Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger down but not out after injury

Jay Asser 09:01 29/09/2015
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  • He’s hurting: Ben Roethlisberger.

    The Pittsburgh Steelers have lost their starting quarterback to injury but dodged a major bullet with Ben Roethlisberger expected to miss at least the next month.

    Roethlisberger was diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his left knee after going down in the third quarter of the Steelers’ 12-6 win over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.

    The injury initially appeared to be more serious but Roethlisberger avoided a ligament tear that could have potentially ended his season and will instead be sidelined four to six weeks.

    “Ben is a competitor and we are confident he will do everything in his power to return at the appropriate time,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement.

    The two-time Super Bowl winner suffered the injury when Rams safety Mark Barron sacked him with a low hit in the middle of the third quarter.

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    Barron, who appeared to trip and fall into Roethlisberger, wasn’t flagged on the play for hitting the quarterback low.

    “I stumbled a bit but on my way down I caught a piece of his leg,” Barron said. “I’m not sure exactly what area it was but that’s what happened.”

    Before departing, Roethlisberger was 20-of-24 for 192 yards and an interception in the game, with a 113.1 passer rating for the season.

    Michael Vick replaced him and was 5-of-6 for 38 yards as Pittsburgh escaped with a win.

    Vick will likely be under centre with Roethlisberger out and holds a 6-13 record as a starter over the past three seasons.

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