Pittsburgh Steelers uncertain on Big Ben’s fitness but hopeful for playoff game presence –NFL Update
The Pittsburgh Steelers have ruled out introducing veteran quarterback, Charlie Batch, to their line-up as a backup to their injured star QB, Ben Roethlisberger, whose participation in their game against the Broncos this Saturday, January 7, 2012, still
remains in question.
Into the first week of the playoff season, the Steelers are playing the Broncos in Denver this weekend, and as of yet are not fully certain about Roethlisberger's chances of making it to the game.
Until Wednesday, Ben was listed as a limited participant but the hopes of his comeback for the Steelers’ first playoff game were increased since he joined the practice squad again on Thursday.
Roethlisberger, also known as ‘Big Ben’, remained limited in mobility leaving his team management uncertain about his fitness and playing ability in the next game.
Bruce Arians, Steelers' defensive co-ordinator, said that Ben was "moving around OK, not as good as he was."
He however, played down the possibility of bringing the QB, Charlie Batch, as his backup.
Batch played for Ben in the game against St. Louis Rams in the regular season of the National Football League (NFL) and performed reasonably well. He is now considered to be ready to replace him at any point during the playoff game.
The defensive co-ordinator said that there was no need to include Batch in the squad at this point in time, but there are reports that if the fitness problem persists for their regular quarterback, it is most likely that they will go for Batch to cover up
for him.
Big Ben was injured in Steelers' game against Cleveland Browns in the regular season, on December 08, 2011, and has not been able to recover since.
He aggravated his injury in the following game against San Francisco 49ers, which further delayed his recovery.
Despite of his participation in a game against Browns again during the last week of the NFL regular season, he did not feel comfortable in his plays.
The main concern for him now is his limitation in mobility, which is also affecting his throws.
In addition, Roethlisberger is unable to finish through his passes. He has managed a very limited score in the practice sessions.
However, despite all uncertainty and doubts about his fitness, Steelers are sticking with hopes of Roethlisberger playing in their vital playoff tie and making the crucial difference for them.
The team is in a must-win situation and Big Ben's absence can serve against their ambitions of getting through to the post-playoff round successfully. Having him back on the team will certainly boost their motivation level, which could serve as the factor
getting Steelers that much needed win.
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