Kurd Cudins Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 There is all sorts of speculation that Ben will be fine and ready to play. There are others, like those at PFT, that think he might not play at all. My belief is that it will be somehwere in between. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inxsive Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 They are doomed if they have to start Batch! DOOMED I SAY!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiggoReincarnated Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 What about Tommy Maddox? He's been there longer and deserves it more then Batch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurd Cudins Posted June 13, 2006 Author Share Posted June 13, 2006 What about Tommy Maddox? He's been there longer and deserves it more then Batch. Maddox is gone. I expect them to sign a veteran. Maybe Kerry Collins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9_to_42_td Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 Billy Kilmer went on to play after he almost killed himself. He was in a lot worse shape than Big Ben. There is all sorts of speculation that Ben will be fine and ready to play. There are others, like those at PFT, that think he might not play at all. My belief is that it will be somehwere in between. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartacus87 Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 Any guess at this point is a shot in the dark since we don't know the real extent of his injuries yet. That said, not only does it sound like his face and head are going to be pretty messed up, but there's also the knee damage that hasn't been fully explained either, so it might take him awhile to recover, get in rehab (if extensive rehab is necessary), get back into conditioning (he'll lose a lot of weight), etc. Plus even when he does get back, I doubt Cowher will throw him out there immediately into action. Right now though from the reports, I'd guess he won't be back until about October or maybe early November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thespaniard Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 There is all sorts of speculation that Ben will be fine and ready to play. There are others, like those at PFT, that think he might not play at all. My belief is that it will be somehwere in between. What do you think? PFT is not a real source. I'll go with the real sites saying he will be fine week 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurd Cudins Posted June 13, 2006 Author Share Posted June 13, 2006 PFT is not a real source. I'll go with the real sites saying he will be fine week 1.I wasn't using PFT as a source. I am just speculating based on the fact that he went through 7 hours of surgery to repair a broken jaw, broken nose, and other facial fractures. His doctors have not said yet what they expect his recovery time to be. As well, a broken jaw(the jaw being one of the most brittle bones in the human body) can easily be reinjured if he comes back too soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggio Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 The jaw is a concern, but more so, is all the weight he is going to lose by eating through a straw. He could easily lose 20-30 pounds before the season and will not be able to put tha weight back on until after the offseason. I wouldn't be suprised if he is more injury prone through out the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pvkeeper19 Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 Why speculate now? It's not even absolutely clear yet (at least to us fans) exactly what injuries he sustained. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrockster21 Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 The jaw is a concern, but more so, is all the weight he is going to lose by eating through a straw. He could easily lose 20-30 pounds before the season and will not be able to put tha weight back on until after the offseason. I wouldn't be suprised if he is more injury prone through out the season. The jaw is a concern, as is the weight loss, but also the fractured sinus cavity. That is some serious ****, and takes a long time to recover from. You can't take a NFL hit with a fractured sinus cavity...it could result in serious brain damage. Two years ago Jason Witten played with a broken jaw....an amazing feat. Big Ben is tough, but I don't know about playing with a broken jaw....that's just insane!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWinzit Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 He has always been a big tough guy which has made him a great fit in Pitt. I say he'll be fine. He will however need a lot of practice time. Batch is a good stop gap QB for them. If Roeth. can't go, Kerry Collins is a great option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartacus87 Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 Well the previous reports said that he had severe knee damage, and now it's been changed to minor knee damage with no real structural issues, which makes a big difference. The main things will be the sinus cavity, losing his weight and strength, and he MIGHT have a fractured eye socket according to some Pittsburgh television stations. Not only would all three of those take awhile to recover from, but would also be incredibly painful. So then you're talking about limiting his playing ability in training camp and preseason so as not to reinjure him, but it's also pretty important for him to work on chemistry with Santonio Holmes and the running game without Bettis. I don't know, there are a LOT of x-factors here and before I voted for him coming back at the second half the season due to his knee problems, but now that that's changed I'd put my money on him starting by Week 3, MAYBE Week 2 depending on how he recovers. The Steelers schedule early on is ridiculous as well, so it might be a question of rushing him back even if he's not 100% since they'll definitely need him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimster Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 I just saw this....sounds positive. Roethlisberger upgraded; injuries may not prevent him from playing this season Jun 13, 6:36 PM (ET) Email this Story http://sports.iwon.com/news/06132006/v7353.html PITTSBURGH (AP) - Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could be out of the hospital in a few days and appears likely to play this season after a bloody motorcycle accident in which his helmetless head shattered a car windshield. The Steelers' Super Bowl-winning quarterback was upgraded to fair condition at Mercy Hospital on Tuesday, a day after the scary accident at a busy Pittsburgh intersection left him and his team shaken. Despite being tossed high into the air after his made-for-speed motorcycle rammed into a car, causing him to smack his head on the car's windshield, Roethlisberger escaped career-threatening injuries. Doctors did not discuss Roethlisberger's condition in detail, at the request of his family, but the quarterback's only major injuries were to his face: a broken upper and lower jaw, a loss of two teeth, a broken nose, broken facial bones and various cuts and bruises. Jaw injuries can vary greatly in nature and, because of the rather limited protection provided by a football helmet, have the potential to sideline a player for a lengthy period. But the surgeons who operated on Roethlisberger for seven hours Monday said all of his fractures were successfully repaired. If that is the case, then Roethlisberger might miss part or most of training camp but could be ready for the Sept. 7 opener against Miami. For the Steelers, who would otherwise go into the season with backup Charlie Batch and rookie Omar Jacobs at quarterback, that is the best possible scenario after an accident that left huge splotches of Roethlisberger's dried blood on a city street. Dr. Larry Jones, the chief of Mercy Hospital's trauma unit, said Roethlisberger's brain was functioning normally, although the QB has a concussion. "He is awake, alert, oriented and is resting with his family by his side," Jones said during a news briefing, which reporters were not allowed to ask questions. The 24-year-old Roethlisberger, the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, was initially listed in serious but stable condition following the accident. Considering that Roethlisberger wasn't wearing a helmet while riding his 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa, a model that weighs less than 600 pounds but can easily reach 200 miles per hour in a modified state, the Steelers realize how much worse the accident could have been. Coach Bill Cowher has said nothing publicly since making a hasty return to Pittsburgh from a North Carolina vacation on Monday night, and it is unlikely any team official will comment about Roethlisberger's football future until he is out of the hospital. According to Jones, Roethlisberger could be released in three to five days. In an additional development, KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh reported Roethlisberger does not have a valid Pennsylvania motorcycle license and that his temporary permit expired in March, though he does have a valid automobile driver's license. The Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles declined to comment on the report. Nobody has been cited in the crash and police will not release information until an accident reconstruction is complete, Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Tammy Ewin said Tuesday. Roethlisberger's accident set off debate around the NFL whether teams should take additional contractual safeguards to prevent their key players from participating in hazardous behavior. A standard NFL player's contract prohibits any offseason activity that can be harmful, but not all players have clauses for activities such as motorcycle riding, all-terrain vehicle riding and skydiving. Roethlisberger's contract apparently did not, probably because the Steelers had no indication he indulged in motorcycle riding before signing him in 2004. "Maybe the first persons it'll hit is all the quarterbacks," NFL Player Association president Troy Vincent of the Buffalo Bills said Tuesday. "Now all the QB contracts may have something in them and then it might start tapering into the wideouts and into the running backs, generally your high-priced guys." Vincent said he has ridden motorcycles, but never without a helmet. In May 2005, Cowher warned Roethlisberger about his riding habits after Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow was injured in a motorcycle accident. Winslow tore knee ligaments and was lost for the season. "I wish all our players liked board games or low-risk hobbies," Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage said Tuesday. "Unfortunately, that's part of the reason that makes these guys professional athletes. They have a little bit of an edge to want to do more, seek more. Where's the line? I don't know that." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrockster21 Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 They just said on NFL Tonight that its a 7-8 week injury, meaning he'll be ready haflway through training camp. I don't think that takes into account the weight loss he'll experience from a liquid diet however....he'll have to work hard to put that weight back on in time for the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hokie4redskins Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 He'll play, but whether or not he's the same player is the question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimster Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 update - it's sounding better for him every day... Roethlisberger eating soft foods Wednesday, June 14, 2006 http://media3.steelers.com/article/65305/ By BOB LABRIOLA Steelers.com As Ben Roethlisberger continues to convalesce at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh following a motorcycle accident on Monday, doctors cleared up some of the rampant speculation that has been going on regarding his condition and the course of treatment being followed. Dr. Larry Jones, the Chief of the Division of Multisystem Trauma at Mercy Hospital, said that while Roethlisberger remains in fair condition, follow-up CT scans reinforced the opinion that the Steelers quarterback suffered no brain injuries. "Since our last briefing at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, as is standard practice for all trauma patients who have suffered any type of head injury, we have performed a repeat follow-up CT scan of the brain," said Dr. Jones. "The result of this second scan, along with our ongoing observations, confirm our previous findings that Mr. Roethlisberger has suffered no brain injury. He has been up and out of bed, and his family remains at his bedside. We have advanced his diet. He does remain in fair condition." With the Roethlisberger family choosing to limit the extent of the information being disclosed about his condition, as is their legal right, the local and national media have relied on unnamed sources and interviews with medical personnel with no specific knowledge of his case for information. While that certainly has served to fill the inordinate amount of air-time and newspaper space that continues to be devoted to Roethlisberger's accident, it also has led to a lot of bad information being put out to the public. Dr. Daniel Pituch, the Chief of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Mercy Hospital and a man who was an important part of the 7 ½ hours that Roethlisberger spent in surgery on Monday immediately following the accident, clarified the procedures used in the operating room that day. "There has been much speculation about the management of Mr. Roethlisberger's facial fractures," said Dr. Pituch. "In many instances facial fractures can be managed by wiring the jaw shut. Mr. Roethlisberger's jaws and teeth are not wired shut." Instead, according to Dr. Pituch, the team of surgeons instead used a procedure known as internal fixation technology. "Internal fixation technology involves the placement of small titanium plates and screws onto the surface of broken bones," said Dr. Pituch. "It's the same technology that can be used to treat broken bones in other parts of the body, such as the ankles and wrists. This technology also can be used to treat facial fractures." This technology was used on Roethlisberger, and Dr. Pituch then conducted a little show-and-tell for the assembled media. The process entailed reducing the fractures, or putting the bones back into place. This reduction process allowed the bones to be brought together and then titanium plates were carefully bent to match the contours of the face. Where this was especially effective was along the jaw, for example, and then the plate was secured into the bone with screws. The size and contour of the plates matched the size of the bones in the face. "Once I had the bone reduced and put back together the way it needed to be, I kept it in place by placing screws in there," said Dr. Pituch. "Additional plates were incorporated, plates that are smaller and lower in profile, for some of the lighter bones. Then thin plates were used in the mid-face to stabilize the bones there. With the smaller plates, smaller screws were used to secure those in place." Because of this procedure, Roethlisberger didn't need to have his jaw wired shut, and he already is able to eat a soft diet. "He will not have to be on a liquid diet or suffer the nutritional consequences of such a diet," said Dr. Pituch. "This technology also allows us to have a more predictable outcome, and usually does not require any major reconstruction procedures." In all, this is more good news regarding Roethlisberger's condition, but there still has been no definitive pronouncement regarding when he might be able to resume football-related activities. Any information out there regarding that is pure speculation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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