Steelers coach Mike Tomlin confirmed quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s knee injury at his weekly news conference Monday, but didn’t offer a whole lot of clarity beyond that.
Tomlin said Roethlisberger will miss “a number of weeks” after spraining his medial collateral ligament (MCL) in Sunday’s 12-6 win against the Rams. Tomlin did not, though, offer any specifics beyond saying that Roethlisberger will not play Thursday against the Ravens.
“I don’t have great detail about what that length of time might look like or might be, to be quite honest with you,” Tomlin said. “I know he’s out this week.”
Michael Vick took over after Roethlisberger went down in the third quarter, and will be the Steelers’ starter for as long as Roethlisberger is out. Tomlin said the team will “rally around” Vick.
Tomlin said that, unlike most viewers, he didn’t automatically assume the worst when Roethlisberger went down.
“I didn’t assume that it was a season-ending injury,” he said. “I never assume anything when someone gets hurt. I wait until I get medical information, and when I got it, that’s what they gave us. I don’t spend a lot of time or waste a lot of time and energy speculating.”
He also didn’t need to take much time encouraging Roethlisberger after he got hurt.
“Ben’s a ‘been there, done that’ guy,” Tomlin said. “No words needed.”
While Tomlin said he was comfortable with Vick’s knowledge of the team’s playbook, that doesn’t mean the look of the offense won’t change.
“He is (comfortable in the offense), but that doesn’t mean that we’re going to ask him to execute our offense in the same manner as we’d ask Ben to,” Tomlin said. “Ben and coach (Todd) Haley have been together for three years now, Ben has been in Pittsburgh for over 10 years. There’s a certain comfort in that continuity.
“We’re not going to assume certain things because Mike is a veteran player, and he’s up to speed on a large body of work. We’re going to work in his comfort zone and bring the game to him, to allow him to put us in the best position to win the football game.”
Tomlin also said that having Vick under center will not change the team’s strategy when it comes to two-point conversions, either.
With Vick starting, Landry Jones will move up to the primary backup spot. Tomlin said he’s confident in Jones’ ability in that role. The Steelers will not look to sign an additional quarterback to the roster or practice squad at this point, Tomlin said.
As far as the low hit from the Rams’ Mark Barron that led to Roethlisberger’s injury, Tomlin declined to offer any thoughts on the legality of the tackle.
“I’m not going to be critical of the hit or of officiating,” he said.
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