PITTSBURGH (TNS) – Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs proved correct in his prediction – Ben Roethlisberger will start at quarterback Sunday for the Steelers barring any setback between now and their game in Baltimore.
Roethlisberger practiced again Thursday, and a source said he took more snaps than he did the previous day and that it appeared he would start.
The 34-year-old quarterback had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee Oct. 17, the day after it was injured during the Steelers’ 30-16 loss in Miami. He missed the following week’s game against New England in which Landry Jones started at quarterback in a 27-16 loss. The Steelers had last week off, when Roethlisberger threw some passes in practice. He did much more this week.
“He looked good out there today, knows what he’s supposed to do, made some good throws,” offensive coordinator Todd Haley said after today’s practice. “We’ll see, or coach (Mike Tomlin) will see.”
Provided his knee holds up as it has the past few days, he will start Sunday.
“I think with something like that it’s just each day how he feels the next day, Haley said.
The Steelers officially listed Roethlisberger as being “limited” in practice on Wednesday and Thursday and backup Landry Jones as going through a full practice each day.
“He’s been in there some snaps and Landry obviously has gotten a bunch of snaps,” Haley said. “It will come down to the end of the week and what coach and he decide.”
Teammates also were confident in how Roethlisberger practiced.
“I thought he looked pretty good,” guard Ramon Foster said. “He was throwing the way he normally does, but that doesn’t say how his knee feels.
“Our job is going to be to not letting him move around, pushing it more than he should or letting guys hit him – and they’re going to be aiming for that.”
