The Pittsburgh Steelers don't yet know if quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be able to suit up for the divisional round NFL playoff matchup with the Denver Broncos because Roethlisberger himself still doesn't know whether his shoulder, injured by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict during wildcard weekend, will be good enough to go. The Steelers' longtime franchise signal-caller appeared on The Cook and Poni show on Sportsradio 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday and revealed that he suffered an AC joint sprain and some torn ligaments as a result of the hit from Burfict.
"It didn't hurt when I reached back to throw," Roethlisberger said, per CBS Pittsburgh. "But it was pushing forward to throw and then the end of the throw. So I definitely felt like I was shortening up my motion up a little bit, which is why we threw some screens, and couldn't really get the ball down the field... I think it just more affected how I could throw it."
Roethlisberger emerged from the tunnel after being carted off the field following Burfict's sack and promptly led the Steelers down the field for the winning points. Despite his ability to get back on the field then, and despite a report from Monday suggesting that he's certain to play, Roethlisberger indicated he remains uncertain of just what this weekend will bring.
"I honestly don't know," he said. "I haven't tried to throw a football since the game, and maybe that's not even the right thing to do right away. I'll see the doctors and trainers tomorrow, we'll evaluate kind of how I feel. If anything, maybe I can practice and hand off and still get some mental reps that way. So we'll really just kind of see how it goes tomorrow."
The Steelers, with or without Roethlisberger, square off against the Broncos in Denver this Sunday. While backup Landry Jones has proven capable in place of Big Ben this season - he completed 32 passes for 513 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions in seven games of action - if the Steelers have any chance of defeating the league's best defense.
