Report: Steelers Expect Ben Roethlisberger To Play; CB Ike Taylor Out For At Least 2 Weeks
The question for the Steelers now is how confident they truly are in Charlie Batch. Because if Batch could beat the playoff-bound Ravens then the hapless Chargers should be no problem and given how serious Ben Roethlisberger‘s injury is, it would probably be prudent to keep him out for another week. From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Coach Mike Tomlin said the Steelers will plan on Charlie Batch being the starting quarterback against the San Diego Chargers, but added Ben Roethlisberger will return to practice tomorrow and play on Sunday if he can prove he is capable enough to do so. ”We’ll see what it looks like on the football field,” Tomlin said today at his weekly news conference. “He’ll be given time to prove he is healthy. We’ll see where the week takes us, particularly tomorrow. But he added, “Ben is our quarterback and if he’s capable of playing, we’ll play him.” A team source told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the Steelers expect Roethlisberger to play against the Chargers on Sunday. Meantime, Tomlin confirmed that cornerback Ike Taylor has a hairline fracture in his right ankle and will not play against the Chargers. Taylor is expected to miss at least two games, and possibly more. He was injured on the second play in Baltimore when he broke up a deep pass for Ravens receiver Torrey Smith. Taylor will be replaced by nickel back Cortez Allen, who had three passes defensed but also gave up two long passes, including a touchdown, against the Ravens. Curtis Brown will be the nickel back in the sub packages.
