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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch, left, talks to head coach Mike Tomlin on in Cleveland. (AP photo / November 27, 2012) |
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger took a break from changing his newborn son’s diapers to throw a few passes with his sprained right shoulder on Monday.
The Pittsburgh Steelers saw enough to ask their franchise quarterback to throw a few more over the next few days, hoping he can recover in time to salvage a season in danger of slipping through their fingers.
Calling the session “a step in the right direction,” coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday there’s “a chance” Roethlisberger could play on Sunday in Baltimore.
“We’ll leave the door open,” Tomlin said.
Or maybe just closed, but not locked.
Roethlisberger hasn’t played since getting slammed to the turf in the third quarter of a 16-13 overtime victory over Kansas City on Nov. 12, suffering a sprained right shoulder and dislocated rib. He’s spent time welcoming his son Ben Jr. — born last Wednesday — and watching his team lose consecutive games for the first time in three years while managing two offensive touchdowns in 10 quarters of work.
The nadir — Pittsburgh hopes — came in an eight-turnover, almost comically bad 20-14 loss to Cleveland last Sunday that left the Steelers at 6-5 and heading in the wrong direction as December begins.
“It’s quite amazing that you only lose by six,” Tomlin said, “when you provide that type of leg up to the opponent.”
One the Steelers hope to avoid even if backup Charlie Batch makes his second straight start. Though Roethlisberger appears to be a long shot at best, there’s a chance a few familiar faces could be in uniform against the Ravens (9-2), who could wrap up the AFC North title with a win over the Steelers and a Cincinnati Bengals loss.
Safety Troy Polamalu and wide receiver Antonio Brown could both play Sunday. Polamalu has been limited to just five quarters all season due to a right calf injury, though Tomlin said he’s “encouraged” by Polamalu’s progress.
