INDIANAPOLIS — When this season began, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's rookie season might as well have been as distant and old as London's Big Ben. The challenge between the lines of every preseason analysis could not have been more clear.

OK, kid, let's see you do it again. Then, let's see you do better than not lose a playoff game — let's see you win one.

Challenge met. Ante raised. And Roethlisberger is one game from having a play date on Super Sunday before Peyton Manning, Michael Vick, Daunte Culpepper and a few other name quarterbacks.

The Steelers and their quarterback were one game away last year, too. The difference this year is how they got here.

Despite a knee injury that kept him out of four games and clearly hampered him in his first game back, Roethlisberger's passing numbers were nearly identical to his rookie season's: slightly lower completion percentage, almost identical yards per attempt, slightly higher touchdown percentage and lower interception percentage, 11.5 more yards per game.

But, the definitive difference is apparent in the glare of shining playoff performances. Last January, the 6-5 Roethlisberger could have been a small forward who got lost and wound up behind center for the Steelers. This year, particularly Sunday against Indianapolis, he has been a precision passer (and a pretty good tackler).

In playoff wins against Cincinnati and Indianapolis, Roethlisberger has completed 65.1 percent of his passes, thrown for 405 yards, five touchdowns, and, perhaps most important, only one interception.

Last year, against the Jets and New England, Roethlisberger's interceptions returned for TDs alone numbered two. He threw five interceptions overall, including one that almost led to a winning Jets field goal.

"I feel that I'm not losing the game for our team," Roethlisberger said. "I did everything I could to lose the Jets game, but, luckily, we won it. And then, the Patriots game, I didn't play well. This year, I just come out and play smart football. I got some good advice the other day from Hall of Fame lineman Dan Dierdorf: every drive that ends in a kick is a good drive."

Last Sunday, expecting the Colts to pile in against the run, the Steelers relied on Roethlisberger for the fast start they needed. He responded by going 9 of 12 for 147 yards and two TDs in the first three drives in leading Pittsburgh to a 14-0 lead.

Judging Roethlisberger's game Sunday purely on numbers — 14 of 24 for 197 yards, two touchdowns, one interception — would be equivalent to judging a movie's quality purely on its opening weekend take.

He was nearly perfect until hurting his passing hand in the third quarter. He didn't out and out blow a throw until 11:08 remained in the first half.

Antwaan Randle El dribbled the first pass like he was still playing point guard down the road at Indiana University. Between that drop and 13:35 left in the half, the only two Roethlisberger throws that didn't find their marks, an incompletion and an interception, were made while Roethlisberger was being jolted by the Colts' pass rush.

After Roethlisberger's right hand got scrambled by Colts defensive end Robert Mathis on a Dwight Freeney sack, Roethlisberger threw his three second-half incompletions — two underthrows and a zipless pass over the middle that nearly was intercepted by Nick Harper.

That's the same Harper whom Roethlisberger tackled to save Pittsburgh's win after Harper scooped up a Jerome Bettis fumble.

"Big Ben made one of the greatest tackles of the game," Chris Hope said. "You rarely see a quarterback even attempt to make a tackle, let alone get him down in open field. With blockers in front of him!"