PITTSBURGH - Dan Marino didn't say out loud what he was thinking in 1983, but it took him only a few games to become convinced he would be an excellent NFL quarterback. He is certain Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Ben Roethlisberger already feels the same way.

After hearing for weeks how his exceptional debut has reminded many of Marino's rookie season with Miami, Roethlisberger heard it from Marino himself Tuesday as the two met for a televised interview.

Marino's assessment of who already is the most talked-about Steelers rookie quarterback since Terry Bradshaw in 1970: Real good now, and will get even better the longer he plays.

"A lot of the things he does kind of remind me of some of the things I was able to do when I played," Marino said. "The thing that's impressive about Ben is his awareness in the pocket, his pocket presence and his ability to move and still make throws downfield. You can't teach that kind of instincts, and that's something he has going for him that a lot of the guys in the league don't have."

Just as Marino looked and felt comfortable almost as soon as he took over for the benched David Woodley in 1983, Roethlisberger has appeared confident and well-prepared since replacing the injured Tommy Maddox Sept. 19. He is 5-0 as a starter for the Steelers (6-1), the best start by an NFL rookie quarterback since Pittsburgh's Mike Kruczek was 6-0 in 1976.

"I think you realize it pretty quick," Marino said when asked how long it takes for a player to know he can play. "You get a feel for it pretty quick because you compare yourself to other people and what they've done. You might not publicly come out and say you think you're going to be a guy who can be here for a while, but I think you know as far as how you feel personally."

Does Roethlisberger feel that way after leading the Steelers past New England 34-20 Sunday, ending the Patriots' 21-game winning streak?

"There's no doubt," said Marino, the NFL career-passing leader with 61,361 yards. "Because of what he's done, he's right there. The performance is there, the winning, and they've got one of the better teams in the league. They just beat the team that was 21-0, so all that contributes to a high level of confidence - not only with him, but also the team around him."

Roethlisberger learned Tuesday from coach Bill Cowher what already was a foregone conclusion: Even after Maddox is healthy again, perhaps as early as this week, Roethlisberger is the starter.

Roethlisberger isn't throwing as much as Marino did in 1983, when he was 173 of 296 for 2,210 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions in 11 games. The Dolphins went 12-4 and made the playoffs, then reached the Super Bowl a year later after going 14-2.

Roethlisberger is 96 of 137 for 1,133 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions in six games, but he has only two interceptions in his five starts. His 70.1 completion percentage is on pace to surpass Marino's rookie record of 58.45 percent.

"He's not turning the ball over ... and that's more important than completion percentage," Marino said. "That's the biggest thing a quarterback has to deal with and worry about. He pretty much played a perfect game the other day where he made the throws he had to make, they were running the clock and getting first downs and controlling the clock, and that's a great thing to watch."

Marino thinks Roethlisberger is good enough to take his team to the Super Bowl, something no rookie quarterback has done.

"With the type of team they have, sure," Marino said. "They have guys on the outside (wide receivers Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress), they have guys who can run the football - Duce (Staley) is a solid back - (they have) the offensive line and they can get to the quarterback on defense. They definitely can get there."

Marino interviewed Roethlisberger for HBO's Inside the NFL, which will be shown twice on Wednesday and once each on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.