Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a "setback" to his sprained right ankle against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17, he said Wednesday, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh prevailed, 13-9, but Roethlisberger's ankle clearly limited his effectiveness. Roethlisberger completed just 23-of-40 passes for 221 yards and got sacked twice in the win. Though he didn't throw an interception, he didn't throw a touchdown, either.
Thus, Pittsburgh might find itself in some trouble in the 2012 NFL Wild Card Round when it visits Invesco Field at Mile High to take on the Denver Broncos. If Roethlisberger's ankle really has worsened--or even if it's simply failed to improve--then the Steelers face the prospect of having to win a road playoff game without their star quarterback at 100 percent. Pittsburgh struggled against mediocre teams on the road in 2011, with uninspiring performances in victories at the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland.
None of this news guarantees an upset, of course, but certainly Roethlisberger's health bears watching in the days leading up to Wild Card Weekend.
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