Read More: Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT), Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns

The Pittsburgh Steelers are playing the Cleveland Browns in Week 17 and they should have Ben Roethlisberger available. The Steelers QB missed Week 16 with a high ankle sprain but the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reports that he was a full participant in Friday’s practice and is expected to start against Cleveland.

That’s good news for the Steelers who still have something to play for. They’ve clinched a playoff spot but still have a shot at securing a division title, first round bye and even perhaps home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

If the Steelers beat the Browns, and the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers would win the AFC North and receive the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs. Without that No. 2 seed, they will be the fifth seed without a first round bye. The Steelers can even secure the No. 1 overall seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs if they win and both the Ravens and New England Patriots lose.

So the Steelers have plenty to play for, which means Roethlisberger will be out there. Previous reports indicated that they may get him just 25-30 snaps so he’s not rusty entering the playoffs.

If Roethlisberger can’t go, or comes out, Charlie Batch would replace him.

Check out SB Nation’s Behind The Steel Curtain for more on the Steelers.

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t want his sprained left ankle to keep him out of Pittsburgh’s regular-season finale Sunday in Cleveland against the Browns.

“As long as I can deal with pain, I’ll be out there,” Roethlisberger said Thursday. “I don’t want to let the guys down, so I’ll do what I can to be out there.”

Roethlisberger, who sat out the Steelers’ 27-0 win last Sunday against the St. Louis Rams, fully participated in practice again Thursday. He said the ankle, sprained on Dec. 8 in Pittsburgh’s last meeting with the Browns, was “a little sore.”

Roethlisberger was injured against Cleveland when he was sacked in the second quarter by Browns defensive linemen Scott Paxson and Brian Schaefering. He returned to the game and then played all of Pittsburgh’s next game, a 20-3 loss to the 49ers in San Francisco on Dec. 19.

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said he was “much more” confident in Roethlisberger’s ability to play this Sunday against the Browns after watching the quarterback’s mobility improve in Thursday’s practice.

Roethlisberger will play if he’s healthy, Arians said.

“I want him out there but not at the risk of injuring himself,” Arians said. “If he can’t move around and get out of the way, there’s no sense in getting him out there.”

There’s plenty at stake against the Browns as the Steelers (11-4) remain in the hunt for the AFC North championship. To win it, they need a win vs. Cleveland and hope the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

If Roethlisberger can’t play, 37-year-old Charlie Batch, who threw for 208 yards in the Steelers’ win over the Rams, is available.

Guard Doug Legursky (shoulder) and safety Troy Polamalu (knee) sat out for the second straight practice Thursday. Linebacker James Harrison, who sat out Wednesday’s practice with a neck injury, and receiver Mike Wallace (ankle), who was limited in practice Wednesday, participated fully Thursday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot to play for in Week 17. They are currently 11-4 and tied with the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North. Baltimore owns the tiebreaker but faces a tough Week 17 test against the Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, the Steelers have a trip to face the Cleveland Browns. If the Steelers win and the Ravens lose, Pittsburgh will win the division and earn a bye. That’s not out of the realm of possibility. Pittsburgh could get a big boost if quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is able to play.

Roethlisberger has been dealing with an injured ankle since the last time his team faced the Browns. That was all the way back on Thursday, December 8. Roethlisberger played in the following game against the San Francisco 49ers but was visibly limited. He sat out in Week 16 as his team drilled the lowly St. Louis Rams. Now, the hope is that his high ankle sprain is rested enough to allow him to play in the game. That could be a huge boost for a team hoping to win the division. Roethlisberger will be watched closely throughout the week but there is a real chance he can play. If that happens, beating the Browns should be no problem for the Steelers.

Roethlisberger has been pretty solid in the 2011 season. After a rough start he has bounced back to throw 21 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions. Big Ben has struggled against elite defenses but Cleveland doesn’t really fit that bill. The Browns are in the midst of a disastrous 2011 season and would have a hard time winning this game no matter who was under center for the Steelers.

Pittsburgh might ultimately decide to rest Roethlisberger another week if he is still hobbled. Their playoff spot is secure and Pittsburgh has been able to win on the road in the playoffs before. If it is in the best interest of the team to not risk Roethlisberger’s health, they won’t do it. Pittsburgh knows it is good enough to be successful in the playoffs on the road as well as at home. If Big Ben can play, he will. But if he is still sore, I expect the Steelers will rest him.

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Pittsburgh Steelers offensive players come with a high level of risk in Week 16. The Steelers are going up against a horrible St. Louis Rams team, and the team might feel that Charlie Batch could win the game as the starting quarterback. As Ben Roethlisberger tries to recover from a high left ankle sprain, the Steelers could pull in the sails on the way to the 2012 AFC Playoffs.

It was reported today (Dec. 21) that Roethlisberger could even sit out the last two weeks of the season to aid in his recovery. Center Maurkice Pouncey is also going to miss another game this week, leaving the Steelers relying on other players to beat the Rams on Saturday (Dec. 24). What this means is that it is scrambling time for fantasy football owners relying upon the Steelers players to survive in league playoffs.

The Steelers are still trying to win the AFC North and grab one of the top two spots in the AFC Playoffs. It might not happen though, even with wins in the last two weeks against the Rams and Cleveland Browns. The team lost both games to the Baltimore Ravens this year, losing the head-to-head tie-breaker in the process. Now the Ravens have to lose to either Cleveland (Week 16) or the Cincinnati Bengals (Week 17) for the Steelers to have a shot.

Now it looks like Batch is the guy that will throw passes to Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Heath Miller at least in Week 16. That’s a tough position for fantasy owners to find themselves in, because it might lead to a need to bench Wallace and Brown for the week. They are certainly very talented receivers, but you have to wonder if Batch is going to get them the ball or if the Steelers will rely on the ground game and defense to win this one.

Rashard Mendenhall is a must-start against the Rams, likely giving him the chance to rush for around 125-140 yards on the ground. He could also get in the end zone twice if the offense gets fed through him the entire day. Everyone else on the Steelers is a risky start this week, so think hard about the choices on your roster before relying on Wallace or Brown to win your league.

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Sources:

Week 15 NFL Scores

Defensive Team Leaders

Yahoo! Fantasy Football

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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers defense could be at full strength on Sunday when they face the Cincinnati Bengals.

Safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker LaMarr Woodley both practiced on Thursday Polamalu left last week’s 13-9 win over Kansas City in the first half with concussion-like symptoms while Woodley hasn’t played since Oct. 30 with a left hamstring injury.

Center Maurkice Pouncey also practiced in a limited role. He left the Chiefs game after becoming dehydrated due to the flu. Pouncey said he lost 12 pounds in a couple of days but expects to play against the Bengals.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger left practice early after slightly aggravating his fractured right thumb, though offensive coordinator Bruce Arians called it no big deal.

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders did not practice with a foot issue.