Steelers rest three key starters

By Hugo Guzman  |   Thursday, January 20, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

Pittsburgh Steelers
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With little to play for, the Pittsburgh Steelers benched quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and two other injured starters -- running back Jerome Bettis and receiver Plaxico Burress -- for their regular-season finale against Buffalo.

Roethlisberger is nursing a rib injury and will sit out a game the Bills must win for a chance at the playoffs. A Buffalo victory coupled with a New York Jets or Denver loss would put the Bills (9-6) in the postseason for the first time since 1999.

Tommy Maddox will start in place of Roethlisberger, who has started every game since taking over for Maddox in the third week. Roethlisberger was injured last week in a victory against Baltimore.

Roethlisberger has guided Pittsburgh to 13 consecutive victories, helping the Steelers (14-1) clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

Bettis and Burress also were listed as inactive. Bettis has a sprained ankle while Burress has a tender hamstring that has forced him to miss five of the past six games.

Bettis has a career-high 13 rushing touchdowns; Franco Harris' team record is 14. Bettis was also 59 yards short of reaching the 1,000 yard plateau for the ninth time in his 12-year career.

Duce Staley, who also has a hamstring injury, will start for Bettis. Staley had been sidelined for six of Pittsburgh's past eight games. Starting cornerback Deshea Townsend was inactive due to a hand injury.
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About Hugo Guzman

Co-founder of RealFootball365.com. Born in Argentina, of Dominican descent, living in Hoboken, but from Miami through and ...
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