Bad news for Ben, Steelers
According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could miss 4-6 weeks of playing time due to a knee injury.
Roethlisberger had surgery on Monday, and thoughts were that the veteran quarterback would suit up after the Steelers’ week 8 bye. It appears to be much worse than that.
Apparently, damage to the knee from a bruise back in 2015 could be a factor in the increased timetable for Roethlisberger’s recovery.
Not only will the Steelers have to face the Patriots without Ben, they might have to face the Ravens and Cowboys without him too. A 4-1 start and an early lead in the AFC North could quickly evaporate.
The Steelers have learned to survive with Roethlisberger on the sideline. During his career, Big Ben has shown a penchant for extending the play. That style of play can lead to more hits. More hits lead to more injuries.
The road ahead
The Steelers will look to Landry Jones to lead their offense in the interim. Expect the team to lean heavily on running back Le’Veon Bell. The team will also need to be creative with their playmakers–as they were on Darrius Heyward-Bey‘s 60 yard touchdown run on Sunday.
A resurgence on the defensive side of the ball is needed as well. However, injuries to Cameron Heyward, Ryan Shazier, Robert Golden, and Mike Mitchell will make that difficult.
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If anyone can come back from injury sooner than a doctor’s timeline, it’s Ben. Roethlisberger will do all he can to get healthy and stay on the field. The Steelers expect that, and they need it.
Regardless of what Landry Jones and the defense can do in Roethlisberger’s absence, everyone will be waiting eagerly for the starting quarterback’s return. Hopefully, the Steelers will still be in the playoff hunt when he is healthy.