Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's arm won't be at full strength Sunday, but head coach Mike Tomlin has left the full playbook available for his veteran quarterback, according to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport.
The Steelers will be without star wide receiver Antonio Brown due a to a concussion, and lead running back DeAngelo Williams was ruled out after Friday's practice. The Steelers were able to get out of the first round of the playoffs, but not before losing their top wide receiver and injuring their starting quarterback.
The Steelers face the top ranked defense from the 2015 regular season, as the Broncos held opponents to the fewest yards allowed this year. Pittsburgh was able to pull out a win over the Broncos in December, but that was at Heinz Field, and the Steelers offense was able to put 34 points on the board.
Tomlin will likely look to open Sunday's game with short pass plays and runs, as he will look to get his quarterback comfortable before testing his arm. Roethlisberger did enough in practice this week to prove he can play, and he has shown throughout his career the kind of toughness he brings to the field. The Broncos defense will try to put pressure the Steelers franchise quarterback and may load the box to challenge Roethlisberger to see if he can accurately throw the long ball.