On Friday, Dec. 23, ESPN’s Adam Shefter reported that Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is a game-time decision for Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Rams. If Roethlisberger is unable to go, then backup Charlie Batch would likely get the start.

Some of my fellow Rams fans might think I’m crazy, but I hope Big Ben plays. The Rams pass rush has been one of the few bright spots on the team this season, and I can’t wait to see the unit go after the Steelers’ wounded offensive line.

The only chance the Rams have of winning this game is if they can force Roethlisberger into turning the ball over. The Rams will have defensive ends Chris Long and Robert Quinn going after Roethlisberger early and often, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team blitz even more than it has already this season.

I think the Steelers will be tempted to throw more if Roethlisberger plays. With Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown lining up opposite of the Rams’ makeshift secondary, I can see Roethlisberger standing in the pocket trying to get the ball downfield. That’s where the Rams have a chance to cause Pittsburgh some problems. It’s a risky strategy, but it’s the only hope the Rams have against the mighty Steelers.

In reality, I fully expect the Steelers to come out and run the ball at the Rams regardless of who starts at quarterback. It’s no secret that the Rams have the worst rush defense in the NFL. Even though Rashard Mendenhall has struggled at times this season, the Steelers should be able to open up some holes for him. In fact, if the Steelers are determined enough, I think Mendenhall could easily run for 150 yards on the Rams.

However, if Roethlisberger plays, I think the Steelers might be aggressive enough for the Rams to take advantage of the situation. I know it’s strange for me to say that, but if Roethlisberger is as immobile as he looked against the 49ers, then the Rams have enough talent on the defensive line to cause some problems. I know this is wishful thinking, but at this point in a 2-12 season, that’s all I have.

The smart thing for the Steelers to do would be to have Roethlisberger rest his sprained ankle, but who knows if that will happen. I guess I’ll find out on Saturday.

Derek Ciapala has been a Rams fan since he was a child and the team was in Los Angeles. His favorite Rams moments include Flipper Anderson’s 336-yard receiving night against the Saints in 1989, and their miracle 1999 run to their first Super Bowl victory. You can follow him on Twitter @dciapala.

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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will not start Saturday when the Steelers face the St. Louis Rams.

Roethlisberger is dealing with a sprained left ankle and did not practice this week following a 20-3 loss to San Francisco on Monday. He will be replaced by veteran Charlie Batch, who is 4-2 as a spot starter since joining the Steelers in 2003.

Roethlisberger said Wednesday he would prefer to play and believed his ankle was in pretty good shape after throwing for 330 yards and three interceptions against the 49ers. Yet he watched both practices this week in sweat pants as Batch took the snaps with the first team.

Roethlisberger last missed a start due to injury in 2009, when a concussion forced him to sit out a loss to Baltimore.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

It is game-eve, the day before the Pittsburgh Steelers face the St. Louis Rams on December 24, 2011. Here’s my Steelers wish list for Santa.

Dear Santa,

What I want for Christmas is simple. I want the Steelers to earn the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs. I know the Steelers were bad last week. The #1 seed was gift-wrapped and ready to be taken. But somehow the Steelers lost to the mediocre San Francisco 49ers. The Steelers played badly, but their intentions were good. They were in the spirit of giving instead of taking (turnovers). Fans in San Francisco (those not newly on the bandwagon) haven’t had football thoughts at this time of year for decades. The Steelers have given them a chance to dream of long-forgotten glory. Even the referees chipped in to help the 49ers by missing an obvious 3rd down reception by Antonio Brown and curiously confusing a muffed punt with interference. But I’m not bitter.

So, the Steelers need some help getting the #1 seed, Santa. Can you please give us fans the following to help them out?

A Houston Texans loss

Thank you, Santa and the Indianapolis Colts. This is already accomplished. See? This isn’t so hard.

A sensible win against the Rams

The Steelers should rest Ben Roethlisberger, at least for this game to let his ankle heal up. Santa, send Coach Mike Tomlin a reminder to let Charlie Batch (or Dennis Dixon) hand the ball off to RBs Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman. The Rams give up the most rushing yards in the NFL. The game plan is simple – ram it down their throats and walk away with a W. There is no need for Roethlisberger to face Chris Long and the Rams pash rush. The Rams have won one game on the road; the Steelers have only lost one game at home. Santa, you shouldn’t have to work too hard on this one. But you could put some coal in Steven Jackson’s stockings to slow him down.

A Baltimore Ravens loss

The Ravens fans are cawing because their embarrasing loss to the San Diego Chargers didn’t cost them the AFC North crown, yet. This week they play the Cleveland Browns in Baltimore. Yes, Santa, it is asking a lot. But can you help Seneca Wallace and Peyton Hillis score? And can you teach the Browns how to tackle Ray Rice before he gains 200 yards? It is hard to imagine what Ravens fans would do if the Ravens lose this one. Let’s find out!

A New England Patriots loss

The Patriots, with no real defense, still looked impressive defeating the Denver Broncos and the Tim Tebow express last Sunday. On Saturday they are at home against their division foes, the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins have played better in the second half of the season. Santa, can you help C.J. Spiller, Brandon Marshall, and company to come out victorious? You will probably have to tackle Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski yourself, but that’s OK with me. Use your sleigh to knock down Tom Brady’s passes. Whatever you can do, I will appreciate it.

That’s it, Santa. Just a few items on this fan’s list. Forget the milk and cookies. If you can help the Steelers out, I’m sure there will be a Primanti Brothers sandwich and an Iron City for you. Here we go, Santa, here we go!

Sean Durity is a Terrible Towel twirling Steelers fan living in Atlanta. He grew up cheering the 1970s dynasty and appreciates the organization’s excellence even more as an adult.

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Read More: Charlie Batch (QB – PIT), Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT), Pittsburgh Steelers, St. Louis Rams

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be a “game-time decision” for Saturday’s matchup against the St. Louis Rams, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN. Roethlisberger is battling a Grade 1 ankle sprain which limited his mobility and effectiveness against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football, a 20-3 Steelers loss which complicated their pursuit of the AFC North title and a first-round playoff bye. The veteran signal-caller threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in that game.

Roethlisberger initially suffered the injury Dec. 8 against the Cleveland Browns and left that game briefly, with 37-year-old Charlie Batch replacing him. Batch figures to start Saturday if Roethlisberger can’t play, with Dennis Dixon serving as his backup. Roethlisberger did not participate in practice Wednesday or Thursday.

St. Louis is battling quarterback injuries of its own. Starting quarterback Sam Bradford is listed as doubtful, while second-stringer A.J. Feeley has already been ruled out. That leaves the quarterbacking duties to Kellen Clemens.

For more on the Steelers, please visit Behind the Steel Curtain, SB Nation’s Steelers blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation St. Louis and Turf Show Times, SB Nation’s Rams blog.

Read More: Charlie Batch (QB – PIT), Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT), Mewelde Moore (RB – PIT), LaMarr Woodley (LB – PIT), Maurkice Pouncey (C – PIT), Emmanuel Sanders (WR – PIT), Curtis Brown (DB – PIT), Pittsburgh Steelers, St. Louis Rams

The Pittsburgh Steelers are facing the St. Louis Rams this weekend as they hope to bounce back from a disappointing performance on national television, but their bigger opponent in the short-term may be themselves. Injuries have been piling up amongst the Steelers’ key players, with the most notable being star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s high ankle sprain. 

Reports say that the team doesn’t expect Roethlisberger to start against St. Louis, so they may be forced to go with Charlie Batch as they try to build some momentum for the postseason. Pittsburgh’s full injury report can be found here, but it’s shown below:

Did Not Participate

- QB Ben Roethlisberger

- LB LaMarr Woodley

- RB Mewelde Moore

- DB Curtis Brown

Limited Participation

- C Maurkice Pouncey

- WR Emmanuel Sanders

The big names to focus on here are Roethlisberger, Woodley and Pouncey. Roethlisberger isn’t expected to play, but both Woodley and Pouncey are expected to be on the field against St. Louis. They’ll likely play less than usual, though, as the team tries to get healthier for the playoffs.

Stay tuned to SB Nation St. Louis for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the St. Louis Rams be sure to visit Turf Show Times. For more on the Pittsburgh Steelers, check out Behind the Steel Curtain. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

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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PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Ben Roethlisberger’s injured left ankle — unlike the lighting at Candlestick Park — held up Monday night against San Francisco

The same can’t be said of his team’s chances of grabbing the top spot in the AFC playoffs.

Roethlisberger passed for 330 yards but also threw three interceptions and fumbled once while basically playing on one leg in a 20-3 loss to the 49ers, a frustrating end to a weird night in which the Steelers let control of the AFC playoff picture slip through their fingers.

Instead of sitting atop the conference with two weeks to go in the regular season, the Steelers (10-4) need to win both of their remaining games and one loss each by Baltimore, New England and Houston to make sure they don’t have to leave Heinz Field in January.

“Yes, we had the ball in our court and we dropped it a little bit,” wide receiver Mike Wallace said. “Having home field is a help but it is not everything. We can still go on the road and win.”

Maybe, but the Steelers haven’t showed it this season. They’re a pedestrian 4-3 on the road, with each of their losses coming against playoff-bound teams.

Though the Steelers are quick to point out they won three games on the road on the way to the 2006 Super Bowl title, this group has some pressing needs to address before the playoffs even start.

Roethlisberger limped his way through four frustrating quarters without further damaging his badly sprained right ankle. He also didn’t look crisp — his three interceptions were on poorly underthrown passes, with all three coming in San Francisco territory.

“I was probably the best 49er,” Roethlisberger said after the Steelers were held without a touchdown for the first time in over two years.

Despite his quarterback’s mobility issues, coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he never considered pulling Roethlisberger late with the game seemingly out of reach.

“He’s a competitor and I’m not going to deny those guys those opportunities,” Tomlin said. “I think his teammates have an appreciation for that and that’s how we’re built.”

Roethlisberger insisted afterward he got by on “two Advils, two Tylenols” and a hefty dose of adrenaline. He will be re-evaluated Wednesday but will try to play Saturday against reeling St. Louis (2-12) even if he says he’s only “five per cent.”

“I want to be out there. It’s their call to say yes or no,” Roethlisberger said.

The Steelers should get a boost from the return of linebacker James Harrison, who sat out while serving a one-game suspension following a helmet-to-helmet hit on Cleveland’s Colt McCoy on Dec. 8.

The defence held its own, allowing 287 total yards, but failed to create a turnover, forcing the Steelers to go the length of the field to score. Pittsburgh had little trouble moving the ball, converting 8 of 14 third downs, but let numerous scoring opportunities slip away.

The Steelers will be without Mewelde Moore, who hurt his knee and is out indefinitely. Running back Rashard Mendenhall is nursing sore ribs while linebacker LaMarr Woodley’s strained right hamstring is fatigued but otherwise OK.

Pittsburgh will need its stars if it wants to return to the Super Bowl after the lights dimmed on any chance of getting homefield advantage.

“We are not worried about top seed or anything else,” linebacker James Farrior said. “We have two games left in the season and we want to finish up strong.”

A pair of stadium power outages could not prevent the San Francisco 49ers from overcoming the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3 Monday in a gritty matchup between playoff-bound teams.

The lights went out at Candlestick Park on two occasions, delaying the game’s start for 20 minutes before again halting the action for about 15 minutes early in the second quarter.

The blackouts, however, had little effect on the home side, who controlled the game from start to finish.

“It was unusual, you don’t expect to deal with something like that – let alone twice,” 49ers quarterback Alex Smith told reporters of the light issues.

“It was a big game with two 10-win teams. This game was about respect.”

San Francisco forced Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, playing through an ankle sprain, into two first-quarter interceptions to limit Pittsburgh’s air attack and take a 6-0 halftime lead.

The 49ers squeezed the life out of the Steelers in the second half. Smith tossed a one-yard pass to Vernon Davis for a 13-3 third quarter lead before Frank Gore capped a drive with a five-yard touchdown run with 9:10 left in the contest.

San Francisco finished with just 287 total yards but dictated the action to keep pace for a top NFC playoff seed.

“I think we need to acknowledge that was 49ers football. We played the game on their terms,” said Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin.

“We didn’t do enough. We had an opportunity and didn’t seize it.”

Having already clinched the NFC West Division, the 49ers (11-3) are tied with New Orleans for second in the conference, two games behind leaders Green Bay with two games to play.

Roethlisberger finished with 330 passing yards but three interceptions for the Steelers (10-4) who had their four-game win streak snapped and missed the chance to take the outright lead in the AFC North. Pittsburgh are tied for first with Baltimore.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles. Editing by Patrick Johnston)

Read More: Troy Polamalu (SS – PIT), Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT), Maurkice Pouncey (C – PIT), Emmanuel Sanders (WR – PIT), Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers

As the San Francisco 49ers prepare to welcome in the Pittsburgh Steelers for Monday Night Football, they may catch a few breaks. According to recent reports on Saturday from Steelers practice, Ben Roethlisberger continued to be limited at practice and is questionable for the showdown. All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey has been ruled out for the game, as has wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

This news has to be concerning for the Steelers, especially with Big Ben already banged up. Even if Roethlisberger plays — and most are expecting him to do so — you have to wonder what will happen if and when the 49ers relentless pass rush puts pressure on that sprained ankle.

There was some good news for the Steelers on Saturday with Troy Polamalu:

We’ll have to closely monitor the progress of Roethlisberger and Polamalu, especially with kickoff just about 48 hours away. This is a big game, folks, and Pittsburgh will need all hands on deck if they want to pull off the road victory.

For more on the 49ers, head on over to Niners Nation.

Read More: Charlie Batch (QB – PIT), Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT), Frank Gore (RB – SFX), Tavares Gooden (LB – SFX), Aldon Smith (LB – SFX), Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers

It’s no secret that the San Francisco 49ers are in a tough spot right now. Well, as tough a spot as you can be in with ten wins and a division title. They’re sitting at 10-3 and looking to pick up a big win on Monday Night Football over the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that is among the AFC’s best. The 49ers are also coming off a very bad loss this past week to the Arizona Cardinals, a game in which they should have won, by all accounts.

There is a lot they need to work on. The offensive line will need to up its game and the coaching staff needs to call a much better game offensively. Running back Frank Gore can’t carry the ball only ten times when he has over 70 yards with those ten carries. The coaching staff can’t call pass plays on 3^rd and 1 and 4^th and 1 at the end of the game, when the passing game hadn’t picked up and Alex Smith was being sacked.

But on Monday, they could have one less extremely important thing to worry about: Ben Roethlisberger. He’s got a high ankle sprain, though it’s only a minor one. Still, that sprain has been acting up lately and it’s going to be tough for Roethlisberger to return. With the extra rest, it would be no surprise to see him play on Monday, but it doesn’t appear to be healing on schedule, certainly a good thing for San Francisco.

Roethlisberger has been one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks this season. Sam Lam of Examiner.com recently had some questions for 49ers linebacker Tavares Gooden, who is very familiar with the Steelers from his time with the Baltimore Ravens, AFC North rivals. Gooden noted one specific thing about how the Steelers have been so good this year:

He just extends the play. The guys that are coming after him, he’s able to avoid them. That’s the part of their livelihood, that’s how they eat on offense. They’re just making great plays. … They just find ways to win games and I think it’s all based on Big Ben’s ability to get free on third and long down situations and he makes a lot of plays with his feet.

It’s definitely apt. Roethlisberger’s greatest asset has always been his ability to extend the plays. If he’s not playing, that makes defending the Pittsburgh offense a whole lot easier, and Charlie Batch certainly lacks that ability. Not to mention that, if Roethlisberger were to play, he might be pretty limited in his mobility – perhaps a giant target for 49ers rookie linebacker Aldon Smith?

Regardless of whether or not Roethlisberger plays, the ankle injury should help them on Monday night. Now about that Pittsburgh defense …

The San Francisco 49ers are coming off a difficult loss to the Arizona Cardinals and will look to rebound in a big game this week. San Francisco will host the Pittsburgh Steelers at home on Monday Night Football. Both teams are trying to solidify their positioning for the playoffs and are playing for home field advantage.

The biggest challenge for San Francisco in this game will be protecting quarterback Alex Smith. The offensive line has had a lot of trouble protecting Smith lately and surrendered 18 sacks in the last three games. Before that, Smith had been sacked just 21 times in the first 10 games of the season. Pittsburgh is one of the best teams in the NFL at disguising their blitzes and pressuring the quarterback. If San Francisco can win this battle, it will most likely lead to them winning the game. Smith has been good this season when given time in the pocket to throw the ball.

Pittsburgh will be without suspended linebacker James Harrison in the game and may also be without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who has been nursing an injured ankle. Roethlisberger will likely be a game-time decision for Pittsburgh. The extra day off may be just enough to help him recover in time for the game. Based on his past, San Francisco should count on him playing in the game. Roethlisberger is one of the toughest players in the NFL and always seems to be out there making plays to help his team win.

San Francisco will have to be able to get a strong pass rush and prevent Roethlisberger or whoever plays quarterback from finding their big play receivers down field. Big Ben’s mobility will be limited if he does play and San Francisco will need to apply constant pressure. If Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown are constantly open downfield, it could be a long day for San Francisco and their fans. I think with a hobbled Roethlisberger or no Ben at all, Pittsburgh will have a difficult time defeating San Francisco.

This game will go a long way toward proving to themselves that San Francisco belongs in the playoffs and should be mentioned with the elite teams in the NFL. A loss here would leave them with very few victories against opponents heading to the playoffs in 2011. This would leave 49er fans worried come playoff time. When they play their best, they’re good enough to compete with anyone. I think they’ll have just enough to defeat Pittsburgh this week.

Prediction: 49ers 24, Steelers 21

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and grew up in Northern California rooting for the 49ers teams led by Joe Montana and Steve Young. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

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Ben Roethlisberger’s sprained left ankle looks, well, more like an ankle than it did after last week’s 14-3 win over the Browns.

The swelling is down. The rainbow of colors that surrounded the mangled joint earlier in the week have been reduced to a little black here, a little blue there.

That doesn’t mean the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is any closer to playing on Monday night against San Francisco.

Roethlisberger sat out his third practice in a row on Thursday, hoping another 24 hours of rest will help him avoid missing his first start due to injury in more than two years.

“The goal is as soon as possible to get in there and get in as much work as I can,” Roethlisberger said.

That might not be until Saturday at the earliest, and offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said the team could wait until after warm-ups against the 49ers to make a decision.

Veteran Charlie Batch will get the call if Roethlisberger can’t go, though Roethlisberger is doing everything he can to get ready.

Hot tubs. Cold tubs. Range of motion exercises. Massages. Roethlisberger was even fitted for a custom-made ankle brace on Thursday which he plans to wear whenever he returns.

While he’s no stranger to playing hurt — he’s already dealt with a sprained left foot and a fractured right thumb this year — the problem this time is the inability to execute even the most routine tasks.

“If this was just a matter of pain, I’d be out there, but it’s being physically unable to do certain things,” he said.

Arians acknowledged if Roethlisberger tried to practice on Thursday, he would have to work exclusively out of the shotgun.

Getting under center and taking a snap is something Roethlisberger was able to do during the second half against the Browns, though he chalked it up to the heat of the moment.

“The second half of that game you’re playing off adrenaline, you’re playing off emotion,” he said. “The next couple days after that, I just kind of shook my head because I couldn’t have done it. I don’t know how I did.”

Roethlisberger was at least able to briefly shed the walking boot he’s gingerly hobbled around in for the previous six days.

The doctors told him to walk around but don’t get cute.

“The more I’m out of it, the more I want to move it,” Roethlisberger said. “Movement is good because it gets the fluid out but I also catch myself every once in awhile turning it sideways or doing something and it almost puts me to the ground.”

Not exactly a ringing endorsement. Roethlisberger last missed a start due to injury against Baltimore two years ago, when a concussion forced him to watch Dennis Dixon play in a 20-17 overtime loss.

It will be the 37-year-old Batch, however, who will get the nod if Roethlisberger can’t play. The Steelers went 1-1 with Batch under center last year while Roethlisberger served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Arians stressed the gameplan will not change if Batch starts, though Batch hasn’t topped 200 yards passing in a game since making an emergency start at the end of the 2007 season. Roethlisberger has gone over 200 yards in all but two of his starts this year.

Even if he plays, however, the Steelers are likely to be more conservative and rely on the defense and the running game. The 49ers (10-3) have been one of the league’s biggest surprises but aren’t the kind of team that lights up a scoreboard.

That doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous, and the Steelers could be decidedly short-handed. Roethlisberger is just one of a handful of regulars who may be out. Linebacker James Harrison is still waiting to see if his one-game suspension for a series of illegal hits on defenseless players will be overturned, while center Maurkice Pouncey is nursing his own left ankle sprain and joined Roethlisberger in the training room on Thursday.

Safety Troy Polamalu (hamstring), right tackle Marcus Gilbert (illness) and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (right foot) also did not participate in practice though Polamalu and Gilbert are expected to play.

Whether Roethlisberger joins them likely won’t be decided until the team is on the West Coast. Though Arians and head coach Mike Tomlin have said they would like to see their quarterback practice at least once, a good walkthrough may be enough, at least for Roethlisberger.

“If I’m not out there, it’s because they didn’t feel comfortable with me being out there to protect myself,” he said. “They know better than I do. I just tell them whether I can go or not and I think I can go all the time.”

Read More: Charlie Batch (QB – PIT), Ben Roethlisberger (QB – PIT), Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has shed, temporarily at least, the walking boot that has been protecting his injured left ankle and was fitted with a special brace that will help him practice and possibly play next Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers, Mike Bires of the Times Online reports.

Roethlisberger sustained a grade one sprain of his left ankle during the second quarter of last Thursday night’s 14-3 win over the Cleveland Browns. Roethlisberger played through the injury in the second half, completing 16-of-21 pass attempts for 280 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

As was the case on Monday and Wednesday, Roethlisberger will not practice on Thursday. On Wednesday, head coach Mike Tomlin indicated that going through a full practice may not be necessary for Roethlisberger to play on Monday night.

“He can be ready to play on a limited number of snaps,” Tomlin said according to the Associated Press. “At the end of the week, when we get into some situational football things, that’s going to require some physical preparation in some form or fashion. But we’re going to take it day by day. We’re always going to be optimistic when it comes to Ben.”

In the event Roethlisberger is unable to play, veteran Charlie Batch would start at quarterback for the Steelers.

For more on Roethlisberger’s ankle and the Steelers, check out Behind the Steel Curtain.