Roethlisberger Skips Practice, Still Expects To Play
Added on Dec 14, 2011 by Jack Thurman in
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Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is notoriously tough, but as he tries to recuperate from a high ankle sprain the thing he needs the most is rest. For that reason he didn’t practice on Wednesday but is still expecting to start on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers.
‘Big Ben’ didn’t talk to the media on Wednesday but was walking with a noticeable limp. Coach Mike Tomlin says he’s ‘day to day’ and that he’s confident that he can play effectively despite not practicing:
“He can be ready to play on a limited number of snaps. At the end of the week, when we get into some situational football things, that’s going to require some physical preparation in some form or fashion. But we’re going to take it day by day. We’re always going to be optimistic when it comes to Ben.”
Roethlisberger is still wearing a ‘walking boot’ and backups Charlie Batch and Dennis Dixon took all of the snaps at practice on Wednesday. Dixon would love to have the opportunity to show his skills on Monday night football:
“I’m ready to prove to this team once again that I am ready to get things done. I’m looking forward to it.”
Wide receiver Mike Wallace has confidence in his backup quarterbacks, but:
“Those guys, they’re not Ben. They’re great players, but Ben is something really special. So you have to change your game to what they do best.”
Running back Rashard Mendenhall is confident that Roethisberger will be in the lineup on Monday night:
“If he can play he will. The only way he won’t is if he can’t. Last week with a high ankle sprain you could tell he was struggling but he was out there.”
Roethlisberger sprained his ankle in the second quarter of the Steelers’ 14-3 win over Cleveland last Thursday. Fans feared the worst when he was taken to the locker room but he returned for the second half. Monday night’s game against San Francisco is currently ‘off the board’ with no NFL betting line available due to the unsettled status of Roethlisberger’s injury though the official injury report lists him as ‘probable’.
