PITTSBURGH -- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will
miss one game and possibly two after arthroscopic knee surgery
Thursday.
A piece of torn cartilage was removed from his right knee.
Coach Bill Cowher said Roethlisberger will definitely miss
Sunday's game against Green Bay. But it's possible he'll return as
early as the Steelers' game Nov. 13 against Cleveland, even though
the operation normally sidelines a player 10 to 14 days.
Roethlisberger, who missed a loss Oct. 16 to Jacksonville with a
hyperextended left knee, initially hurt his right knee Sept. 11
against Tennessee.
The right knee bothered him again after his shoe stuck in the
turf as he was being hit by Baltimore linebacker Jarret Johnson
during the first quarter of the Steelers' 20-19 victory Monday
night.
Roethlisberger stayed in the game and directed a fourth-quarter
drive that resulted in the game-winning field goal, but only after
telling Cowher the right knee was bothering him and he might have
to take himself out of the game.
Roethlisberger had an MRI exam Tuesday, and the Steelers decided
to go ahead with the operation after consulting with specialist
James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.
"Ben wants to play through everything," Cowher said Thursday. "He's been very cooperative and he understands it, and he's
handled this well. He felt good yesterday and wanted to practice
today."
Cowher said there was a risk involved in continuing to play
Roethlisberger without repairing the knee, and that if the injury
continued to worsen the quarterback might be out as long as a
month.
Charlie Batch, who has thrown only eight passes since the 2001
season with Detroit, will replace Roethlisberger on Sunday in Green
Bay.
Batch, a former Lions starter, came to the Steelers in 2002, and
moved up on the depth chart after Tommy Maddox had four turnovers
in the 23-17 overtime loss to Jacksonville. Maddox committed a
fumble and threw an interception that was returned for the
game-winning touchdown in overtime.