Despite the myriad injuries on both sides of the football, the Pittsburgh Steelers navigated the first ten weeks of the 2011 season successfully thanks in large part to Ben Roethlisberger’s stellar play. After a rough start to the year, Big Ben turned it up in a big way in the month of October. Beyond just the statistical production though, Roethlisberger’s toughness has allowed him to remain in the lineup despite dealing with nagging injuries for much of the year.
Roethlisberger’s latest physical setback came against Cincinnati when the sturdy QB broke the thumb on his right throwing hand. He didn’t leave the contest though — a 24-17 win by Pittsburgh — and his coach, Mike Tomlin, doesn’t expect the injury to keep him out of Pittsburgh’s Week 12 matchup in Kansas City against the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.
“Those of us who know Ben understand that he’s going to show and show for his teammates,” Tomlin said.
Roethlisberger reportedly has been wearing a protective splint underneath the glove he dons on his throwing hand, and he has avoided taking snaps under center this week to avoid unnecessary pain and discomfort. But Tomlin again reiterated that he trusts Roethlisberger to manage the pain and play effectively like he’s done so many times in the past when entering a game injured.
“There’s a pain tolerance issue,” Tomlin said. “There’s a comfortability issue. All of those things will be sorted out throughout the course of the week. To be honest with you, I’m not overly concerned about (Roethlisberger’s) ability to be effective in the midst of this.”
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