The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for the playoffs without knowing who will be on the field. Injuries have hit hard at the wrong time for the team as several big names could be off the field against the Denver Broncos. With just a few days left to prepare, the biggest question is the health of Ben Roethlisberger who has yet to appear at practice and might not be ready to play come the weekend.
Roethlisberger confirmed to the media that he has a shoulder sprain and torn ligaments after taking a hard hit against the Cincinnati Bengals. Originally the quarterback was deemed likely to play against Denver, but he has yet to practice and might not be with game coming on Sunday. According to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Roethlisberger was not at practice on Wednesday and he has not thrown yet. The quarterback can reportedly not lift his arm about his shoulder at the moment which does not give much hope to his status for Sunday. Roethlisberger admits he does not know when he will throw.
"I always expects to play, whether my body reacts the same way, I don't know, but I always expect to play," Roethlisberger said, according to NFL Media's James Palmer.
If Roethlisberger is unable to play, Landry Jones will likely get the start while Michael Vick will also get activated. Jones has been taking the first-team reps in practice with the idea that he could end up being the starter in the playoffs. Head coach Mike Tomlin told the media that he has confident in Jones who has completed 56.6 percent of his passes for three touchdowns and five interceptions in relief of the starting quarterback. Facing the No.1 defense in the league is certainly a tall task as Tomlin is exhausting all options if Roethlisberger is out.
"I wouldn't turn a blind eye to any of them," said Tomlin, via ESPN.com. "We're not close-minded to any of those things."
Roethlisberger is not the only player potentially out on Sunday. DeAngelo Williams is not expected to play as he continues with a foot injury. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Williams was going to see a specialist in hopes of getting healthy, but the outlook was not good for the running back. The same goes for Antonio Brown who is still under concussion protocol for the team. According to ESPN's Bob Holtzman, it is not looking good for the leading receiver. That would make things even harder on Jones or Vick against a tough defense like Denver.