Getty ImagesWith Steelers coach Ben Roethlisberger going “next question” when asked during the week about quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s availability beyond Sunday night against the Ravens, it’s been hard to tell how long Ben will be out.
Especially since the only person who has spoken on the record about the extent of his injury is the notoriously dramatic Roethlisberger.
But there’s now a bit of clarity, reportedly, regarding Ben’s availability. Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN report that the team’s doctors believe Roethlisberger will miss three weeks. However, the team has not yet given up hope that Roethlisberger will be able to play when the Steelers head to Baltimore in two weeks.
Roethlisberger reportedly was in as much pain Friday as he was Monday. Though Roethlisberger has said that the dislocated rib could have posed a threat to his aorta, Schefter and Mortensen report that “the greater threat is to the surrounding arteries, vessels and soft tissue.”
Either way, the only way to heal the injury is through rest. And that makes the timetable inherently unpredictable. Which means that no one really knows when we’ll see Roethlisberger, until we do.
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This injury could not have come at a better time for the Ravens… AFC North is theirs to lose.
If they do not win tonight the hopes of the division are going to be difficult to achieve. All the Steelers have to do is win games against the Browns, Chargers and Bengals at home and they will clinch the number 6 seed.
Playoff football in January is a right for the Steelers, not a privilege.
Steelers could start backups across the board and compete for a championship. It’s in our makeup.
It’s so obvious how dominant we are. If I was a fan of another team, I’d be terrified.
As a Ravens fan I don’t believe in any shortcut through the division. If you aren’t good enough it comes out somewhere in the post season. The Ravens know it all too well.
What I’ll miss most is the epic game Ben brings in the fourth quarter, and finding out how good the Ravens are. It is top shelf football for any fan. They can win either game without Ben, but Ben is the rivalry. I hated when they scheduled these huge games so close this late.
I’m not a Rothlisberger fan but the words “threat to the aorta” make me shiver.
Today the Steeler Nation continues their dominance over the Ratbirds. We will again prove who the holy one is.
They won the last few times, why? Because we let them! They need their confidence built up so beating them today will be even more enjoyable. Wow, we are so gracious.
Here we go Steelers, Here we go! Jealous?
take it easy Ben, we we don’t want to see you “out-theisman” Theisman . . .
Division to the Ravens
The AFC is so bad eight wins for the Steelers could get them into the playoffs this year.
Personally I think they get nine or ten wins and get the fifth seed. If they beat the Ravens tonight then the division would become a distinct possibility.
Don’t count your Ravens before they hatch. The Steelers could easily win tonight without Ben. The game in Baltimore, though, is more iffy than that. Ben needs to be that one to win. If Ben can come back in time, there’s a great chance for a sweep, even.
If they can just find a way to at least split, the Steelers are in great shape. The rest of their schedule is fairly easily outside of those two games and the Ravens have a few tough matchups left.
Then again, maybe it’s better if they lose a few to go under radar and have Ben come back to claw towards a Wild Card spot. That formula has been working out for teams lately, including this very same one not too long ago…
Wow, a Pittsburgh troll filling up the comments section. What a surprise.
Terrell Suggs would have rehabbed in the third and fourth quarter and returned for overtime last monday night.
Why don’t you just correct the stupid mistake, instead of deleting my comments regarding your mistake of calling Ben Roethlisberger the Steelers coach.
I’ve been a Steeler fan ever since I can remember and to not have big Ben for this game is pretty bad for us not to mention rashard and troy being out to, it’ll be interesting to see how we do with out a big part of the offence and our safety Ryan Clark that was doing a pretty good job in troys place. let’s drop the iron curtain and cage these birds……. LET’S GO STEELERS!!!!!!!!!!!! YYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAA………………..
Steeler fans everywhere are crying themselves to sleep