last play is incomplete, there’s no one (in the locker room) talking. Everybody’s having the worst Christmas ever.”

What others said: “It was a perfect ball. You can’t put the ball in no better place than that.” — Wallace.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger celebrates after officials ruled Mike Wallace’s catch a touchdown during the fourth quarter Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009 at Heinz Field.  

4. Jan. 15, 2011: Roethlisberger arguably had his best home playoff game in this divisional-round showdown with the Ravens as he rallied the Steelers from a 14-point halftime deficit for a 31-24 victory.

With the Steelers trailing 21-7, Roethlisberger threw touchdown passes to Heath Miller and Hines Ward in the third quarter to tie the score. The teams traded field goals, and Roethlisberger took over again with 3:54 to play.

The big play became known as the “Helmet Catch” as Antonio Brown cradled Roethlisberger’s 58-yard pass and pinned it against his helmet before going out of bounds at the 4. The pass came on third-and-19 and set the stage for Rashard Mendenhall’s 2-yard TD run with 1:33 to play.

Roethlisberger also overcame six sacks in the game and completed 19 of 32 passes for 226 yards.

What Ben said: “Our offense went in there (at halftime) and said, ‘We played terrible. we gave them the ball in prime position too many times.’ We had to do something about it.”

What others said: “He may not be Brady or all those other guys, but when I see him in the huddle I know we’ve got a chance to win. He’s a proven winner. And history shows he’s a proven winner against Baltimore.” — Ward

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger eludes Baltimore’s Cory Redding during the fourth quarter Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011 at Heinz Field.  

5. Oct. 26, 2014: Roethlisberger came out slinging against the Indianapolis Colts, and he didn’t stop until he had thrown six touchdown passes in a 51-34 victory. It was the 100th win of his career and came in his 150th start.

Roethlisberger somehow didn’t get a perfect passer rating despite complete 40 of 49 attempts for 522 yards and no interceptions. He settled for a 150.6 mark. He had four touchdown passes in the first half as the Steelers built a 35-20 lead. He also had a career-high 320 yards in the half.

Roethlisberger became the first quarterback to pass for 500 yards twice in his career and was 33 yards from breaking the NFL record when the Steelers elected to run out the clock.

What Ben said: “This was offense, defense and special teams, coaches. This was everybody, and why does it have to stop here? Why can’t we keep doing this?”

What others said: “He countered everything we did. I think we were there most of the time. We had good coverage, but he was throwing the ball in some nice places.” — Colts safety Mike Adams

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review Steelers quarterback Ben Roetlisberger celebrates a first-quarter touchdown pass to Markus Wheaton against the Colts Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014 at Heinz Field.  

6. Nov. 2, 2014: A week earlier, after throwing six touchdown passes against the Colts, Roethlisberger asked, “Why does it have to stop here? Why can’t we keep doing this.”

So he did.

Roethlisberger threw six more touchdown passes as he led the Steelers to a 43-23 victory against the Ravens. After throwing for 522 yards the previous week, Roethlisberger was “limited” to 340. The 12 TD passes over a two-week span set an NFL record.

His touchdown passes went to five receivers, with Martavis Bryant catching two. The others went to Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and Matt Spaeth.

What Ben said: “I have no clue what’s going on out on the field. I can’t even tell you who scored the touchdowns tonight. You know me. I’m not a stats guy. I’ve never been a stats guy. All I care about is wins and Super Bowls.”

What others said: “It’s like a video game out there for him. Guys are scoring touchdowns left and right. It’s amazing to see.” — linebacker Lawrence Timmons

Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberber throws a second-quarter pass to Le’Veon Bell against the Ravens Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014, at Heinz Field.  

7. Dec. 27, 2020: For the third time in his career, Roethlisberger rallied the Steelers to a victory following a 17-point deficit. The 28-24 victory against the Colts snapped a three-game losing streak and gave the Steelers the AFC North championship after a two-year absence from the playoffs.

The Steelers trailed 24-7 when Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes in about a 10-minute period spanning the third and fourth quarters. He finished with 34 completions in 49 attempts (and no interceptions) for 341 yards.

His touchdown passes went to Diontae Johnson, Eric Ebron and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

What Ben said: “It’s just believing in each other and believing we could make plays. Guys made plays. We needed guys to step up and make catches.”

What others said: “I’ve been watching Ben like you guys have for 17 years. A half of play is not going to define him. He’s a competitor. As long as there’s time on the clock, he’s going to keep coming at you.” — coach Mike Tomlin

Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger throws against the Colts in the third quarter Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020 at Heinz Field.  

Honorable mention

• Roethlisberger completed 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Steelers past the New England Patriots, 25-17, on Oct. 30, 2011. It’s Roethlisberger’s first victory against Tom Brady since his rookie season.

• Roethlisberger passed for 380 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions in a 31-13 victory against the New York Jets on Oct. 9, 2016.

• The Steelers clinched the AFC North title thanks to Roethlisberger’s touchdown pass that resulted in Antonio Brown’s “Immaculate Extension,” which provided a 31-27 victory on Christmas day 2016.

• The Steelers trail by nine points with 6:44 left, but Roethlisberger rallies them to a 39-38 victory against the Ravens on Dec. 10, 2017. He set career highs in attempts (66) and completions (44) while passing for 506 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.

• Roethlisberger achieved a perfect passer rating for the fourth time when he completed 22 of 25 passes for 328 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions in a 52-21 victory against the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 8, 2018.

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