Roethlisberger to play with shoulder injury

By Neal Coolong  |   Wednesday, September 10, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

Pittsburgh Steelers
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With quarterbacks dropping like flies in the AFC, the Steelers were pretty excited to get out of Week 1 relatively unscathed.

That's what they led everyone to believe, at least.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger injured his shoulder in Sunday's 38-17 win over Houston when he was slammed to the ground by Texans defensive end Mario Williams. It was one of Williams' two sacks in the game.

Commentary: Roethlisberger gets nicked up quite a bit, considering his position and his competitive style of play. He'll take the hit in an effort to keep the play alive, oftentimes to his detriment. In this instance, Williams was on him quickly after his finished his dropback and before he finished his progression downfield. But over the course of the season, he absorbs a good amount of punishment. That's why Roethlisberger was pulled after a dominant three-quarter, two-touchdown performance.

Along with the shoulder injury, Roethlisberger said he hyperextended his knee when he was hit by defensive tackle Amobi Okoye. He had a similar injury against San Diego in 2005, which caused him to miss a game. The 2007 season was the first of his four-year career in which Roethlisberger was able to start every game; he would have made it all 16, but the team sat him in favor of Charlie Batch in a Week 16 throwaway game at Baltimore.

Considering the season-ending injury to Patriots QB Tom Brady, offseason knee surgery for Colts QB Peyton Manning and MCL sprain for Titans passer Vince Young, the Steelers find themselves in an AFC front-runner position early in the year simply because they have their No. 1 quarterback healthy. Manning didn't look as strong as he usually did, and his offensive line didn't provide the ample protection to which Manning is accustomed during Indy's season opener, a 29-13 loss to the Bears. That makes Roethlisberger's knees, which have already sustained a fair amount of damage in four seasons, crucial for the Steelers' success.

Dallas was able to have a large amount of offensive success against Cleveland last week. If the Steelers' scheme can give Roethlisberger time, he should be able to shred the Browns' suspect defense this week; as a result, he might be able to get out of the game early for extra rest.

Fan Pulse: Fans posting on Steelers Fever are optimistic not only about Roethlisberger's health but about Pittsburgh's chances on Sunday night at Cleveland.

Fantasy Football Impact: Roethlisberger had as strong a performance as he's ever had through three quarters in Week 1. He's lit Cleveland up multiple times in his career, and is a safe bet to put up a good performance this week. But he's going against a Cleveland team that has AFC North championship aspirations, and the thought of starting off 0-2 is enough to get them motivated.

Injury Watch: Along with Roethlisberger's shoulder and knee, left tackle Marvel Smith tweaked his groin in Pittsburgh's Week 1 win. Cornerback Deshea Townsend has a bruised heel, but both are expected play against Cleveland.
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About Neal Coolong

Neal Coolong is a freelance sports writer with contributions to Scout.com, AOL and Steelers Live. He lives with his fiance in St. Paul, Minn., and saves every dime (that she knows about) for their wedding next June. He's already made the prediction that the Steelers 2007 draft class will be one ...
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